askiy Workshops

Presenters:

• Candice Pete-Cardoso (Director, kihci-okāwīmāw askiy Knowledge Centre)
• Dr. Diana Doan-Crider (Coordinator, Indigenous Kinship Circle)
• Naomi Carriere (Manager, Indigenous Grasslands Stewardship and Knowledge Exchange Network) 

• Thursday, September 24, 2026
• 1:00 - 2:00 pm CST (online on Zoom)

Registration: Eventbrite

All registered attendees will receive the Zoom link in advance of the event.

Learn about the presenters:

Candice Pete-Cardoso is a nēhiyaw-iskwēw from the Little Pine First Nation, Treaty 6 Territory. She is a proud mother of two and grandmother of four. She is an Alumnus of USask and has a Master’s degree in Public Administration, a Bachelors of Commerce, and a Certificate in Indigenous Business Administration and over 25 years of experience working within the post-secondary sector, as well as with federal, provincial, and Indigenous governments. Candice is currently the Director of the kihci-okāwīmāw askiy Knowledge Centre. Previous to this, Candice was responsible for supporting the Vice-Provost, Indigenous Engagement in operationalizing the mandate of the office, her accountabilities were focused in the areas of strategic planning, operations and people planning, risk management, financial management and for ensuring progress within the institution with regard to the University Plan 2025 and the Indigenous Strategy.

Dr. Diana Doan-Crider is of mixed heritage with maternal Tepehuán (O’dam) and Zacateco ancestry from northern México. She is a wildlife biologist and landscape ecologist and obtained degrees at the University of Montana (BS) and Texas A&M University (MS and PhD). She is an educator, and conservation advocate with more than 35 years of experience working across landscapes on Turtle Island. She works with Indigenous partners, ranchers, and rural communities to support place- and culture-based education, capacity building, and practical approaches to rangeland management, including soil and vegetation health associated with large grazers. Diana focused most of her earlier professional life on black bears in northern México, which contributed to understanding wildlife resilience to drought, and how food production impacts their expansion across arid landscapes. She also came to understand landscapes as interconnected ecological and cultural systems in which people are not separate from nature and has shaped her approach to restoration: rebuilding relationships among people, wildlife, soils, vegetation, and working landscapes in ways that restore ecological function while recognizing the human place within the system.

Naomi Carriere, niitum-agheezhig, (“First Light of Day"), is nēhinaw-iskwêwiw (ᐃᔅᑴᐎᐤ) and Anishinaabe-Ojibway and is a member of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation from Cumberland House, Saskatchewan. She holds a Master of Science from the University of Saskatchewan, where her research focused on Indigenous knowledge systems, species at risk, conservation policy, and recovery. Naomi is the Manager of the Indigenous Grasslands Stewardship and Knowledge Exchange Network at the kīhcī-okāwīmāw askiy Knowledge Centre. The network will support Indigenous-led collaboration, knowledge sharing, and conservation initiatives that strengthen the stewardship of grassland ecosystems across Turtle Island.

• Register

Join us for an in-person gathering at the College of Agriculture and Bioresources on the University of Saskatchewan's Saskatoon campus. Participants will enjoy a pizza lunch and an opportunity to connect with others before engaging in a discussion led by kēhtē-ayak (Elders) on the respectful ways traditional knowledge is accessed, earned, and shared. Weather permitting the session will take place outdoors. Participants are encouraged to bring a blanket or cushion for sitting on the ground. 

Due to the topic and the discussion being led by kēhtē-ayak, this session is only offered in person.

Theme(s):
• History: Indigenous Peoples and Relationship to Land
• 7 Generation Strategic Decision-Making

Presenters:
• kēhtē-aya, Elder Julie Pitzel
• kēhtē-aya, Elder Joseph Naytowhow

Delivery: In-person

Date and Time:
• Tuesday, September 29, 2026
• 11:30 am - 2:30 pm workshop including lunch (provided)

Location: Meet in the AgBio Atrium, we will serve pizza in the Atrium, and then proceed outdoors. College of Ag Building, 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon.

• Register

Join us for this exciting workshop, which will highlight how a group of Indigenous people and rural landholders came together in 2019 to start an initiative to honour treaty relationships, by making the land accessible for hunting, gathering, and ceremony. Join us to learn how the Treaty Land Sharing Network grew to 70 locations and over 45,000 acres across Treaty 4 and Treaty 6. 

