From climate change to nursing, Zabrina Whitman centres Indigenous ways of knowing
When Zabrina Whitman attended the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, she noticed that the way experts spoke about the climate crisis had shifted.
For the first time in her decades-long career as a policymaker and advocate, she heard many of the 10,000 conference attendees acknowledge and centre Indigenous solutions to the world's greatest problem.
While we鈥檝e known that the Earth is in trouble for some time, scientists and policymakers have looked to western ideas to solve the crisis. But 鈥減rogress鈥� and capitalism got us into this mess, and it won鈥檛 get us out of it.
鈥淯nderstanding Indigenous ways of knowing and being and how we鈥檙e all interconnected creates solutions for addressing climate change. 滨迟鈥檚 the understanding that our actions have impact on all of those around us, human and non-human,鈥� Zabrina explains.
鈥淪olutions for climate have to truly understand and value Indigenous knowledge systems. We know the work that needs to be done to protect environment and to protect ecosystems, so the biggest piece of what allies can do is support us in our expertise.鈥�
Indigenous Stewardship, from Mi'kma'ki to Abu Dhabi
Indigenous ways of knowing offer an essential framework for healing 鈥� whether 迟丑补迟鈥檚 the climate, personal relationships, or relationships between governments, land, and the people who inhabit it.
This is the basis for all of Zabrina鈥檚 work, whether 蝉丑别鈥檚 on the world stage talking about climate change, or supporting curriculum development in Acadia鈥檚 new nursing program. And it's what brought her to Abu Dhabi for the IUCN Congress. As Vice Chair of , she presented on .
The Stewardship Circle operates with the philosophy Zabrina saw reflected at the IUCN conference: as stewards of lands, water and ice since time immemorial, Indigenous peoples hold the knowledge of how best to care for the Earth. The Circle鈥檚 work is to guide Parks Canada鈥檚 relationships with Indigenous partners from coast, to coast, to coast, on everything from HR policy to formal negotiations.
In 2025, the Stewardship Circle developed and released a new Indigenous Stewardship Policy for Parks Canada, which earned them a nomination for the Parks Canada's 颁贰翱鈥檚 Award of Excellence. The awards recognize achievement, innovation and leadership in Parks.
Zabrina says that the policy is more than just meaningful for Parks Canada. 鈥湵醭兮�檚 an example to any federal department of how they can implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA).鈥�
鈥湵醭兮�檚 all that relationship piece鈥�
鈥淭he values and the principles within the policy itself are a guiding document for how to have relationships between people. 滨迟鈥檚 in the context of Indigenous and non-Indigenous relationships for Parks Canada, but the language in it is adaptable to any type of relationship that exists,鈥� says Zabrina.
Essentially, the policy focuses on building relationships between Indigenous peoples and partners and facilitating conversations between people. And so does Zabrina鈥檚 work at Acadia. In her role as Executive Advisor of L'nu Affairs and Indigenization, she leads with an emphasis on relationship- and trust-building.
鈥淚n any work that I do with individuals, nations, partners across the country, it鈥檚 all that relationship piece,鈥� she explains.
Better people, better nurses
The project at Acadia that 蝉丑别鈥檚 most excited about bringing her relationship-forward philosophy to is the co-creation of a curriculum for Acadia鈥檚 new School of Nursing with 罢补箩颈办别颈尘扫办, an organization leading the transformation of health and wellness for Mi鈥檏maw communities in Nova Scotia.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the thing I get most excited about in my work at Acadia: everything I do is grounded in Mi鈥檏maw values and relationship building,鈥� she explains.
The program will be entirely unique in Canada in that it is built upon cultural safety and humility, Indigenous ways of knowing, and a grounding in the Truth and Reconciliation鈥檚 Calls to Action.
While grounded in Mi鈥檏maq philosophy, the program is for all students who want to come into a nursing program and leave as a good nurse and a good person.
鈥淲e want them to have the capacity that when they work with any person they are treating them as a human being and respecting different cultural and historical backgrounds,鈥� she explains.
鈥淏eing a good human being is one of the most important pieces, next to the clinical requirements.鈥�
鈥淭hese are not small things鈥�
This work of leading with compassion and trust鈥攁nd bringing others along on the journey鈥攃an be challenging, but for Zabrina it鈥檚 all worth it. Whether it's leading conversations around solutions to the climate crisis, or ushering in a new generation of compassionate nurses, Zabrina puts her heart fully into the work.
"The stuff that I get to work on are the things I鈥檓 passionate about and tickle my heart. Some of it can be super heavy but when implemented it can make significant change. These are not small things, they make an incredible difference to peoples鈥� lives. That kind of work excites me."