We are pleased to share a draft agenda for the 2025 Yukon North Slope Conference. You can find below a summary of session themes, with supporting questions that will guide our conversations together. As we approach the conference date, we will share a more detailed agenda and speaker list with attendees.
The theme for the 2025 Yukon North Slope Conference is Indigenous Conservation Economies: traditional and local Indigenous economic systems that are deeply intertwined with land stewardship. This theme is especially relevant today, given the growing ways that Indigenous peoples are shaping their traditional economies to thrive across a variety of sectors and geographies, including: Indigenous-led conservation areas and conservation finance, harvesting and on-the-land support, guardians and monitoring programs, climate adaptation initiatives, ecotourism, research economies, and artistry.
For Indigenous governments and organizations, growing Indigenous conservation economies represents an opportunity to connect with traditions and culture, while building a sustainable future for generations to come. For partners, it is an opportunity to explore new or refreshed ways of working together to uphold shared conservation goals and responsibilities.
The Conference brings together Indigenous Elders, leaders, and youth, governments, co-management partners, private sector partners, non-profits, and the general public to explore the concept and implementation of Indigenous Conservation Economies. Speakers and attendees will have the opportunity to share and learn about new and inherited thinking, innovative approaches, best practices, and working models in Indigenous conservation-based economies and natural resource management – ones that contribute environmental, social, cultural and economic benefits to Indigenous communities, as well as to society-at-large.
Together, we will consider the following topics, sharing our respective knowledge and learning from each other:
- Scoping Indigenous Conservation Economies - Tradition Meets Innovation
- Indigenous Leadership and Partnerships
- Guardians - The Eyes and Ears of the Community
- On The Land - Supporting Community and Culture
- Conservation Finance
Draft Agenda and Conference Themes
Below you can find a bit more detail on our draft Conference agenda and the themes and key questions we'll be exploring.
