Mental Health: Global Challenges Journal
https://www.sciendo.com/journal/MHGCJ
ISSN 2612-2138
The Climate Crisis and Indigenous Youths’ Mental
Health: The Pilot Project
Ethsi Stewart, Sabina Mirza, Michael Brown
Waakebiness Institute for Indigenous Health, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto,
Canada
Abstract
Introduction: The climate crisis significantly and disproportionately impacts Indigenous Peoples
across Turtle Island, and worldwide. Some major issues faced are threats to reserve lands, food
sovereignty, and traditional employment. The harms caused by climate change have been
uniquely placed on Indigenous youth as both the future and current caretakers and land
defenders of Turtle Island, impacting the mental health of our youth. Yet, their perspectives are
rarely included in scholarly literature, research, or decision-making on environmental policy.
Purpose: This article outlines findings from initial pilot phases of a climate crisis research project
regarding the perspectives of Indigenous youth on the impacts of the climate crisis on their mental
health and recommendations for service providers.
Methodology: The findings outline themes and perspectives from Talking Circles with youth and
Elders, as well as the development of a play created and performed in collaboration with an
Indigenous theatre expert and our community partner, 2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations, in
Toronto. Additionally, a quantitative survey was conducted to gather audience feedback on the
performance.
Results: 4 qualitative themes emerged: anxiety, fear and powerlessness; finding voice & using
voice; autonomy & decolonization in government; education, educating & training youth.
Audience feedback was mainly positive, impactful and inspiring. 6 main recommendations for
policy and service delivery shifts were also acquired.
Conclusion: This research responds to the emergent need for the inclusion and empowerment
of Indigenous youth voices on the ongoing climate crisis and investigates its impacts on Indigenous
youth mental health. Overall, the study had a positive impact on Indigenous youth mental health,
with future research underway. Recommendations for programming and policy changes
provided to continue supporting positive Indigenous youth mental health and wellness.
Keywords
Indigenous Youth Mental Health, Mental Health, Indigenous Youth, Climate Crisis, Indigenous
Methodologies, Art-based, Community Research
Address for correspondence:
Sabina Mirza, 155 College St, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5T 3M7
E-mail: sabina.mirza@utoronto.ca
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- 4.0 International License (CC
BY 4.0).
©Copyright: Mirza et al., 2025
Publisher: Sciendo (De Gruyter)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.56508/mhgcj.v8i1.254
Submitted for publication:
03 February 2025
Revised: 20 March 2025
Accepted for publication:
07 May 2025
Introduction
Context
The problems arising from the climate crisis are
getting worse for Indigenous youth. Even with
added health disruptions related to colonial
impacts and threatened cultural connections
extending beyond those impacting the general
population, youth voices have been excluded
from decision-making regarding the climate crisis.
4
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Indigenous youth are next in line to take on the
responsibility of addressing the climate crisis and
their voices must be included in transformative
spaces for them to succeed, positively impacting
systemic change. In response to this need, this
research project was developed with the
guidance of Elders and community leaders from
the Northwest Territories (NWT) to investigate the
climate crisis and the impacts on Indigenous
youths’ mental health, in both NWT and Ontario.
For Toronto, Ontario (Treaty 13), Dr. Suzanne (Ethsi)
Stewart serves as principal investigator, with the
research team at Waakebiness Institute for
Indigenous Health (WIIH). This article describes the
Toronto investigation.
Research Questions & Objectives
The research questions leading this project are:
what are the mental health impacts of climate
change for Indigenous youth, and what services
are needed to support youth?
This research has three primary objectives:
•To conduct a systematic literature review that
explores and synthesizes the available
literature on Indigenous youth, climate
change, and mental health impacts,
incorporating Indigenous Knowledges and
perspectives.
•To identify and amplify the voices and
perspectives of Indigenous youth regarding
the relationship between the climate crisis
and mental health.
•To create a culturally rooted, participatory
environment where Indigenous youth can
freely, safely, and autonomously express their
perspectives, experiences, and values on
climate change and mental health through
theatrical performances, plays, and media.
These objectives aim to:
•Determine the impact of climate change on
the mental health and well-being of
Indigenous youth.
