• Alaska

• Aotearoa

• Australia

• Hawaii

• Pacific Islands

• Canada

• The Continental United States

• Central and South America

• Asia

• Africa

• Europe

ALASKA

Presentation:
Title to be provided

Presenter(s):
Naurlair Agatha Napoleon — Yup'ik, Naparyarmiut ("The Place of the Stake Village People"), Hooper Bay, Alaska. Climate and Culture Coordinator for the Native Village of Paimiut and Vice President of the Native Village of Paimiut Traditional Council.

Naurlair Agatha Napoleon is a Yup'ik Tribal leader from Naparyarmiut (Hooper Bay), on Alaska's southwestern Bering Sea Coast. As Climate and Culture Coordinator for the Native Village of Paimiut, she works at the intersection of cultural preservation, Indigenous knowledge, and climate resilience. She also serves as Vice President of the Native Village of Paimiut Traditional Council. Agatha appeared in the PBS FRONTLINE documentary "Alaska's Vanishing Native Villages", which explored the impacts of environmental change on Alaska Native communities and their ancestral homelands.

 

Abstract
Awaiting presenter abstract.

 

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Presentation
Title to be provided

 

Presenter(s):
Giiwiiaasinokwe Patty Schwalenberg — Anishinaabe-kwe, enrolled member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Wisconsin. Executive Director of the Alaska Migratory Bird Co-Management Council (AMBCC), Anchorage, Alaska.

Giiwiiaasinokwe Patty Schwalenberg is an Anishinaabe-kwe leader with more than 35 years of experience working with Indigenous communities in natural resource and environmental management. With a background in cultural anthropology, she has contributed to collaborative conservation approaches that recognize Indigenous knowledge, traditional practices, and relationships with wildlife and the environment. As Executive Director of the Alaska Migratory Bird Co-Management Council, she supports cooperative migratory bird conservation and the continuation of customary and traditional subsistence practices among Alaska Native communities.

 

Abstract
Awaiting presenter abstract.

 

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AOTEAROA

Presentations and abstracts to be added.

 

 

AUSTRALIA

Presentation
How We Can Heal By Connecting To Country

 

Presenter(s):
Kyla McHughes — Ramindjeri/Ngarrindjeri, South Australia. Ngarrindjeri Culture and Language Educator, Artist, and Bush Medicine Enthusiast.

Kyla McHughes is a Ramindjeri/Ngarrindjeri woman whose work centers on reconnecting people with Country, language, cultural knowledge, and ancestral relationships. Through cultural education, art, storytelling, and knowledge of native plants and traditional bush medicines, she encourages communities to strengthen their relationships with the natural environment.

 

Abstract
Proposed abstract — awaiting presenter approval.

How can we heal by reconnecting with Country? Drawing upon Ramindjeri and Ngarrindjeri cultural knowledge, Kyla McHughes explores the relationships between land, language, Ancestors, cultural identity, and well-being. Through storytelling, traditional ecological knowledge, bush medicine, and cultural practices, this presentation invites participants to consider how connection to Country can nurture healing, strengthen belonging, and sustain responsibilities to future generations.

At the heart of this presentation is the understanding that Country holds the footsteps, knowledge, and presence of our Ancestors. By walking respectfully upon the land, recognizing its living relationships, and remembering those who came before us, we strengthen our connection to ourselves, our communities, and the natural world.
Ya towan, nginti ngul-ildal Ramindjeri meli. Ngarni purtun turnar Nankeriwan-ar aiyuki namawi thulun-engk
When you tread, remember the Ramindjeri people. We feel the footsteps of our Ancestors beneath our bare feet

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HAWAII

Presentation
Understanding the Kioea (Bristle-Thighed Curlew) Through Indigenous and Scientific Perspectives, with an Emphasis on Kanaka Maoli Indigenous Knowledge

Presenter(s):
Ian Nāhulu Maioho, MA — Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian), Molokaʻi, Hawaiʻi. Director of ʻĀina and Culture Based Education at the Ka Ipu Makani Cultural Heritage Center (KIMCHC) and Site Manager at Kaupapaloʻi o Kaʻamola, Molokaʻi.

