The Nêhiyawak Wâhkôhtowin Knowledge Hub explores the responsibilities, teachings, and relational governance of the Nêhiyaw Pwat—a historic alliance of Plains Cree, Plains Ojibwa, Métis, and Assiniboine (Nakoda) Peoples. Anchored in Treaty Six, the Hub focuses on six First Nations and is guided by matriarchs who share their lived experiences and ancestral knowledge.
The Hub operates from an Indigenous feminist perspective, emphasizing kinship, trade, story, and ceremonial responsibilities through the collection of oral narratives and research at sacred sites. It challenges colonial and heteronormative narratives by re-centering the longstanding roles of Indigenous women in diplomacy, governance, and cultural continuity—roles often excluded from settler histories and academic discourse.
Through place-based fieldwork, knowledge-sharing gatherings, and cultural revitalization efforts—including community-led documentary filmmaking and material culture exhibitions—the Hub supports the restoration of Indigenous knowledge systems, community well-being, and inter-Nation solidarity. All research is grounded in community protocols, ethical agreements, and principles of reciprocity and care.
By foregrounding the wisdom and leadership of Nêhiyaw matriarchs, the Hub builds capacity for self-determined futures and offers a transformative model for relationship-based research, cultural resurgence, and kinship-centered governance.
Location: Treaty Six territory, Alberta, focusing on six Indigenous Nations within the historic Iron Alliance
Partners and Funders:
Alexis First Nation
Beaver Lake Cree Nation
Cowessess First Nation
Ermineskin Cree Nation
Kahkewistahaw First Nation
Kehiwin First Nation
Little Pine First Nation
Louis Bull Tribe
Montana Cree Nation
Saddle Lake Cree Nation
Samson Cree Nation
Ochapowace Nation
O’Chiese First Nation