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Oceans

1) What are your primary concerns about the oceans?

2) What, if anything, do you plan to do about it?

As mentioned in a previous blog, my primary concern is the amount of plastic and non-biodegradable garbage that is being thrown into the oceans and killing wildlife (both land and marine). This unbalances ecosystems and drives animals away from their habitats; as well as kills them when they consume the waste. The waste does not just stay within the ocean coasts and near land, but travels via ocean currents to the ocean the water masses, thousands of miles away from land where it came from.

I do not have the funding to completely make a difference to all garbage being thrown into our waters. But I can start small and reduce the number of non-biodegradable items that are thrown away. This mostly includes plastic materials (plastic bottles), but also considers man-made items such as Styrofoam and rubber materials. By reducing my usage of these items, I will indirectly contribute to the volume entering the oceans. I also plan to spend time along river banks and ocean beaches cleaning up small areas piece by piece and disposing of all garbage appropriately and sustainably. The garbage I clean up may not be much but will always help no matter what. Finally, I can educate friends and family on the plastics in the ocean killing wildlife by using the power of social media. Making social media posts will spread awareness and hopefully raise concerns about the oceans to more people. This reminds of a new ‘challenge’ that has been occurring worldwide. The challenge asks people to clean up garbage in any area they come across, so the waste does not end up somewhere worse. I have seen stunning results that warm my heart, where beaches were completely covered and then through a combined effort, were cleaned to their original state.

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Part 6: Action - D

After reading about my food system and considering ways to make my food consumption more sustainable, the first thing that jumps to my mind is purchasing and shopping locally! Farmers Markets! They are plentiful during the summer and sell produce that is not wrapped in non-biodegradable plastics or grown with pesticides. These small markets are perfect for acquiring healthier foods at a reasonable price that can be disposed of sustainably. This method would sustain me perfectly at the moment as I am a student with limited funds and I plan on achieving this come the summer. Another method to improve sustainability which is listed above, but something I have always wanted to do, is to grow my own food and be vegetarian. Being vegetarian restricts the number of animals (cattle, pigs, etc.) that are grown thus helping the environment in numerous ways: including less CO2 emissions and waste produced. Growing my own food would allow for fresh healthy produce to sustain myself and 100% reduce waste into landfills.

In the years to come, growing my own food would best suit my household and value system only when I have my own place and the land to complete this. However, currently I reside in an apartment in the city and do not have access to the ground or a background to grow my own. Therefore, shopping locally will by far be the best option to suit my household. I know there is a Farmers Market a few minutes south of my location that provides everything I would need to reach this goal.

To begin I would research recipes and food that allow to become vegetarian and determine all locations near me that provide fresh locally grown produce. Then, I would look into removing all plastic packaging from the kitchen such as plastic bags and plastic product packaging and replace these with reusable materials. The one change that would directly affect and improve the sustainability in my food system would be to have more local agriculture with local farmers. This produce would be grown without the uses of chemicals and large-scale harvesting. To do this training, and resources to the younger generations is important so that they become more interested in organic.

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Part 6: Action - C

E-waste consists of heavy metals that can be damaging to the environment: lead, mercury, cadmium. Currently, my e-waste is non-existent due to me hording old phones and keeping old tvs. However, I have heard of many electronics ending up in the landfills which is very depressing. The city I reside in (Winnipeg, Manitoba) does have processes put into place to recycle e-waste (old tvs, phones, microwaves, etc.). These include small businesses mostly and is described briefly in the link below.

https://winnipeg.ca/waterandwaste/garbage/electronics.stm

After investigating my options, I believe my best goal would be to dispose of various items to second-hand stores such as Value Village, or Earth Shop, where they can be reused in other households. For phones and broken electronics, the best option available to me is to dispose of them to the correct locations which are provided online and can be broken down and recycled for the heavy metals. Being careful with electronics and reducing the amount of purchases I made (or how I treat the items I currently own) will limit my future purchases. Sticking with the essentials, such as cellular devices, will be my main future plan in relation to waste that they may one day become.

[cosmoscreation]

Part 6: Action - B

The Table above shows the items, products, and services I purchased over one week. I categorized them into ‘good’, ‘bad’, and ‘ugly’ depending on the 6 criteria and then determined an estimated cost for each category using only one item once. 

