Maria Shallard
About Maria Shallard
Maria Shallard is of mixed settler descent with ancestral ties to Penelakut First Nation through her grandfather. She is passionate about the well-being of the land and waters, having witnessed impacts on places she calls home, and cares about providing a future that is grounded in holistic health for the next seven generations. She is a senior adviser, Indigenous partnerships and research at the Canadian Climate Institute.
Canada can’t reconcile climate change without first reconciling with Indigenous Peoples and the land
Despite the resurgence of Indigenous knowledge, there is still a long way to go before meaningful reconciliation and power-sharing define the climate policy space.
Your heart may be breaking, but please take care of yourself
Research has shown that smells enhance autobiographical memories and trigger trauma-related flashbacks and that rates of PTSD, depression and generalized anxiety climb after wildfires and remain elevated for years after.