The Social and Cultural Impacts of Reducing the Reliance on Diesel in Canada’s Northern Indigenous Communities

Abstract

As the Canadian government seeks to reconcile its relationship with the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, energy poverty in northern Indigenous communities must be addressed and resolved by the development of clean energy projects. Though the Canadian government has declared its intention to work alongside and assist these communities with the shift toward more sustainable methods for power, this paper highlights the necessity of following through on these initiatives. Relying on a qualitative secondary research approach, this study brings together various aspects into a holistic perspective to make a case for the imbrication of social and cultural factors as well as consequences to drive the argument of the need to reduce the reliance on diesel in northern Indigenous communities