MANITOBA AND NUNAVUT HUB
OUR PEOPLE
OUR CLIMATE
Visualising Climate Change Through Hemispheric Dialogue
Our People, Our Climate was a ground-breaking documentary film and photojournalism initiative, aiming to develop the storytelling skills of Indigenous youth and young adults.
We’ve been proud to follow, learn from and collaborate with this remarkable initiative since 2020.
Just as partnerships at the domestic level are critical to ensuring the safety and security of Canada’s Arctic, it is equally important to work with other Arctic states and international partners in the broader region. That’s why, in collaboration with our partners, peers and collaborators at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and University of Minnesota Duluth, we’re submitting a special application to build on the original work of Our People Our Climate project.
Our People, Our Climate: Manitoba
First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities across Canada and the Arctic are essential to current climate change discussions, and this project brings together a range of young people in these communities to tell important stories through a unique and distinct cultural lens. In our program, youth and community artists become active researchers and cultural connectors, gathering and documenting the impacts of climate change on their communities.
Following the inspiration of previous research work that highlights the need of the direct inclusion of local Indigenous populations in research operations as a form of reconciliation, Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners from two hemispheres are collaborating and contributing to research on climate change visualization.
@1860 Winnipeg Arts and Cultural Entrepreneurship Project
@1860 Winnipeg served as the physical location for a number digital, virtual and in-person education initiatives aimed at using the arts and creative activities to build economic capacity for First Nations, Inuit and Metis artists and cultural sector workers in Canada, and to connect these individuals with global creative peers through virtual projects and skills-based training.
Learn more about the @1860 Winnipeg pilot project that was funded by the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Greenhouse Program.
A Pilot Program for Skills Development and Training
For our digital and cultural entrepreneurship program, we were able to engage high-school, college and university students as well as Elders, local businesses and community members to learn about two interrelated components:
- Using the arts to support climate change evidence and visualization through professional photography/videography;
- Learning to create opportunities for entrepreneurship by organizing and curating art exhibitions and other events such as public presentations, community workshops and digital skills training.
News, Events and Highlights
July 26, 2019
The goal of “Our People, Our Climate,” is to increase awareness on climate change in the territory through the creation of education and outreach materials targeting Inuit youth, elders, and business owners. A key focus will be to strengthen Indigenous traditional knowledge and cultural components to support climate action. Read More
This hemispheric dialogue was piloted through synchronous Zoom meetings with a small group of Indigenous, Honduran and Colombian students from January-March 2021, the design and testing of an incubator for arts entrepreneurship started in Winnipeg in November 2021.
Videos, Public Presentations and Workshops
2021: Visualising Climate Change Through Hemispheric Dialogue
Our People, Our Climate is a ground-breaking documentary film and photojournalism initiative, aiming to develop the storytelling skills of Indigenous youth and young adults. First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities across Canada and the Arctic are essential to current climate change discussions, and this project brings together a range of young people in these communities to tell important stories through a unique and distinct cultural lens.
2022 Winnipeg Arts Gathering
In April, 2022 the @1860 Winnipeg Arts Incubator held its very first annual gathering and results sharing workshops at the Niizhwaaso Collaborative Learning Centre and Qaumajuq at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. With funding from the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Greenhouse Program, this four-day series of workshops saw us coming together for the first time as a group since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
2023: National Kindness Week
The @1860 Winnipeg program took part in their second-annual National Kindness Week activities on February 15, 2023. This special day of events, hosted by Global Dignity Canada brought together more than 450 students from across Canada with the special theme “Kindness for the Planet.”
2023: Visualising Climate Change for Impact
This workshop aimed to strengthen storytelling skills for youth around the world taking effective action on the environment. The ground-breaking documentary film initiative, Our People Our Climate, will present their remarkable work aiming to develop the storytelling skills of indigenous youth and young adults.
Dr. Kuhlke presents three case studies serving as a way to create a theoretical framework for Arctic climate entrepreneurship based on the concept of unlimited growth in a limited system; the second case study seeks to create an applied approach that outlines the various practical measures that can be put into place to create long-term solutions for adaptation and mitigation.
We’re really excited to have be working with the Niriqatiginnga Program for Arctic Congress 2024 in Bodø, Norway. Our upcoming session is titled “Niriqatiginnga: Fostering Food Security and Innovation for Northern Supply Chains.”
Demonstrating Commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals
We’re demonstrating our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals through participatory arts, research and community-driven activities addressing poverty reduction, environmental sustainability, zero hunger for sustainable cities and communities.
The Niriqatiginnga Project created a page to track its activities and how they are aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals. Visit their page to learn more!
Supporting Manitoba-Minnesota Research Excellence
Elements of the Our People Our Climate were designed and tested over the course of three years supported by the United States National Science Foundation (2018-2021, Award #1758814), Canada Council for the Arts Digital Greenhouse (2022, Award #7015-21-0023) and Manitoba Arts Council Indigenous 360 Program (2023, Award #2022-1810). Niriqatiginnga builds on research from the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy established by the ArcticNet Network Centre of Excellence in 2020-2021.
We gratefully acknowledge the support of ArcticNet, the Arctic Buying Company Winnipeg, Chocolatier Constance Popp, the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and the University of Minnesota Duluth.
Thank you to our partners and supporters
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our generous partners, sponsors and supporters for making Niriqatiginnga possible and contributing to the success of our initiative.
