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A Radical Act of Hope with Siila Watt-Cloutier

A Radical Act of Hope with Siila Watt-Cloutier

Written by: PICS (Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions)
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 Welcome to A Radical Act of Hope. In this series, Inuk climate advocate Siila Watt-Cloutier brings us into her world. A world where melting ice isn’t just a symptom of climate change—it’s a disruption of memory, identity, and rhythms of life in the North. She takes us from her home in the Arctic to the frontlines of international climate justice, alongside those who have been speaking up—and holding steady—for decades. Siila Watt-Cloutier is one of the most important climate justice voices of our time. Her work with the Inuit Circumpolar Council helped get the Stockholm Convention signed, ratified and enforced in record time. It's one of the most successful UN treaties that has ever been made to protect the environment by banning the “dirty dozen”––the persistent organic pollutants that contaminate food and human bodies. She then went on to pioneer linking climate change and human rights in a way that has completely revamped how the world thinks about climate justice. Don’t miss this important conversation with Siila and the Indigenous women leaders who have inspired her journey. This isn’t just a climate story—it’s a story about the connections between people and place, and all that sustains us. A Radical Act of Hope was produced in collaboration with the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions with support from The Gordon Foundation and the University of Victoria. We acknowledge with respect the Lək̓ʷəŋən-speaking peoples on whose traditional territory this podcast was produced and the Songhees, Esquimalt and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.Everything Podcasts Earth Sciences Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • A Call for Conscious Climate Leadership

    A Call for Conscious Climate Leadership
    Jul 3 2025
    A Radical Act of Hope S01E04 In this final episode of the series, Silla Watt-Cloutier reflects on the meaning of conscious climate leadership and how leading from the heart is a radical act of hope, especially when faced with the urgent and enduring threats of climate change and colonialism. She’ll explore how to stay rooted in the healing power of Indigenous Knowledges with planetary health leader Dr. Nicole Redvers. And, former premier of Greenland, Aleqa Hammond, joins Siila for a discussion on navigating the increasing global interest in the Arctic while maintaining a deep sense of responsibility to Indigenous values, Knowledges, communities and lands. Siila concludes A Radical Act of Hope with a call to action, inviting everyone to embody the principles of conscious leadership, platform Indigenous voices, and set differences aside to work together through the climate challenges that affect us all. About the GuestsDr. Nicole RedversDr. Nicole Redvers, DPhil, ND, MPH, is a member of the Deninu K’ue First Nation (NWT) and has worked with Indigenous patients, scholars, and communities around the globe her entire career. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and is a Western Research Chair and Director of Indigenous Planetary Health at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, at Western University. As the director of Indigenous Planetary Health, Dr. Redvers heads transdisciplinary research into Indigenous medical Knowledges. She has been actively involved at regional, national, and international levels promoting the inclusion of Indigenous perspectives in both human and planetary health research and practice. Her research interests are syncretic and far-reaching, including Indigenous Health, Planetary Health, Traditional Medicine, Indigenous Knowledge Translation, and Indigenous Global Health. Aleqa HammondAleqa Hammond is a Greenlandic politician and member of the Greenlandic Parliament (Inatsisartut). Formerly the leader of the Siumut party, she became the country’s first female premier in 2013. Until recently, she also served as a member of the Danish Folketing (Parliament), wherein she was Chair of the Greenland Committee. In the late 1980s, Aleqa studied at the Teachers Education College and also the Arctic College in Nunavut. She went on to work in various roles, including a human rights and environmental organization, Inuit Circumpolar Council, and within the tourism industry. Between 1999 and 2003, she was commissioner of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, and also worked on the 2002 Arctic Winter Games. From 2004 to 2005 she worked in the tourism industry in Qaqortoq as a tourist guide. She ran for Parliament in 2005, where she was elected with the fifth highest number of personal votes. She has been Minister of Family and Justice, and subsequently of Foreign Affairs and Finance. About the HostsSiila Watt-CloutierSiila Watt-Cloutier is a lifelong advocate for the rights of Inuit and a leading voice in climate action. Her groundbreaking work has connected human rights and climate change in the public and political consciousness, transforming international policy and creating a new area of scholarship and advocacy.From 1995 to 2002, Watt-Cloutier was the Canadian President of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC). From 2002 to 2006, she was the International Chair of the ICC, representing the 155,000 Inuit in Canada, Greenland, Alaska and Russia. She was an influential force behind the adoption of the Stockholm Convention to ban persistent organic pollutants, which accumulate in Arctic food chains.She is the author of the memoir, The Right to Be Cold: One Woman’s Story of Protecting Her Culture, the Arctic and the Whole Planet, which was nominated for multiple writing awards. She is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a recipient of the Aboriginal Achievement Award, the UN Champion of the Earth Award, the Norwegian Sophie Prize, the Jack P. Blaney Award for Dialogue and the Right Livelihood Award, which is widely considered the “Nobel Alternative.”Janna Wale Janna Wale is the Indigenous Research and Partnerships Lead at the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions. She is Gitxsan from Gitanmaax First Nation and is also Cree-Métis on her mother’s side. In her work, she uses a complex human-environmental systems approach and believes that this lens can be used when looking for ways to bridge western and Indigenous climate work. In 2025, she received the Women of Influence Nanaimo (WIN) Award for STEM. She was selected as a Top 30 Under 30 Sustainable Youth Leader in Canada by Corporate Knights in 2024. She was also a finalist for the Community Advocate of the year award through Foresight Canada and was selected for a Community Award – Emerging Leader through the B.C. Achievement foundation. In 2023, she was the recipient of the Anitra Paris Memorial Award for female youth climate leadership through Clean Energy BC. Janna has ...
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    59 mins
  • Making Climate Change A Human Rights Issue

