Siila Watt-Cloutier’s pioneering advocacy merges human rights with climate action, reshaping global policies and perspectives. Her journey, deeply influenced by Inuit culture and upbringing, resonates through her storytelling and leadership. Lugt and Kuptana, committed storytellers, embody the spirit of their community, using their voices to amplify the urgency of climate justice.

In their conversation, adapted below, Watt-Cloutier, Lugt and Kuptana explore the role of Inuit knowledge, personal healing, community strength and the spirit of silatuniq (Inuit wisdom), in shaping bold, grounded leadership for climate justice. 

Eriel: Siila, you’ve been a strong voice for Inuit rights and climate action. How has your personal journey influenced your commitment to climate activism?

Siila: My grounding force always comes from my culture and upbringing. That has been my real strength in moving forward on the issues I’ve worked on for so long. It is my way of giving back to a remarkable culture that has brought me into these spaces. As a child, I was sent away at age 10. I had to survive and navigate that, but my cultural heritage helped me heal by keeping me spiritually and emotionally grounded. I honour the culture I came from: travelling only by dog team during the first 10 years of my life, speaking only Inuktitut until I started school. Being sent away at 10 meant I lost my language and had to regain it in later years. But the values and principles of my family and community have kept me centred. That’s the grounding force behind what I do. Protecting a way of life is how I give back for what I was given as a child. I see the value of our hunting culture as a way for the younger generation to reconnect with those solid foundations (culture, language, values, and principles)  and lead from there.

Carmen: That’s beautiful. It feels so heartwarming to hear your story. You’ve worked so hard for Inuit around the world. I’m learning more about my culture, and I’m going to be out at my camp in Tuktoyaktuk soon. I look forward to preparing fish and just being on the land.

Siila: That’s wonderful. Our approach to teaching our young people is very holistic. In institutional schooling, things are separated: technical knowledge from character-building and life skills. But in our Indigenous ways, those teachings happen together. When you’re at camp, you’re not just learning how to clean or dry fish; you’re building your confidence, self-worth, identity, patience, and determination. You’re also learning how to be wise, what we call in our language silatuniq. That wisdom, developed in real-life experiences, helps you navigate both traditional and modern worlds. And that’s the hallmark of our teaching. So that when you become wise, you carry that built-in capacity to deal with stressors. You really are more grounded. Take it all in when you’re on the land. 

Carmen: In our Inuit communities, storytelling plays a vital role in sharing knowledge and environmental changes. How do you see storytelling evolving as a tool for advocacy in the climate crisis?

Eriel: As young Inuvialuit leaders navigating climate impacts firsthand, how can youth better engage with policymakers to influence climate policy?

Siila: I was fortunate to enter leadership roles early, through the Inuit Circumpolar Council. That gave me access to the global stage. But if you’re not in those positions, talk to those who are in those positions, and work with them. Make sure that you’re at the table with them. Attend side events at COP meetings. Be present. Speak your truth. That said, those big conferences can be political and heartless. So for me, I felt that I was not fighting the right battles in those more formal spaces. That’s why I shifted my focus to civil society, addressing health, education, business, law, where there’s more space for real change and more hope. Be open to what finds you, and what calls you in to do the work that you’re meant to do. You’re already leading. But if you feel called to formal leadership, go for it. Create a platform for your voice. Stand in your convictions. Sometimes, leadership finds you.

Carmen: Your advocacy has reached from local to global. What advice do you have for young leaders in our communities?

Siila: Never lead in isolation. Always bring your community with you. That’s where your strength lies. If you’ve got the community backing you, it’s so important. Our Inuit world is just as fraught with politics as any other system. You may have experienced that already. So be aware of the obstacles that you may face. Be aware, some leaders won’t want to share power. Politics can be challenging. But be confident in your purpose. I found that women have a tougher time breaking those kinds of barriers. You know, it seems like some of our guys can have that ‘teflon effect,’ where they can do no wrong, but the minute a woman does something, they’re out. So, I suggest that you be very vigilant, strong, and confident in what you feel you need to do.

When I led the petition connecting climate change to human rights, I made sure Elders and hunters were part of it. It is 167 pages with 700 footnotes, with all the names of the supporters — the hunters and Elders, including those from Inuvialuit. In the end, ICC didn’t sign onto the legal petition, but 62 Elders, women and hunters did. That was my strength. And I wept that night in my living room when I saw all this support, because I knew then I had more strength to carry this forth with or without the formal and express support of the ICC. Even though our petition didn’t move forward then, it inspired a landmark win in Switzerland 20 years later. I received an email from those leading this victory, and they told me that the language and work we put into our petition helped guide their movement. 

Your efforts now may not have immediate results, but done with integrity and patience, they’ll resonate far beyond today. Remember, even if you don’t have organizational or institutional support, if you have the community behind you, you are strengthened to do what you feel you need to do and address these issues.

Eriel: What about education pathways for youth interested in environmental advocacy?

Siila: I think it really helps to get an education if that’s the path that you want to be on. Still, universities can also be very disconnected and can adopt a very colonial approach to addressing issues from an Indigenous lens and Indigenous perspectives. I’ve never been to university. I’ve taught at two universities, mind you, and I know what that can be like in terms of how very narrow the lenses can be. There are, however, some that are very open. You should ask: Are you going to be working with universities that are closed-minded and still very overly structured in how they deal with Indigenous issues and climate change? Or are you going to be working with people who are expanding your horizons and letting you voice yourself in bigger ways than you could have done by yourself?