The total dollar value comes to approximately #740 dollars. This includes expensive items like the shoes and gasoline added to each category. The price listed only considers the items in the category once and not repeated. Also, I considered the packaging that the purchases came in and how they relate to the listed criteria. As we can see the “ugly” category has a high number of purchases included, as well as a price similar to the “good” category. Making changes on the purchase within this category that are produced by large corporations would be the best change I could make. By buying more local expensive items that are not produced in bulk (Tea, pizza, hand cream, shoes, etc.) and more natural items would significantly change my data.

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Part 6: Action - A

1) Nivea Men Sensitive Cooling Shaving Gel – Moderate Hazard 5

Overall Hazard: Moderate

Cancer: Moderate

Developmental & reproductive toxicity: Low

Allergies & immunotoxicity: High

Irritation: High

Main Ingredient concerns

Fragrance (High hazard, 8): Allergies, irritation, organ system toxicity, ecotoxicology

Isobutance (High hazard, 7): Allergies, irritation, organ system toxicity

Triethanolamine (Moderate hazard, 5): Allergies, organ system toxicity

BHT (Moderate hazard, 4): Cancer, organ system toxicity, endocrine disruption

2) Nivea Men Sensitive Cooling Post Shave Balm (Moderate Hazard, 5)

Overall Hazard: Moderate

Cancer: Low

Developmental & reproductive toxicity: None

Allergies & immunotoxicity: High

Use Restrictions: High

Irritation: High

Main Ingredient concerns (not all ingredients listed)

Fragrance (High Hazard, 8): Allergies, irritation, organ system toxicity, ecotoxicology

Triceteareth 4 Phosphate (Moderate Hazard, 3): Enhanced skin absorption, contamination concerns

3) Crest Pro-Health Advanced Extra Whitening Power Plus Freshness Toothpaste – Moderate Hazard 3  

Overall Hazard: Moderate

Cancer: None

Developmental & reproductive toxicity: None

Allergies & immunotoxicity: Moderate

Irritation: Moderate

Main Ingredient concerns

Flavour (Moderate Hazard, 4): Miscellaneous

Titanium Dioxide (Low Hazard, 1): Occupational hazards, organ system toxicity

PEG-6 (Moderate Hazard, 3): Organ system toxicity, Contamination concerns

4) TRESemme 24 Hour Body Healthy Volume Shampoo – Moderate Hazard 5  

Overall Hazard: Moderate

Cancer: Low

Developmental & reproductive toxicity: None

Allergies & immunotoxicity: High

Use Restrictions: High

Irritation: High

Main Ingredient concerns (not all ingredients listed)

Fragrance (High Hazard, 8): Allergies, irritation, organ system toxicity, ecotoxicology

DMDM Hydantoin (High Hazard, 7): Allergies, irritation, Cancer, Contamination concerns

Methylisothiazolinone (High Hazard, 7): Allergies, irritation, Neurotoxicity, ecotoxicology

Methylchloroisothiazolinone (Moderate Hazard, 6): Allergies, irritation, Cancer, ecotoxicology

5) St. Ives Body Wash, Oatmeal & Shea Butter (Moderate Hazard, 4)  

Overall Hazard: Moderate

Cancer: None

Developmental & reproductive toxicity: Moderate

Allergies & immunotoxicity: High

Use Restrictions: High

Irritation: High

Main Ingredient concerns (not all ingredients listed)

Fragrance (High Hazard, 8): Allergies, irritation, organ system toxicity, ecotoxicology

Methylisothiazolinone (High Hazard, 7): Allergies, irritation, Neurotoxicity, ecotoxicology

6) Dove Men+Care Non-Irritant Antiperspirant, Cool Fresh (Moderate Hazard, 4)

Overall Hazard: Moderate

Cancer: Moderate

Developmental & reproductive toxicity: Low

Allergies & immunotoxicity: High

Use Restrictions: Moderate

Irritation: High

Main Ingredient concerns (not all ingredients listed)

Fragrance (High Hazard, 8): Allergies, irritation, organ system toxicity, ecotoxicology

BHT (Moderate hazard, 4): Cancer, organ system toxicity, endocrine disruption

7) Ralph Lauren Blue for Men Eau de Toilette Spray (High Hazard, 7)

Overall Hazard: High

Cancer: None

Developmental & reproductive toxicity: Low

Allergies & immunotoxicity: High

Use Restrictions: High

Irritation: High

Persistence and bioaccumulation: High

Main Ingredient concerns (Only high hazards listed)

Fragrance (High Hazard, 8): Allergies, irritation, organ system toxicity, ecotoxicology

Lilial (High Hazard, 7): Allergies, Persistence and bioaccumulation, organ system toxicity, Endocrine disruption

Benzyl salicylate (High Hazard, 7): Allergies, Endocrine disruption, ecotoxicology

Geraniol (High Hazard, 7): Allergies, ecotoxicology

Isoeugenol (High Hazard, 7): Allergies/immunotoxicity

Citral (High Hazard, 7): Allergies/immunotoxicity, irritation

Eugenol (High Hazard, 7): Allergies/immunotoxicity, organ system toxicity

[cosmoscreation]

Food!