•Foster a positive, strengths-based, and
culturally grounded experience where
Indigenous youth can acquire skills, engage
in artistic expression, and contribute
meaningfully to research.
•Develop actionable recommendations for
mental health support tailored to Indigenous
youth. This includes additional programming,
identifying key barriers and supports, and
making substantial contributions to the
Indigenous youth mental health research
field.
Research Team
This project is led by the Principal Investigator,
Dr. Suzanne (Ethsi) L. Stewart, two Traditional Elders
and Knowledge Keepers, Clayton Shirt and Luana
Harper Shirt, one postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Sabina
Mirza and three Graduate-level research assistants
at the time of the pilot, Michael Brown (PhD
Candidate), Sarah Ponton, and Jay Lu. The
research team listed at the time of the pilot project
includes Indigenous and non-Indigenous
researchers who have advanced academic and
clinical training in Indigenous public health,
mental health, community engagement and a
diverse array of employment and academic skills
to support participation, data collection and
analysis and maintenance of this project.
Literature review
There were four main findings from the
literature, including the focus on Land as a key to
wellness, experiences of existing challenges
getting worse, Indigenous youth resilience and the
stark absence of Indigenous youth input regarding
anything that affects them. Without access to
land, the ability to perform cultural activities and
partake in spiritual ceremonies is greatly hindered,
threatening connection to community, culture
and sense of belonging alongside other negative
emotions and decreases in mental health (Brown
et al., 2024; Consolo et al., 2015; Lebel et al.,
2022; Vecchio, Dickson & Zhang, 2022). Secondly,
the expression of pre-existing issues being
exasperated included various forms of
deprivation, poverty and food insecurity, which
further increased feelings of stress and depression
(Brown et al., 2024; Cunsolo et al., 2015; Hickman
et al., 2021). Additionally, the climate crisis
impacted mental health due to the lack of
agency and self-determination of the more
vulnerable individuals and communities (i.e.,
Indigenous youth and communities), often
leading to feelings of stress, depression or
hopelessness (Brown et al., 2024; Cunsolo et al.,
2015; Hickman et al., 2021).
Thirdly, Indigenous youth developed plans to
support their families and communities to improve
mental health and community connections,
despite challenges faced. Lastly, there was a
limited or lack of Indigenous youth voices in
academia and research (Brown et al., 2024).
Without the inclusion of Indigenous youth
perspectives, decision-making processes and the
subsequent policies remain uninformed.
Furthermore, benefits of Indigenous youth inclusion
pertained to strengthening connection to Land
and self-efficacy. For example, Lebel et al. (2022)
reported that including Indigenous youth in
political advocacy and climate awareness
decision-making spaces increases confidence
and connection to Land and having the space
and authority to self-determine their own solutions,
methods of healing and ways of promoting
wellness, simultaneously and positively impacts
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both individual and community self-efficacy
(Noronha et al., 2021). Overall, much of the
research reviewed focused primarily on the
perspectives of Indigenous Peoples and adults
living in northern remote regions.
Research Framework
This project applied an Indigenous Knowledges
methodological framework, encompassing the
various forms of knowledge that Indigenous
communities accumulate across generations,
enabling achievement of stable livelihoods in their
living environment (Estey et al., 2009).
Comprehensive and diverse, these Knowledges
include technological knowledge, general skills
and know-how, healthcare practices, beliefs and
environmental understandings. This project utilized
Indigenous Knowledges in three main ways:
community collaboration and community-based
design, centering community partners as
collaborative decision makers throughout all
phases of the projects; having meaningful and
ongoing guidance and engagement from
Traditional Knowledge Keepers (and/or Elders);
incorporating aspects of Indigenous Ceremony
into the research including openings and closings.
This framework is crucial to rooting this project in
cultural knowledges and highlights the importance
of traditional Indigenous perspectives, teachings
and guidance in mental health literature, research
design and implementation and
recommendations for systemic change.
Ethical Considerations and Community
Involvement
The research team ensures constant
maintenance of participant confidentiality and
anonymity. To address any risk of distress during
Talking Circles with youth, despite an already
minimal risk to participants, Elders from the
community and research team were present at
every Talking Circle and data collection event. A
list of services was also provided to maximize
accessibility and availability of mental health
supports for youth. Furthermore, the research
followed the principles outlined in Marshall et al.
