Shirley Thompson
University of Manitoba, Natural Resources Institute, Faculty Member
Most Indigenous women in Canada (61%) experience intimate partner violence (IPV), which is significantly worse than the high rate of 44 percent for other women in Canada. Despite the great risk for IPV, only three unfunded second-stage... more
Most Indigenous women in Canada (61%) experience intimate partner violence (IPV), which is significantly worse than the high rate of 44 percent for other women in Canada. Despite the great risk for IPV, only three unfunded second-stage shelters for more than 600 First Nation reserves exist in Canada to provide First Nation women and their children a safe home. Second-stage housing offers IPV survivors transitional homes for an extended period that provide safety and renewal after their initial emergency shelter stays. This article documents the need for safe, nurturing, and culturally appropriate second-stage shelters for Indigenous women and their families to heal and rebuild. The authors provide two second-stage prototype designs based on domestic environmental analysis and concepts of houselessness, home, and co-housing. We discuss how these designs are one step in an action plan to protect Indigenous women and stop the genocide of Indigenous Peoples by supporting cultural, econo...
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This paper tells a place-based story of food in the Wasagamack territory in Manitoba, Canada, through traditional land-use map biographies with 49 active Indigenous harvesters, video interviews with eight key informants, and input from... more
This paper tells a place-based story of food in the Wasagamack territory in Manitoba, Canada, through traditional land-use map biographies with 49 active Indigenous harvesters, video interviews with eight key informants, and input from community workshops. Although harvesters in Wasagamack First Nation do not depend solely on wild foods, map biographies show that traditional land uses remain important and occur throughout their ancestral lands. This land remains pristine, with virgin boreal forests, natural flowing waters, and abundant wildlife, and occupied almost exclusively by Indigenous people who continue to harvest wild foods and speak their language fluently. All Wasagamack people interviewed (N=57) regarded the land to be perfect as the Creator made it, and sacred; they did not want development interfering with their traditional practices of hunting, gathering, and fishing and with their land-based spirituality, despite the community economic and infrastructure poverty. In o...
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The fishermen of Nijhum Dwip in Noakhali, Bangladesh have lived in an extremely dynamic environment facing tropical cyclones, tidal surges, embankment erosion and salinity intrusion that affect life and livelihood options. This study was... more
The fishermen of Nijhum Dwip in Noakhali, Bangladesh have lived in an extremely dynamic environment facing tropical cyclones, tidal surges, embankment erosion and salinity intrusion that affect life and livelihood options. This study was conducted to identify human, physical, financial, natural and social assets for analysing fishing community resilience. Landsat TM imagery and asset database of 25 thematic layers were analysed with ENVI and GIS capabilities to identify and prioritise the resilience of coastal fishing community. The resilience assessment focussed on 25 basic criteria, and the weights were determined by a pairwise comparison matrix of Analytical Hierarchy Process according to the effectiveness of the criteria. The study identified natural assets with 48% importance as the most significant in fishermen resilience. The vector of effectiveness indicated that human, financial and social assets showing importance of 18%, 15% and 13% respectively are moderately significant...
ABSTRACT In order to meet the demand for food from a growing global population, aquaculture production must be increased as capture fisheries have stagnated. Rapid population growth with competition for land and water could affect... more
ABSTRACT In order to meet the demand for food from a growing global population, aquaculture production must be increased as capture fisheries have stagnated. Rapid population growth with competition for land and water could affect aquaculture production. Although aquaculture uses non-consumptive water, there are significant water footprints for aquaculture due to water lost and water required for fish-feed production. Moreover, climate change affects water availability and demand for aquaculture, and poses a further threat to global fish production. Nevertheless, the efficient use of blue water (surface and groundwater) and green water (rain) in inland, coastal, and marine aquaculture could make a significant contribution to global fish production and climate change adaptation. Sustainable intensification of freshwater aquaculture, mangrove restoration with brackish water fish production, and the expansion of mariculture could increase global fish production with adaptation to climate change. Institutional support with technical and financial assistance is needed to implement the proposed adaptation strategies.