Consider your food system:

1) What do you like about it?

2) What do you dislike about it?

Consider taste, nutrition, cost, equity, and environmental issues

The things that stand out the most to me as positives with my food system are the diversity of products, the abundance of them, and the taste and nutrition that they provide. It is easy for me to acquire any food that I feel like when considering location and type of food. A short drive (or even a walk on a sunny day) can allow me to reach a grocery store to make my purchases. And within these stores I am able to purchase a variety of things and as many as I would want (I usually stick with what I need). For example, the Sobeys near me has fresh produce including fruits and veggies, meats and deli, bakery, pharmacy, dairy, and every in-between. All of these items are grown or made to taste good, and if I do not consider what most man-made products consist of, then they are most pleasing.

However, the cost, fairness, and environmental issues that result of these products are unstable and do not appeal to me. The most significant is the packaging that everything by fresh produce comes in. Every is wrapped in plastic that can only be thrown in the landfill and not recycled, creating massive environmental problems that disgust me every time I dispose of something. The difference in cost of fresh fruits and vegetables is so substantial that I find myself purchasing more unhealthy items such as deli meats, and pizzas than fruits like grapes and apples. This creates an unfairness that does not make it easy to have a healthy and balanced diet.

https://www.freshoption.ca/

Fresh Option is a local organization that delivers organic foods year round and is a great investment I have started with recently. The prices are not to steep and you get what you pay for. The process is very thorough and it combats the cost issues between fresh produce and processed food.

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Zoos!

1) What role, if any, should zoos play in conservation / education?

2) Is it ethical to keep animals in zoos? If so, what size / type of animal or zoo?

3) Do you enjoy visiting zoos?

My knowledge on zoos is limited, but I do know that there are good zoos and bad zoos. Some that capture and exploit animals to simply make and income and some that capture endangered species for conservation matters and education on these species. Zoos around the world should absolutely play a huge role in conservation/education of all types of animals, as these parks are a popular attraction to many kinds of people (especially the young which are very important to educate at an early age). Many people are more likely to go to a zoo to learn about endangered animals and how to protect their habitats than listen to a speech on reducing specie populations and such.

It is belief that for the right reasons, it is ethical to keep animals in zoos. Either for a limited time or for their entire life. The timeline an animal is held is determined by whether the animal has become independent on human interactions to survive and would not survive in the wild by itself. All size and type of animal should be welcome at the correct zoo! Bears that need rehabilitation or small lizards and birds that are nearly extinct. As long as they are treated as anyone would treat a human, cared for, and either released back into the wild after a period or kept for ethical reasons. Others have different opinions when it comes to zoos, some are completely against them and others simply do not care and use the for a fun day.

I have only been to zoos when I was young, and I remember enjoying the view and diversity of animals, but since I have gained more knowledge on the amount of endangered species and the way some places treat animals I have refrained from visiting. Or simply never found the time.

Image by National Geographic

Pandas are very well known for being on the verge of extinction (endangered) and correct conservation and treatments of these animals is required to save them. They are kept in zoos where people can visit them, yet are provided with a safe home to survive in. 

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Slow Movement

The podcast that I listened to was European Vacation 2.0 by Carl Honore.

Three challenges that I can foresee with the slow movement are:

1) Staying with the movement. It can be easy to start for a few days and slowing down your life, restricting your access to phones and computers, but I think the greatest challenge would be to keep going and make this movement your everyday routine. Which I believe many people fail. Vincet Dupin, the gentleman Carl interviewed in the podcast mentioned ways around this such as do not put cellular devices in bedrooms at night, don’t use them in the morning for a few hours, and set chores for those who use electronics first out of a family.

