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)
The post The Waters Speak: Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Change in the Maritimes appeared first on Indigenous Climate Hub.
The Waters Speak: Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Change in the Maritimes
Climate Change
North Carolina Regulators Nix $1.2 Billion Federal Proposal to Dredge Wilmington Harbor
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers failed to explain how it would mitigate environmental harms, including PFAS contamination.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can’t dredge 28 miles of the Wilmington Harbor as planned, after North Carolina environmental regulators determined the billion-dollar proposal would be inconsistent with the state’s coastal management policies.
North Carolina Regulators Nix $1.2 Billion Federal Proposal to Dredge Wilmington Harbor
Australia has some of the largest areas of high volume, consistent solar and wind energy anywhere in the world. It is a natural advantage that many countries in our region and across Europe will envy as they ramp up their efforts to reduce carbon pollution.
Australia has an amazing opportunity to utilise this abundance of reliable energy not only to transform our own energy systems but also that of our neighbours – if we get the policy settings right.
We are, in fact, already seeing the benefits of renewable energy flowing into our electricity grids. With all the inflation pressures on our bank accounts it looks like electricity pricing may be one cost that could be turning a corner – largely thanks to cheap solar and wind energy.
Renewables are Bringing Down the Cost of Producing Electricity
Here at Greenpeace, while we think there are some important questions to ask about renewable energy, it is clear that solar and wind are certainly the cheapest energy options available.
In contrast, coal, oil and gas are not only big on pollution, they are also proving costlier as they struggle to cope with the changing nature of our electricity systems. Plus, fossil fuels are much more exposed to international price fluctuations – as we all experienced when our electricity bills rapidly rose following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Wouldn’t it be great if we instead had energy independence, sourced from an infinite supply of clean energy?
Solar and wind (backed by batteries) can do just that and the reality is that they are already out-competing the old guard of gas and coal simply because they are quicker and cheaper to deploy. Which is good news for electricity prices!
Although whether energy retailers are passing on those savings to customers is another question. Short answer: no, they’re not – but it is a bit complex.
Why are my electricity bills still high?
There are a number of elements that make up the final amount we see on our bills. The graph below shows the breakdown of energy costs covered by our bills.
You will see roughly a third (36.2% in 2025-26) of the cost goes to maintenance and build out of the electricity grid. This includes the transmission lines needed to connect to new renewable energy sites and to connect states so they can better share their energy resources. The ‘network’ costs have been increasing but so have other components of our bill, most notably the ‘wholesale’ cost of producing electricity.
Thankfully, the cost of producing the electricity is now starting to go down (thanks to renewables and batteries), but they are coming off record highs thanks to the exorbitant cost of gas and the unreliability of coal power stations that are old and no longer fit for purpose.
During high demand times (eg, when we all get home from work on a hot day and turn on the air conditioning) spot prices can quickly jump. Add to that a couple of coal power plants breaking down (as they increasingly do), and expensive gas fired power use spikes in the system. This can quickly cancel out any of the cost savings solar power may have created during the day when prices can actually go negative.
The good news is that this is exactly the problem batteries can solve. Batteries are great at soaking up the surplus supply of solar during the middle of the day, which creates a more efficient system, and then rapidly pumping out that power during the evening peak at a cheaper rate than gas.
How much have costs come down?
According to the Australian energy regulator (AEMO), wholesale electricity prices across the east coast have dropped by 44% when comparing prices in quarter 4 of 2025 to the same period in 2024.
AEMO directly attributes the change to the significant growth in wind (up 29%), solar (up 15%), and batteries (3,796 MW of new battery capacity added). This influx of cheap renewable energy has seen a corresponding decrease in the use of polluting fossil fuels to power the grid. Coal fired power dropped by 4.6% and gas fired power fell by a staggering 27%.
The same trend can be seen in the world’s largest standalone grid in WA where renewable energy and storage supplied a record 52.4% of the grid’s energy across the final 3 months of 2025. That is an impressive result given there is no interstate connection to borrow energy from and there is no hydroelectric power in the system.
As a result, WA has seen a 13% drop in wholesale electricity prices thanks to a 5.8% reduction in coal fired power and a 16.4% reduction in gas fired power.
Australian Households Lead the Way on Solar and Batteries
Despite all the attempts to discredit clean energy by Trump and other conservative politicians, Aussie households have long known the value of renewable energy. In fact, Australia now holds the title for the highest rate of solar energy per capita in the world.
This is now being followed by the rapid takeup of household batteries with the Clean Energy Regulator being overwhelmed with interest in the Cheaper Home Batteries Program. They now expect to receive “around 175,000 valid battery applications corresponding to a total usable capacity of 3.9 GWh by the end of 2025.”’
All these extra batteries storing the surplus solar energy across our neighbourhoods during the day is not only creating drastic bill reductions for those households who are installing them, it is helping the whole grid. Which eventually will help everyone’s electricity bills.
If Australia as a whole follows the lead of suburban families by switching to cheap solar (plus wind) backed-up by batteries, it has an unparalleled opportunity to build its economy on the back of unlimited, local, clean energy harnessed from the sun and wind.
Powering our Future Economy
If there was ever something Australia has a natural advantage in, its sun and wind. But given the growing demand for electricity from data centres and the electrification of heavy industry, we are going to need more than just rooftop solar panels.
That’s where Australia has the potential, more than almost any other country, to become a renewable energy powerhouse and punch above our weight in the fight against climate change. See for example the unique opportunity to enter into the production and export of green iron.
While there is still quite a way to go before our electricity is fully sourced from solar and wind, we are well on the way. The clean energy charge is gathering pace – and our communities, oceans, wildlife and bank balances will be the better for it.
Climate Change
Whale Entanglements in Fishing Gear Surge Off U.S. West Coast During Marine Heatwaves
New research finds that rising ocean temperatures are shrinking cool-water feeding grounds, pushing humpbacks into gear-heavy waters near shore. Scientists say ocean forecasting tool could help fisheries reduce the risk.
Each spring, humpback whales start to feed off the coast of California and Oregon on dense schools of anchovies, sardines and krill—prey sustained by cool, nutrient-rich water that seasonal winds draw up from the deep ocean.
Whale Entanglements in Fishing Gear Surge Off U.S. West Coast During Marine Heatwaves
-
Greenhouse Gases7 months ago
Guest post: Why China is still building new coal – and when it might stop
-
Climate Change7 months ago
Guest post: Why China is still building new coal – and when it might stop
-
Greenhouse Gases2 years ago嘉宾来稿：满足中国增长的用电需求 光伏加储能“比新建煤电更实惠”
-
Climate Change2 years ago
Bill Discounting Climate Change in Florida’s Energy Policy Awaits DeSantis’ Approval
-
Climate Change2 years ago
Spanish-language misinformation on renewable energy spreads online, report shows
-
Climate Change2 years ago嘉宾来稿：满足中国增长的用电需求 光伏加储能“比新建煤电更实惠”
-
Climate Change Videos2 years ago
The toxic gas flares fuelling Nigeria’s climate change – BBC News
-
Carbon Footprint2 years agoUS SEC’s Climate Disclosure Rules Spur Renewed Interest in Carbon Credits