The Environment in Canada Podcast Decolonizing Climate Research with Dr. Enoch Tse
Nov 4, 2025
Dr. Enoch Tse, an expert in public policy and community psychology, discusses the vital shift from extractive to reciprocal climate research in Canada. He emphasizes the importance of involving Indigenous peoples as co-researchers and aligning projects with community priorities. Enoch explores how worldviews shape research questions, advocating for humility and local stewardship. He outlines a five-step process for decolonizing research and shares strategies for fostering collective action, emphasizing empathy and the unpacking of privilege for impactful advocacy.
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Colonial Framing Drives Hubris
- Colonial worldviews frame human–nature relations as exploitation, consumption, or self-preservation, centering human hubris.
- Humility must be learned to include Indigenous perspectives and avoid saviorism in climate work.
Maze Test Reveals Cultural Bias
- Dr. Enoch Tse used the Poldi(?) maze test to show cultural bias in timed cognitive assessments.
- European children used trial-and-error while African children planned, making time-based metrics biased.
Numbers Are Not Neutral
- Metrics and inclusion criteria embed cultural biases; numbers are not neutral and either uphold or disrupt power hierarchies.
- Two-Eyed Seeing gives equal weight to Western science and global majority perspectives.