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Colonialism, and its partner, racism, greatly impact Indigenous food systems across Canada elevating the rates of diet-related diseases and food insecurity. Many Indigenous communities have responded to these challenges with their own... more
Colonialism, and its partner, racism, greatly impact Indigenous food systems across Canada elevating the rates of diet-related diseases and food insecurity. Many Indigenous communities have responded to these challenges with their own community-based, culturally appropriate food solutions, including local food production. This participatory research explores the question of traditional food education for First Nations youth through photo elicitation with five young adults employed on a community farm and interviews with twelve Elders, community food educators and Knowledge Keepers. This research provides the building blocks for food education to support a community-based, Indigenous food system and sovereignty, informed by Garden Hill First Nation Elders and youth. Interviews and participatory research established that food education should be rooted in traditional and spiritual beliefs, land-based learning and self-determination, and food policies and programs need to assess the us...
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Research Interests: Business, Food Systems, Agricultural Economics, Productivity, Food Production, and 15 moreAgriculture, Biodiversity, Bangladesh, Aquaculture, Natural Resource Economics, Antibiotic Resistance, Food Security, Cropping Systems, Organic Farming, FISH, Salmon, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Ecosystem, Science Technology, and Impacts
Research Interests: Geography, Food Production, Aquaculture, FISH, Fishery, and 3 moreEcosystem, Wild Rice, and Environment
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Two-eyed seeing is a guiding framework for research that values and uses Indigenous and Western ways of knowing. In this article, we describe the merits and challenges of using two-eyed seeing to guide a collaborative research project... more
Two-eyed seeing is a guiding framework for research that values and uses Indigenous and Western ways of knowing. In this article, we describe the merits and challenges of using two-eyed seeing to guide a collaborative research project with a First Nation community in Manitoba, Canada devastated by a human-made flood. In 2011, provincial government officials flooded 17 First Nation communities including Little Saskatchewan First Nation (LSFN), displacing thousands of people. To date, approximately 350 LSFN’s on-reserve members remain displaced. Two-eyed seeing ensured that the study was community-driven and facilitated a more thorough analysis of the data. This case study illuminated the absence of two-eyed seeing in policy making and decision making. We argue for the need to incorporate two-eyed seeing in policy making and program development, and to value and foster Indigenous perspectives in decision making within communities, especially regarding activities that have a direct imp...
Research Interests: Sociology, Geography, Human Geography, Environmental Studies, Corporate Governance, and 15 morePolitical Science, Colonialism, Environmental Ethics, Canada, Indigenous knowledge systems, Flooding, First Nations, Elders, Rebuilding, Indigenous, Semi structured interviews, Public Policy, Forced Displacement, Indigenous Policy, and Flood Myth
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Globally, shrimp farming has had devastating effects on mangrove forests. However, mangroves are the most carbon-rich forests, with blue carbon (i.e., carbon in coastal and marine ecosystems) emissions seriously augmented due to... more
Globally, shrimp farming has had devastating effects on mangrove forests. However, mangroves are the most carbon-rich forests, with blue carbon (i.e., carbon in coastal and marine ecosystems) emissions seriously augmented due to devastating effects on mangrove forests. Nevertheless, integrated mangrove-shrimp cultivation has emerged as a part of the potential solution to blue carbon emissions. Integrated mangrove-shrimp farming is also known as organic aquaculture if deforested mangrove area does not exceed 50% of the total farm area. Mangrove destruction is not permitted in organic aquaculture and the former mangrove area in parts of the shrimp farm shall be reforested to at least 50% during a period of maximum 5 years according to Naturland organic aquaculture standards. This article reviews integrated mangrove-shrimp cultivation that can help to sequester blue carbon through mangrove restoration, which can be an option for climate change mitigation. However, the adoption of integ...
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Research Interests: Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Technology, Cleaner Production, Biology, and 15 moreAgriculture, Organic Farming, Environmental Sciences, Manufacturing Engineering, Fishery, Opportunities, Prawn, Science Technology, Challenges, Organic Aquaculture, Interdisciplinary Engineering, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Economic Benefits, and Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Research Interests: Environmental Science, Law, International Relations, Social Sciences, Climate Change, and 15 moreEnvironmental Studies, Political Science, Adaptation, Carbon Sequestration, SHRIMP, Mangrove, Shrimp Culture, Mangrove Restoration, Greenhouse Gas, Blue Carbon, Science Technology, Marine Policy, Shrimp farming, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT, and Life Sciences & Biomedicine
This article explores food-related activities and their impacts on sustainable livelihood assets, food sovereignty, and food security, and provides insight for future food-related community development. Analysis is based on community food... more
This article explores food-related activities and their impacts on sustainable livelihood assets, food sovereignty, and food security, and provides insight for future food-related community development. Analysis is based on community food assessments conducted in 14 Northern Manitoba communities and included a food security survey, price survey, and interviews. The lack of community control over development in First Nation and other Northern remote and rural communities in Northern Manitoba is found to undermine both food sovereignty and sustainable livelihoods, while creating high levels of food insecurity. According to logit models, sharing country foods increases food sovereignty and sustainable livelihoods, and has a stronger relationship to food security than either road access to retail stores in urban centres or increased competition between stores. The model predicts that rates of food insecurity for a community with a country foods program and with access to public transit ...
