By Michael Tyas I am going to say two crazy things, one more insane and maddening than the other, but they are both true: 1. Sweating is the cheapest way to stay cool in the summer. 2. Sweating can make you feel like a king or queen. If you are still reading, thank you. I will attempt to redeem myself by explaining how you can be the absolute most comfortable you have ever been while reducin
Speech for Senator McCallum on Bill C-12, the “Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act” from the Waniskātān Alliance of Hydro-Impacted Communities June, 2021 We welcome the opportunity to speak to this bill and to the impacts of hydro dams and climate change in Manitoba, particularly on Indigenous communities. Cree and Anishinabe peoples in Manitoba have been living with the impacts
By Shirley Ducharme and Doreen Spence Thursday, Apr. 15, 2021 The provincial government will soon decide whether to disregard our wishes and grant Manitoba Hydro a final licence for the Churchill River Diversion, a project that diverts up to 95 per cent of the flow of the second largest river in the province — at great cost to us. The final licensing decision should have been made 44 year
By Jessica Bound Hydroelectricity is currently considered to be the most important source of renewable energy in Canada, but when it’s generated by a mega-dam, it isn’t actually as “clean” or “green” a source of energy as the Canadian hydropower industry would like us to believe. Fortunately, alternatives to hydroelectricity do exist, and they are much more effective than you might
By Dylan Kensick The last week of August 2020, the Kis Kin Ha Ma Ki Win team travelled north to Nishichawayasihk Cree Nation (Nelson House) and Tataskweyak Cree Nation (Split Lake) to collaborate with the Land Guardians and to perform chemical and microbiological tests on the surrounding water systems of each community. The team first visited Nishichawayasihk and spent an afternoon acquiring fo
By Cliff Dano My name is Cliff Dano and I’m a summer student with Wa Ni Ska Tan about to start my second year with the Engineering Access Program at University of Manitoba. When I began my position as an Energy Alternatives Research Assistant with Wa Ni Ska Tan this past July, I immediately thought of the great strides Fisher River Cree Nation has made in renewable energy. Although I’m a ba
By Andrea Sutherland Companies use terms like “clean,” “green” and “environmentally-friendly” to celebrate their environmental sustainability, but without the evidence to support their claims, they are not ecological warriors; they’re greenwashing. The term “greenwashing” has been around since 1986, when environmentalist Jay Westerveld used it to describe a hotel’s effort t
Job Title: Energy Alternatives Research Assistant Hours/Week: 35 Hourly Wage: $16 Time Frame: June 22nd - August 31st, 2020 Background: Wa Ni Ska Tan Alliance of Hydro-Impacted Communities is a research-based alliance that explores both the positive and negative implications of hydropower for nearby environments and Indigenous communities in Manitoba and other affected regions across C
Hey there, I’m Rebecca, one of the Masters students working with Wa Ni Ska Tan! I joined the team in Fall 2019, and have been working to build our global connections following the Ki Ta Ski Naw conference we hosted in November. This incredible gathering brought together over 200 community members, researchers, activists, and allies from countries including Brazil, Colombia, Panama, Mexico, the U
By Emily Unger When I first heard the loud booming sound, I was startled, but didn’t think much of it. I figured there was ongoing construction nearby, and that it wouldn’t happen again. It was similar to that of a gunshot but echoed louder and lingered for longer. It was a sound like I had never heard before. The sound was repetitive over the next few days, and it was a topic of discuss