Ian Nāhulu Maioho is from the island of Molokaʻi and holds an MA in Indigenous Language and Culture Education, with an emphasis on Hawaiian Language and Culture Based Education, from Ka Haka ʻUla o Keʻelikolani at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. His work includes community stewardship of loʻi pūnāwai (traditional taro pondfield agriculture) along Molokaʻi's south shoreline.

Through the Molokaʻi Wetland Partnership, he supports efforts to revitalize Kanaka Maoli knowledge of wetlands, their flora, and fauna. His research into manu neʻekau (migratory shoreline birds) in Hawaiian literature informs educational programs that encourage community members and youth to kiaʻi (guard) these birds and mālama (steward) the wetlands and cultural resources they share.

 

Abstract
The bristle-thighed curlew (Numenius tahitiensis) is a rare migratory shorebird that breeds in western Alaska and spends the non-breeding season on remote islands across the Pacific Ocean. This presentation examines scientific and Indigenous knowledge about the bird and instigates discussion on Indigenous names such as the Hawaiian kioea, Mangarevan kivi, Rakahangan kihi, Tokelauan Tiafee, and Central Alaskan Yup'ik Ciivikaaq. Hawaiian proverbs, place names, traditional harvesting knowledge, and the species' recognition as the official bird of Kaunakakai, Molokaʻi, demonstrate its cultural importance in Hawaiʻi and specifically on Molokaʻi. Tokelauan oral tradition and Yup'ik knowledge further show how communities made sense of the bird's habits, its migrations, and its calls. Scientific findings include nonstop transoceanic flights exceeding 6,000 kilometers, temporary flightlessness during molt, and the use of pieces of coral as tools to break open seabird eggs. Together, these findings show how one migratory bird connects Indigenous knowledge, scientific discovery, and conservation across the Pacific.

 

 

Presentation
Migrating Shorebird Phenology from the Kanaka Maoli Perspective, and Ongoing Efforts on the Hawaiian Island of Molokaʻi to Reconnect Youth and Community to These Birds

 

Presenter(s):
Ian Nāhulu Maioho, MA — Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian), Molokaʻi, Hawaiʻi. Director of ʻĀina and Culture Based Education at the Ka Ipu Makani Cultural Heritage Center (KIMCHC) and Site Manager at Kaupapaloʻi o Kaʻamola, Molokaʻi.

Ian Nāhulu Maioho holds an MA in Indigenous Language and Culture Education, with an emphasis on Hawaiian Language and Culture Based Education, from Ka Haka ʻUla o Keʻelikolani at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. His work focuses on the revitalization of Kanaka Maoli knowledge of wetlands and migratory shorebirds through Hawaiian-language research, community stewardship, traditional agricultural practices, and culturally grounded education.

Kumu Kilia Purdy-Avelino, MA — Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian), Molokaʻi, Hawaiʻi. Molokaʻi Moku Resilience Stewardship Coordinator for the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program and Hawaiian Language and Hawaiian Studies Lecturer at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College.

Kumu Mahealani Leialoha Rawlins — Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian), Molokaʻi, Hawaiʻi. Elementary Education Teacher at Kaunakakai Elementary School on the island of Molokaʻi, Hawaiʻi.

Kumu Davelyn Lokelani Han — Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian), Molokaʻi, Hawaiʻi. Hawaiian Language Immersion Elementary Education Teacher at Ke Kula Kaiapuni ʻo Kualapuʻu on the island of Molokaʻi, Hawaiʻi.

Abstract
Migratory shorebirds and wetland birds appear throughout Hawaiian language records and law. Drawing on Hawaiian language sources, kingdom and territorial law, and traditional agricultural practice, this research examines the phenology of the kioea (bristle-thighed curlew), the kōlea (Pacific golden plover), alongside the ʻakekeke (ruddy turnstone), ʻūlili (wandering tattler), and other migratory shorebird species. Kanaka Maoli (Indigenous Native Hawaiian) bird knowledge holds ecological observation and social meaning together, offering another angle at interpreting migratory phenology that Western records alone do not capture. The presentation also highlights current efforts on Molokaʻi to re-engage the Molokaʻi community in observing, valuing, and reconnecting with these birds and the landscapes and cultural resources they share in common.

