Nikki Sanchez
Session Description
Inspired by her bestselling anthology Spirits of the Coast: Orcas in Science, Art and History and her collaborations with biologists, historians, Indigenous knowledge keepers, poets, artists, and communities across generations, Nikki shares a powerful insight: orcas offer a blueprint for reimagining our relationship with the planet.
As a wilderness guide for over a decade, living and working alongside orcas, she gained clarity on how decolonization and climate solutions are inextricably linked. Drawing on their relational intelligence, she reveals how biodiversity, Indigenous knowledge systems, and regenerative approaches can help humanity not only adapt to environmental change, but transform the way we live, lead, and belong on Earth.
About this keynote:
Nikki Sanchez holds a Masters degree in Indigenous Governance and is currently completing her Ph.D. on emerging visual media technology as it relates to Indigenous ontology for climate change mitigation strategies.
A Pipil and Irish/Scottish academic, Indigenous media maker and environmental educator, Nikki is a regular panelist on CBC radio’s the Early Edition and in 2021 she was selected as one of the HATCH 100’s influential change makers and collaborators, who cross-pollinate to accelerate solutions for positive impact and to HATCH A Better World.
As the former David Suzuki Foundation’s “Queen of Green” Nikki focused on environmental journalism, social and digital media to help drive sustainable solutions for a healthy planet. She also created content to bring more racial and gender inclusivity into the environmental movement.
She is the creator and director of “Decolonize Together” a collective of Indigenous and black women who offer decolonial and anti-racism workshops and curriculum creation. Decolonize Together has been teaching and facilitating decolonization and anti-oppression training for universities, school boards, corporations, and NGOs.
In 2020, she released her first book “Spirits of the Coast: Orcas in Science, Art and History” which became a bestseller.