Canada
My subject for Canada is Melina Laboucan-Massimo, a long-time Indigenous and environmental activist who has been a vocal advocate for renewable energy and is the founder of Sacred Earth Solar.
About Canada
Canada is a country in North America. It extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, and is the world's second-largest country by total area. Its southern and western border with the United States, stretching 8,891 kilometres, is the world's longest binational land border.
Indigenous peoples have continuously inhabited what is now Canada for thousands of years. Beginning in the 16th century, British and French expeditions explored and later settled along the Atlantic coast.
The environmental concerns in Canada include soil, water and air pollution, the threats and effects of oil sand and oil pipelines, the negative imapcts of damming, acid leaching from mining, and temperature elevation at twice the global average impacting a particularly fragile environment causing permafrost and ice cap melting and changes in precipitation
About Melina
The subject for my portrait for Canada is Melina Laboucan-Massimo, a long-time Indigenous and environmental activist who has been a vocal advocate for renewable energy and is the founder of Sacred Earth Solar.
Melina is an advocate for a just transition which is moving from high-carbon activities and into the green economy, seeking to ensure harm to workers, communities, countries, and regions is avoided while maximising the benefits of climate action. Among the groups most likely to be affected by the green energy transition are Indigenous communities, many of whom may be disproportionately dependent on fossil fuels for their day-to-day energy needs and livelihoods, and at the same time are also most likely to bear the brunt of the impacts of climate change.
Melina is Lubicon Cree, from the community of Little Buffalo, located in Alberta, Canada. Little Buffalo is an oil sands region, and as a result, Melina grew up witnessing first-hand the negative impacts that oil sand development has had on the environment, as well as the development of her Indigenous community.
The Rainbow Pipeline spill in 2011 occurred on the land of Little Buffalo with 28 000 barrels spilt and the subsequent fine inadequate to even provide for cleaning up the community. This event further Inspired Melina to take action
Melina's Master’s degree thesis in Indigenous Governance, with a focus on energy was completed at the University of Victoria. As part of her thesis, Melina proposed building a solar-powered center in her hometown to ensure just transition to green energy. Following the completion of this project, Melina founded Sacred Earth Solar branching out from this template to create projects in other indigenous communities and contribute to providing a just transition
In addition, Melina works in a number of other organisation promoting a broad range of important issues advocating for indigenous rights. Melina is an in demand public speaker spreading her message of equitable climate justice and inspiring people.
Watch the portrait's story below
This video shows the painting process, and tells some of Melina's story.
