World Biodiversity Forum 2020

Davos, Switzerland - February 2020

February 2020 - I’ve been busy as always fighting for Indigenous perspectives and rights to wildlife management and conservation in the Arctic. While it looks like I’ve been screwing around in Switzerland lately, I’ve actually been attending the World Biodiversity Forum and sat on the same stage occupied by Trump during the World Economic Forum just four weeks ago. Trust me, the juxtaposition of represented interests and values could not be more stark!

I came to Switzerland as an Inuit conservation biologist and I believe in so much more than simply hitting our conservation quotas and targets at the global stage. There must be a fundamental shift in how we conserve lands and species using Indigenous methodologies, knowledge, and governance systems, not only because it’s better for conservation but because it’s partly a moral imperative.

I joined the stage with Tom Arnbom from WWF Sweden and Gabriela Schaepman of the University of Zurich to explore the possibilities and futures for Arctic biodiversity - particularly as it relates to climate change, economic development, research, and Indigenous Peoples. All I came to do was share, but I think we’ve broadened perspectives and narratives to include more nuanced understandings of the Arctic as a homeland rather than a playground.

Thanks so much to Gabriela for inviting me and bringing me all the way from Greenland to share my experiences, expertise, and hopes for our peoples! And quyanaqpak to everyone who’s ever supported me, it means so much more than you will ever know ❤️