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The Youth for EcoAction (YEA) program is a project of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg involving at-risk youth. This community development program focuses on urban agriculture and community gardening and was developed using the Circle... more
The Youth for EcoAction (YEA) program is a project of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg involving at-risk youth. This community development program focuses on urban agriculture and community gardening and was developed using the Circle of Courage pedagogy. The program was analyzed through participatory methods. YEA youth interns built skills, improved self-esteem, increased environmental awareness, enhanced food security, and fostered their own social networks to help counter the attraction to gangs and dealing with other issues. Benefits were also felt at a broader community level, through positive environmental, social, and physical changes. Youth-serving agencies, community development organizations, and government policy makers could look to the YEA as a model for youth empowerment and community revitalization. Le programme Youth for EcoAction (YEA) pour les jeunes à risque est l’œuvre des Clubs garçons et filles de Winnipeg. Il met l’accent sur l’agriculture urbaine et le ja...
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Research Interests: Engineering and Grid
An analysis of energy efficiency opportunities at a steel mill were undertaken using two energy modeling tools,theRETScreenCleanEnergyProjectAnalysisSoftware(RETScreen) and the Process Heat Assessment and SurveyTool(PHAST).A number of... more
An analysis of energy efficiency opportunities at a steel mill were undertaken using two energy modeling tools,theRETScreenCleanEnergyProjectAnalysisSoftware(RETScreen) and the Process Heat Assessment and SurveyTool(PHAST).A number of energy efficiency opportunities were found to be feasible in this analysis at Gerdau North America Long Steel-Manitoba Mill.The waste heat recovery opportunities included:(1) preheating combustion air in the ladle preheater,with an estimated energy savings of 22,000GJ/yr and a payback period of 10 months; and,(2) preheating billets with an estimated energy savings of 60,323GJ/yr and a payback period of three years. Changing natural gas spaceheaters to more energy efficient and safer models was both socially and economically beneficial, although having a longer payback period of 4.5years. Oxy-fuel combustion was not deemed feasible as oxygen costs negated anynaturalgassavingsandtheproductivitygainswerenotconsideredapplicable.The strategic analysis showe...
In 2011, a massive flood occurred in the Canadian province of Manitoba, and provincial government officials decided to divert water to Lake St. Martin and First Nation land to protect urban, cottage, and agricultural properties. As a... more
In 2011, a massive flood occurred in the Canadian province of Manitoba, and provincial government officials decided to divert water to Lake St. Martin and First Nation land to protect urban, cottage, and agricultural properties. As a result of this artificial flood, all community members were evacuated, with infrastructures and housing at Lake St. Martin First Nation permanently destroyed. Three years later, 1,064 Lake St. Martin First Nation members reside in urban hotels and other temporary residences. Data from participatory videography and community workshops were analyzed using the sustainable livelihoods framework. Environmentally and developmentally induced displacement transformed an entire First Nation community into refuges in their homeland. Jurisdictional issues and racism prevented provisioning of services to meet their basic needs, help rebuild their lives, and relocate their community. Inclusive evacuation, relocation, and water-management policies and procedures are ...
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Today, over-consumption, pollution and resource depletion threaten sustainability. Waste management policies frequently fail to reduce consumption, prevent pollution, conserve resources and foster sustainable products. However, waste... more
Today, over-consumption, pollution and resource depletion threaten sustainability. Waste management policies frequently fail to reduce consumption, prevent pollution, conserve resources and foster sustainable products. However, waste policies are changing to focus on lifecycle impacts of products from the cradle to the grave by extending the responsibilities of stakeholders to post-consumer management. Product stewardship and extended producer responsibility are two policies in use, with radically different results when compared for one consumer product, refrigerators. North America has enacted product stewardship policies that fail to require producers to take physical or financial responsibility for recycling or for environmentally sound disposal, so that releases of ozone depleting substances routinely occur, which contribute to the expanding the ozone hole. Conversely, Europe's Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive requires extended producer responsibili...
