From September 13 – 15, the 15th annual Youth Summit for Mother Earth was held at Tawingo Outdoor Centre on the traditional territories of the Ojibway, the Chippewa, the Algonquin, and the Odawa, also known as Muskoka. Each year, youth from across the province come together for a weekend-long, cross-cultural gathering to learn from peers, mentors, Elders, and specialists about topics ranging from cultural humility to wetland advocacy. The Youth Summit continues to be the highlight of the year for dozens of youths from across the province as part of our Nature Guardians Youth Program.
 
This year, the Summit brought together 64 youth from 42 communities. What continues to make the Youth Summit a success each year is the passion, enthusiasm, and keenness of the youth to learn and connect with peers. Without their commitment to learning and advocating for Mother Earth the Youth Summit would not be possible.
 
Our partners Plenty Canada, the Indigenous Environmental Institute at Trent University, and Walpole Island Land Trust have been fundamental in braiding Indigenous Ways of Knowing into this gathering for the past few years. The Summit is the culmination of the year-long planning by program staff, partners, Ontario Nature Youth Council, and the Youth Circle for Mother Earth’s Coordinating Circle members, who help to plan and lead workshops and activities each year.
 
This year, the Summit offered a variety of workshops, discussions and sharing circles. Some of the workshop topics included nature photography, introduction to birding and the Two-Eyed Seeing Bird Knowledge Project, traditional beading, and navigating eco-Anxiety. Participants also had the chance to explore the trails, go swimming and canoeing in Lake Vernon, complete team challenges, and participate in opening and closing ceremonies.
 
A highlight of this year’s Summit was the Opening Ceremony on Friday evening, setting up the intentions for the weekend through The Thanksgiving Address. Elder Christopher Stock, a fifth-generation member of Wáhta Mohawks, led a powerful ceremony and welcomed youth to join in on traditional dances, games and songs. The knowledge and experiences shared by Elder Christopher as well as Knowledge Keepers and community members from Anishinaabe territories through ceremony, morning smudge, sharing circles and cultural humility learning sessions has fostered a deeper connection with Mother Earth and increased understanding of Indigenous cultures and traditions.
 
Reflections from Participants
 
“It will always be an amazing experience I will remember forever. [The Summit] has encouraged me to take more action to protect the environment and spread more awareness.” – Sarah, Orillia
 
“I gained a wonderful reminder and understanding that we should be grateful for our Earth’s sustenance and mindful of how we utilize our environment. Cultural humility is a very important life skill and is something we should continue to build upon; I learned about valuable Indigenous teaching that remind us of our place on this Earth and this deep acknowledgment that we must treat out environment with utmost respect.” – Saara, Scarborough
 
The 2024 Youth Summit was a powerful reminder of our collective responsibility to care for Mother Earth. The knowledge shared by leaders, mentors, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and youth peers empowered youth across the province to take action in their community and continue to foster a relationship with nature. For a visual recap of this year’s Summit, check out the 2024 Youth Summit Zine designed by Youth Council Member and Summer Youth Program Intern, Rushelle.
 
You can also visit the Youth Summit for Mother Earth page for more event information, photos, and testimonials. If you are a high school student passionate about nature, join the Ontario Nature Youth Council to connect with youth leaders across Ontario and inspire positive change in your community! By being part of the Youth Council, you will help to bring the annual Youth Summit for Mother Earth to life. Applications will open in late Fall 2024.
 
This project was undertaken with financial support from Transport Canada’s Commemoration Fund for the Victims of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 Tragedy, RBC Foundation, Ontario Power Generation, Enbridge Gas, The McLean Foundation, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough, Algonquin Outfitters, 4imprint and the 44 organizations, companies and generous Ontario Nature members that sponsored youth participation. 

— Emily Green, Education Coordinator at Ontario Nature ​​

With Plenty Canada’s assistance the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Network recently completed the 2024 Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Self Study, a significant milestone in the periodic review process and in the Network’s ongoing conservation efforts. Every ten years, UNESCO designated biospheres undergo a comprehensive review of the biosphere, ensuring they meet the criteria for conservation, development, and logistical support. This process involves detailed reporting on the biosphere's ecological health, community involvement, and sustainable development initiatives. Following the format provided by UNESCO, the 2024 Self-Study Report shares research findings, case studies and insights from our network partners to describe ecological, cultural, and developmental changes and significant moments in our biosphere over the past ten years. The 2024 Self-Study Report is now available on both the Network and Plenty Canada websites. The review provided the Network with a reflective process to understand how conservation, sustainability, and stewardship looks within our biosphere, and provides a stepping stone to guide our future.
 
