We invite you to join us for the Turtle Island Indigenous Science Conference 2026, a three-day gathering that brings together academics, Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, students, and community organizations to share research, stories, and practices grounded in Indigenous science.
About the Conference
Hosted by the University of Waterloo, on the Haldimand Tract, the land promised to the Haudenosaunee and the ancestral land of many generations of Indigenous nations. Today, this land continues to be home to many Indigenous peoples, including the Six Nations of the Grand River and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
This conference provides space for dialogue across disciplines and communities, highlighting the rich and diverse traditions of Indigenous knowledge systems and their intersections with contemporary science.
Indigenous science encompasses ways of knowing, being, and relating to the world that have been practiced since time immemorial. This conference welcomes conversations and explorations of how Indigenous science engages with and transforms fields such as science, ecology, health, technology, sustainability, education, and beyond.
Together, we will consider how Indigenous and Western sciences can meet in ethical, respectful, and mutually beneficial ways while centering Indigenous sovereignty, community priorities, and lived experiences.
This conference builds on the inaugural event hosted by the University of Manitoba in 2022, and the University of Regina in 2024.
Call for Participation
Proposals for papers, panels, and posters are now open. We welcome contributions from academics, Knowledge Keepers, students, and community organizations.
Submission Deadline: 11:59 p.m. (EST), Sunday, January 18, 2026
Why Attend?
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Learn from leading Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars, practitioners, and community leaders.
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Engage in meaningful dialogue on the role of Indigenous science in addressing today’s most pressing challenges.
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Build connections across disciplines and communities committed to advancing respectful, reciprocal approaches to knowledge.
Join Us
Mark your calendars for May 24-26, 2026, and be part of a gathering that celebrates Indigenous science in all its forms.
Further details on registration, travel, and accommodations will be available in Fall 2025.
Questions?
Please email us (sciindig@uwaterloo.ca) if you have any questions.