Transforming "white settler environmentalism" in the Okanagan : settler activists working towards solidarity with syilx sovereignty and climate justice
department or school: Creative and Critical Studies, Faculty of (Okanagan)
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCO
creator: Delfs, Erin
issued: 2025-05-29T20:10:34Z
issued: 2025
related degree: Master of Arts - MA
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: We are living in a global climate emergency, driven by interlocking structures and processes of settler colonialism, white supremacy, racism, heteropatriarchy, capitalism, and ableism (Armstrong and Klein 2023; IPCC n.d.; United Nations, n.d.; Combahee River Collective 1977). syilx communities have been taking care of the land and lifeways of syilx territory in sustainable ways for thousands of years (Maracle et al. 1993; Cohen and Chambers 2021; Armstrong 2009). Yet, manifestations of environmentalism and climate activism in the Okanagan commonly center (often white) settler experiences, perspectives, laws, and priorities over those of syilx communities. I utilize the concept “white settler environmentalism” (WSE) to encompass and interrogate these settler-centric approaches and practices of climate activism. Though syilx knowledge keepers like Jeannette Armstrong have called on settlers to show up for syilx sovereignty and climate justice (Armstrong and Klein 2023), many settler activists in the Okanagan are unsure about how to do this. Furthermore, even when settlers act with good intentions, we are wont to perpetuate WSE characteristics (e.g. white saviorism and fragility, self-centeredness, and conflict avoidance) that risk harming syilx people and hindering syilx-led actualizations of climate justice. This thesis demonstrates a process I am engaging in alongside fellow settler activists and settler-dominant activist groups in the Okanagan as we work on transforming processes and practices of WSE into processes and practices of solidarity with syilx sovereignty and climate justice. I explore this topic primarily through (1) building a set of practices to transform WSE and work towards collaboration with syilx communities from a personal level; and (2) facilitating teach-and-learn-in workshops with other settler activists to collectivize this work. These methods extend from a theoretical framework of transnational Indigenous, Black feminist, and activist voices …
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/91241
note: TRANSFORMING “WHITE SETTLER ENVIRONMENTALISM” IN THE OKANAGAN: SETTLER ACTIVISTS WORKING TOWARDS SOLIDARITY WITH SYILX SOVEREIGNTY AND CLIMATE JUSTICE by Erin Delfs B.H.K., The University of British Columbia Okanagan, 2022 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in THE COLLEGE OF GRADUATE STUDIES (Interdisciplinary Studies - Community Engagement, Social Change and Equity) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Okanagan) May 2025 © Erin Delfs, 2025 ii The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the College of Graduate Studies for acceptance, the thesis entitled: Transforming “white settler environmentalism” in the Okanagan: settler activists working towards solidarity with syilx sovereignty and climate justice submitted by Erin Delfs in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Examining Committee: Dr. Anita Girvan, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies Co-supervisor Dr. Virginie Magnat, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies Co-supervisor Dr. Bill Cohen, Okanagan School of Education Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Onyx Sloan Morgan, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Susan Frohlick, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences University Examiner iii Abstract We are living in a global climate emergency, driven by interlocking structures and processes of settler colonialism, white supremacy, racism, heteropatriarchy, capitalism, and ableism (Armstrong and Klein 2023; IPCC n.d.; United Nations, n.d.; Combahee River Collective 1977). syilx communities have been taking care of the land and lifeways of syilx territory in sustainable ways for thousands of years (Maracle et al. 1993; Cohen and Chambers 2021; Armstrong 2009). Yet, manifestations of environmentalism and climate activism in the Okanagan commonly center (often white) settler experiences, perspectives, laws, and priorities over those of sy…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
date issued: 2025-09
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0448995
language: eng
degree discipline: Interdisciplinary Studies
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International
rights URI: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
scholar level: Graduate
contributor: Girvan, Anita
contributor: Magnat, Virginie
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/91241