As an Indigenous geography scholar and researcher, I increasingly focus on the realities of climate change and its profound impact on ecology. In a recent class I co-instructed at the Queen’s University School of Urban and Regional Planning, I introduced students to ancestral Indigenous planning, centring on a 12th-century Iroquoian community model. The discussion illuminated how human interactions with the land and natural resources were determinants of community planning and fundamental to sustaining the delicate balance of human and non-human relations.
Exploring the interrelationship of people and place through the cultural geography of the Haudenosaunee, we delved into how identity itself is shaped by land and its natural actors. For a class filled with aspiring urban and regional planners—along with three practicing city planners—the experience was transformative. It quickly became apparent that planning must move beyond rigid zoning practices and embrace place-based autonomy, where decision-making aligns with the rhythms and needs of the land itself.
Haudenosaunee Knowledge and Climate Adaptation
The prevailing mindset in modern urban and regional planning has long been dictated by frameworks rooted in industrialization, urban sprawl, and resource extraction. Much of the profession adheres to highly regulated, standardized practices that prioritize short-term economic gain over long-term environmental sustainability. Yet Indigenous planning offers a profound alternative that considers the interconnectedness of people, land, and ecological cycles.
This perspective challenges the conventional notion that humans design space for habitation; instead, it asserts that we must enhance and harmonize with the natural rhythms of place. When we examined Haudenosaunee planning principles, students responded with genuine curiosity and awe. Concepts such as ensuring the autonomy of water sources were central to settlement adaptation, using topography for protection, and identifying prime lands for cultivation were revelatory for many.
The more students engaged with this knowledge, the more they recognized that contemporary urban and regional planning must evolve to address the growing need for sustainable living. Climate change is no longer a future concern—it is here and reshaping our landscapes. If planners and policymakers fail to integrate climate adaptation and Indigenous value systems into their frameworks, they risk perpetuating unsustainable models that continue to degrade the environment.
The Iroquoian Longhouse: A Model for Sustainable Design
A compelling example of Indigenous planning is the Iroquoian longhouse, a structure that served as both shelter and a communal space. Built from natural materials such as elm bark, the longhouse was constructed with deep respect for the land—only taking what was necessary, ensuring sustainability, and allowing trees to replenish. The longhouse’s design reflected a life-cycle systems approach; structures were built for 30 to 40 years before being returned to the earth, where they naturally decomposed and reintegrated into the landscape.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons (‘Exterior View of Traditional Iroquois Longhouse’).
The students were fascinated by the idea that communal spaces were designed with a finite yet renewable existence. In contrast, modern urban development often prioritizes permanence and expansion, creating structures that outlive their usefulness, contributing to urban decay and environmental strain. What if, instead, our urban centers were designed with adaptability in mind? What if materials used in construction aligned with ecological cycles rather than being treated as disposable waste?
The Power of Education in Transforming Urban Planning
Education systems are critical in fostering openness to new ideas and methodologies. However, much of the current urban planning curriculum is rooted in post-war suburban development models emphasizing efficiency, uniformity, and mass production. Integrating Indigenous value systems, environmental determinants, and climate change considerations into planning education is essential in fostering a holistic, future-focused approach to community development.
The challenge, of course, lies in decolonizing the profession itself. Innovation in urban and regional planning is often stifled in favour of “tried and true” practices prioritizing economic stability over ecological well-being. Yet, if planners are to truly serve the needs of future generations, they must expand their thinking beyond conventional models. Indigenous planning philosophies, such as those practiced by the Haudenosaunee, represent just one of the hundreds of cultural contributions that can help reshape human-centred design into more inclusive and regenerative.
A Call to Action: Expanding Thought, Embracing Change
If climate change is to be effectively addressed in community development, it must be at the forefront of planning discussions, not an afterthought. Recognizing the significance of place-based planning, environmental stewardship, and Indigenous knowledge systems is not an elective enhancement but a necessary revolution.
Urban and regional planning must evolve beyond rigid regulations and embrace the knowledge that has sustained Indigenous communities for millennia. The interconnectedness of land, water, climate, and human habitation must become central to planning efforts. This requires an intentional shift in education that welcomes new perspectives, cultural inclusivity, and Indigenous methodologies as fundamental learning components. It is not merely about integrating Indigenous knowledge for inclusion but about recognizing its profound value in creating sustainable, resilient, and thriving communities.
In the face of climate change, the question is no longer whether we need change but whether we are willing to embrace it. The wisdom of Indigenous planning offers a pathway forward, one rooted in reciprocity, sustainability, and deep respect for the land. Now is the time to expand our thinking, decolonize our approaches, and integrate climate consciousness into planning.
For the future of our communities, ecosystems, and generations, we must choose transformation over stagnation, reciprocity over exploitation, and sustainability over short-term convenience.
– By Rye Karonhiwanen Barberstock
(Header Image Credit: A.C., Licenced, Unsplash+)
The post Decolonizing Urban and Regional Planning: Haudenosaunee Knowledge, Stewardship, and Climate Adaptation appeared first on Indigenous Climate Hub.
The case shows that climate change is a fundamental human rights violation—and the victory of Bonaire, a Dutch territory, could open the door for similar lawsuits globally.
From our collaborating partner Living on Earth, public radio’s environmental news magazine, an interview by Paloma Beltran with Greenpeace Netherlands campaigner Eefje de Kroon.