As part of the periodic review, representatives from the Canadian Commission for UNESCO were given an extensive tour of the biosphere, highlighting the unique ecological and historical features of the escarpment. From our start in Neyaashiinigmiing until the end at the Landscape of Nations Memorial, we showcased the beauty of the escarpment and the extensive work of our network partners. During the tour, reviewers interacted with political leaders, local government staff, Indigenous youth, research institutions, parks and conservation agencies, business, advocacy organizations, educators and students and Indigenous cultural educators who shared their insights and experiences in stewarding and preserving the biosphere. The representation present throughout the tour demonstrated how a powerful network might accelerate collaboration to achieve the shared goals for the conservation of the Niagara Escarpment and the communities that are linked by it.
 
With the contributions of our partners, we were able to demonstrate the diversity and the unique long term commitment of people and organizations working within our biosphere. The tour provided the NEBN with the opportunity to speak to the representatives from the Canadian Commission for UNESCO about our co-governance structure, and the importance of Two-Eyed Seeing and Ethical Space in the work of a biosphere. We heard from the representatives from the Canadian Commission for UNESCO that they were impressed, at times moved, and essentially grateful for all they learned from our community.
 
The successful completion of the periodic review and the positive feedback from the CCUNESCO tour highlight the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere’s exemplary status as a model for sustainable development, and Two-Eyed Seeing conservation in action. Moving forward, the network aims to continue its efforts in protecting its natural and cultural heritage while fostering sustainable economic activities. The insights gained from the review and tour will guide future initiatives, ensuring that the biosphere remains a vital part of Canada’s natural legacy and a leader in reconciliation. As the NEBN looks to the future, it remains committed to maintaining the delicate balance between human activity and nature, ensuring that this precious landscape thrives for generations to come. Plenty Canada and the Network always welcome and invite our partners to provide us with their insights and input on the future initiatives of the biosphere. Please use the “Contact Us” page on our website to let us know your thoughts!
 
— Tasha Gunasinghe (Photos © MarkZelinski.com)​

​Every now and then along comes a moment, an experience, that reaffirms your confidence that people can be mindful, considerate, and even beautiful in dealing with difficult issues. Such was the example set by the recent Two-Eyed Seeing and Ethical Space Training: Indigenous Climate Change Action conference that Plenty Canada produced in partnership with Mohawk College and the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Network. Held, appropriately, at The Gathering Place in Six Nations of the Grand River on March 14 and 15, the conference planners, speakers, and presenters, along with an energetic and engaged audience all came together to create a remarkable atmosphere founded upon knowledge, respect, and empathy.The team that pulled this conference together is to be commended on every level. From fundraising to logistics, speaker cultivation and booking, agenda scheduling and food service planning, to time management and youth engagement, the event played out like a well-crafted symphony of coordinated intent. At its core the conference explored “the ways in which Indigenous principles can be used to develop a response to the impacts of climate change.”
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Launching the session were esteemed elders who set the tone and provided knowledge-based cultural context for the presentations. Kevin Deer, from Kahnawake Mohawk Territory provided a fulsome explanation of the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address. Rick Hill, Tuscarora, Indigenous Innovations Specialist with Mohawk College, spoke about how climate change is adversely impacting Indigenous food security, biodiversity, human health, ways of life, and other factors that are determining the future for the next seven generations. Tim Johnson, Mohawk from Six Nations of the Grand River, senior advisor to Plenty Canada and Niagara Parks, provided an orientation that outlined the long history of Indigenous concerns about the state of the earth and particularly, climate change. And revered Mi’kmaw Elder Albert Marshall, who with his wife Murdena developed the philosophy of Two-Eyed Seeing, was present for a video conferencing session over which myself and Trent University Professor Dan Longboat presided. In addition, Oren Lyons, Haudenosaunee faithkeeper and a principal figure in the development of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, spoke about the consequences of not respecting natural law.

Along with a presentation by Dr. Sarah Burch, executive director of the Waterloo Climate Institute and lead author of the United Nations’ Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and Katherine Flynn from the Mohawk College Centre for Climate Change Management, this formulated the remarkable lineup that launched the conference. From there a series of additional fascinating and engaging presentations, driven to a large extent by youthful scientific and cultural energy, embraced and supported by experienced and compassionate elders, generated a power I’ve rarely experienced at such events.

Our challenge going forward is to continue the momentum generated at this conference. Stay tuned forinformation provided by Plenty Canada, Mohawk College, and the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Network for the next steps in this process. We all agreed that this initiative requires not only constant, but amplified attention and action.

