Background on Client 

•A group of Indigenous youths living in northern areas will likely have the strongest Charter claim against the government for its failure to address climate change. This is because northern regions are particularly susceptible to climate change in many ways. 

•Research suggests that Inuit food systems become increasingly vulnerable to changes in climate that can result in later freezing dates and the displacement of caribou herds

•There are also psychological impacts involved in loss of cultural rights, loss of enjoyment of land, and impacts on traditional knowledge

•These issues are then compounded by the already high costs of living in northern regions and the unique vulnerabilities Indigenous peoples face

•Further, the Federal government has explicitly acknowledged these unique circumstances that Indigenous and Northern communities face:

“Indigenous Peoples, northern and coastal regions and communities in Canada are particularly vulnerable and disproportionately affected. Geographic location, socio-economic challenges, and for Indigenous Peoples, the reliance on wild food sources, often converge with climate change to put pressure on these communities.”

-Page 1 of the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change