Presenters:

• TBC 

• Wednesday, November 18, 2026
• 1:30 - 3:00 pm CST (online on Zoom)

Registration: coming soon

All registered attendees will receive the Zoom link in advance of the event.

Expected Outcomes: An increased awareness of principles and practices for respectful land-sharing partnerships.

Join us for this exiting workshop to learn about Key Biodiversity Areas in Canada.

Description: Since 2019, the KBA Canada initiative has led a collaborative effort to identify Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs). These places are critical for the long-term health and well-being of animals, plants, waters, and the land based on a set of quantitative criteria applied to numerical data. In many cases, KBAs have long been supported by the stewardship of, and relationships with First Nations, Métis and Inuit individuals and communities, and continue to overlap with Indigenous lands today. As such, alongside western scientific data and analytical methods, the participation of Indigenous individuals, communities, and organizations is essential to of the KBA identification process in Canada. 

This introductory webinar will provide an update on KBA Canada’s work from the last few years, highlighting new and ongoing efforts to identify KBAs based on species and ecosystems found in the Prairies. We will show examples of different pathways through which Indigenous knowledge and stewardship have been included and highlighted in KBA identification, share some of the innovative ways KBAs are being used by Indigenous communities and their partners to support Indigenous-led conservation, and demonstrate how people from all backgrounds can collaborate on KBA work and use KBA information. There will be a 30-minute period at the end of the webinar for questions. 

For more on the KBA Canada project, visit kbacanada.org.  

Presenters:

• TBC 

• Tuesday December 1, 2026
• 10:30 am - 12:00 pm CST (online on Zoom)

Registration: coming soon

All registered attendees will receive the Zoom link in advance of the event.

Join us as we learn about mapping Key Biodiversity Areas and uplifting Indigenous cultural perspectives of why we must protect Mother Earth.

Description: Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) are places that are critical for the long-term health and well-being of animals, plants, waters, and the land, as defined by a set of quantitative criteria that can be applied anywhere in the world. In Canada, we recognize the past, present and future importance of Indigenous-led conservation, and are always looking for opportunities for KBAs to support this and to highlight and celebrate diverse values, histories and relationships related to people, lands, waters, plants and animals. To do so, the KBA project is working collaboratively with First Nations, Métis and Inuit to identify KBAs across Canada. However, while KBAs represent very important places for stopping biodiversity loss, they do not perfectly capture all values and priorities for conservation. Only by examining the similarities and differences in approaches to conservation from different worldviews, and sharing knowledge from many perspectives, can we fully understand what is important to conserve on the land and how best to do so. 

In this interactive workshop, participants will have the opportunity to explore how well the current map of KBAs aligns (or not) with areas that they and their communities know to be important, and how the data used to identify KBAs is similar or different to Indigenous knowledge of the environment. We will discuss why differences arise between these perspectives on significant areas across the landscape, and how these could be addressed. Throughout the workshop we will build a deeper understanding of diverse values and approaches to prioritizing conservation work in Canada, focusing on the prairie provinces. 

Participants will ideally have joined the introductory KBA webinar the week before, but it is not mandatory. For more on the KBA Canada project, visit kbacanada.org. 

Presenter(s): 

• TBD

Delivery: coming soon

Date and Time: 

• December 8, 2026
• 1-1:30 pm refreshments and community building
• 1:30-4 pm workshop 

Location/Registration: TBD 

paskwāhk ka-māmiskōtamihk: “Gathering to Discuss Grasslands Conservation”

Presenters:
• kēhtē-aya, Elder Roland Duquette
• kēhtē-aya, Elder Joseph Naytowhow
• Community-engaged artist Cheryl L'Hirondelle

The United Nations General assembly has designated 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP). The purpose of the year is to promote an understanding and appreciation of rangelands around the world and the people who use them. The international theme for the month of August was "Indigenous and local knowledge, culture and innovation". The kihci-okāwīmāw askiy Knowledge Centre  partnered with the Meewasin Valley Authority to host a gathering to celebrate IYRP and grasslands at the Northeast Swale. This land-based workshop was led by kēhtē-ayak (elders) Roland Duquette and Joseph Naytowhow, along with Community-engaged artist Cheryl L'Hirondelle. They shared insights into the grasslands as living cultural landscapes, where traditional knowledge, land-based practices, and language revitalization come together to sustain Indigenous heritage. The workshop highlighted how stories, values, and identity are embedded within the grasslands themselves—offering a powerful perspective on their cultural and historical significance.

