Bridging the gap : a collaborative inquiry into the experience of cross-cultural environmental initiatives
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Issue Date
2012-08-08
Authors
Williams, Jennifer Marie
License
Subject
Abstract
The history of colonial settlement and the resulting inequality between First Nations and
Euro-Canadian populations in British Columbia, Canada, has cultivated an “us” and
“them” mentality that fosters and perpetuates mistrust, misunderstandings, and deeply
rooted stereotypes. However, currently there is a desire and necessity for collaboration
between these two populations in environmental initiatives. This is a collaborative study
that uses an ethnographic lens and decolonizing methodologies to engage individuals
with a First Nations background and those with a Euro-Canadian background as coresearchers
and explores their ecological identities and personal experiences working on
cross-cultural environmental initiatives in British Columbia. Findings focus on views of
the current political systems, and cultural literacy in terms of relationships and respect.
Based on the findings, recommendations were co-created in an online forum and offer
guidelines for future environmental cross-cultural collaborative processes including both
personal and systemic level suggestions.