By: Rowena Davis, Program Manager
In late September, five travelers representing Mountain Sentinels gathered in Parksville, British Columbia to learn from our Canadian collaborators and share our experiences connecting mountain communities across North America at the Canadian Mountain Network’s* (CMN) Knowledge Sharing Summit. The Mountain Sentinels cohort consisted of Fellows Tiffany Pyette (writer, visual artist, and community organizer) and Dr. Katie Kamelamela (Assistant Professor, Arizona State University); Mountain Sentinels Director Dr. Julia Klein; Izabella Ruffino, a recent graduate of CU Denver’s Environmental Stewardship of Indigenous Lands program and Tribal & Indigenous Engagement Program Manager at the Nature Conservancy Colorado, and myself as Program Manager. Held on the traditional coastal territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the Snuneymuxw, Qualicum, and Snaw-Naw-As Nations, the location offered a beautiful setting for Indigenous organizations and communities, university researchers, government, business, industry and not-for-profit collaborators share stories on the practice of braiding knowledges and Two-Eyed Seeing (integrating Indigenous and western knowledges) to increase resilience and strengthen communities.
From left: Izabella Ruffino, Tiffany Pyette, Katie Kamelamela, Gùdia (Mary Jane Johnson) on the way to Clayoquot campus of the IISAAK OLAM Foundation.
A pre-Summit training day explored ethical pathways toward braiding ancestral Indigenous and western knowledges. As a research management committee member of CMN, Julia was invited to join Gùdia Mary Jane Johnson, Lawrence Ignace, and other esteemed guests and Elders on a panel that reflected on approaches to communication and relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. Later in the afternoon, all five Mountain Sentinels representatives served as table hosts for a World Cafe-style discussion on challenges, priorities, and approaches to ethical pathways toward braiding knowledges. Many voices in the room agreed on the importance of land-based learning and being on the land as a way to empower youth, develop skills, and share experiences across cultures and generations.
Over the next two days, the Summit showcased CMN’s work toward sustainable futures and progress toward developing a framework for western science to support Indigenous research goals. Ceremony and protocols throughout the Summit created a space for acknowledgement, gratitude, and sharing. Elder Jim Bob from the Snaw-Naw-As Nation provided a spiritual opening for the Summit, and Lawrence Mitchell, with the help of members of his family, enriched Summit activities with stories, music, and dance. Tiffany notes that “seeing the powerful Indigenous leadership in each presentation, the following of protocol throughout [the event], has genuinely changed my belief of what is possible. I am so profoundly inspired. I have begun using my Tribal protocol again after seeing how well it was done.”
During the sessions, Indigenous-led and co-led teams described projects to enhance food sovereignty, restore ecosystem balance, and develop resources to share culture. Some sessions explored management of polar bears, bison, and caribou, demonstrating practical innovations between Indigenous and western approaches. One project applied western science methodology with Indigenous knowledge of the land to trap and monitor pregnant caribou. In addition to gathering data on caribou numbers, migration patterns, and relationship to the lichen that is their main food source, the project suported the wellbeing of an important food source for northern First Nations.
Izabella reflects that “Hearing the experience and perspective of various Indigenous people on the idea of braiding knowledge of Indigenous ways of knowing and western science was very valuable. Also, having members from the lands on which we were convening was very important not only to ground us, but especially to pay respect and acknowledge whose lands we are on.”
One project that particularly resonated with Tiffany was “Revitalizing Tlingit Language and Traditional Laws,” to reconnect with ancestral laws, customs, and land relationships, making Tlingit river people experts in their laws for the sustainability of land and waters. She reports that she has found herself discussing the “relaw” concept often since hearing about it at the Summit.
The Summit also offered special opportunities to learn from Elders and CMN leaders, such as Co-Research Director, Dr. Paulina Johnson. “Seeing how Dr. Paulina Johnson conducted research throughout listening, co-authoring, and using protocol was very impactful to me. I always learn so much from our Elders, too,” notes Tiffany. In addition to chances to learn directly from leaders and Elders, Tiffany, Katie, and Izabella hosted an informal round table discussion on the evening of Day 1 to share their personal and professional experiences and build community.
Traveling and learning on the Clayoquot campus of the IISAAK OLAM Foundation.
Every session, conversation, and event highlighted deep connections with the land, but two experiences held particular inspiration. A screening of the film “Ch’indee Neekaii Gwits’at: Nankak Gatr’onahtan (From Both Eyes, on the Land We Learn)” showcased a land-based training camp that brought Elders together with Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth to share knowledge, and illustrated the power and rewards of land-based learning. This context not only creates strong intergenerational bonds, but reinforces a relationship with the land.
Reinforcing the power of land-based learning, our group traveled across the island to Tofino to visit the 12-acre Clayoquot campus of the IISAAK OLAM Foundation. The Foundation supports Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) in Canada by incubating programs and supporting Indigenous leadership. Programs include conservation of biological and cultural diversity, building resilient communities, and (re)connecting people with their environment. Largely funded through a voluntary land tax, the campus is a beautiful, intentional space for learning and gathering, with buildings dedicated to Indigenous arts, crafts, and gardens. Tiffany notes, “The visit to IISAAK OLAM let me see something I did not know could be real. It has given me clarity in how the voluntary land tax work back home that I’ve been working on can actually be part of creating a hub of culture and community while protecting the land we may acquire.” Izabella agrees with the potential for deep impact, adding, “The most exciting/inspiring thing to me was the field trip to Tofino to see the Clayoquot campus and IISAAK learning lodge.”
As a program manager, I gained insight on how to encourage models of impactful research with practical applications that are designed and led by Indigenous collaborators to be undertaken by academic institutions. I hope that projects and initiatives that embrace Two-Eyed Seeing and honor the land, culture, and ancestral knowledge can represent the future of conservation and ecosystem science. I remain in deep gratitude for the stories shared, connections made, and the experiences built together.
*Canadian Mountain Network is now known as Braiding Knowledges Canada