Do Landscapes Listen? Wemindji Eeyou Knowledge, Adaptation and Agency in the Context of Coastal Landscape Change

Abstract

Drawing on the connections to landscape of members of the Cree Nation of Wemindji, on the east coast of James Bay (Eeyou Istchee), this chapter explores the possibilities for mutually enriching conversations between geomorphologists and Indigenous people. Local placenames, landscape modifications (dyke and tuuhikaan construction), and stewardship of hunting territories are examined to underscore the deep knowledge and attachments Cree maintain to landscape. Wider embrace of ethnogeomorphology as a sub-field that supports intercultural dialogue is advocated.