UVic Geography Researchers Support Cross-Cultural Indigenous Exchange for Ecological Stewardship
May 16, 2025
A collaborative research project led by UVic geography PhD candidate Elicia Bell alongside geography professors Dr. Crystal Tremblay and Dr. Sophia Carodenuto is helping connect Indigenous communities across the globe through land-based knowledge exchange, participatory video, and mutual storytelling. The project brought together representatives of the T'Souke and Tla-o-qui-aht (Nuu-chah-nulth, ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ) First Nations (FN) in British Columbia, Canada and the Selkirk, Kwanlen Dun and Carcross/Tagish FN in the Yukon, Canada and Loita and Parakuiyo Maasai from Enguserosambu village, Ngorongoro District and Elerai village, Kilindi District in Tanzania, fostering a rich dialogue on Indigenous stewardship, cultural resilience, and self-determination.
Through immersive, community-driven exchanges, participants shared governance strategies, land-based practices, and environmental challenges in the face of colonial legacies and climate change. The initiative, which emphasizes Indigenous-led conservation and participatory research, is a powerful example of how academic work can support grassroots stewardship and global solidarity.
Community-Led Exchanges Rooted in Mutual Respect
The research was grounded in long-standing relationships between researchers and Indigenous communities. It prioritized co-developed goals and methodologies, emphasizing the capacity of community-based participatory research (CBPR) to ensure that the process reflected the values and needs of the participants.
Through in-person visits to each other's territories, members of both the Maasai and FN communities exchanged teachings on stewardship practices, which included cultural burning, resource monitoring, traditional governance, and land use. These sessions were not structured as one-way learning opportunities but instead within an "ethical space" framework, which encouraged mutual sharing, reflection, and recognition of the value of each knowledge system.
Participatory video also played a key role in the exchange. In 2019, the research team recorded over 50 hours of video footage documenting cultural activities, discussions and interviews. The team actively participated in all aspects of video production: conducting interviews, documenting significant sites and stories, and editing footage. These videos, which were eventually compiled into a short film "Indigenous Connection", served as tools of empowerment, cultural affirmation, and expression.
Resilience in the Face of Displacement and Climate Change
Despite their geographic distance, both the Maasai and FN participants recognized striking parallels in their histories and challenges. As one Maasai leader observed during the 2019 tour, "Indigenous communities all over the world are in the same struggle to secure our lands and retain our culture."
Both groups have experienced colonial dispossession, resource extraction, and the imposition of state-driven conservation initiatives that undermine Indigenous governance. However, mutual recognition of those similarities proved a relatively new phenomenon. Before the exchanges, Maasai collaborators perceived Canada as free from Indigenous discrimination, but interactions with FN revealed persistent systemic racism, unfulfilled agreements and policy inaction despite settled land claims. Conversely, FN members were inspired by the Maasai's resilience in defending their culture and land. These exchanges fostered mutual understanding and collective resolve in addressing governance challenges.
One of the most impactful aspects of the exchange was the demonstration of strong female leadership in both communities. Throughout the project, women served as cultural transmitters, land stewards, custodians of ecological knowledge, and strong advocates for their communities. Their stories highlighted the difficulty Indigenous women face under climate change, sustaining fragile ecosystems while fulfilling responsibilities to family, community, and land. However, they demonstrated the strength of women worldwide in ensuring the continuity of knowledge systems, especially under the pressures of social and ecological change.
Looking Ahead
The knowledge exchange has already had ripple effects, strengthening community partnerships and local practices and building new pathways for international solidarity. It also demonstrated how academic institutions like UVic can play a meaningful role by supporting, rather than directing, community-engaged research.
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