Nature and First Nations honoured at Trent University

More than 360 hectares of green space on the campus of Trent University provide a habitat for plants and animals, as well as a living connection to Indigenous history. 

Now, the university in the small town of Peterborough, Ont., is reshaping its Green Network into a connected community of ecological spaces. The Ggwepnandizamin Stewardship Plan, announced in late April, sets out a seven-year framework for how the land will be managed and protected, with a particular focus on the integration of Indigenous knowledge into environmental research, education, land-based learning and land management.  

The plan, which has been developed in partnership with Michi Saagiig First Nations and local environmental organizations, will also involve ongoing collaboration with Trent Elders and the Knowledge Holder’s Council, as well as Michi Saagiig land consultation officers.  

“When we’re looking at different things, especially around the park or around the school … there’s a lot of significant wetlands,” says Tom Cowie, consultation Indigenous Knowledge lead from Hiawatha First Nation. “Those are quite significant. They’re all medicine gardens.”  

For Mr. Cowie, these spaces are not merely ecological reservoirs; they also form part of our broader understanding of the land — one which is living and connected to us. “We’ve always been taught that we look after the lands, to ensure that they are better for the generations to come,” he says. “We look at the land as a familial relationship, as opposed to being a commodity or a resource. We treat it as family.”  

He added that this understanding reflects a cultural approach to knowledge-sharing within Indigenous communities: “We’re not keepers of knowledge, we’re sharers.” 

As Canada prepares to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, initiatives like the one at Trent recognize the cultures, histories and contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. The day invites Canadians to consider efforts which ensure Indigenous knowledge and voices are heard within institutions that have historically excluded them. 

“When we listen and understand an Anishinaabe world view, and we understand familial relations and the spirit of all those species, we feel a higher calling to how we do the work,” says Julie Davis, Trent’s vice president of external relations & development. 

She notes that fostering collaboration between Western and Indigenous knowledge systems requires intentional balance and ongoing discussion. “Maintaining what is called an ethical space, where that knowledge system and the Western system are equal, happens through talking and working together,” says Ms. Davis. “How arrogant would it be for us not to recognize, and acknowledge, and collaborate.” 

Barbara Wall, an associate professor and dual-tradition scholar at Trent’s Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies, notes that “doing research for and with Indigenous communities will lead to increased environmental sustainability, increased environmental health, and thus increased human health on so many different levels.”  

But as Dr. Wall points out, there are many barriers surrounding Indigenous-led research, particularly around issues of funding and capacity. Partnerships with academic institutions can help address some of these challenges by providing additional support and resources to communities, as long as spaces of collaboration are maintained as welcoming and respectful environments.  

“There needs to be trusting, respectful relationships, and many times those have to be created before you can jump into any research,” says Dr. Wall.  

Ultimately, Ggwepnandizamin Stewardship Plan involves many different dimensions, including a shift in how the environment and land are understood. It’s an opportunity to enhance understanding not only of the land and water, but also of the diverse ways of life they support. By enabling more connected ways of sharing knowledge, the stewardship plan offers a meaningful path toward a more inclusive and sustainable future.