    Making Climate Change A Human Rights Issue
    Jul 3 2025
    A Radical Act of Hope S01E03In Episode 3 of A Radical Act of Hope, Inuk climate advocate Silla Watt-Cloutier’s influence builds as she continues to make an impact on the world stage. This time, she’s helping transform the way the world thinks about the devastating effects of climate change, with help from the testimonies of the hunters, Elders, and women of the Arctic. We’ll dive into Siila’s work on the landmark petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which changed the discourse around climate change by framing it as a violation of the human rights of Inuit. And Janna Wale pivots from narrator to subject as we hear more about her story, the importance of healing our relationship to the land, and the experiences that shaped her path toward climate work.About the HostsSiila Watt-CloutierSiila Watt-Cloutier is a lifelong advocate for the rights of Inuit and a leading voice in climate action. Her groundbreaking work has connected human rights and climate change in the public and political consciousness, transforming international policy and creating a new area of scholarship and advocacy.From 1995 to 2002, Watt-Cloutier was the Canadian President of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC). From 2002 to 2006, she was the International Chair of the ICC, representing the 155,000 Inuit in Canada, Greenland, Alaska and Russia. She was an influential force behind the adoption of the Stockholm Convention to ban persistent organic pollutants, which accumulate in Arctic food chains.She is the author of the memoir, The Right to Be Cold: One Woman’s Story of Protecting Her Culture, the Arctic and the Whole Planet, which was nominated for multiple writing awards. She is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a recipient of the Aboriginal Achievement Award, the UN Champion of the Earth Award, the Norwegian Sophie Prize, the Jack P. Blaney Award for Dialogue and the Right Livelihood Award, which is widely considered the “Nobel Alternative.”Janna Wale Janna Wale is the Indigenous Research and Partnerships Lead at the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions. She is Gitxsan from Gitanmaax First Nation and is also Cree-Métis on her mother’s side. In her work, she uses a complex human-environmental systems approach and believes that this lens can be used when looking for ways to bridge western and Indigenous climate work. In 2025, she received the Women of Influence Nanaimo (WIN) Award for STEM. She was selected as a Top 30 Under 30 Sustainable Youth Leader in Canada by Corporate Knights in 2024. She was also a finalist for the Community Advocate of the year award through Foresight Canada and was selected for a Community Award – Emerging Leader through the B.C. Achievement foundation. In 2023, she was the recipient of the Anitra Paris Memorial Award for female youth climate leadership through Clean Energy BC. Janna has published two reports in collaboration with the Yellowhead Institute and was named as an Indigenous Trailblazer through Diversity in Sustainability. She holds a Bachelor of Natural Resource Sciences (B. Nrsc.) from Thompson Rivers University, and a MSc in Sustainability from UBC Okanagan, where her work focused on climate resilience in Indigenous communities, using a seasonal rounds model.Dr. Ian MauroDr. Ian Mauro is the Executive Director of the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions and professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria. As a scientist and filmmaker, Mauro’s work explores climate change, sustainability, and the vital role of local and Indigenous knowledges. He is committed to community-based and Indigenous-led participatory approaches and has worked with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities across many territories. Ian has developed numerous, award-winning climate-change initiatives, including: Qapirangajuq: Inuit Knowledge and Climate Change, co-directed with acclaimed Inuk filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk, and Beyond Climate, narrated by David Suzuki. He holds a BSc in Environmental Science and a PhD in Geography. He is a former Canada Research Chair of Human Dimensions of Environmental Change at Mount Allison University, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, and an Apple Distinguished Educator. About the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS)Established in 2008 through an endowment from the British Columbia Ministry of Environment, the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions at the University of Victoria is a research and engagement network across four collaborating universities – University of British Columbia, University of Victoria, Simon Fraser University, and University of Northern British Columbia. It supports the cogeneration of climate solutions research that can be used by decision-makers to develop effective mitigation and adaptation policies and actions in BC and beyond. PICS is a catalyst for generating climate change solutions, based on an approach ...
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    52 mins
  • The Beginnings of an Arctic Climate Leader

