{"id":2322,"date":"2026-04-15T17:03:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T17:03:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/braidingknowledgescanada.ca\/?p=2322"},"modified":"2026-04-15T20:13:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T20:13:41","slug":"from-knowledge-to-action-highlights-from-the-2026-braiding-knowledges-gathering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/braidingknowledgescanada.ca\/en\/from-knowledge-to-action-highlights-from-the-2026-braiding-knowledges-gathering\/","title":{"rendered":"From Knowledge to Action: Highlights from the 2026 Braiding Knowledges Gathering"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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There are moments in this work that stay with you\u2014not because of a single session or speaker, but because of how they make you feel. The 2026 Braiding Knowledges Canada (BKC) Gathering at Wanuskewin Heritage Park was one of those moments.<\/span><\/p>

For thousands of years, Wanuskewin has been a gathering place for the Northern Plains Indigenous Peoples\u2014a site for ceremony, storytelling, and connection to the land. In March 2026, it once again became a place of meeting and exchange as nearly 200 people travelled from across Canada to be there: Inuit, First Nations, M\u00e9tis, non-Indigenous, and immigrant; researchers, Knowledge Holders, youth, community leaders, and partners.<\/span><\/p>

Bringing together diverse disciplines and perspectives, we braided our knowledges, learned from one another, and strengthened our collective capacity to address some of Canada\u2019s most pressing challenges\u2014climate change, biodiversity and habitat loss, food security, and the preservation of Indigenous cultures and ways of knowing. And while the agenda was full, what many of us carried away wasn\u2019t any single presentation, but the feeling of being part of something growing, deepening, and asking more of all of us.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Over three days, participants engaged in a dynamic program of keynotes, panels, interactive sessions, and cultural experiences designed to foster connection and shared learning. On-the-land activities included a bison walk that grounded conversations in place, while indoor there were hands-on opportunities such as beading. Sharing Circles, panel discussions, and presentations highlighted Indigenous-led research, co-managed initiatives, and innovative approaches to governance, conservation, and education.<\/span><\/p>

The Gathering\u2019s goal was clear: to foster connections, strengthen pathways between knowledge systems, and explore how braiding Indigenous and Western knowledges can generate meaningful impact for communities, policy, and environmental stewardship.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Beginning in a Good Way<\/b><\/h3>

The Gathering opened with ceremony, prayer, and storytelling led by Lyndon Linklater, Knowledge Keeper and Pipe Holder:<\/span><\/p>

\u201cYou may think you signed up to come to a Braiding Knowledges Gathering, but there is a reason why you are here, so while you are here, meet one another, network, create friendships, create relations, and learn from one another.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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His words grounded the space not just physically, but in purpose. This work begins with relationships\u2014between people, with the land, and within communities\u2014not slides or presentations.<\/span><\/p>

Keynote address: Elder Phil Lane Jr.<\/b><\/h3>

The Gathering\u2019s keynote address featured Elder Phil Lane Jr., Hereditary Chief of the Ihanktonwan Dakota and Chickasaw Nations. His message set the tone for the days ahead: a call to move beyond models of extraction and toward approaches grounded in relationship.<\/span><\/p>

Speaking from Dakota and Chickasaw teachings and drawing on decades of work with Indigenous communities around the world, Elder Phil began with a prayer of thanksgiving to the Creator. He acknowledged the four directions, Father Sky, and Mother Earth, and honoured the children of residential schools whose stories have helped awaken the country to deeper truths and responsibilities.<\/span><\/p>

At the heart of his message was the teaching of \u201cAll Our Relations.\u201d He reflected on how many Indigenous languages emphasize verbs rather than nouns\u2014revealing a worldview where life is understood as movement, relationship, and responsibility rather than objects to be managed or extracted. Through stories and humour, he reminded the room that many ideas now described as new\u2014such as ecological thinking\u2014have long existed within Indigenous knowledge systems.<\/span><\/p>

His reflections also looked forward. Whether discussing new technologies or evolving tools, Elder Phil emphasized that innovation must be guided by ethical responsibility and spiritual awareness. Knowledge, he reminded us, is not a commodity but a living exchange that grows stronger when shared with care, reciprocity, and respect.<\/span><\/p>

His words framed the purpose of the Gathering: braiding Indigenous relational wisdom with the analytical tools of Western science to restore lands, strengthen communities, and support future generations.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Knowledge in Action<\/b><\/h3>

Over the course of three days, the conversations moved from \u201cwhy braiding knowledges matters\u201d to \u201chow it can create real-world impact.\u201d Sessions explored:<\/span><\/p>