(2006), Marshall & Batten (2004), the OCAP®
Principles (First Nations Information Governance
Centre, https://fnigc.ca/ocap-training/), and the
TCPS-2 Chapter 9 (Government of Canada, 2022).
The Principal Investigator’s experiences as
researcher in Indigenous communities have
underscored the necessity of respectful and
reciprocal relationships (Stewart, 2010). Further, Dr.
Stewart and her team members have training in
Indigenous ethical research knowledge and the
procedures designed to mitigate both exploitation
and power differentials between Indigenous
communities and academic institutions. Decisions
about the focus on gendered populations will be
determined by the project Elders, Traditional
Knowledge Keepers and community partners. The
researchers acknowledge that populations
defined by cultural and ethnic Indigenous identity
in which Western binary definitions and
constructions of gender do not always fit within
Indigenous contexts may be emergent within the
project, requiring additional ethical
considerations. However, many services require
Western definitions to qualify for access.
Methodology
Climate Crisis Pilot Project
This project is based in Indigenous Knowledges
Frameworks, Teachings and cultural safety
principles (Papps & Ramsden, 1996; Brascoupé &
Waters, 2009; Gerlach, 2012; Kovach, 2009;
Tuhiwai Smith, 2012). The research methodology—
from research questions to research design—was
co-created with Elders, community partners, and
knowledge users to document the availability, use
and experiences of mental health care for
Indigenous youth in both the NWT and Ontario. The
overall research question is: What are the mental
health impacts of climate change for Indigenous
youth, and what services are needed to support
youth, and was developed during the pilot phase
by youth and Elders. To clarify, this article describes
the investigation in urban Tkaronto. This research
project took a mixed-methods and two-eyed
seeing (Marshall, Marshall, & Bartlett, 2015)
approach by incorporating surveys and Talking
Circles.
Methods
This research employs a mixed methods
approach with a qualitative priority to allow
participants to engage with the questions in
diverse ways. The project began with a Talking
Circle with 2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations (2S;
community partner), and many Indigenous youth
who use their services and wanted to participate.
This was followed by another Talking Circle with
youth who consented to participate in the study.
Members of the research team, including an
Elder-in-Residence, were present for the Talking
Circles. The research questions were discussed
and the youth participants engaged in theatre
workshops with an Indigenous theatre expert to
create a play in response. All workshops were held
at a 2S location during the summer of 2022. After
the youth developed their play, they had the
opportunity to present their play to Elders,
members of community, researchers, academics
and social service workers at WIIH’s annual 2023
Fall Symposium. Ethical approval for this project
was given by the Elder’s Council and Community
Advisory Committee through WIIH, the Community
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Partners and by the University of Toronto REB (ref
#00045155).
Data Collection
Talking Circles were conducted at 2S with Elders
and Indigenous youth to understand their
perspectives on climate change, following the
protocols expressed by the facilitating Elder. Notes
on the discussions were done by a designated
note taker and all identifying information about
participants was anonymized. A play was
developed and presented to an audience at
WIIH’s annual Indigenizing Health Symposium. A
survey consisting of six questions (see results
section) was distributed to the audience, assessing
their experience of the play and its impacts on
them. The first 5 questions used Likert scales
(“Strongly Agree”, “Agree”, “No Opinion”,
“Disagree”, or “Strongly Disagree”) and the last
question was open-ended, prompting
respondents to share any other comments or
feedback they had about the play.
Sampling Strategy & Recruitment
WIIH and 2S collaboratively recruited those
interested through flyers, e-mail, social media
postings, staff recruitment, recommendation and
referral. Primary stages of research collaboration
included team discussions with the partners about
preferred strategies in data collection. All
recruitment efforts, methods and tools were pre-
approved by our community partner, Elders and
the research team.
As youth are involved, participants will not be
identified in any report or publication of this study,
nor its results. Any names or other identifying
information will not appear on any transcripts
unless youth participants have consented
otherwise. During interviews, each participant was
given a code number or pseudonym which was
attached to the research instrument (i.e., survey
and interview) to maintain anonymity and
confidentiality.
