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.
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.
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.
