La rés-ilience des Gitxsans

The document examines the climate resilience of the Gitxsan people in British Columbia, proposing a definition of 'rés-ilience' rooted in kinship and a holistic relationship with the land. It highlights how climate change is disrupting the traditional seasonal cycle (circuit saisonnier), affecting the availability of berries, moose (Xadaa), and salmon, which in turn threatens food security and cultural identity. The author argues that current government climate policies are insufficient because they rely on Eurocentric definitions of resilience that ignore Indigenous values of reciprocity and responsibility. The study recommends that policymakers adopt place-based approaches, incorporate seasonal considerations, and recognize the interconnectedness of all living things to create more effective adaptation strategies.

• The Gitxsan people maintain a traditional seasonal cycle of subsistence activities, known as the 'circuit saisonnier', which is guided by a 13-moon calendar and the 'wheel of Gitxsan philosophy'. This system emphasizes balance, harmony, and a sense of responsibility toward the territory.
• Climate change is causing unpredictable seasonal variations that disrupt the traditional Gitxsan way of life. Specific impacts include thermal stress on plants during the 2021 heatwave, reduced berry harvests, and changes in the timing of blooms.
• Environmental changes are creating a 'domino effect' that threatens food security and cultural identity. The moose (Xadaa) is less present in its usual sectors, and salmon populations are declining in both number and health.
• There is a fundamental conflict between Eurocentric and Indigenous views of resilience. Eurocentric models focus on adaptation relative to a critical threshold, whereas the Gitxsan perspective views resilience as a holistic relationship based on kinship, where humans and nature share the same ancestors.
• Current government climate policies are criticized for being inequitable and serving capitalist and extractive interests because they lack inclusive definitions of community-territory relations and Indigenous responsibilities.
• The author proposes a Gitxsan-specific interpretation of resilience ('rés-ilience') as the ability to weave together ancestral knowledge, laws, and ceremonies to meet current challenges while acting as protectors of the land for future generations.

APA

Canadian Climate Institute (2022). La rés-ilience des Gitxsans. https://institutclimatique.ca/publications/la-res-ilience-des-gitxsans/

Chicago

Canadian Climate Institute. La rés-ilience des Gitxsans. 2022. https://institutclimatique.ca/publications/la-res-ilience-des-gitxsans/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Climate Institute |title=La rés-ilience des Gitxsans |date=7 June 2022 |url=https://institutclimatique.ca/publications/la-res-ilience-des-gitxsans/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianclimateinstitute2022rsilience, author = {{Canadian Climate Institute}}, title = {{La rés-ilience des Gitxsans}}, institution = {Canadian Climate Institute}, year = {2022}, month = jun, url = {https://institutclimatique.ca/publications/la-res-ilience-des-gitxsans/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }