Tabitha Martens

This project aimed to explore the challenges Indigenous land stewards in British Columbia (BC) experience when exercising their rights to care for the land and what keeps them motivated and dedicated to their roles in the face of violence and discrimination. This project employed an Indigenous research paradigm for non-Indigenous researchers using a conversational interview method with 12 land stewards across BC, recruited using purposive sampling. The interview data was thematically analyzed to identify emergent themes surrounding care for the land. This project identified four major challenges Indigenous land stewards face in their work and six motivations that keep them dedicated to their roles. The main challenges participants discussed were 1) Colonialism; 2) Cultural Isolation; 3) Environmental Harm; and 4) Burnout and Emotional Hardship. The six key motivations for land stewards were 1) Maintaining Good Relations with the Land; 2) Learning, Sharing, Healing; 3) Spirituality and Ceremony; 4) Love and Care; 5) Indigenous Food Sovereignty; and 6) Resistance Against Colonial Structures. Participants expressed that while their motivations to care for the land are strong, the challenges they face must be addressed by colonial institutions in order to affirm Indigenous land rights, food sovereignty, and support the overall health of the land. This project served as a framework for future Canada-wide studies with Indigenous land stewards and aided in articulating a research protocol for further work exploring Indigenous conceptions of care for the land and how care supports the conservation of the environment and its food systems.

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