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THE PAST IS THE PRESENT.
Manage episode 506099619 series 3671141
Today’s episode looks at the term ‘environmental justice’, its meaning historically, and the shift to calling it what it truly is - ‘environmental racism’. Dr. Ingrid Waldron is the author of the award-winning book “There’s Something in the Water: Environmental Racism in Indigenous and Black Communities”. It is also a Netflix documentary of the same name, co-produced by Waldron, actor Elliot Page, Ian Daniel, and Julia Sanderson, and directed by Page and Daniel. Dr. Waldronjoins Marion and Dani to look at the legacy of environmental racism and its health impacts in Indigenous and Black communities in Canada, focusing on the grassroots resistance activities by Indigenous and Black communities against the pollution and poisoning of their communities in Nova Scotia. The environmental justice narrative there fails to make race explicit, obscuring it within discussions on class. This mutes the specificity of Mi’kmaq and African Nova Scotian experiences with racism and environmental hazards. They discuss how the effects of environmental racism are compounded by other forms of oppression to further dehumanize and harm communities already dealing with pre-existing vulnerabilities, such as long-standing social and economic inequality. This is not a thing of the past. This is happening now. The past IS the present. As always, please take care of yourselves and if you need to, make use of the resources listed on our podcast main page.
ABOUT Dr. Ingris Waldron:
Dr. Ingrid Waldron (MA, University of London; PhD, University of Toronto) is the HOPE Chair in Peace and Health in the Global Peace and Social Justice Program in the Faculty of Humanities at McMaster University. She teaches Peace, Environment and Health and Race, Place & Geographies of Violence in Indigenous & Black Communities (Special Topics Course) in the Global Peace and Social Justice Program in the Faculty of Humanities. She also teaches Social Justice Perspectives on Gender and Health in the Gender Studies and Feminist Research Graduate Program in the Faculty of Humanities. Dr. Waldron’s research interests focus on ecological violence and the structural determinants of health. She is Founder and Director of The Environmental Noxiousness, Racial Inequities and Community Health Project (The ENRICH Project), which inspired the federal private members bill - a National Strategy Respecting Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice (Bill C-230) – approved in 2021. She also co-founded the Anti-Environmental Racism Coalition, which has brought together organizations in the environment and climate change sector across Canada to collaborate on projects and share expertise and resources to address environmental racism and climate change inequities in Indigenous, Black, and other racialized communities in Canada. She is also a Member of the Board of Directors at Research Canada.
Episode-Relevant Links:
https://fernwoodpublishing.ca/book/there8217s-something-in-the-water
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itRiNmo3hq8
*****CONTENT WARNING*****
Each episode of this podcast touches on subjects related to trauma, misogyny, racism, medical racism, sexual misconduct, Residential Schools, as well as many aspects of death and dying. Self-care is our priority, and we ask that you please take care as you listen, step away for a break when you need to, and use the resources below for support.
Mental Health Support Resources:
https://www.hopeforwellness.ca/ , 24/7 telephone: 1-855-242-3310, Online chat
NIHB Mental Health Services regional office
First Nations Health Authority (BC), Toll-free: 1-866-913-0033, [email protected]
MAiD Resources:
https://www.fnha.ca/what-we-do/healthy-living/end-of-life-journey/medical-assistance-in-dying
Centre for Education and Research on Aging
https://endoflifedoulaassociation.org/doula-list-maid/
https://abo-peoples.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CAP-2024-FinalReport-PEOLC-MAID_WEB_EN-.pdf
Grief & Loss Support Resources:
https://www.beendigen.com/programs/talk4healing/
https://www.hospicenorthwest.ca/services/outreach-program/
https://lumarasociety.org/indigenouswellness/ , 1-866-9LUMARA, [email protected]
Indigenous Books on Grief and Loss:https://www.strongnations.com/store/item_list.php?it=1&cat=3027
Residential School Support Resources:
https://www.irsss.ca/ , 1-800-721-0066 for Survivors and Their Families
https://nctr.ca/contact/survivors/ , The National Residential School Crisis Line 1-866-925-4419
9 episodes
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