With Leslie Anne St. Amour, a lawyer, champion of Indigenous rights, a social activist and the Campaigns Director of Raven, we get up close and personal in trying to understand the Indigenous perspective. Because, despite the critical role Indigenous communities can play in environmental stewardship, there is a noticeable reluctance to integrate their voices. This reluctance can be attributed to several factors:

Historical Marginalization: Indigenous communities have been historically marginalized and excluded from decision-making processes.

Lack of Awareness: There is a general lack of awareness about the depth of indigenous knowledge and its relevance to contemporary environmental issues.

Systemic Barriers: Institutional and systemic barriers often prevent Indigenous participation in environmental governance.

To overcome these challenges, it is essential to:

Educate and Raise Awareness: Promote education about Indigenous history, rights, and environmental knowledge.

Foster Inclusive Policies: Develop and implement policies that actively include Indigenous voices in environmental decision-making.

Support Indigenous-Led Initiatives: Provide support and resources to Indigenous-led environmental initiatives and organizations.

The 5Cs podcast, book and community are about shining a light on a better path. Think of it as a global village of business people giving Planet Earth a hand up. You can find Charlene Norman on LinkedIn and here. Consider joining the community here and subscribe for more thoughts from the 5Cs on Substack.

What can we quickly learn and incorporate about Indigenous viewpoints into our environmental projects, task forces, work, careers and studies? In this episode we uncover

Indigenous Perspectives in Environmental Initiatives:

• Discover why it’s crucial to include indigenous voices in conservation and sustainability projects.
• Learn how indigenous knowledge can transform our approach to environmental work.

Stewardship of the Land:

• Understand the profound concept of stewardship from an indigenous viewpoint.
• Explore how indigenous people see themselves not as owners, but as caretakers of the land.

Impact of Human Actions:

• Reflect on the effects of our actions on the environment and non-human beings.
• Gain insights into making decisions that benefit the highest good of all.

Empirical Evidence and Indigenous-Led Conservation:

• Hear real-life examples where indigenous knowledge has proven to be invaluable in conservation efforts.
• Trust the wisdom and experiences of indigenous communities in environmental initiatives.

By incorporating indigenous knowledge and understanding the concept of stewardship, we can make more informed and compassionate decisions for the environment. If you'd like to learn more, visit Raven Trust, a helpful and knowledgeable organization for anyone interested in helping, standing with and learning from the Indigenous Tribes.

And go here, if you'd like your own copy of How to Survive and Thrive the Next Few Decades.

The 5Cs podcast, book and community are about shining a light on a better path. Think of it as a global village of business people giving Planet Earth a hand up. You can find Charlene Norman on LinkedIn and here. Consider joining the community here and subscribe for more thoughts from the 5Cs on Substack.

This is our final episode of the four-part series for using the law to make permanent changes with the highly respected environmental justice and human rights lawyer Rebecca Bratspies. (The first episode can be found here; the second here, and the third episode here.)

Rebecca is the founding director of the Centre for Urban Environmental Reform, an award winning author, a college professor at the City University of New York School of Law and the go to expert for the basic human right to live in a healthy environment. You reach out to Rebecca on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

This episode we get even more granular as we look at:

-How can individuals or executives take legal action against companies for environmental violations?

-Legal Support and the Balance of Interests

-Shareholder Primacy and Corporate Responsibility

-Rebecca's Vision for the Future

-The Profitability of Going Green

and we end with a dose of

-Gratitude and Optimism

The 5Cs podcast, book and community are about shining a light on a better path. Think of it as a global village of business people giving Planet Earth a hand up. You can find Charlene Norman on LinkedIn and here. Consider joining the community here and subscribe for more thoughts from the 5Cs on Substack.