University of British Columbia partners with the Discovery Foundation to advance Indigenous partnerships to further promote Truth & Reconciliation across UBC.
On March 13, 2024, the University of British Columbia welcomed the Former Chief of T'eqt''aqtn'mux (Kanaka Bar Band), Patrick Michell to a Fireside Chat with Dr. Shannon Bard, Climate Venture Studio Lead and Entrepreneur in Residence with Innovation UBC for a fireside chat and innovation showcase titled “The Climate Crisis and Indigenous Resiliency”, presented by the Discovery Foundation.
The Discovery Foundation has awarded funding to support Innovation UBC in advancing Indigenous partnerships and collaboration areas to further promote Truth & Reconciliation across UBC. This event marked the start of the partnership that will be sure to broaden perspectives and deepen historical knowledge.
Special thank you to Elder Roberta Price who welcomed the community to come together for these discussions in a good way to open the door for changing our way of thinking about complex problems and embrace new opportunities for collaboration. James Olson, Dean of Applied Science at UBC, set the stage for vast opportunities to create new solutions to address climate change and social inequities that compound climate injustice.
During the session, Patrick and Dr. Bard delved into topics regarding globalization, climate mitigation solutions and the impact of oral traditions. Patrick has experienced many climate-related events in the Lytton region, including the 2021 Heat Dome. His candid message to each person in the audience to embrace the passion to take up the important work of climate action now to strengthen your own community was inspiring. He spoke of the power of deliberately sharing traditional Indigenous knowledge to overcome the environmental damage that resulted from colonization and industrialisation of the land.
Watch the full Fireside Chat with Patrick Michell:
After our Fireside Chat, we switched into the Innovation Showcase, where Innovation UBC ventures and UBC researchers presented climate-based solutions.
Innovation UBC ventures presenters included:
- MycoFoundry: Composting toilet enabling event organizers to meet sustainability goals.
- Orca Water: Orca Water focuses on usage monitoring, leak detection, consumption analysis, and water conservation.
- Rohe Homes: Rohe Homes provides a low-cost prefabricated modular small home made easy to deliver.
- UVX, Inc: UVX helps senior homes automatically and continuously disinfect the air and surfaces, without disrupting operations.
- Viridis Research: Viridis is a cleantech startup dedicated to tackling global water challenges by eliminating organic pollutants from water sources.
UBC Researcher presenters included:
- Campus as a Living Lab; showcasing the three projects funded by this year’s Campus Living Lab Grand Challenge competition that will accelerate UBC’s collective response to the climate emergency. Presentation by Angelique Pilon, Director of Urban Innovation Research
- RESEAU Centre for Mobilizing Innovation; dedicated to the design and implementation of innovative solutions for drinking water quality and community health in Indigenous and rural communities. Presentation by Prof. Madjid Mohseni
- Wildfire House; a partnership with the Yunesit’in community, part of the Tsilhqot’in National Government, focused on culturally-specific housing in the face of persistent wildfire activity. Presentation by Prof. John Bass
Thank you to Former Chief Patrick Michell for taking the time to dive into his experiences and exploring the innovative climate-based research and solutions happening at the University of British Columbia.
Thank you to the Discovery Foundation for their continued support in our path towards Truth and Reconciliation by helping to strengthen the many ways that UBC founders support Indigenous engagement activities, specifically around how to build sustainable relationships that generate positive impacts for the communities they aspire to serve.
