Canadian Studies is pleased to welcome the latest recipient of the Edward Hildebrand Fellowship, Mindy Price. Mindy is a doctoral student in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. An environmental sociologist and political ecologist, her research focuses on indigenous food sovereignty and the effects of climate change on agriculture in the far north. Mindy received her B.A. in sociology from Emory University, and her Master of Public Health in global health practice from the University of South Florida.
Mindy's project will examine recent government agricultural initiatives in the Northwest Territories through the context of Indigenous sovereignty. As climate change and economic shifts increased the attractiveness of farming in the far north, pressure is increasing to settle over 300,000 acres of disputed Indigenous land claims and open these areas to farming. Do these forces represent a threat to Indigenous land sovereignty, and their traditional methods of resource management? What are the benefits and drawbacks these projects present for Indigenous communities and other residents of the Northwest Territories? Mindy plans to conduct interviews and field research in Yellowknife, Hay River, and the Mackenzie River delta to find answers to these questions.