In this symposium on Indigenous science – the role of Indigenous Academics and Traditional Scientists, we, as Indigenous academics and scientists of Alaska, He’Sapa (the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming) and Aotearoa, have shared how our people have been shaped by specific places for a long time, and how we carry that strong sense of place into our contemporary interactions. We maintain connections between people, non-human and more-than human relations, taonga (natural and ancestral treasures) and place through actively practiced and dynamically evolving knowledges and sciences. While there are ongoing challenges, Indigenous practices and knowledges affirm Indigenous lives and help to address contemporary challenges, and this gives us motivation and hope for the generations to come. Our presence within politics and government, public service, education, creative arts, research and academia carves out radical changes in practice and circulates ideas that decolonise, indigenise and make safer spaces for our people. In this panel discussion, we bring our trans-Pacific team together to review our previous Sessions on 1. safe spaces for Indigenous science, and 2. Indigenous science to support Indigenous communities. We then collaboratively grapple with other questions such as: How can Indigenous sciences be strengthened? What are our responsibilities and roles as guardians of Indigenous sciences? What do we learn from each other as Indigenous peoples connecting across different places and how can we support each other?

Convened and facilitated by: Dan Hikuroa and Te Kahurangi Skelton
Panelists: Beth Leonard, Anne-Marie Jackson, Yvette Running Horse Collin, Ocean Mercier, Dennis Ngawhare Pounamu