Theme(s):
• History: Indigenous Peoples and Relationship to Land
• 7 Generation Strategic Decision-making

Buffalo as Relatives: Honouring paskwāw mostos and their role in our ecosystems

Presenter: kēhtē-aya (elder) Roland Duquette

This unique session was offered to a delegation of Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) youth who participated in a hands-on learning experience that explored the sacred relationship with paskwāw mostos (buffalo) as relatives and keystone species. Through stories, land-based knowledge, and ecological insights, the youth deepened their connection to the land and their role as future leaders.

This session took place at the Indigenous Farm and Food Festival on September 23, 2025. The festival was organized by the ē kanātahk askiy Soil and Agro Ecosystem (SAGE) Project and supported by the kihci-okāwīmāw askiy Knowledge Centre.

Prairies from above: Tracking change where paskwāw mostos (buffalo) once roamed

Presenters:

• Dr. Xulin Guo, Department of Geography and Planning, College of Arts and Science, USask
• Dr. Irini Soubry, Department of Geography and Planning, College of Arts and Science, USask
• Dr. Lampros Nikolaos Maros, Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, USask
• kēhtē-aya (elder) Joseph Naytowhow, Indigenous Law Centre, College of Law, USask

This workshop was about the shifting face of grasslands through the eyes of satellite data. With only a few native grasslands remaining, it is important to monitor the balance between grasses, wildflowers, woody shrubs, and trees. A healthy grassland has about 5-10% woody plant cover.
Pre-settlement, First Nations people would use fire through cultural burns to maintain this healthy status and suppress woody species. Current bans placed on cultural burns and other methods of fire-suppression are threatening the above-mentioned balance. The workshop highlighted how this team’s research aims to identify areas where woody plants are encroaching upon Saskatchewan's grasslands using satellite data. This data will not only aid in their management but also enable the early detection of high-risk areas.
This project was supported by the Canadian Space Agency’s smartEarth initiative, through the Research Opportunity in Satellite Earth Observation (ROSEO).

Workshop participants engaged in an interactive session learning about how prairie ecosystems were once shaped by paskwāw mostos(bison). The presenters showed how satellite imagery reveals the transformation of these landscapes. All who joined online and in-person reflected on the role of paskwāw mostos in shaping the land, explored how Earth observation supports sustainable practices that honour kihci-okāwīmāw askiy (Great Mother Earth), and discussed about economics on communities stewarding these ecosystems.

This workshop was held on Thursday October 9, 2025, and subsequently two articles were written about it in the Western Producer. One article is about preserving the grasslands, and the second one is about how the loss of grasslands can also have a major economic impact on ranchers.

Repatriation of our ancestors and cultural items

Presenter: Dr. Jaime Lavallee, College of Law, USask

This workshop highlighted how museums, archives, and private collectors, can and should return Indigenous cultural items and relatives to their home communities in a respectful way. Dr. Jaime Lavallee, from USask’s College of Law and the Indigenous Law Centre, discussed her experiences with this important work from a legal and nēhiyawēwin perspective. This workshop was held online Wednesday November 19, 2025.

Exploring Knowledge Sovereignty: A multi-part series with kēhtē-ayak

Presenters:

• kēhtē-aya (elder) Julie Pitzel
• kēhtē-aya (elder) Joseph Naytowhow
• Community-engaged artist Cheryl L'Hirondelle (guest presenter on December 11, 2025)

This five-part series was offered to view portions of a video that was recorded in July 2024 where knowledge sovereignty was discussed as the ethically responsible ways in which traditional knowledge is accessed, earned, and shared. Prior to viewing the video, participants learned about offering tobacco and were invited to make tobacco ties.  At each workshop one or more particpants offered tobacco to kēhtē-ayak on behalf of the group. Due to the topic and the discussion being led by kēhtē-ayak (elders), this series was only offered in person. 