Since Indigenous youth are a vulnerable
population, there was a risk that participants might
share and disclose sensitive and personal
information during Talking Circles. If participants
found the questions that were asked to be
troubling, an Elder was present and the list of
resources was made known and available for
additional support. If participants found the Talking
Circles too long or tiring, they were able to request
breaks or to end participation and still receive their
honorarium. As we did not know what feelings or
trauma would arise during conversations for the
youth, supports were also accessible through
agency staff, counselors, or Elders. There were no
reported or observed instances of discomfort or risk
throughout participation.
The benefits to individual participants were
opportunities to provide input on and influence
positive shifts in policy affecting them, supporting
Indigenous youth empowerment, self-
determination and autonomy. There may also be
therapeutic benefits for the youth in being able to
share their stories, being heard, and having their
voices elevated. The youth also received $50
compensation at the end of each session they
participated in. As mentioned, if the participants
decided to withdraw or discontinue their
participation, they still received the honorarium
that was originally promised.
Participants
To maximize Indigenous youth participation,
multiple methods of participant engagement
were included in collaboration with 2S. 12 youth
participants consented for in-person Talking Circles
and the development of a theatre presentation.
COVID-19 public health restrictions and guidelines
were in effect and were maintained throughout in-
person proceedings ensuring participant and
community health. Consistent with an Indigenous
Knowledges framework on human development,
‘youth’ included community members aged 16-
29 years at the time of participation. Participants
of the audience and performance feedback
survey included those who attended the
conference.
Data Analysis
Qualitative data analysis of the Talking Circles
focused on Indigenous and bi-cultural values and
priorities (Smith, 1999; Stewart, 2010). All notes from
Talking Circles and discussions with participants
were recorded during the data collection events
and subsequently analyzed by the research team.
Observations, field notes, and other artefacts were
reviewed and analyzed by the research team and
in consultation with participants and Indigenous
community partners. The research team adapted
coding structures and themes identified in
previous research, using an Indigenous narrative
and thematic story map tool (Marshall et al., 2008;
Stewart, 2009, 2010) relevant to all the data. The
quantitative data collected by the performance
feedback survey was analyzed for descriptive and
frequency statistics.
Results
Conference Play Presentation – Youth’s
Perspectives Play
Findings of this pilot project include the youth
play and both qualitative and quantitative data. A
goal of this project was to create a 10-minute play
about urban Indigenous youth’s perspectives on
climate change. The development of the play
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involved a Talking Circle consultation held with 10
urban Indigenous youth where they discussed how
the climate crisis affected their mental health and
holistic wellbeing. A brief thematic analysis was
conducted, and four themes emerged. The four
themes were: 1) anxiety, fear, and powerlessness;
2) finding voice and using voice; 3) autonomy and
decolonization in government; 4) education,
educating, and training youth. The youth then
attended three 2-hour theatre workshops,
developing a script from the themes.
Consultations and workshop participant
recruitment processes were in partnership with 2S.
2S provided the physical space for the
development and rehearsal of the play,
supported by Lena Recollet, an Anishnaabe artist
with theatre experience, and Elder Luana Harper
Shirt, an Indigenous member of the community
and part of the research team at WIIH.
Figure 1
The across-participant themes identified through consultation with Indigenous youth
Qualitative Talking Circle Focus Group
Consultation Results
Four across-participant themes were identified
from the consultation (see: figure 1).
Anxiety, Fear, and Powerlessness
Youth described the mental health toll of
learning about the dire state of the earth,
especially knowing that the catastrophic
consequences of inaction will happen in their
lifetime.
Finding Voice and Using Voice
Youth acknowledged their importance in the
conversation on climate change as they “are the
future” and have ideas on impactful solutions.
However, they also acknowledged how difficult it
is to be listened to by those in power and by those
who do not value their voices.
Autonomy and Decolonization in
Government
Youth discussed how the current government
needs to change the way it looks at and reacts to
the climate crisis, which youth suggest would
happen through the decolonization of the
government and moving away from capitalism.
Education, Educating, and Training Youth
Youth highlighted the need for our education
system to promote more eco-friendly jobs and
lifestyles, such as by offering agricultural classes.
