We recognize and value the incredible knowledge systems of Indigenous Peoples around the world, rich traditions collected and passed on through generations. These knowledge systems are dynamic and continue to evolve and grow in the present.

Our goal is to deepen our understanding about how design and planning has empowered and strengthened Indigenous communities in the past, and how design and planning can empower and strengthen Indigenous communities in the future. How can these lessons help us better serve all communities?

We respect the cultural backgrounds, lived experiences and professional knowledge that Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples bring to this collective conversation. Learning from every person is a gift.

Our hope for this conversation, occurring over a year in many formats, is to respect and share some of this knowledge while revering that it belongs to the originators. We are grateful to the Indigenous contributors willing to share their knowledge.

Our method is Learning by Sharing, from Sergio Palleroni who has forty years of working with Indigenous communities around the world, from Tibet to Mexico to the Pacific Northwest.

Our hope is that this knowledge, combined with the tools of design, will provide positive pathways forward for Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities