June 4,2025 - A National Dialogue on FIrst Nations
Science and Data Soverignty
Goals of the 2025 Session
This virtual dialogue will continue the conversation about Species at Risk (SAR) and Culturally Significant Species (CSS). At this online session, we will focus on First Nations science and data sovereignty, creating a space to share knowledge, stories, and tools.
This 2.5 hour session is being offered in place of the in-person workshop originally planned for June 3–4, 2025, in Brokenhead Ojibway First Nation territory (Manitoba).
- This session will feature:
A recap of the 2021 to 2023 Dialogues on Culturally Significant Species, co-hosted by IOF and AFN. - A presentation on First Nations science and technology and data sovereignty, and opportunities for questions.
- A small group discussions to share stories, knowledge, and tools about data management on Culturally Significant Species, including Species at Risk
This online gathering is open to First Nations Knowledge Keepers, Elders, land stewards and practitioners, technicians, and youth from across diverse Nations and regions. Non-First Nations people are asked not to register unless they have been requested to participate by a Nation as a representative or key staff person.
Year 3 -Three Regional Dialogues (Feb-March 2023) on
Culturally Significant Species (CSS)
Goals of the 2023 Sessions
The 2023 sessions were to continue to create opportunities for knowledge exchange, relationship and capacity building, and a diversity of voices that can help to identify First Nations priorities as they relate to the protection, conservation, management, and recovery of important species.
Participants expressed their impressions that the space we created was one of a kind and enabled open dialogue without a prescriptive agenda.
Graphic Recordings of the 2023 Sessions
Kelly Foxcroft-Poirier, an Indigenous graphic recorder and co-owner of White Raven Consulting, attended the three regional dialogues and presented the following visual reports, which is accompanied by a written report.
Year 2 -Three Regional Dialogues (March 2022) on
Species at risk (SAR) and cultural Keystone species (CKS)
Goals of the sessions
The sessions were an opportunity to learn and share experiences about protecting species and places in an environmentally and culturally meaningful way, planning for abundance, and transforming existing Crown policies and processes around species management.
As with the 2021 SAR Introductory Dialogues (see more below), we were committed to creating a space for dialogue that builds community, develops a network of practitioners, and increases knowledge sharing amongst First Nations persons.
As we prepare a public-facing report on the 2022 Dialogues, we invite you to read the summary report on the 2021 Introductory Dialogues as well as the Cultural Keystone Species Blog Series we co-authored on the Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership’s website.
Graphic Recordings of the 2022 Sessions
Michelle Buchholz, an Indigenous graphic recorder and owner of of Cassyex Consulting, attended the three regional dialogues and presented the following visual reports, which will soon be accompanied by a written report.
Year 1 - Two national INTRODUCTORY DIALOGUEs (March 2021)
About the 2021 introductory dialogues
In March 2021, the IISAAK OLAM Foundation and the AFN co-hosted two national virtual sessions for First Nations to share stories, approaches, and perspectives on SAR protection, conservation, management, and recovery. We learned a lot from those who attended the 2021 dialogues. Key themes are captured in the visual summary below.
Graphic recorder Kelly Foxcroft-Poirier of White Raven Consulting has cultivated many of the emerging themes from those rich discussions, through her beautiful art (see below).
Partners
The IISAAK OLAM Foundation and the Assembly of First Nations co-lead this project.
Questions?
Curtis Scurr, Assembly of First Nations
Monica Shore, IISAAK OLAM Foundation