Research Interests: Business, Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electronics, and 15 moreRefrigeration, Environmental Monitoring, Medicine, Cities, Policy making, Humans, Europe, End of life, Greenhouse Gas, North America, Ozone, Industrial Waste, Conservation of Natural Resources, Extended Producer Responsibility, and environmentally friendly
ABSTRACT The fishermen of Nijhum Dwip in Noakhali, Bangladesh have lived in an extremely dynamic environment facing tropical cyclone, tidal surge, embankment erosion and salinity intrusion that affect life and livelihood options. This... more
ABSTRACT The fishermen of Nijhum Dwip in Noakhali, Bangladesh have lived in an extremely dynamic environment facing tropical cyclone, tidal surge, embankment erosion and salinity intrusion that affect life and livelihood options. This study was conducted to identify human, physical, financial, natural and social assets for analyzing fishing community resilience. Landsat TM imagery and asset database of twenty five thematic layers were analyzed with ENVI and GIS capabilities to identify and prioritize the resilience of coastal fishing community. The resilience assessment focused on 25 basic criteria and the weights were determined by a pairwise comparison matrix of Analytical Hierarchy Process according to the effectiveness of the criteria. The study identified natural asset with 48% importance as the most significant in fishermen resilience. The vector of effectiveness indicated that human, financial and social assets showing importance of 18%, 15% and 13% respectively are moderately significant, where the physical asset having only 5% importance is the least significant in fishermen resilience. Results suggest that natural asset with experienced human resource and financial support as well as excellent social relationship is the appropriate option for enhancing coastal fishing community resilience to withstand climate change disaster events.
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... The DEMI principles are efficiency, appropriateness, sufficiency, equity, systems and scale (Fletcher and Dewberry, 2002). ... manage certain waste streams, however, without EPR in place they are stuck footing the bill for this... more
... The DEMI principles are efficiency, appropriateness, sufficiency, equity, systems and scale (Fletcher and Dewberry, 2002). ... manage certain waste streams, however, without EPR in place they are stuck footing the bill for this municipal solid waste (Sheehan and Spiegelman ...
Research Interests: Geography, Indigenous Studies, Participatory Research, Poverty, Food Security and Insecurity, and 15 morePolitical Science, Urban Planning, Urban Studies, Urban And Regional Planning, Urban Agriculture, Food Security, Food Insecurity, Focus Group, Community Food Security, Urban practice, Participatory Approach, Focus Group Discussion, Public Policy, Emotional and Psychological Well-Being, and community programming
Research Interests: Engineering, Heat Transfer, Waste Management, Energy efficiency, Energy Saving, and 13 moreEnergy Intensity, Greenhouse Gas, Energy efficient, GHG, Steel Industry, Flue Gas, Payback Period, Energy Efficiency, Feasibility Analysis, Energy recovery, Heat Loss, Energy Loss, and Waste heat recovery unit
Research Interests: Engineering, Environmental Science, Renewable Energy, Biomass, Performance, and 15 moreEnergy efficiency, GHG Emissions, Demand Side Management, Electricity, Profitability, Feasibility, Diesel engine, Diesel Fuel, Cost Analysis, Energy efficient, Payback Period, Energy Efficiency, Energy Cost, Combined Heat and Power, and Hybrid System
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This paper presents a case study of the Abanico Medicinal Plant and Organic Agriculture Microenterprise Project in the Arenal Conservation Area, Costa Rica. Microenterprise is the Sustainable Development and the Women in Development model... more
This paper presents a case study of the Abanico Medicinal Plant and Organic Agriculture Microenterprise Project in the Arenal Conservation Area, Costa Rica. Microenterprise is the Sustainable Development and the Women in Development model for gender equity and environment of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and large non-government organizations, like the World Wildlife Fund-Canada. The authors of this paper
Research Interests: Business, International Development, Ecological Economics, Developing Countries, Ecology, and 15 moreAgriculture, International Cooperation, Costa Rica, Biodiversity, Gender Equity, Humans, Development policy, Case Study, Female, Commodification, Environmental monitoring and assessment, Economic Models, Conservation of Natural Resources, Drug Industry, and cultural characteristics
ABSTRACT Going beyond the myths prevalent in the socio-cultural embeddedness of rural Bangladesh, this article examines the diverse visible and invisible roles of fisherwomen in small-scale fisheries. This research considered two ethnic... more