Youth also highlighted the importance of having a
space to learn and be on the land.
Quantitative Survey Results
In September 2022, a survey consisting of six
questions was distributed to attendees during the
WIIH’s annual Indigenizing Health Symposium
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following the youth's performance and panel. A
Likert Scale was used for the first 5 questions, from
which respondents could choose one of the
following options: “Strongly Agree”, “Agree”, “No
Opinion”, “Disagree”, or “Strongly Disagree” in
relation to the statement provided. The last
question was open-ended, allowing respondents
to provide further insights that were not covered
through the first 5 questions.
The results showed that most respondents had
a positive experience from watching the play, with
the most common answers being “Strongly Agree”
and “Agree”. Most responses expressed feeling
strong connections to the overall message of the
play and having key takeaways moving forward.
Question 1. I felt a connection to the overall
message in the play. Almost all (94%) survey
respondents reported feeling a connection to the
overall message of the play, with 40% of
participants reporting a strong connection. 6% of
respondents gave no opinion (n=3), and no
respondents expressed feeling no connection at
all.
Question 2. I learned something new about
the climate crisis and its impacts on Indigenous
youth. In reflecting upon what they took away from
the youth performance, 82% of respondents
reported learning something new about the
impacts of the climate crisis on Indigenous youth.
Nearly half (48%) of respondents agreed, while
34% strongly agreed. 10% of respondents (n=5)
gave no opinion, while 8% (n =4) either disagreed
or strongly disagreed.
Question 3. The play made me think about
the impacts of the climate crisis on my own
mental health. In response to whether the play
made respondents think about connections
between the climate crisis and their own mental
health, 56% of respondents agreed and 26%
strongly agreed, while 18% either disagreed or
gave no opinion.
Question 4. My outlook on the climate crisis
has changed because I watched the play. Most
(66%) of the survey respondents confirmed that
their outlook on the climate crisis has changed
because they watched the play. Less people
(26%) responded that they had no opinion, while
8% of respondents felt that the play did not
change their outlook on the play.
Question 5. I feel inspired to be more
involved in taking action to fight the climate
crisis because I watched the play. Question 5
asked participants if they felt inspired to be more
involved in taking action to fight the climate crisis
because they watched the play. 58% of
respondents agreed and 30% strongly agreed
that they felt more inspired to increase their
involvement. A small portion of respondents (8%)
reported no opinion or disagreed (4%).
Question 6. Is there anything else you would
like to share with us? The final question was open-
ended and prompted respondents to share any
other comments or feedback they had about the
play. Aside from feedback about the technical
aspects such as audio, most respondents had
positive comments about the youths’ presentation
and project. Several comments also highlighted
the need to amplify more youth voices and the
impact the presentation had on those who
watched it.
Examples of comments:
“I hope that more youth will be involved in
future iterations of this project.”
“Good to hear youth perspective from youth
themselves and not from adults.”
“As an adult it’s easy to get caught up and give
up on the fight for climate. Seeing how this
impacts youth has renewed my interest in pursuing
that further.”
Some respondents noted that their
disagreements about previous statements, such
as questions 2 and 4, were because they already
knew about the issues discussed or were already in
agreement with the youths’ perspectives.
Discussion
The climate crisis is a complex issue; what
remains concerning are the disproportionate ways
by which Indigenous Peoples are impacted,
particularly youth. Some of the issues faced relate
to colonial impacts and threats to cultural and
land-based connections. The current project
aimed to empower the voices of Indigenous youth
in a world where they often feel disempowered. By
providing safe spaces for youth to express
themselves and influence policy and
programming decisions, this project has
contributed to the autonomy and self-
determination of Indigenous youth. Guided by
and committed to Indigenous Knowledges, values
and principles, this research is novel and
innovative, generating original data on Indigenous
methodologies, filling a gap in health literature.
This project intends to use the research to improve
health outcomes for Indigenous Peoples and
provide direct benefits to Indigenous
communities. The following are the
recommendations that our Indigenous youth
participants raise after completing the initial pilot
project phase.
Recommendations
The recommendations from the project are
presented in the table below
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Table 1. Recommendations for policy and practice.