2) Different from usual routines which can create problems. Most of us have a busy everyday lifestyle where we get up, browse our phones and then head to work for the day, where we come home and keep our phones on us. This all occurs at an abrupt pace to stay in the general flow of our society. By adjusting to the slow movement, foreseen and unforeseen problems can arise from a completely different lifestyle that may induce panic or that huge feeling of disconnection that many of us experience.

3) Having access to technology free areas that aid in the slow movement. Sometimes it is hard to find access to areas that allow a connection to nature or others to be established such as parks and cafes without Wifi. These can also include sport facilities and recreational/community centers. The limited access will create challenges when Wifi is so easy and cheap to acquire.

Three opportunities that I can foresee with the slow movement are:

1) Mental health. Speaking from personal experience, I have had huge troubles with social media, lack of sleep from browsing my phone at night, etc. These problems directly affect the mental health and by contributing to the slow movement, I believe will contribute to an increase in mental health.

2) Time for others. So much time is spent on phones and computers and keeping a busy lifestyle. By slowing down, many opportunities arise to spend time with family members and friends. Once again, I can agree with this from personal experience. I have spent much of my time being anxious to meet deadlines and use technologies, and by taking a deep breath and considering my actions I have managed my free time more wisely using it for friends and family.

3) Reconnect with nature. As discussed in previous blogs, our nation is slowly disconnecting from nature as we become more reliant on technology and a fast-paced routine to meet societal needs. By taking the time to do other things we can reconnect with nature and rekindle the importance it has for us. We must remember that the Earth sustains us, we do not sustain the Earth.  

I do want to slow aspects in my life, mainly my technology use and social media accounts. Stopping my social media will restrict the time I put into my phone and save it for other hobbies and activities I want to do. This includes traveling and sports. I can definitely achieve this by taking the time to balance out my phone time and then slowly fade off various social medias. I currently use Instagram, facebook, and snapchat and rarely make posts on them: however, I do browse on each for a period of time which can be a first step to saving time for other things. This would be the first concrete step to slowing down in my life.

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Wildspaces

1) Can parks meet its dual mandate of access and protection?

2) How can this be achieved in Wapusk

I believe that with more resources and funding it would be possible for parks to meet their dual mandate of access and protection. Funding would allow for more conservation materials, people, and activities which can lead to more protection and park knowledge to others. However, it would depend on the location of the parks that would help determine whether both access and protection can be reached. Northern parks such as Wapusk are more difficult to provide access too, but a park such as Riding Mountain National Park is very popular and much easier to access. A park that is much easier to access to reach will, in my mind, be harder to protect due to a higher population and more vandalism, hunting, and other illegal activity. This occurs regularly

A Park such as Wapusk National Park would be able to meet its dual mandate of access and protection. Access to the park is available through Churchill, Manitoba where commercial tours are available. By limiting the access through tours and chaperoning people, instead of giving the population free reign through the park, the amount of illegal activity will be minimized. Access is also difficult due to its location, being so far north restricts wrongdoers and illegal hunting, as well as farming and drilling, and allows for an increased protection around Wapusk. This park educated people on the wildlife situation, including the polar bear population which is significant in this area. This education will describe to people how important the ecosystems are, thus increasing the level of protection around the park.

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How trees talk to each other – Ted Talk, Suzanne Simard Why I love vultures – Ted Talk, Munir Virani

1) How did the information presented in the talks above affect how you think about nature?

I read a book recently for the same class called “What a Plant Knows” written by Daniel Chamovitz. This book describes what Suzanne Simard discussed in her speech about how plants communicate through a variety of methods. This communication provides trees with more human characteristics that make me sad to see the amount of destruction that occurs in forests. I can agree with selective cutting and replanting, but these processes need to be conducted smartly to preserve the natural habitats that the trees provide and to conserve the tree species themselves. Having the new knowledge that trees communicate and that the mother trees recognize their own, providing them with resources the same way that a human mother would provide their own. This makes me want to stand up to those that cut down forests and destroy ecosystems and implement a system of some kind that would allow for timber harvesting in a more concise and environmentally friendly manner

2)What aspects of nature and biodiversity do you feel are most important to protect? How can you take action to protect this aspect?

The practice of clear-cutting trees is something that is huge in this world. I would never ridicule the importance of wood supplies, as timber is significant for humankind: however, the destruction of forests is what I feel are the most important to protect! Destroying forests can completely wipe out the ecosystems that thrives in their shadows, either causing species to migrate or die off. Another aspect of nature that is just as important to me after recent discussions is ocean trash dumping. Oceans cover an even larger area of Earth than land does and provides homes to a massive number of marine life. Trash covering the oceans is slowly making these ecosystems suffer and killing individuals.