A Tiny Caribbean Island Sued the Netherlands Over Climate Change, and Won
Climate Change
Greenpeace organisations to appeal USD $345 million court judgment in Energy Transfer’s intimidation lawsuit
SYDNEY, Saturday 28 February 2026 — Greenpeace International and Greenpeace organisations in the US announce they will seek a new trial and, if necessary, appeal the decision with the North Dakota Supreme Court following a North Dakota District Court judgment today awarding Energy Transfer (ET) USD $345 million.
ET’s SLAPP suit remains a blatant attempt to silence free speech, erase Indigenous leadership of the Standing Rock movement, and punish solidarity with peaceful resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline. Greenpeace International will also continue to seek damages for ET’s bullying lawsuits under EU anti-SLAPP legislation in the Netherlands.
Mads Christensen, Greenpeace International Executive Director said: “Energy Transfer’s attempts to silence us are failing. Greenpeace International will continue to resist intimidation tactics. We will not be silenced. We will only get louder, joining our voices to those of our allies all around the world against the corporate polluters and billionaire oligarchs who prioritise profits over people and the planet.
“With hard-won freedoms under threat and the climate crisis accelerating, the stakes of this legal fight couldn’t be higher. Through appeals in the US and Greenpeace International’s groundbreaking anti-SLAPP case in the Netherlands, we are exploring every option to hold Energy Transfer accountable for multiple abusive lawsuits and show all power-hungry bullies that their attacks will only result in a stronger people-powered movement.”
The Court’s final judgment today rejects some of the jury verdict delivered in March 2025, but still awards hundreds of millions of dollars to ET without a sound basis in law. The Greenpeace defendants will continue to press their arguments that the US Constitution does not allow liability here, that ET did not present evidence to support its claims, that the Court admitted inflammatory and irrelevant evidence at trial and excluded other evidence supporting the defense, and that the jury pool in Mandan could not be impartial.[1][2]
ET’s back-to-back lawsuits against Greenpeace International and the US organisations Greenpeace USA (Greenpeace Inc.) and Greenpeace Fund are clear-cut examples of SLAPPs — lawsuits attempting to bury nonprofits and activists in legal fees, push them towards bankruptcy and ultimately silence dissent.[3] Greenpeace International, which is based in the Netherlands, is pursuing justice in Europe, with a suit against ET under Dutch law and the European Union’s new anti-SLAPP directive, a landmark test of the new legislation which could help set a powerful precedent against corporate bullying.[4]
Kate Smolski, Program Director at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: “This is part of a worrying trend globally: fossil fuel corporations are increasingly using litigation to attack and silence ordinary people and groups using the law to challenge their polluting operations — and we’re not immune to these tactics here in Australia.
“Rulings like this have a chilling effect on democracy and public interest litigation — we must unite against these silencing tactics as bad for Australians and bad for our democracy. Our movement is stronger than any corporate bully, and grows even stronger when under attack.”
Energy Transfer’s SLAPPs are part of a wave of abusive lawsuits filed by Big Oil companies like Shell, Total, and ENI against Greenpeace entities in recent years.[3] A couple of these cases have been successfully stopped in their tracks. This includes Greenpeace France successfully defeating TotalEnergies’ SLAPP on 28 March 2024, and Greenpeace UK and Greenpeace International forcing Shell to back down from its SLAPP on 10 December 2024.
-ENDS-
Images available in Greenpeace Media Library
Notes:
[1] The judgment entered by North Dakota District Court Judge Gion follows a jury verdict finding Greenpeace entities liable for more than US$660 million on March 19, 2025. Judge Gion subsequently threw out several items from the jury’s verdict, reducing the total damages to approximately US$345 million.
[2] Public statements from the independent Trial Monitoring Committee
[3] Energy Transfer’s first lawsuit was filed in federal court in 2017 under the RICO Act – the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a US federal statute designed to prosecute mob activity. The case was dismissed in 2019, with the judge stating the evidence fell “far short” of what was needed to establish a RICO enterprise. The federal court did not decide on Energy Transfer’s claims based on state law, so Energy Transfer promptly filed a new case in a North Dakota state court with these and other state law claims.
[4] Greenpeace International sent a Notice of Liability to Energy Transfer on 23 July 2024, informing the pipeline giant of Greenpeace International’s intention to bring an anti-SLAPP lawsuit against the company in a Dutch Court. After Energy Transfer declined to accept liability on multiple occasions (September 2024, December 2024), Greenpeace International initiated the first test of the European Union’s anti-SLAPP Directive on 11 February 2025 by filing a lawsuit in Dutch court against Energy Transfer. The case was officially registered in the docket of the Court of Amsterdam on 2 July, 2025. Greenpeace International seeks to recover all damages and costs it has suffered as a result of Energy Transfers’s back-to-back, abusive lawsuits demanding hundreds of millions of dollars from Greenpeace International and the Greenpeace organisations in the US. The next hearing in the Court of Amsterdam is scheduled for 16 April, 2026.
Media contact:
Kate O’Callaghan on 0406 231 892 or kate.ocallaghan@greenpeace.org
The Trump administration’s relentless rollback of public health and environmental protections has allowed widespread toxic exposures to flourish, warn experts who helped implement safeguards now under assault.
In a new report that outlines a dozen high-risk pollutants given new life thanks to weakened, delayed or rescinded regulations, the Environmental Protection Network, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group of hundreds of former Environmental Protection Agency staff, warns that the EPA under President Donald Trump has abandoned the agency’s core mission of protecting people and the environment from preventable toxic exposures.
Former EPA Staff Detail Expanding Pollution Risks Under Trump
A Tiny Caribbean Island Sued the Netherlands Over Climate Change, and Won
Greenpeace organisations to appeal USD $345 million court judgment in Energy Transfer’s intimidation lawsuit
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