Chapter 4. Land-Based Healing and Cultural Resilience

After the heavy emotions of climate grief, many Indigenous people find that the best medicine is not found in a bottle or a clinic – it’s found on the land. Land-based healing refers to the practice of reconnecting with the land as a way to restore wellness. This is not a new concept; it’s a cultural teaching that our peoples have known for millennia (9). Our ancestors always taught that the land is alive, and if we take care of her, she will take care of us. In recent years, as mental health challenges rise alongside climate impacts, communities are revitalizing land-based healing practices as a powerful antidote to despair and disconnection (9).

The Land is Medicine

In Indigenous cultures, the land has always been more than a resource – it is medicine for the mind, body, and spirit. Spending time on the land, engaging in traditional activities, can reduce stress and bring a sense of balance. Scientific research is now affirming what our Elders have long said. For example, in the Inuit community of Rigolet (Nunatsiavut, Labrador), a study found that simply being out on the land – hunting, fishing, or even walking – measurably enhanced mental wellness for individuals and the community as a whole (4). Inuit Elders often comment that when people are able to go out on the ice or tundra, their minds “feel better.” They sleep better, feel less anxious, and more connected. This intrinsic connection and attachment to land literally reduces stress. One Inuk elder in Rigolet shared that even just a few hours checking her nets on the frozen bay lifts her mood for days afterward.

Similarly, among Anishinaabe people, engaging in land-based practices has been linked to positive mental health outcomes. In one project, participants who took part in activities like gathering herbal medicines, foraging for foods, speaking their language on the land, and attending spiritual ceremonies were found to have improved mental wellness (2). “We get healthy when we do land-based activities,” explained a researcher of that project, highlighting that these cultural practices act as protective medicine for the mind (2). The land provides a sense of stability and continuity – even as the climate changes, the act of re-engaging with ancestral lands can ground people in something enduring.

Healing in Practice: Land-Based Programs

Across the country and especially in B.C., Indigenous communities are developing land-based healing programs that blend traditional knowledge with modern mental health support. These can take many forms: youth culture camps, family trips out on the land, Elder-guided harvesting sessions, or even land-based treatment programs for issues like addiction and trauma. The core idea is the same – returning to our territories and practicing our ways is healing in itself.

One cornerstone example is how some communities have integrated land-based healing into formal health services. The First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) and other Indigenous health organizations have recognized that combining traditional healing with Western therapy creates more effective, culturally safe mental health programs (4). For instance, a wellness program might pair counseling sessions with weekly excursions on the land. Participants might meet with a therapist or Elder to talk about their grief, and then later go berry picking or fishing together as a group. These kinds of initiatives provide “powerful spaces where traditional practices merge with contemporary mental health support,” allowing people to address climate-related anxiety and stress while strengthening cultural connections (10). Notably, such programs have been particularly effective for youth and Elders together: taking youth out with Elders creates opportunities for intergenerational knowledge transfer while building resilience for both (10). The young learn traditional skills and gain pride and identity, and the Elders find purpose and comfort in guiding the next generation. It’s a beautiful reciprocal healing process.

Imagine a “Climate Healing Camp” hosted by a First Nation in the interior. During the day, participants help an Elder in gathering medicines like cedar or kinnikinnick, or they rebuild a damaged fish trap in the river. In the evenings, they sit around the fire in a circle, share meals of traditional foods, and talk (or maybe sing and drum). Over the week, something profound happens: people who arrived burdened by anxiety start to smile and laugh again. A youth who was glued to his phone and news about climate disasters begins to open up about his fears to a cultural mentor while carving a paddle. An Elder who had been depressed after last year’s wildfire feels re-energized as she teaches the youth how to recognize plant regrowth in the burn area. These are not hypothetical – such transformations are reported from land-based healing camps and on-the-land programs across Indigenous communities.

Cultural Resilience in Action

Cultural resilience refers to a community’s ability to bounce back from challenges by drawing on cultural strengths and practices. Indigenous cultures have inherent resilience because they are rooted in reciprocity, adaptability, and community cohesion – all qualities that help in times of crisis. One major aspect of cultural resilience is the way traditions and values guide responses to adversity. During climate-related events like wildfires or floods, communities often turn to traditional protocols. For example, some nations hold a ceremony after a devastating fire to honor the land’s pain and to encourage renewal. Others may invoke teachings about how fire is a natural cleanser and use those stories to frame the event not solely as a tragedy but as part of a longer cycle, thus giving hope that the land will heal.

Resilience is also evident in how Indigenous peoples innovate by combining old and new. Recall the earlier discussion on cultural burning in forests (Chapter 2): reviving that practice is a form of resilience – using ancestral knowledge to solve a modern problem. Another example is food sovereignty initiatives. When climate change threatens traditional foods, communities respond by building community gardens, seed banks, or fish hatcheries that align with cultural practices. In doing so, they not only secure food sources but also engage youth in cultural learning, which strengthens identity. These efforts are often therapeutic. There’s a healing that comes from doing something tangible to care for the land and culture. Psychologists say action is an antidote to despair, and in Indigenous communities, culturally grounded action is doubly empowering.

Social support and kinship are at the heart of cultural resilience. In times of climate stress, families and neighbors come together – that unity itself boosts morale and mental health. Studies affirm that strong social and kinship ties help Indigenous peoples adapt to climate change and uphold coping mechanisms (4). For instance, after an extreme weather event, people gather in the Big House or community hall, sharing food and comfort – nobody faces the aftermath alone. Traditional roles kick in: the Aunties might organize a healing circle, the Uncles and youth go out to gather wood or materials for rebuilding, the Elders offer prayers and counsel. This collective response, guided by cultural norms of mutual aid, can ward off the loneliness and helplessness that fuel anxiety. Instead of feeling victimized, community members feel supported and purposeful.