These in-their-own-words pieces are told to Patricia Lane and co-edited with input from the interviewee for the purpose of brevity.

Mackenzie Burnett explores the overlap between extractive industry and Indigenous concepts of land restoration. She also draws people into conversations about climate solutions in her work with Climate Justice Saskatoon and the Saskatoon Climate Hub.

Tell us about your work.

My University of Saskatchewan master’s thesis discusses the results of interviews with 17 Indigenous and industry restoration practitioners in Northern British Columbia and the Yukon. I’m exploring how they view restoration and how future Indigenous and industry partners can better collaborate to restore industrial sites.

What are some of your findings?

While some industry participants thought about restoration in terms of meeting regulatory requirements, both groups shared the goals of returning the land to its pre-disturbance state and having Indigenous rights-holders be able to meaningfully practise their treaty rights.

Some of the Indigenous rights holders I spoke with also defined successful restoration as being able to trust the land again. In other words, they seek to establish from both Western science and their own ways of knowing that the land and water are free of contaminants and the plants and animals that grew and thrived before have returned and are healthy. 

Mackenzie Burnett says that, as research shows restoration work is more effective when done in collaboration with Indigenous peoples, they should be partners and leaders in that work.

When done well, the collaboration required to heal the damaged land appeared to strengthen relationships between people, including some industry and Indigenous partners, and between people and the land.

The collaborations have many benefits. In Canada, we are all dependent on land that is either unceded or part of a treaty. As the need for resources grows, it is in everyone’s interests that we learn to do a better job of making the land whole after we disturb it. Research shows restoration is more effective when done in collaboration with local and Indigenous people. Indigenous people should be partners and leaders in this work. The outcomes will be more successful, and the health and wellbeing of communities will improve.

Tell us about your community work in Saskatoon.

As a co-founder of the Saskatoon Climate Hub and member of Climate Justice Saskatoon, we have built a great coalition of people who are tackling carbon pollution. It is an immediate threat. Over 10,000 people were evacuated to our city last summer when their homes were endangered by wildfires. The rising rate of Dutch elm disease threatens much of the urban canopy. I created an event series called Bite-size Change, so people can learn about meaningful but manageable ways they can take action. We have begun to work together to protect ourselves, too. One of the Bite-size Changes we hosted last summer was about making our own air filters. Last fall, I led a campaign to have people send postcards to city councillors urging them to set aside funds for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

How did you get into this work?

In my Grade 3 class in Edson, Alberta, I did a project on glaciers and was shocked to learn about the rates and impact of melting. For the rest of my education, I looked for ways to learn more, and it was a given for me that I would spend my life working in this area. 

With all the terrible news so omnipresent, it is easy to feel demoralized and isolated. There are so many needs that seem to be competing. 

Solar and wind and other forms of renewable energy are going to help us find a life we can afford that is also cleaner and more fair. 

What do you see if we get this right?

There is a lot to gain. Good union jobs that pay a living wage; clean energy that reduces our costs; a strong, much more fair economy.

How does the way you were raised impact you?

Education was a priority in my family. I was also encouraged to push myself, and learned that I could pick myself up when I stumbled. My brother and I both had jobs at 14. We realized we could take responsibility for getting ourselves there and doing what was expected. 

What would you like to say to other young people?

The best antidote to despair is action and community. Believe in yourself. You have a voice and something to contribute by raising it, especially when you do so with others. Know that you do not need to know everything to get started. Celebrate the small steps. They matter.

What about older readers?

You are needed in the climate movement. You have so much experience and knowledge you can lend to campaigns and younger organizers. It’s never too late to get involved. 

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