The Waters Speak: Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Change in the Maritimes

For the Indigenous Peoples of the Maritime provinces, the Mi’kmaq, Wolastoqiyik, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, and Inuit, the oceans and waterways are living relatives, holding centuries of memory and wisdom. These waters are not simply geographic features; they are beings with spirit, elders who have witnessed the shifting balance of climate through generations. The rising of ocean levels, the warming of seas, and the increasing fury of storms are warnings that echo both ancient stories and contemporary experience. 

 Traditional Knowledge of Oceans and Climate: Past Lessons

Indigenous oral histories and knowledge systems possess a deep understanding of the rhythms and changes in the ocean and climate over time. Elders recount shifting shorelines, changing fish migrations, and the cyclical nature of storms and tides, knowledge gained through careful observation and a deep connection with the natural world. For millennia, these teachings guided communities in timing their harvests, moving settlements, and stewarding land and sea to maintain balance. 

 In Mi’kma’ki, for example, stories recount times when the waters rose and reshaped the coast, teaching that the ocean was both a giver and a taker. These ancient accounts help contextualize current changes as part of a long-standing relationship marked by respect and adaptation, rather than conquest or control. They remind us that climate is a force we live with, not simply a problem to be solved. 

The Present Reality: Changing Oceans and Rising Threats

Today, those long-held relationships are tested as the ocean warms and rises at unprecedented rates. Hurricanes and severe storms, once rare and cyclical, are growing in size, frequency, and intensity, driven by warmer sea surfaces and shifting atmospheric patterns. For Indigenous peoples of the Maritimes, these are not distant phenomena but lived realities, returning with growing impact. 

Hurricane Fiona in 2022 devastated coastal Mi’kmaw communities in Cape Breton and Ktaqmkuk, causing widespread erosion, damage to sacred sites, and threatening the continuity of food and cultural harvesting areas. Inland, communities have observed changes in river flows and wetland health, which impact freshwater fisheries and travel corridors. 

Sea level rise, compounded by coastal development and weakened natural barriers, is accelerating shoreline loss, flooding, and saltwater intrusion into freshwater systems, disrupting habitats and traditional harvest zones for shellfish, medicinal plants, and migratory birds. These changes undermine food sovereignty and community resilience if left unaddressed. 

Preparing for the Future: Combining Traditional Knowledge and Innovation

Indigenous communities across the Maritimes are leading innovative responses rooted in millennia of knowledge coupled with contemporary science and technology. Mi’kmaq leaders collaborate with coastal ecologists to restore salt marshes, eelgrass beds, and kelp forests —natural buffers that stabilize sediments, absorb storm surges, and sequester carbon. 

 On Epekwitk (Prince Edward Island), collaborative “living shoreline” projects integrate Mi’kmaw understanding of local ecosystems with natural materials, such as reed grasses and oyster reefs. These efforts reduce erosion while honouring the relationships between people, plants, and water. 

In Wolastoqey and Passamaquoddy territories, along the St. John River and Bay of Fundy, community monitors combine satellite data with Indigenous place-based observations to track shifting ice patterns, tides, and river flows, anticipating and preparing for future climate impacts. 

Some communities are also considering strategic relocation, recognizing that some ancestral sites may become too vulnerable to sustain habitation. These decisions are deeply guided by cultural protocols, emphasizing ceremony, respect, and reciprocity with the land, even as physical homes may shift.  

Climate Change as a Teaching and Call to Action

For Indigenous Peoples of the Maritimes, the climate crisis is more than a scientific challenge; it is a profound ethical and spiritual call. The ocean’s fury, the rising tides, and shifting weather patterns are reminders of broken relationships and imbalance. They teach humility, resilience, and the seriousness of respecting all beings.  

Adapting to this new reality requires more than just complex infrastructure; seawalls and barriers alone cannot restore the flow of life. True resilience grows from strengthening relationships with the ocean, with the lands, and among peoples and embracing stewardship guided by Indigenous laws and teachings.

Toward Resilient Coastal Futures

The seas that lap the shores of Mi’kma’ki, Wolastoqey, and Ktaqmkuk carry the memory of storms past and the promise of renewal. Indigenous Nations in the Maritimes stand at the forefront of a movement to restore coastal ecosystems and cultural connections, combining ancient knowledge and contemporary science to face a changing climate with strength. 

 By listening deeply to the waters and honouring our responsibilities as caretakers, we can respond not only to minimize harm but to rebuild balance. The ocean is more than a force of destruction; it is a relative offering that teaches and provides opportunities to walk forward in a respectful, reciprocal relationship. As we navigate this unfolding climate reality, Indigenous stewardship, leadership, and knowledge stand as beacons not only for the peoples of the Maritimes but for all who share this land and sea. 

Blog by Rye Karonhiowanen Barberstock

(Image Credit: Chris Robert, Unsplash)