ABSTRACT Going beyond the myths prevalent in the socio-cultural embeddedness of rural Bangladesh, this article examines the diverse visible and invisible roles of fisherwomen in small-scale fisheries. This research considered two ethnic groups situated in two different ecosystems: the floodplain freshwater ecosystem is represented by new-entrant Muslim fishers ‘Maimal’ and the coastal ecosystem is represented by caste-based Hindu fishers ‘Jaladas’. From the basic ontological worldview of human dignity, moral individualism, and the social recognition of women’s rights, we argue that fisherwomen’s roles need to be recognized, focused, and valued to develop a horizontal understanding that is a prerequisite to the process of democratization, and the proper functioning of a just society. In the rural societies, a host of attributes, such as the deep-rooted socio-cultural constructions of the motherly myth, extreme tolerance, family teaching, religious antagonism, poverty, lack of education, internalization of a subordinate position, lack of supportive institutions, and fear of loss of societal patronage, profoundly undermine the capacity of women to aspire and raise their voice. Fisherwomen are accrued an inferior social position although they perform unique roles in the areas of childcare, household upkeep, livelihoods, and psycho-social support for the seafaring fishers. Conducive to the ecotone of marine fisheries, this article also portrays how a rigid patriarchal form of society is seasonally transformed to matrifocality when fishermen are away for fishing for half the year.
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One-third of the population report feeling ill from chemical odours, ac-cording to several large NorthAmeri-can surveys (Miller). Yet, the mecha-nisms of chemical sensitivity are not understood and many medical spe-cialists debate the... more
One-third of the population report feeling ill from chemical odours, ac-cording to several large NorthAmeri-can surveys (Miller). Yet, the mecha-nisms of chemical sensitivity are not understood and many medical spe-cialists debate the validity of chemi-cal sensitivity as a distinct ...
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If you had to choose between paying the rent or feeding the kids, what would you choose? For Louise and Charmaine,two Aboriginal women living in poverty and poor housing in Winnipeg, Manitoba, these are their daily life choices (names,... more
If you had to choose between paying the rent or feeding the kids, what would you choose? For Louise and Charmaine,two Aboriginal women living in poverty and poor housing in Winnipeg, Manitoba, these are their daily life choices (names, locations, and personal ...
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In 2011, a massive flood occurred in the Canadian province of Manitoba, and provincial government officials decided to divert water to Lake St. Martin and First Nation land to protect urban, cottage, and agricultural properties. As a... more
In 2011, a massive flood occurred in the Canadian province of Manitoba, and provincial government officials decided to divert water to Lake St. Martin and First Nation land to protect urban, cottage, and agricultural properties. As a result of this artificial flood, all community members were evacuated, with infrastructures and housing at Lake St. Martin First Nation permanently destroyed. Three years later, 1,064 Lake St. Martin First Nation members reside in urban hotels and other temporary residences. Data from participatory videography and community workshops were analyzed using the sustainable livelihoods framework. Environmentally and developmentally induced displacement transformed an entire First Nation community into refuges in their homeland. Jurisdictional issues and racism prevented provisioning of services to meet their basic needs, help rebuild their lives, and relocate their community. Inclusive evacuation, relocation, and water-management policies and procedures are ...
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ABSTRACTLake St. Martin First Nation, a community situated in the Interlake Region of Manitoba, was permanently displaced in 2011. After they were flooded out of their ancestral lands and left homeless, the Province of Manitoba further... more
ABSTRACTLake St. Martin First Nation, a community situated in the Interlake Region of Manitoba, was permanently displaced in 2011. After they were flooded out of their ancestral lands and left homeless, the Province of Manitoba further disempowered the members of the community by refusing to listen to their preference for a new site. That a nearby Cold War radar base was selected by the Province as an interim location, against the wishes of the community, further victimized the members and left them in limbo. This article, incorporating both Indigenous and Western methodologies, examines the consequences of community displacement on sustainable livelihoods, homes, health, and sociocultural integrity in the Lake St. Martin First Nation. RÉSUMÉ La Première Nation de Lac St-Martin, une communauté autochtone de la région Entre-les-Lacs au Manitoba, a été déplacée en permanence en 2011. Une inondation a couvert ses terres ancestrales et a laissé ses membres sans domicile. Le gouvernement...