The video featured kēhtē-ayak (elders), oskayak (youth), and friends of the kihci-okāwīmāw askiy Knowledge Centre:

• kēhtē-aya (elder) Julie Pitzel
• kēhtē-aya (elder) Joseph Naytowhow
• Leo Yahyahkeekoot
• Alfred Gamble
• Breanna Tremblay
• Kal Ledoux

Exploring Additions to Reserve and Treaty Land Entitlement

Presenters:

• Chris Lafleur, Director of Indigenous Law Centre, USask
• Tracy Desjarlais, Additions to Reserve Specialist, Saskatchewan Aboriginal Land Technicians (SALT)

This hybrid workshop was focused on Additions to Reserve (ATR) and Treaty Land Entitlement (TLE) and was held on January 21, 2026.  It was offered in partnership with the Indigenous Law Centre, in the College of Law, USask and Saskatchewan Aboriginal Land Technicians (SALT). 

Knowledge Sovereignty

Presenters:

• kēhtē-aya (elder) Julie Pitzel
• kēhtē-aya (elder) Joseph Naytowhow

This session was held on October 2, 2024 at the Indigenous Law Centre in the College of Law.  The conversation focused on the ehtically responsible ways in which traditional knowledge is accessed, earned, and shared.

History and Current Impact: The Doctrine of Discovery

Presenter: Felix Hoehn, Professor, College of Law, USask 

Echoes of the Past: Unraveling the Historical Land Debates

Presenter: kēhtē-aya (elder) Keith Napolean Goulet

This workshop was held on October 24, 2024, and delved into the complex and contested issues surrounding authority and jurisdiction over Indigenous lands and territories. We explored the historical and ongoing debates in Canada and globally, shedding light on common misconceptions and the lack of knowledge about Indigenous peoples' history and their rights to the land. 

Drawing on research from the early 1900s on Alquonquian lands, the presenter examined the central issue of what constitutes the Indigenous understanding of the territorial meaning of "our land or our country." Through the lens of Keith Napoleon Goulet from Cumberland House, Saskatchewan, participants gained a deeper understanding of these critical issues and engage in meaningful discussions to broaden their perspectives. 

Policy, Legislation, and Indigenous Sovereignty

Presenters:

• Dean Bear, Lands Advisory Board Resource Centre (LABRC)
• Marina Atkinson, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC)
• Breanna Salm, Saskatchewan Aboriginal Land Technicians (SALT)
• Alfred Gamble, Saskatchewan Aboriginal Land Technicians (SALT)

This workshop examined the current policy and legislative regimes affecting First Nations in Canada, and the importance of asserting Indigenous sovereignty. It was held on November 21, 2024.

Seven Generation Strategic Decision Making and Land Planning

Presenters: kēhtē-aya (elder) Julie Pitzel kēhtē-aya (elder) Joseph Naytowhow Indigenous artist and advocate, Danii Kehler Community-engaged artist Cheryl L'Hirondelle

The Significance of Indigenous Creation Stories: Who We Are, Where We Come From, and How We Are All Related

Presenter: kēhtē-aya (elder) Barry Ahenakew

We welcomed the late, kēhtē-aya (elder) Barry Ahenakew from Ahtahkakoop Cree First Nation, for storytelling about the significance of Indigenous Creation Stories. We were immersed in storytelling that enlightened us about Indigenous worldviews related to "Who we are, where we come from and how we are all related." This workshop was held at the Indigenous Law Centre, in the College of Law on March 18, 2025.

Exploring the 5 Dimensions: Learning Through nēhiyawēwin (the Plains Cree Language) and Artistic Expression

Presenter: Leo Yahyahkeekoot

Leo Yahyahkeekoot, ēwī pākwēnamakēt nēhiyawēwin, led an interactive workshop piecing together the five dimensions using the Plains Cree language. Participants created their own piece of art, guided by Leo, as he shared some teachings from a Cree perspective. This workshop was held in the Kenderdine Gallery, in the Agriculture Building, on March 25, 2025.

Mother Earth and Natural Laws: Reflections from kēhtē-aya, Joseph Naytowhow about Conservation and Reciprocity

Presenters:

• kēhtē-aya (elder) Joseph Naytowhow
• Community-engaged artist Cheryl L'Hirondelle

We engaged in a conversation with kēhtē-aya (elder) Joseph Naytowhow and community-engaged artist Cheryl L'Hirondelle about kihci-okāwīmāw askiy (Great Mother Earth) and the importance of conservation related work as it relates to the protection of askiy (land). We learned about Indigenous knowledges as it relates to natural laws and the importance of conserving Mother Earth and all her Relations for the next 7 Generations. This workshop was held in the Indigenous Law Centre, in the College of Law on April 8, 2025.

