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An alternative approach to bridge Indigenous knowledge and Western science for conservation in northern Canada

Tracks
Mossman Ballroom
Tuesday, July 28, 2026
3:00 PM - 3:15 PM

Speaker

Dr Chrystal Mantyka-Pringle
Conservation Planning Biologist
Wildlife Conservation Society Canada

An alternative approach to bridge Indigenous knowledge and Western science for conservation in northern Canada

ISE Congress 2026 Abstract

Efforts to bring together Indigenous and Western science systems of knowledge have been ongoing for decades. In light of challenges related to knowledge “integration”, which have typically resulted in the favouring of Western knowledge systems at the expense of Indigenous knowledge, efforts to “bridge” these knowledges have expanded. Within such approaches, the two knowledge systems exist independently; one is not controlled or validated by the other. These efforts are especially critical within land use and conservation planning, which have often failed to include a broad range of Indigenous values, practices, and perspectives. In this presentation, we examine the extent to which two tools, including Indigenous land use and cultural mapping and a conservation prioritization software called Zonation, can be useful in bringing together western scientific and Indigenous knowledge systems to inform conservation and land use planning. We look specifically at the experiences of Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, a First Nation in the Yukon, northern Canada, and their approach of “walking in two worlds” within a regional land use planning process. We also explore how the conservation prioritization method and software, Zonation, can be modified with Indigenous cultural values and subsistence use areas. Our methodology aims to better understand the extent to which the software can be adapted to include other variations of bio-cultural attributes in partnerships with Indigenous peoples. We identify challenges, successes, and lessons learned within Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in’s approach, as well as insights for knowledge bridging efforts and land planning involving Indigenous authorities.

Biography

Dr. Chrystal Mantyka-Pringle is a Conservation Planning Biologist with Wildlife Conservation Society Canada and an Adjunct Professor of Conservation Biology at the University of Saskatchewan who works principally at the interface between science and conservation helping to inform policy development and planning processes in collaboration with First Nations and Governments
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