On National Child Day, meet climate change activist Haana Edenshaw

Summary: For teen activist Haana Edenshaw, tackling climate change is “the most important fight of our generation.” Why? Well, if we don’t win, the 17-year-old told CBC Kids News, “the future won't be safe for future generations.” That idea was so scary for the Indigenous teen from Haida Gwaii, B.C., that she joined 14 other Canadian kids in suing the Canadian government for inaction on climate change back in 2019. Last month, a federal judge rejected their lawsuit, in part because he thought the issue was too political to be settled in court. Haana and the others are now pushing for that decision to be reversed. As a member of the Haida Nation, Haana said she’s “terrified” to think about what she’ll lose if climate change continues unchecked. “Everything I've ever learned about my culture has come from learning on the land,” she said. Things like drought, wildfires, rising sea levels and floods are changing the land, as well as the animals and plants that live there, she said. This means that opportunities to carry on the traditions of her ancestors are slipping away, Haana said.