Ms Megan Hinzman¹, Dr. Philip Loring²

¹University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia,

²University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada

On Haida Gwaii, B.C., Canada as with many coastal, natural resource-dependent communities, the marine environment is central to quality of life and community well-being. Local settler (non-indigenous) residents are concerned with issues pertaining to survival strategies on Haida Gwaii; access to environmental resources, employment stratagems, and governance. This research focused on the experiences and beliefs of settler residents and how control over natural resources have impacted their well-being and community cohesion. The issues of control and power are inextricably linked to the other major issues that local people experience: food security, transportation, employment, and sustainability of the environment and their community. The paper looks at the connections of environmental health, local governance, employment, and community wellbeing for settler residents on Haida Gwaii.

Biography:

My name is Megan Hinzman and I am originally from Fairbanks, Alaska. In March I began a PhD in Environmental Studies at the University of Tasmania with Dr. Aidan Davison. My research topic is Sovereignty at the Margins: Intersections in the Cultural Politics of Human and Environmental Flourishing.

My academic history:

Masters of Environment and Sustainability from the University of Saskatchewan received in October 2018.

B.A. in anthropology and history at the University of Washington, in Seattle, received in 2014.

My email is msh840@mail.usask.ca