Laurier to host two-day event exploring sustainability, decolonization and reconciliation

Sept. 22, 2026

Wilfrid Laurier University will bring together Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, community members, faculty, staff and students for A Way Forward: Sustainability through Decolonization and Reconciliation, a two-day event at Laurier’s Waterloo campus Oct. 7 and 8. Supported by the Sustainable Hawk Fund, the event will focus on environmental sustainability from an Indigenous perspective. This free event is open to members of the Laurier community, external community partners and guests, and tickets are available by registering on Eventbrite by Oct. 1.

Hosted by Laurier’s Indigenous Student Association in partnership with the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, the event will explore connections between Indigenous knowledge, environmental stewardship, sustainability, decolonization and reconciliation and encourage participants to consider how Indigenous perspectives can contribute to more respectful and sustainable relationships with the land.

“A Way Forward will encourage participants to think about sustainability beyond environmental practices alone, and create space to consider the relationships between land, culture, community and responsibility,” says Arrianna Carello, President of the Indigenous Students Association and co-organizer of the event.

Event Details

The event will feature a keynote address from Mkomose – Andrew Judge, PhD, an Anishinaabe and Irish scholar, educator, and knowledge keeper who uses Anishinaabe and Indigenous knowledge systems teachings to restore land and identity through environmental stewardship. He has dedicated much of his adult life to reviving traditional ecological knowledge systems while fostering deeper connections between people and the ecosystems they inhabit.

Judge specializes in land-based education and environmental stewardship, and his keynote will explore Indigenous approaches to sustainability and relationships with the natural world.

Additional programming will explore themes related to land-based learning, Indigenous land sustainability practices, environmental stewardship and food sovereignty. By creating opportunities for meaningful discussion, reflection, learning, and relationship-building, the event will deepen understanding of how Indigenous knowledges passed through generations can inform sustainable futures.

Free tickets are available on Eventbrite until Oct. 1.