EP22: Indigenous economic prosperity is part and parcel of Indigenous planetary health with Dr. Susanne Theissen

In this episode, Heather Castleden and guest co-host Melissa Quesnelle sit down with Dr Susanne Theissen, who talks about how her life story animates the work she does with Indigenous communities. Armed with a degree in business, Dr. Theissen uses her training to decolonize western constructs of economic prosperity and explains how her approach contributes to Indigenous resurgence and planetary health. This approach is illustrated through a project she is doing with the internationally renowned knitters of Cowichan sweaters. She shares how planetary health is an intertwining of cultural strength, intergenerational strength, economic strength, and intellectual property. 

Dr. Theissen’s ancestry traces itself to Haida Gwaii and Gitxsan Territory, but she grew up in Malahat and Cowichan territories. Theissen is the associate director and an assistant professor in the School of Public Administration at the University of Victoria specializing in Indigenous Community Development. As a Gitxsan/Haida scholar and practitioner she works from an Indigenous rights-based lens. Her work centers Indigenous resurgence and the decolonization of organizational structures, policy, and processes. 

This podcast is created by the Impact Chair in Transformative Governance for Planetary Health at the University of Victoria, with production from Cited Media. We are supported by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Researchand the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. You can find us at https://indigenousplanetaryhealth.ca/

About the Podcast

We’re burning down our house, and we’re in for nasty weather. But Indigenous peoples have ideas for planetary resurgence and restoration. Professors Heather Castleden and Hōkūlani Aikau bring you conversations with artists, activists, scholars, and other knowledge keepers tackling the climate crisis.

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