I thank everyone who was involved in making this essential program happen, including, of course, our sponsors Environment and Climate Change Canada, Mohawk College, and the Department of Canadian Heritage. What you have all done is give this elder confidence — not faith but confidence — that good minds, empowered with evidence-based knowledge and empathic traditions, can arrive at wise decisions based upon the principles of Two-Eyed Seeing. For the sake of our children and those who follow, this is not an option, but a responsibility and obligation.

Chi Miigwech. Niá:wen. Merci. Thank you.​



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​Larry McDermott
Executive Director
Plenty Canada

Over two hundred and ninety attendees from numerous conservation, environmental, and Indigenous organizations packed The Gathering Place conference centre in Six Nations of the Grand River to gain training insights into Two-Eyed Seeing and Ethical Space in relation to the challenges presented by climate change. The event, organized by the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Network, Mohawk College, and Plenty Canada featured a stellar line-up of Indigenous elders and scientists (not mutually exclusive), and technical specialists who worked in a number of fields to mitigate and reverse the impacts of climate change.

This gathering explored the ways in which Indigenous principles can and are being used to develop responses to the impacts of climate change including environmental shifts in seasons and cycles, extreme weather events, physical and mental health, food production, and more. The conference goal was to create Ethical Space for the engagement of ideas and inspiration as we begin to face the new ecological scenario created by Climate Change. Topics featured included Two-Eyed Seeing and Ethical Space, Natural Law and Cultural Prophecy, Wampum Law, Governance, and Reconciliation, Indigenous Food Security, Net-Zero Energy Building, Honouring Water, and Two-Eyed Seeing Bird Knowledge among many other approaches.

Present among the Indigenous leaders headlining sessions were Mi’kmaw Elder Albert Marshall (the Co-founder of the Two-Eyed Seeing philosophy), Shabot Obaadjiwan Elder Larry McDermott (Executive Director of Plenty Canada), Mohawk Elder Roronhiakewen Dr. Dan Longboat (Trent University Director of Indigenous Environmental Studies), Tuscarora Elder Rick Hill (Indigenous Innovations Specialist at Mohawk College), Onondaga Elder Oren Lyons (Faithkeeper and a principal figure in the development of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples), Shawanaga First Nation Elder Marilyn Capreol, and Charlene Winger-Jones (Hereditary Council member, Water Walker, and Co-chair of the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Network). In addition, Mohawk Elder Tim Johnson (Senior Advisor to Plenty Canada, Niagara Parks, and the Royal Ontario Museum) and Seneca Elder Scientist Henry Lickers (Environmental Science Officer for the Mohawk Council and International Joint Commission) provided an orientation on the history of Indigenous engagement with climate change and science-based actions underway on both sides of the international border, respectively. 
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A variety of fascinating sessions offered a broad range of information and perspectives on how to assess and deal with the crucial, and some would say existential, crisis of climate change impacting the health and well-being of future generations. A conversation between Dr. Sarah Burch, Executive Director, Waterloo Climate Institute and Lead Author of the United Nations’ Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and Katherine Flynn from the Mohawk College Centre for Climate Change Management, examined the scientific evidence and projected impacts of Climate Change. 

There were other exciting sessions that approached the topic through unique approaches that adhered to the conference’s main concept. For example, the leaders from four different bird-related research projects spoke about their progress, challenges, and experiences while incorporating Two-Eyed Seeing into their methodologies. The panel included Joseph Pitawanakwat (Founder & Director of Creators Garden, Leader of Anishinaabe Aki project), Andrés Jiménez (Anishinaabe Aki project, author of best-selling online course The Beginners Guide to Birdwatching: Finding Birds and Happiness), Mike Burrell (Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas Coordinator, member of the Birds Species Specialist Subcommittee for COSEWIC), and Lauren Jones (Wildlife and Stewardship Manager for Six Nations Lands and Resources.)

In a highly engaging and entertaining session that included youth participation, entitled United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Food Security, Jessica McLaughlin (Anishinaabe from Long Lake #58 First Nation) and Rosie Kerr (Post-doctoral fellow in the Sustainable Food System’s Lab, Lakehead University) reviewed how food sovereignty is the right of people to have access to healthy culturally appropriate foods, to grow and harvest foods produced through sustainable and ecologically sound methods, and for communities to define their own food systems. The purpose of their effort seeks to Identify, develop, and share civil society and Indigenous food system best practices along with policy analysis to address gaps in knowledge and data to advance a number of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The manner in which Jessica and Rosie applied Indigenous perspectives to each of the SDG’s, including the introduction of new associated graphics, offered clear and indelibleexamples of how Two-Eyed Seeing is being utilized.

