Braiding Wildlife Knowledges

The Braiding Wildlife Knowledges Hub brings together Indigenous communities, researchers, and partners to support community-based conservation, food sovereignty, and climate adaptation. Active across Cree, Inuit, Dene, Gwich’in, Anishinaabeg, and other Nations. This Hub links diverse land-based projects that center culturally important species such as caribou, geese, beluga, moose, polar bears, and coastal birds.

Using a knowledge co-production model grounded in mutual accountability and ethical research agreements, the Hub supports the protection and application of Indigenous knowledge through Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession (OCAP®) principles. Community leadership guides all aspects of the work—from research design to interpretation and knowledge sharing—ensuring that local priorities and sovereignty remain central.

Workshops, shared fieldwork, and gatherings create spaces for knowledge exchange between Elders, Guardians, youth, and researchers. Youth participate through land-based activities, mentorship, and training, while academic and Indigenous knowledge holders co-develop questions and analyze results together. These practices support both learning and leadership within communities.

By amplifying Indigenous voices and knowledge systems, the Hub builds collective capacity for environmental, cultural, and food-related decision-making across the boreal and Arctic. It promotes long-term relationships and shared stewardship of lands and species through ethical, inclusive, and culturally grounded collaboration.