 

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PACIFIC ISLANDS

Presentations and abstracts to be added.

 

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CANADA

Presentation
Title to be provided

Presenter(s):
Aimée Craft — Anishinaabe-Métis, Treaty One Territory and the homeland of the Red River Métis, Manitoba, Canada. Indigenous Laws Scholar, Lawyer, Full Professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, and University Research Chair in Nibi miinawaa aki inaakonigewin: Indigenous Governance in Relationship with Land and Water.
Aimée Craft is an Anishinaabe-Métis lawyer and scholar whose work emphasizes Indigenous legal traditions, treaty relationships, and Indigenous responsibilities to land and water. She is recognized for her work in Indigenous water governance and the revitalization of Indigenous laws and knowledge systems. Her research includes the Decolonizing Water initiative, and she is the author of Breathing Life into the Stone Fort Treaty and Treaty Words.

 

Abstract
Awaiting presentation title and abstract.

 

 

 

THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES

Presentation

Following the Flight Paths: Building Relationships, Bridging Knowledge Systems, and Advancing Conservation for Migratory Birds

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Presenter(s):

Monica Iglecia, MS — Director and U.S. Coordinator, Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture. Conservation leader specializing in migratory bird conservation, collaborative partnerships, habitat protection, and ecological resilience.

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Monica Iglecia is the Director and U.S. Coordinator for Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture, where she works with a diverse network of partners to benefit birds, habitats, and communities. Her work focuses on building and strengthening partnerships that translate shared conservation goals into meaningful action and enduring outcomes.

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She is particularly passionate about fostering connections among people and places linked by migratory birds and advancing conservation approaches that support ecological resilience, cultural continuity, and healthy ecosystems.

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As the first generation of her family born in the contiguous United States, Monica brings a multicultural perspective that shapes her understanding of people, places, and conservation. She holds an MS in Zoology from North Carolina State University and is a Wilburforce Fellow in Conservation Science, an American Express and Independent Sector Next Generation of Nonprofit Leaders Fellow, and a Certified Nonprofit Professional.

 

Contributing Authors:

Laura Farwell — Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture

Helen Raine — Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture

Kawika Winter — Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve

Ian Nāhulu Maioho — Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian), Molokaʻi, Hawaiʻi; Ka Ipu Makani Cultural Heritage Center

Willow Hetrick — Chugach Regional Resources Commission

Syverine Bentz — Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

Roger Fuller — Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

Judith Drexler — U.S. Geological Survey, California Water Science Center

 

Abstract

Coastal wetlands provide essential habitats for migratory birds, many of which hold cultural importance for Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Declining shorebird species, including the Pacific golden-plover (Pluvialis fulva), known as kōlea in Hawaiian and tuuliik in Yupʻik, and the bristle-thighed curlew (Numenius tahitiensis), known as kioea in Hawaiian and ciivikaaq in Yupʻik, depend on habitats spanning the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Oceania. Much of this extensive range falls within the Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture service area.

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Through multigenerational workshops, knowledge exchanges, collaborative projects, and ongoing discussions, partners are building relationships and creating momentum to take local action and collaborate in new ways. These relationships provide a foundation for addressing the needs and priorities of people, birds, and healthy ecosystems in Hawaiʻi, Alaska, and beyond.

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Collaborative projects include land acquisition, invasive species management, biocultural restoration, and agroecology. Together, these efforts advance opportunities to weave Indigenous Knowledge and conventional science in support of estuary and upland co-management, research, community education, and locally driven conservation actions that benefit resident and migratory birds.

 

 

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CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA

Presentations and abstracts to be added.

 

 

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ASIA

Presentations and abstracts to be added.

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AFRICA

Presentations and abstracts to be added.

 

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EUROPE

Presentations and abstracts to be added.