COLONIALISM IS THE FOUNDATION OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
Colonialism is exploitation…of the land and of the people to generate wealth.
Canada and many other western countries have a long history of disregarding Indigenous rights to push forward corporate economic interests.
The arrogance of colonialism, is to do as they want without any consultation with Indigenous Peoples.
In many vulnerable areas of the planet, we are reaping what we have sown from the colonial processes that robbed Indigenous Peoples of their land, and robbed the land of Indigenous collective management, as models of individual property ownership were imposed.
CHRISTIANITY IS THE FOUNDATION OF COLONIALISM
The roots of modern colonialism can be traced to the 15th century when Catholic Popes issued several public decrees (known as papal bulls), that in essence provided the basis, justification and sanction for Christian European explorers, operating under the monarchical Doctrine of Discovery, to seize and control all lands not occupied by Christians.
These papal decrees called for the promotion of Christian domination and superiority throughout the non-Christian world, thus providing legitimacy to the dehumanizing treatment of Indigenous Peoples, resulting in their being captured, subjugated, subdued, vanquished, enslaved and in many cases killed.
There is a direct correlation of how European expansionism was driven by the evangelical zealotry of these Christian explorers that resulted in the colonial exploitation and genocide of the Indigenous Peoples.
On the heels of the explorers and conquistadors, came the missionaries, as agents of colonialism, intent on cleansing and converting the Indigenous Peoples from their so called heretical beliefs and culture…their pagan secularism.
Many have therefore concluded, that the Vatican is the birthplace of colonialism.
In the United States, the lawmakers looked to these Catholic decrees and the Doctrine of Discovery as the rationale for Manifest Destiny, the 19th century belief that the expansion of the US throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable and thus sealed the fate of the native tribes who happened to be in the way.
In Canada, it was the Christian churches who were the administrators of the residential school system, with the specific intent of cultural genocide of the Indigenous Peoples.
COLONIALISM ENABLES CAPITALISM, OVER-CONSUMPTION, EXTRACTIVISM & CLIMATE CHANGE
After the industrial revolution, modern capitalism arose when more and more natural resources were required to feed the increasing productivity of new factories…those raw materials were in their colonies…thus the confluence of colonialism and capitalism, and as personal wealth increased, human consumption exploded.
Capitalism is an ideology founded on the principle of endless economic growth, driven by over-consumption, a proposition that is unsustainable, if we are to reverse ecological breakdown.
Over-consumption is driven by human choices…human decisions, without in many cases, an understanding of the ecological or social costs.
The full impacts of colonialism…capitalism in its current model…and extractivism are revealed only too clearly in their long term consequences. They radically transformed landscapes, relationships, philosophies and cultures, leaving a plunderous economic model.
The never ending pursuit of resources continues unrelentingly, which destroys many of the ecosystems and human interactions necessary for preventing climate change…but many Indigenous Peoples are standing their ground, on all our behalf…they need our support.