    The Beginnings of an Arctic Climate Leader
    Jul 3 2025
    A Radical Act of Hope S01E02 From travelling by dog team to standing before the United Nations, Inuk climate advocate Siila Watt-Cloutier’s path reflects a life’s work connecting the impacts of climate change to the rights, dignity, and well-being of her people—and all of humanity. In Episode 2 of A Radical Act of Hope, we trace Siila’s childhood in the Arctic and explore the experiences that shaped her unique approach to leadership, from her earliest memories of traditional Inuit life, to her early career and important contribution to the Stockholm Convention, to meeting one of her heroes––Nelson Mandela.We’ll also meet another Inuk leader who has inspired and strengthened Siila’s work––her long-time friend and fellow journeyist, Leena Evic. Leena is a visionary educator and the founder and president of the Pirurvik Centre in Iqaluit––an institute of Inuktut higher learning dedicated to the preservation and celebration of the Inuit culture and language.About the GuestsLeena EvicLeena Evic has been an advocate for the Inuktitut language and culture for as long as she can remember. As the founder, president and vision keeper of the Pirurvik Centre, she keeps the emphasis on building programs and productions of the highest quality that are grounded in Inuit authenticity.In addition to creating and delivering its own full-time training programs, Pirurvik produces teaching and learning resources both in print and online. Some are geared towards enhancing the skills of Inuktut speakers, while others help Inuit who are not functional in their language to build their skills through Inuktut immersion. Pirurvik also produces phrasebooks, Inuktut learning materials and other resources for the general public. Pirurvik is proud to employ Elder professors who work with a passionate team of people with the trust and support of their community. Evic uses entrepreneurship to protect and reclaim Inuit language, culture and identity in Inuit Nunangat.About the HostsSiila Watt-CloutierSiila Watt-Cloutier is a lifelong advocate for the rights of Inuit and a leading voice in climate action. Her groundbreaking work has connected human rights and climate change in the public and political consciousness, transforming international policy and creating a new area of scholarship and advocacy.From 1995 to 2002, Watt-Cloutier was the Canadian President of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC). From 2002 to 2006, she was the International Chair of the ICC, representing the 155,000 Inuit in Canada, Greenland, Alaska and Russia. She was an influential force behind the adoption of the Stockholm Convention to ban persistent organic pollutants, which accumulate in Arctic food chains.She is the author of the memoir, The Right to Be Cold: One Woman’s Story of Protecting Her Culture, the Arctic and the Whole Planet, which was nominated for multiple writing awards. She is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a recipient of the Aboriginal Achievement Award, the UN Champion of the Earth Award, the Norwegian Sophie Prize, the Jack P. Blaney Award for Dialogue and the Right Livelihood Award, which is widely considered the “Nobel Alternative.”Janna Wale Janna Wale is the Indigenous Research and Partnerships Lead at the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions. She is Gitxsan from Gitanmaax First Nation and is also Cree-Métis on her mother’s side. In her work, she uses a complex human-environmental systems approach and believes that this lens can be used when looking for ways to bridge western and Indigenous climate work. In 2025, she received the Women of Influence Nanaimo (WIN) Award for STEM. She was selected as a Top 30 Under 30 Sustainable Youth Leader in Canada by Corporate Knights in 2024. She was also a finalist for the Community Advocate of the year award through Foresight Canada and was selected for a Community Award – Emerging Leader through the B.C. Achievement foundation. In 2023, she was the recipient of the Anitra Paris Memorial Award for female youth climate leadership through Clean Energy BC. Janna has published two reports in collaboration with the Yellowhead Institute and was named as an Indigenous Trailblazer through Diversity in Sustainability. She holds a Bachelor of Natural Resource Sciences (B. Nrsc.) from Thompson Rivers University, and a MSc in Sustainability from UBC Okanagan, where her work focused on climate resilience in Indigenous communities, using a seasonal rounds model.Dr. Ian MauroDr. Ian Mauro is the Executive Director of the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions and professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria. As a scientist and filmmaker, Mauro’s work explores climate change, sustainability, and the vital role of local and Indigenous knowledges. He is committed to community-based and Indigenous-led participatory approaches and has worked with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities across many territories. Ian has developed numerous, ...
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    1 hr and 3 mins

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