The End of This World: Climate Justice in So-Called Canada

by Angele Alook, Emily Eaton, David Gray-Donald

The climate crisis is here, and the end of this world—a world built on land theft, resource extraction, and colonial genocide—is on the horizon. In this compelling roadmap to a livable future, Indigenous sovereignty and climate justice go hand in hand.

Drawing on their work in Indigenous activism, the labour movement, youth climate campaigns, community-engaged scholarship, and independent journalism, the six authors challenge toothless proposals and false solutions to show that a just transition from fossil fuels cannot succeed without the dismantling of settler capitalism in Canada. Together, they envision a near future where oil and gas stay in the ground; where a caring economy provides social supports for all; where wealth is redistributed from the bloated billionaire class; and where stolen land is rightfully reclaimed under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of Indigenous peoples.

Packed with clear-eyed analysis of both short- and long-term strategies for radical social change, The End of This World promises that the next world is within reach and worth fighting for.

Genres: Nonfiction, Indigenous, Social Justice, Climate Change, Environment, Politics, Canada

217 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 17, 2023

About the author

Angele Alook is an Assistant Professor in the School of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at York University. She is a proud member of Bigstone Cree Nation in Treaty Eight territory, where she has carried out research on issues of sociology of family and work, resource extraction, school-to-work transitions, Indigenous identity, and seeking the good life (miyo-pimatisiwin) in work-life balance. Her current research examines a just transition away from fossil fuels. She is an active member of the labour movement and a former labour researcher in the movement.

Reviews

[Jessica DeWitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though well-read in environmental topics, I've actually spent very little time learning about just transition and climate change. I'm glad I'm starting to remedy this, and this book was a great place to start. At the core of the book, written collaboratively by Indigenous and settler authors, is the reminder that a just transition and a switch to renewable energy could just reframe colonial patterns of labour and land exploitation if we aren't careful. The authors provide some concrete and doable ways forward, and though they do not claim that the future they envision will be easy to reach, they also leave the reader feeling hopeful. This is a good primer on the topic for those beginning their just transition and climate change education.

[holls.22 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent content! I learned a lot!

Only drawback is that I feel like it needed more editing as it was a bit repetitive at times and had a lot of sentences that were long/unclear.

[Rachel Ashera Rosen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so weirdly happy about this book. It's what I needed to read at this exact moment. So much of climate catastrophe discourse is either despair or tiny tweaks that don't actually change anything, and calls for radical change can be too pie-in-the-sky to feel possible. This book is about Indigenous-led and Indigenous-centred approaches to the climate crisis that include short, medium, and long-term solutions. It's a path to climate justice and a just transition that actually feels realistic, where the short-term goals allow the longer, more radical transformations to happen. I got this out from the library but I think I'll end up buying a copy for reference and to loan to people.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book makes a compelling case for why we must honour and incorporate aboriginal values into a just transition if we want a world where all can thrive.

This book is comprehensive, presents the case well and is very informative.

Before reading this book, I hadn't realized that the word 'treaty' was an aboriginal word that had nothing to do with ceding territory, but more to do with establishing the terms of right relationship.

[Kat Karalis · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’d give a reason as to why this book sucked, but the authors didn’t bother backing up any of their claims in this book so why should I? I can appreciate the issues discussed and I understand how severe they are - however there were absolutely no feasible solutions presented (also had to read this for school so that’s why my review is bitter lol)

[Carahallie Morzaht · Rating 1 out of 5]

First of all, the title suggests disrespect for the country you live in. If I called you a "so called woman" you would think I was being disrespectful, and rightly so. To start off a book this way, I thought was disrespectful. disingenuous, and biased.
This book hinges on the relationships between the Indigenous People and the rest of Canada. The author goes off topic quite often relating stories of International agreements that have nothing to do with Indigenous People.
There are statements that purport that indigenous rights should be recognized over "ancestral waters and territories". It requires Canada to stop blocking Indigenous people from restoring and reclaiming their land, language, governance, law and economies. I am not sure this is all true. No sources were given. How does Canada's military impede Indigenous sovereignty abroad? How does mining outside Canada's "colonial" borders impede Indigenous sovereignty? The author makes these statements, but doesn't really back up anything with facts.
Too many points in this book apply to everyone living in Canada, but the author seems to think that only Indigenous people are suffering; seemingly to imply that Indigenous people are worse off.
Speaking for personal experience, I see that some Indigenous tribes choose to feed off the Federal government with one hand, yet decrying them for not doing enough to help them. The Canadian government built a water purification plant in Northern Ontario for them, and took steps to teach them how to maintain the plant. The community did not maintain the plant, it fell into disrepair and they claim the government won't help them.
In Chapter 2 of the book, the author talks about Beaver Creek; it is a polluted site. (As an aside, why does the author imply that climate change and pollution are solely an Indigenous issue?) Apparently this pollution stems from the fact the Canada did not uphold it's treaty rights, and would not give them any money to clean up the site. What the author does not mention in the book is that the government had already given them $7,000,000. and it was squandered away. A report suggests "That implicitly finds that Beaver Lake Cree Nation is able to afford $300,000 per year of expenditure from its own resources," the appeal court judges said. "The contributions of the two governments should therefore have been limited to some contribution to reasonable expenses over that threshold, to a suitable maximum."
The author digresses at one point and delves into the issue of missing Indigenous women and girls - not sure what this has to do with the environment.
The author also declines to mention many of the benefits that Indigenous people do receive from the government.
This book seems to be an invective against the government for not helping Indigenous people, which could not be further from the truth.
One other personal story: the caribou in the north are disappearing and environmental groups have been trying to save them. They have entered into dialogue with Indigenous people. They spent 10 years trying to help the tribes, but the Indigenous people kept putting up roadblocks. The caribou continue to disappear; on the surface, after 10 years, it is plain that the Indigenous people don't really care. What do they actually care about? In the final meeting they mentioned that all they really wanted after 10 years was an apology from the government? An apology for what? They never really made it clear, but that is why they chose not to move forward. And the caribou have suffered.
No doubt Indigenous people are not served favourably by the Canadian government. but the sins of omission in this book do nothing to help their cause. It is a rambling vituperation that really has no conclusion.
I wish the "so-called" writer would get the facts straight.