Recommendations for Policy and Practice
Governments at all levels to enact policies and legislation immediately addressing the climate crisis
via conservation and preservation of natural environments and life; reduction of waste and pollution
from large companies; holding corporations accountable for cleaning waste; require sustainable,
renewable, eco-friendly sources of energy and production methods.
Policies and legislation addressing the climate crisis and all human resource development projects to
be done in consultation with the local Indigenous communities and nations.
Education regarding climate crisis, sustainable living and access to resources for addressing and
engaging in climate action for all.
Healthcare professionals and organizations must develop culturally appropriate and relevant
programs and services to help Indigenous clients understand and address mental health challenges
caused by the climate crisis. These efforts should also focus on alleviating feelings of isolation and
addressing concerns about cultural continuity.
Funding and support from governments and organizations are crucial to addressing the issue of
resource deprivation in Indigenous communities. Immediate efforts should focus on supporting
traditional harvesting and subsistence activities, as well as fostering the passing on of traditional
knowledge through intergenerational connections.
Development of youth councils and support from local councils, local government and community
members for youth to exercise autonomy, generate solutions and implement projects.
Next steps
Following the success of the youth play pilot
project in Toronto with 2S, we plan to expand the
youth play project to engage more Indigenous
youth in both Toronto and NWT. For the next phase
of this research, a survey will be given to
Indigenous youth to understand how youth view
the climate crisis and the impact it has on holistic
wellbeing (i.e., physical, mental, emotional, and
spiritual health). The survey is intended to consist of
13 questions and is to be divided into seven
sections: demographics, attitudes about the earth
and being on the land, attitudes and behaviours
related to climate change, impacts on physical
health, impacts on mental health, impacts on
emotional health, and impacts on spiritual health.
Recruitment is planned to take place in
partnership with 2S, Native Women’s Resource
Centre of Toronto (NWRCT), and Kids Help Phone
(KHP); our research team aims to survey
approximately 150 youth.
Youth workshops will also be developed with
the community partners, youth and Elders. The
project will seek to reach national and
international contexts, as the climate crisis is a
global phenomenon. The knowledge gathered
through this project will be disseminated through
conference presentations, publications, and
knowledge translation events. A national survey
conducted in partnership with NWRCT and KHP is
planned to gain insights and perspectives of
Indigenous youth from across Turtle Island
(Canada) about the impacts of the climate crisis
on their mental health and wellness.
Conclusions & Future Research
By upholding the youth expressions,
perspectives and recommendations, the research
team will continue to refine the successful
Indigenous methodologies to continue providing
ways to move forward into the future, in a good
way. In addition to implementing the
recommendations provided by the youth, the
project is planned to progress into the next phase.
With the continued inclusion and centring of
Indigenous youth and Elders in the research, the
next steps of the project will gather even more
robust findings pertaining to the mental health
impacts of the climate crisis on Indigenous youth
in the local context of Toronto (Treaty 13). Following
the recommendations and findings from this work
further reinforces the need for researchers and
institutions to create and hold space for youth to
organize and determine their own health and well-
being, supported by allies and advocates. As the
project expands, the research team will continue
to include a mixed-methods design, specifically
including participants who self-identify as 2S
LGBTQIAA+ individuals, young women, and girls.
This includes surveying mental health providers
and youth mental health patients/clients across
Turtle Island; and a series of four Indigenous Talking
Circle focus groups with Traditional Elders and
Healers in both NWT and Ontario to identify barriers,
strengths, and solutions to themes identified in the
surveys and talking circles. The team will continue
to use an Indigenous evaluation framework to
provide research opportunities for students and
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establish an innovative youth mental health lab,
where interventions and models will be applied
and assessed. These developments will take place
within the community partner setting to better
serve youth. Based on findings, toolkits and briefs
on mental health and on the climate crisis for
policymakers will be created; books and journal
articles on evidence-based Indigenous youth
mental health models and practice will be
published; and curriculum for training healthcare
workers, including a Massive Open Online Course
(MOOC) on Indigenous youth mental health and
climate crisis will be developed.
Funding statement
This research was made possible through
funding from the Canadian Institutes for Health
Research (CIHR)
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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