Indigenous Consultation, Consent and Engagement: Protections for Aboriginal and Treaty Rights in Law, Policy, and Practice

Presenter: Benjamin Ralston, College of Law, USask

Aboriginal and Treaty rights are protected under Canada’s constitution, including through the procedural protection of the Crown’s duty to consult and accommodate. Indigenous rights are also protected through international law, including the right to free, prior, and informed consent, which is influential on protections available under Canadian law as well. In addition to these strictly legal standards, civil servants, academic researchers, and businesses often describe work they do with Indigenous peoples as Indigenous engagement where it is not aimed at fulfilling legal duties. While Indigenous consultation, consent, and engagement are each distinct concepts in theory, this presentation addressed how they closely relate to each other in practice, mapping out the fuzzy boundaries between them in Canada. This workshop was held online on April 29, 2025.

poko kwayask ka-manācihāyahk kahkiyaw kā-isi wāhkōtamahk - We Must Protect our Relatives: Reflections about Mother Earth and the State of all her Relations

PRESENTERS:

• Cheyenne Ironman from Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, Indigenous Kinship Circle Coordinator
• Christian Artuso from Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Hector Ortiz Cano, Conservation Scientist from the Chicago Botanic Garden

We discussed conservation and how the protection of migratory birds, sacred plants, and buffalo rematriation requires coordinated efforts and policies between Canada, United States, and Mexico. Our panelists included members of the Indigenous Kinship Circle, a community of practice for Indigenous people and allies, focusing on grassland conservation on Turtle Island.

This presentation was held online on May 14, 2025, and highlighted how Mother Earth can heal through a reciprocal kinship between plants, animals, and humans. 

Knowledge Sovereignty

Presenter: kēhtē-aya (elder) Joseph Naytowhow

This session was held twice during this year on November 16, 2023 and January 25, 2024.  Each time the conversation was led by kēhtē-aya (elder) Joseph Naytowhow, and focused on the ehtically responsible ways in which traditional knowledge is accessed, earned, and shared.

The Treaty Learning Journey Series

Presenter: Representatives from the Office of the Treaty Commissioner

Developed by the Office of the Treaty Commissioner; the Treaty Learning Journey – Let’s Talk Truth educated participants on:

• Before Treaty (Worldview and Indigeneity),
• At Treaty (Pre-contact Treaties, numbered Treaties, Spirit and Intent),
• Breaches of Treaty (Indian Act, Indian Residential Schools, NRTA), and,
• Today (current Indigenous circumstances, myths and misconceptions).

The Treaty Learning Journey was presented from the Indigenous side of the story.

Why and How the Treaties were Negotiated 
The focus of this workshop was why and how the Treaties were negotiated and agreed upon. Participants also learnt about the history of the Treaty negotiations, the numbered Treaties, and the Spirit and Intent of Treaties. This workshop was held on November 2, 2023.

Presenter: Peter Soroye, Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) Assessment and Outreach Coordinator, 
Wildlife Conservation Society Canada 

Over the past two decades, a group of global organizations have developed a list of criteria to identify Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs). These places are critical for the long-term health and well-being of animals, plants, waters, and the land, and a program has recently begun identifying these sites across Canada.

This session provided information on what the KBA Canada project is doing, how KBAs may help support Indigenous conservation, and how to help collaboratively identify these sites, which in many instances exist only because of the stewardship and relationships First Nations, Métis and Inuit have with these species and places. For more on the KBA Canada project, visit kbacanada.org. This workshop was held on October 12, 2023.

Mapping Exercise: Key Biodiversity Areas and Indigenous Stewardship

Presenter: Peter Soroye, Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) Assessment and Outreach Coordinator, 
Wildlife Conservation Society Canada 

Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) are places that are critical for the long-term health and well-being of animals, plants, waters, and the land, and are defined by an international set of criteria.

In acknowledgement of the past, present and future importance of Indigenous-led conservation, and the opportunities for KBAs to support this and to highlight and celebrate diverse values, histories and relationships related to people, lands, waters, plants and animals, the KBA project is working collaboratively with First Nations, Métis and Inuit to identify KBAs across the area called Canada.

In this interactive workshop that was held on October 18, 2023, participants explored KBAs and helped identify and mapped new potential sites. For more on the KBA Canada project, visit kbacanada.org.

History and Current Impact: The Doctrine of Discovery

Presenter: Felix Hoehn, Professor, College of Law, USask