In February 2026, the RAD team travelled to traditional lands of Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and Wahnapitae First Nation (Sudbury, Ontario), Robinson Huron Treaty Territory to participate in the Indigenous Lands Symposium, an annual event initiated by Wahkohtowin Development. The symposium took place in the unique venue of Science North, with a “Canvas Community” set-up outside featuring teaching lodges, wiigwams, tents, and a tipi for the sacred fire. Each structure was represented by one of the Seven Sacred Grandfather Teachings: Respect (Buffalo), Courage (Bear), Honesty (Raven), Wisdom (Bear), Humility (Wolf), Truth (Turtle), with the fire representing Love (Eagle). It was in the Honesty Teaching Lodge where RAD held a visioning session.

The symposium was a huge success, bringing together over 300 delegates, 35 First Nations, and 60 organizations to spark collaboration, engage in honest conversations and plant seeds for lasting impact.

Left: Erin Dixon moderating a panel on Jurisdiction; right: Elder Ed Perley speaking on a panel on Fire.

This year’s theme was “Resurgence, Relations and Restoration”, addressing topics like conservation planning, food sovereignty, rights and reclaiming jurisdiction, and more. RAD Leadership Circle member Sam Whiteye spoke on a panel on Stewardship Economies, facilitated by RAD member Leigh Fox. We learned so much from many incredible speakers and Knowledge Carriers – from Dr. Kathy Absolon on our relationship to the Tree Beings, to Marlene Liddle on the groundbreaking work of the Haida Nation Council, among many others.

At the heart of the gathering was Spirit, Ceremony and a celebration of rekindling culture including. Beyond panels and presentations, participants enjoyed opportunities like a cedar foot bath door prize and other highlights included a birchbark model canoe workshop with Chuck Commanda and a Full Moon ceremony. Some of the best parts for us were the relationships nurtured around the fire and the electric energy of a room filled with folks working towards aligned visions for healing the land and advancing Indigenous-led solutions.

Photos by Wolf Eye Productions, courtesy of Wahkohtowin Development.

The RAD Vision Basket: Holding Space for Community Land Visions

Throughout the gathering, RAD supported spaces to connect, reflect, and explore land-based futures grounded in Indigenous law, responsibility, and relationship. In the Teaching Lodge, we held an open drop-in space to answer questions about RAD and engage in conversations on Indigenous economics and Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) & jurisdiction. Our main offering at the ILS centered around the RAD Vision Basket.

→ Read the Story of the Vision Basket Here

The Vision Basket is a ceremonial ash basket that was woven by Wolastoqiyik Knowledge Carrier and scholar Terry Young during the RAD Network Vision Gathering in April 2023. The basket holds a vessel that carries soil—and shared responsibilities—from territories across Turtle Island, which participants had brought with them to the Vision Gathering. With the guidance of Elders, we understood that the basket would eventually move in a snake dance across Turtle Island, travelling across lands and waters and helping create space for healing and land-based visions to emerge.

When the basket travelled to the Indigenous Lands Symposium, we shared this story in an evening sharing circle, where those who gathered offered their own stories and teachings.  Ogema Dean Sayers, former Chief of Batchawana Bay First Nation shared the story of the serpent and thunderbird of Lake Superior, deepening our collective understanding of the snake dance that will carry the basket across Turtle Island. 

The next day, we held our first interactive visioning session centred around the basket, supported by Elder Ed Perley and Nequktuq firekeeper Aaron Nicholas. The session invited participants to reconnect with land-based visions emerging in their own territories. We were grateful and humbled by how open participants were to share and how diverse yet related their visions were, with youth engagement as a key recurring theme.

During the symposium, the basket also received a new foundation: a birch tray was crafted by Knowledge Keeper Chuck Commanda, a master birch bark canoe builder from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation and grandson of Elder William Commanda, together with his apprentice Amberly Quakegesic from Chapleau Cree First Nation.

Left: Amberly Quakegesic sewing birch tray; right: Amberly Quakegesic, Chuck Commanda & Erin Dixon with the birch tray.

See you next year!

From March 1-5 2027, the 5th annual Indigenous Lands Symposium will take place in Ottawa. Believe it or not, it will be even bigger and better, bringing together the fires from across Turtle Island.

RSVP today to be the first to know when registration opens: https://www.wahkohtowin.com/ils-2027-rsvp