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The document defines 'rez-ilience' for the Gitxsan people as a strength-based, holistic ability to adapt to climate change by weaving ancestral knowledge with present challenges. It contrasts this with Eurocentric resilience, which focuses on recovering from shocks without accounting for deep spiritual and kinship relationships with the land. The author highlights how climate change is disrupting the Gitxsan seasonal round—affecting the timing of berry harvests, moose migration, and salmon abundance—and recommends that government climate policies adopt place-based, seasonal, and interconnected frameworks.

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.