Indigenous Delegates at COP30 to Represent Turtle Island and United Church

From November 10–21, 2025, the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP30) will be held at the doorway of Amazonia in Belém, Brazil. The United Church of Canada has two delegates participating as part of a nine-person KAIROS Canada delegation.

Read all the way to the bottom to find out how you can get involved from anywhere in the world!

Amazonia is a living symbol of both ecological crisis and resistance. COP30 provides a crucial opportunity to push for a reorientation of global climate action towards justice, equity and the leadership of those most impacted—young people, Indigenous Peoples, and communities in the Global South. The United Church of Canada delegates are:

Samantha Miller (Haudenosaunee), Community Youth Member, Indigenous Ministries and Justice

Samantha Miller is connected to the land and honours the land as her mother. She is a keeper of the language and feels a strong responsibility to listen and protect her mother. Recently she has been working with seed keepers on seed preservation and creating Motherships in her community. Samantha is a youth leader with the Indigenous Church. She has participated in a Truth and Reconciliation delegation to Australia, the Indigenous and Racialized youth scholars program, and as a youth forum leader and Commissioner at General Council 45. Samantha will attend COP in person.

Joni Shawana (Anishnaabe), Healing Program Coordinator, Indigenous Ministries and Justice

Joni Shawana, Anishnawbe Kwe of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, has been rooted in nature and having a connection with her first family—the land and water—since childhood. Joni currently works within Indigenous Ministries and Justice at The United Church of Canada, where she coordinates healing programs, serves on the church’s climate advocacy team, and supports Indigenous justice work. This allows her to share her passion for culture, community, and communications. Joni will attend COP virtually.

Miller and Shawana join the KAIROS delegation, which will participate in both COP30 and the Peoples’ Summit for a time of community, advocacy, and learning.

“As keeper of the language, I need to uphold and honour Mother Earth. I look forward to observing how different walks of life engage with the environment and with the land,” says Miller, who is a youth delegate. “I am curious to keep our culture, lineage, and crops alive.”

For Joni, “Being on the land is natural to me and it keeps me focused on the immediate local issues; I rarely got to be involved in a global context. So, this upcoming experience will give the opportunity to put local issues in a global perspective,” she says, adding, “Although I am joining COP30 virtually, I am looking forward to hearing the stories from different nations.”

Five ways to get involved

All are invited to follow the delegation, to grow in understanding and commitment to live with respect in creation, and to support and amplify calls for climate, gender, and Indigenous justice. Here are some ways to get involved:

1. Attend the COP30 Interfaith Talanoa Dialogue on Monday, November 10 at 9 am ET. You can register for online participation at Interfaith Gathering in the Spirit of Talanoa Dialogue.
2. Host or attend Candles for COP30: Vigils for Climate Justice on the weekend of November 14–16. You are invited to hold or attend a vigil for climate justice in your community at the midway moment in the COP proceedings. This is a great opportunity to gather, pray, learn, and raise your spirited voices with other members of For the Love of Creation. So far there are events scheduled in Parksville, B.C., Mill Bay, B.C., Montreal, and Toronto.
3. Follow updates from COP30 and the delegation on the KAIROS webpage, as well as on social media. Follow hashtags #UCCanCOP30 and #KAIROSCOP30, and please share. Amplifying the voices of those who are most affected by climate change is critical to moving hearts, minds, and policies towards climate justice.
4. It is always a good time to connect with your Member of Parliament! Write, call, or book a meeting with them and tell them why you want Canada to commit to robust climate action! For advice on meeting effectively with your MP, see here.
5. A COP30 Animators Circle has been formed to help animate and encourage United Church and For the Love of Creation engagement in COP30. A big thank you to those who have joined; and if you are interested, please sign up here.

To keep up to date on news, resources, and opportunities related to climate justice, please sign up for the Concerned for Climate Justice newsletter.

For additional information, please contact  .