Indigeneity and Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Spatial Practices

Join us for a conversation organized in collaboration with the Indigenous Society of Architecture, Planning, and Design (ISAPD).

This event will convene distinguished guests to examine and discuss the intersection of Indigenous perspectives and the built environment—a realm where architecture, urban planning, and land use intersect with traditional ecological knowledge, cultural practices, and Sovereignty movements. The event will foster an interdisciplinary dialogue between researchers, practitioners, and policy makers influencing the realm of architecture, planning, and design.

Speakers:
Winona LaDuke, Founder, Winona’s Hemp & Heritage Farm
Wizipan (Wee-zee-pan) Little Elk Garriott, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior
Julia Watson, Author, Lo–TEK: Design by Radical Indigenism

Moderator:
Christian Hart Nakarado, Assistant Professor of Art, Wesleyan University; Founder, Slow Built Studio

About the Speakers:
Winona LaDuke is one of the world’s most tireless and charismatic leaders on issues related to climate change, Indigenous rights, human rights, green and rural economies, grass-roots organizing, local foods, alternative sources of energy and the priceless value of clean water over a career spanning nearly 40 years of activism. 

Christian Hart Nakarado is an Assistant Professor of Ecological Design at Wesleyan University and principal of Slow Built Studio in Connecticut. He is a practicing architect, a member of the American Institute of Architects and the American Indian Council of Architects and Engineers, and is an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa.

Wizipan (Wee-zee-pan) Little Elk Garriott, an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, is the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs in the U.S. Department of the Interior. He was appointed to this role by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in October 2021. The Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs serves as the first assistant and principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs in the development and interpretation of policies affecting Indian Affairs bureaus, offices, and programs.

Julia Watson is an Australian born author, researcher, lecturer, and landscape designer based in New York City. Watson is an expert on nature-based indigenous technologies and focuses her work at the intersection of anthropology, ecology and innovation.