I believe in years to come I could find the resources to provide more hands-on protection to these areas. But currently, spreading knowledge to local communities and making others in my city more aware of these growing problems would be the best place to start. I also feel like the best areas to utilize would be social media and websites such as YouTube. Social Media is massive in today’s society and can allow for knowledge to be spread to the whole world and not just the local community. All it would take is for myself to start a small action that could act as a pebble in an avalanche to cause others around the world by raising money or providing their own time and efforts. I can achieve this through social media.

A good example of this is 4Ocean. I recently learnt about them through Instagram, that they clean the oceans through the purchase of a bracelet. This group provides me with the motivation to do something similar but with saving forests. An example of planting trees that have been taken down is the clothing brand 10 Tree, which I have brought many clothing items for and signed up to have over one hundred trees planted.

Image by Ten Tree

Image by 4Ocean

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Image by Caroline Power

Ocean waste is one of the biggest problems that hits home to me. Class discussions have made me more aware to this growing problem; it was mentioned that all waste will somehow end up in the ocean. Cleaning the oceans is something I am passionate about and hope to change one day.

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Worldviews

Where do my environmental ethics lie?

After participating in the class discussion discussing worldviews, I believe that my environmental ethics lie towards a more Ecocentric view. This focuses on the integrity of the whole ecological system and not individuals themselves, and may clash with a biocentric view. Whole species are more much important for consideration as conservation and preservation of animals are absolutely required for this world to continue in harmony. I do adamantly disagree with the anthropocentric view that humans come first as I have grown up with animals surrounding me and have a love for all living things. 

All nature is essential to the survival of this world and must be kept in balance. It is my belief that humans are throwing off this balance violently over the most recent decades. However, I have been impressed with the sustainable knowledge and actions that have been put into place in recent years and I believe there still may be hope for this world as of yet.

[cosmoscreation]

Spend 1 Hour in Silence and Reflect

1. Describe where and when you spent your time in nature?

I decided to save this reflection for when the snow started to melt so the sounds and feel of nature can feel more spring (as well as warmer). On March 17th, I spent the evening outside in my parents fields taking in how peaceful nature can truly be. The location is slightly north of the City of Winnipeg towards Gimli, Manitoba, and in the countryside: or the “bush” as some people call it!

2. What did you experience in your time in nature? What did you see, hear, smell, feel? What effect did this time in nature have on you?

The timing for this could not have been better, as spring is arriving slightly earlier than usual. The temperatures rising to melt the snow and bring hibernating wildlife back to life! The sun was setting and it was shining on my face, warming me in the single digit temperatures. However, it was not the sun that stood out to me, but the increasing volume of bird calls and movements. The winter provides a silence of nature that can be unnerving and easily forgotten until spring comes around and this knowledge stunned me when I heard the many bird calls. My knowledge of bird species is limited, but I definitely recognize a specific bird call that signals the coming of warmer weather. Finches, woodpeckers, warblers are common, but the blue jay can send instant thoughts of spring to my head. Doves and hawks sometimes make appearances and sounds too. Listening to the different bird sounds made me feel disconnected from nature when I work and study in the city every day. Taking the time to listen to the nature around me helped relax my thoughts and remove high stress that has overtaken my body from school deadlines. 

The breeze on the nearby trees is by far the most calming sight and sound that could be possible for myself! All I need now is a small waterfall or stream and I am content! The breeze was not a strong wind and therefore moved the branches of the nearby pines and other tree species. This created an environment that made me relax and de-stress. It also made me want more than I have available to me and thus I made plans to utilize the local parks more, as well as make sure to provide access to nature in my future. 

I am looking forward to spending more time outdoors in the summer, where the colours are more vibrant. The winter definitely made me forget how peaceful and calming nature can be, as well as stopped me from going outdoors due to very low temperatures. 

Image by myself

3. After participating in the Jack Frost Challenge Activity in class, complete the survey posted on UM Learn and past your answers here?

I did not manage to save my survey responses before completing it and therefore could not redo the survey. However, the jack Frost Challenge Activity allowed me to connect more with the nature at the University. This was a challenge this year however because of the extreme cold temperatures and limited access to outdoor things. I participated in skating and thoroughly enjoyed the break from class as well as interaction with fellow classmates doing something that was outside instead of inside at a computer screen which is very common today. If a student could spend more time outside (this would be easier if the regular terms were during the summer) then I believe that stress would not be as intense as it currently is. 

