As Serena Mendizabal, BA’20, MA’23, celebrated her first convocation from Western in 2020, she told Western News there were “big-picture things” she wanted to accomplish.
In the three years since, she has.
Mendizabal is currently at COP28, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, as an expert panellist, sharing Indigenous knowledge as Just Transition lead for Sacred Earth Solar, an organization founded on empowering frontline Indigenous communities with solar energy and healing justice. She’s also attending as co-chair of the SevenGen National Indigenous Youth Energy Council, bringing 11 Indigenous youth, who are implementing climate solutions throughout the country, to the summit.
Serena Mendizabal
A Cayuga Wolf Clan Panamanian woman from the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, Mendizabal’s first foray into clean energy came when she was 18 years old, working at the Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation, which holds the largest First Nations clean energy portfolio in Canada.
“I just needed a job at that point,” she said. “I didn’t know where I would end up from there.”
While working in community engagement, she found gaps in consent within her community’s clean energy portfolio.
“Even though it was renewable energy development, it was not gaining the consent of our people. That opened my eyes and led me on my journey exploring what is a just, true transition.”
Mendizabal is sharing what she learned from her community’s experience at COP28, along with knowledge she gained earning her master’s in geography and environment under the supervision of professor Diana Lewis. Mendizabal’s thesis explored how self-determination in resource and energy decision-making could positively impact the health and well-being of community members in Pictou Landing First Nation in Nova Scotia and Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick.
“I wouldn’t be here without those communities,” she said. “They taught me health is everything.”
As a graduate research collaborator at Western, Mendizabal helped develop Connecting for Climate Change Action, a free online course bringing Western and Indigenous Sciences together to educate, and motivate action on climate change.
At COP28, Mendizabal is on five panels, offering insight on Indigenous-led pathways towards equitable solutions and resiliency in the climate crisis; just energy transitions; integrative approaches to climate, economy and land use; and Indigenous youth leadership in climate and clean energy.
She spoke to Western News from Dubai, following her first panel discussion at COP28 and after attending a week-long Student Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi.
Western News: How does it feel to contribute at a significant global conference, representing your community?
Serena Mendizabal: It was a little overwhelming to speak at COP on my first day, coming from the world’s largest youth-led energy summit, where I spoke on the change-makers panel. It was a transition going from a venue of 600 like-minded youth to a place where there are 109,000 people coming from different backgrounds.
But I felt very confident and grounded in my grassroots community work. I also feel very supported by my own community and by Indigenous Peoples across the world who are upholding space for Indigenous youth. I find comfort in that.
“I’m very passionate about climate change. I care about a just transition. I care about creating healthy communities and healthy futures. To share my passion and my work with others to build solidarity is exciting. It’s an experience I really appreciate.”
WN: How has your education at Western shaped your approach to your various roles?
Mendizabal: A lot of what I do within solutions-based work always comes back to my master’s research on how Indigenous health is interwoven with the environment.
Participating in the youth forum on climate change and health, I was very grounded in what I gained through my experience at Western. We were discussing solutions and our desire to make our communities healthier, which ties to my work with Pictou Landing First Nation and Tobique First Nation.
Existing research, through Western ways of knowing, showed the communities were unhealthy. I decided to take a strengths-based approach and come at it from the opposite direction, with a desire to fix this, supporting communities and their self-determination.
I appreciate my time at Western and learning from amazing Indigenous women who have now inspired me to take this conversation further and who keep me grounded in knowing what a true, just transition can look like and that is, healthy, Indigenous communities.
WN: As part of your role at Sacred Earth Solar, you were a contributor to the recently released Just Transition Guide. How is that informing the knowledge you bring to expert panels at COP28?
Mendizabal: Just Transition is the biggest conversation taking place at COP28. Working within that area, I see a lot of solutions coming forth that will negatively impact Indigenous health and well-being.
Nuclear energy is apparently going to be Canada’s saving grace when it comes to our net-zero ambitions. If it still impacts our health and well-being, then I don’t believe it is just. In my community of 20,000 members, we may be transitioning from fossil fuels and coal, but is the transition just? Is it healthy? How do we avoid replicating the same inequities of the fossil fuel industry and do things better this time?
“I’m here because I want my community to be healthy. I’m privileged to come from this perspective of being and living in the transition, but I also then have an obligation to speak out. To do the work on the ground, but also bring it to this international space where others can learn from my community’s experience.”
WN: What’s the best way forward for non-Indigenous and Indigenous Peoples in addressing the climate crisis?
Mendizabal: I speak to this from a Haudenosaunee perspective.
The first treaty my people had with the settlers was the two-row wampum, which shows two lines down a river. One is a ship, and one is the canoe. It represents the idea that we don’t interfere with each other down the river, but we coexist.
In a big conversation here, one of the other panellists said, “We’re not doing this for just us. We are doing this for everyone.” That really resonates with me. I do this work for everyone. For all human and non-human kin. Of course, I want my people to be happy, but this is a climate crisis. I want all people to be healthy because we are all going to see very severe impacts.
At the core, it’s about building authentic relationships, grounded in Indigenous leadership and respect for self-determination.
I believe in the role allies play. I’ve met the most amazing allies who do everything to support Indigenous self-determination. Settlers need to understand how to bring their own gifts and skills to the climate change conversation in a way that’s healthy and honours who we are as Indigenous Peoples.
WN: Speaking of action, are you satisfied there’s enough focus on action at COP or is it still ‘a lot of talk?’
Mendizabal: I was very skeptical before coming here. I am a real grassroots, community, ‘land back’ kind of person on the frontlines. But being here is making me realize that everyone has a role. The people here, within the international sphere, have a role and we’re interconnected to each other. We wouldn’t be able to do this work without the international people and they wouldn’t be able to do their work without the community and grassroots people. I’m very much seeing that interconnection.
I’m seeing the care that especially comes from so many Indigenous people across the world. And even though it’s the 28th COP and we’re still not meeting our emissions targets, especially in Canada, what is being shown is that Indigenous Peoples, as a whole across the world, have a voice. Decisions can’t be made without us.
WN: What are your thoughts as a leader bringing a contingent of Indigenous youth here?
Mendizabal: Everyone keeps saying, “We’re handing this down to you, you’re the leaders of tomorrow,” but we’re dealing with this now. I’m here right now. I’m 25 years old and I’m here to speak my truth and as a young person, have just as much of a platform as everyone here.
We wanted to bring young people who are part of our programs to these spaces so they could represent the work that is already being done on the ground. We are First Nations, Métis and Inuit youth who are implementing our climate solutions. We’re dealing with the implications right now and we deserve to have a spot at the decision-making table.
WN: What’s next for you?
Mendizabal: I have a really cool project waiting for me when I get back home. It’s a sustainable restoration of my ceremonial longhouse. I’ll be doing an energy efficiency upgrade, building a seed storage facility and putting a solar micro grid in. I can’t wait to get back home to do that. As much as this international work is needed, I know my community is right there waiting for me. We have work to do.
*Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity
