The Inaugural Decolonizing Land & Water Summit

Honouring our Connection to the Land and Water

For thousands of years, the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) has practiced traditional ways of life—hunting, trapping, fishing and gathering—on the lands and waters of the Peace-Athabasca Delta. The signing of Treaty 8 in 1899 at Fort Chipewyan affirmed our inherent connection to the land, recognizing our cultural rights and identity. Today, as the K’ai Tailé Dené (People of the Land of the Willow), we continue to uphold our inherent and Treaty Rights, ensuring the protection of our lands and waters for future generations.

Dené Law is at the heart of ACFN’s stewardship. Rooted in the teachings, traditions and values of our ancestors, Dené Law has guided us for thousands of years. Our land and water are gifts from the Creator, and we have a sacred responsibility to protect them.

Why This Summit Matters

Like other First Nations across Turtle Island, ACFN faces critical challenges in consultation, governance, environmental monitoring and cumulative effects management. This summit will showcase Indigenous-led solutions that restore sovereignty over our homelands, reaffirming our duty as land and water stewards.

Join us as we bring together Indigenous leaders, knowledge holders and allies to share tools and strategies for decolonizing land and water governance.

Key topics include:

• Improving Consultation & Implementing Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC)

• Community-Based Environmental Monitoring

• Data Sovereignty & Indigenous-Led Research

• Legal Strategies Supporting First Nations’ Treaty Rights

• Restoring Land Stewardship & Traditional Knowledge (TK)

• Cumulative Effects Assessments & Management

• Land Use Planning & Strategic Decision-Making

For more information and to register