A practical demonstration on what individuals and organizations can do to greatly reduce or even eliminate their carbon emissions was featured in the session dealing with Net-Zero Energy Building and Honouring the Water. Garrett Johnson (Researcher with IDEAWORKS at Mohawk College) and Tony Cupido (Professional Engineer and Ph.D. with 37 years of experience in engineering, facilities management and capital development) conducted a program opened by  Charlene Winger-Jones that detailed Plenty Canada’s rehabilitation of its Lanark, Ontario offices using innovative technologies that make efficient use of rain water while reducing and treating waste water through natural systems, and the application of solar energy applications that have made the organization’s CampUs energy negative.

Capping off the event was a moving session involving a significant and substantial group of youth who served as respondents to the conference program. Led by Mohawk Doctoral Candidate Abraham Francis, whose work specializes in the intersections between Indigenous and scientific knowledge, each of the youth presented their observations and experiences on what they saw as a way forward. The substance, tone, and tenor of their remarks had a tremendous impact upon those attending the conference.

Each day began with cultural presentations designed to focus minds and hearts on the work. Elder Kevin Deer, from Kahnawake Mohawk Territory and the Director of Indigenous Knowledge Quality Learning and Teaching Excellence at First Nations Technical Institute, opened Day One delivering an explanation of the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address, followed by Craig Abotossaway giving a short reflection on the Seven Sacred Gifts. On Day Two Elder Josh Eshkawkogan, a pipe carrier, sweat lodge conductor, and orator from the Wikwemikoong Unceded Indian Reserve, conducted a Pipe Ceremony.

During the evening of the first day of the conference a special concert event entitled TREATY: A Reconciliation Revelry, featured an ensemble of award-winning musicians including Joshua Arden Miller and the Pappy Johns Band, along with The Ollivanders and Rob Lamothe. They took audience members on a journey of varied experiences that led Canadians through stories of encounter and conflict to resolution, landing on uplifting notes of recognition, understanding, and respect. The program’s stories and messages, conveyed through video, narrative, and of course music, provided attendees with historical context for understanding Indigenous experiences and Indigenous realities today. Brief film segments featuring Indigenous and Canadian leaders in civil society, education, culture, and the arts, who speak to the themes identified by a list of definitions of select words, were followed by curated musical performances thereby building a story that paved the way forward for Truth and Reconciliation.

Event sponsors were Environment and Climate Change Canada, Mohawk College, and the Department of Canadian Heritage.

The conference was documented by photographer Mark Zelinski and Audio-Visual services provided by Thru The Red Door.​

—  Staff report

​On February 8th and 9th, 2024, Plenty Canada Executive Director Larry McDermott, and Operations and Environment Programs Manager Emily Morris, attended the American Eel Symposium hosted by the Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne. The symposium brought together representatives from First Nations, including Mohawk and Algonquin communities, environmental non-profits, and government regulators such as the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The goals of the symposium included achieving a common understanding of the past and current conservation efforts for American Eel, increasing understanding of Indigenous relationships to the American Eel, identifying actions that will be taken over the short and long term to increase eel passage and reduce eel mortality throughout Algonquin and Mohawk territories, and promoting Indigenous co-management, decision-making, and participation in mitigation activities and capacity building.
 
The American Eel has always been an extremely important species for many Indigenous communities, including both Anishinaabek and Haudenosaunee peoples, and is used for a variety of different things including food, clothing, medicine, and offerings (learn more about the eel here). Eels often provided a lifeline for many communities during hard times as preserved eel lasts longer than any other protein source. American Eels used to be abundant in the St. Lawrence River watershed, including the Ottawa River watershed, but have experienced a 99percent decline, mainly due to the construction of hydropower dams. 
 
The American Eel is classified as endangered in Ontario and was classified as threatened by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada in 2012. However, the species has never been included in the Species at Risk Act and therefore receives no legal protection. The decision on whether or not to list the American Eel under the Act has been underway since 2015 and continues to be delayed. Additionally, although the American Eel is classified as endangered in Ontario and a recovery strategy was published in 2013, a government response statement is needed to actually commit Ontario to action. The government response statement was legally due in August of 2014 ... but we are still waiting. 
 
We will continue to engage in this issue and demand action on behalf of our relative, Pimizì, the American Eel.
 
— Special thanks to Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, CPAWS-OV, for the event summary and photo.

​Youth Circle for Mother Earth activities are supported by four partnering organizations: the Indigenous Environmental Institute at Trent University, Plenty Canada, Walpole Island Land Trust, and Ontario Nature.