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Image by National Geographic

Smog is common in populated cities that can cause health affects and disruption to local wildlife

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Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift

Master Oogway, Kung Fu Panda

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Human Environment Connections

1) What promotes human connection to nature?

Moving away from processes such as urbanization can be a large contribution to increasing human nature. More homes that are rural can allow families and individuals to access nature as well as be in nature with one step to into their backyards. Promoting more families to live in small towns or in the countryside will create deeper feeling with the natural environment. Within cities, I believe there can be direct and indirect considerations that would improve human connections to nature. This involves the introduction of parks and access to parks. These parks should be available for all people and animals (dog walking parks) and parks should be introduced so animal species can either return or grow within the city: this is a more direct solution. Natural beauty can be found where human population is the least, in areas such as national parks and forests. National parks are put into place to conserve ecosystems and allow for human connections to these habitats without destructive activities.

2) What promotes disconnection from nature?

A cause that can disconnect humans from nature can be pollution and such that kills animals and removes trees from an area (a good example is smog). This is popular in urban areas and can also unnaturally cause animals to move to a cleaner habitat. The introduction to artificial areas within cities and towns, such as waterfalls and retention ponds built to look like lakes, can have negative effects (placebo) on making humans feel like they are connected when they are not.

However, the largest and most significant cause of this is the rising technological world we live in. Phones, computers, televisions, gaming consoles, and nearly and electronic device can be a huge cause for humans disconnection to nature. This can restrict the time for humans to spend with nature, confining us all to the inside with artificial light. A short video can very much describe this, I provided the link below. It discusses our human connection diminishing with nature and relates strongly to this discussion. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7dLU6fk9QY&t=18s

3) Is there a danger to a growing disconnection from nature?

What I previously discussed concerning the growing technology industry can answer this question. I believe there is a huge danger to a growing disconnection from nature due to this. As the years have gone by, new technologies and systems have been introduced that restrict humans to the outdoors. This can be seen with bikes and cars, as vehicles become cheaper and more abundant, less people bike. Also, as new gaming systems are released more children spend time indoors gaming instead of outside in the sun.

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Truth and Reconciliation and Sustainability: How does Truth and Reconciliation in Canada relate to UN’s Sustainable Development Goals?

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals focus on a wide range of areas, which look directly into sustainability. After reading the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs), I believe there is a great potential for a global community to come together and fix past wrongs or work on a more natural and open future. The link is provided below

https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300

In relation to the reading on Canada’s past, current, and future relationships with the local aboriginal peoples (’Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future’), I can see there is a direct correlation between the UN’s SDGs and the truth and reconciliation in Canada. Specifically, the quality education and reduced inequalities goals have the strongest relationship with this topic. 

Quality education "ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” is the best place to start with any Canadian. Ensuring a proper and healthy education to all young Canadians will, in my opinion, increase the population and also the understanding (empathy) when it comes to Canada’s relationship with Aboriginals. Educating people on topics such as the residential schools (which are by far a tragic time frame where indigenous children were forced to learn about Euro-Canadian culture) can promote a deeper sympathetic view to stop the past from repeating itself. A quote I found in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission supports this: “Expanding public dialogue and action on reconciliation beyond residential schools will be critical in the coming years” (8, Truth and Reconciliation). Knowledge like this can be seen in Museums (Human Rights Museum) and school history lessons, where I remember discussing the immigration of European Cultures into the Canadian Prairies and the devastating effects that followed.

Sustainable Development Goal number 10 “Reduce inequality within and among countries” speaks for itself and can describe the relationship between Aboriginals and others. Accepting those around you, whether they are a different race, have different personalities, or have a different culture or religion is the first step to achieving this goal. By educating Canadians to look upon Aboriginals as their equals and not as a lesser being where laws can be thrust upon them is crucial to reaching reconciliation and moving forward in a positive way. This in turn can allow Canada to reach a level with other countries where differences do not matter. This SDG has a target goal that can be related to this discussion. It says, “ By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status” (2016, United Nations). 

Other SDGs have indirect relationships with Canada’s truth and reconciliation targets. By providing a sustainable future and environment Canada can perhaps recall some of the destruction committed to the aboriginal communities that existed here before us. As well, climate action, life on land, etc. goals can give back to the land that we forcefully took and destroyed for resources. Education in all these areas is key for a brighter future.