By participating in this learning community, educators should expect to increase their familiarity with Indigenous science concepts and build confidence in bringing Indigenous science into their classrooms.
Reach out to Seth Thompson at sthompson@freshwater.org with questions.
PLC 1 - Fall 2026
MONDAY, OCTOBER 19 from 4:30 - 6:30 PM
Speaker: Taylor Fairbanks
Taylor Fairbanks is from the White Earth Nation and Ho-Chunk Nation, but grew up in the Twin Cities where she still resides today. She graduated this past May with a Bachelors of Arts in both Sociology and American Indian Studies from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, prioritizing oral history and archival research on the relationship between Ojibwe people, wild rice, and water for her Honors Thesis. In addition to her academic background and food sovereignty research, she is currently the American Indian Collections Assistant at the Hennepin History Museum.
PLC 2 - Fall 2026
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21 from 4:30 - 6:30 PM
Speaker: Braden Thue
Braden Thue is a Dakota language educator and linguist dedicated to supporting Dakota language revitalization. He is Co-Director of Dakota Studies at Sisseton Wahpeton College and since 2021, has worked with the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate on Dakota language revitalization efforts. His work brings together language education, Indigenous language revitalization, linguistics, and community-based learning to support the continued vitality of Dakota language and knowledge.
PLC 3 - Fall 2026
Tuesday, DEcember 1 from 4:30 - 6:30 PM
Speaker: Leanne Goose
Leanna Goose is an Anishinaabeg mother of 3 children, and co-facilitator of the Rise and Repair Alliance. She works with the Rise and Repair Alliance to bring forward legislation and policy that advances Indigenous rights and climate justice. Leanna works on linking science to activism to protect the world around her. She believes Indigenous wisdom can help us live in right relationship with the land around us. Leanna strives to help create a world where the next generations can thrive. Part of that work involves organizing around the protection of manoomin or wild rice. She is currently working on a research project called Protecting Manoomin for the Next Seven Generations. She also works within the Rise and Repair alliance to recognize the inherent rights of manoomin/psíŋ.
PLC 4 - Fall 2026
Thursday, DEcember 3 from 4:30 - 6:30 PM
Speaker: To be announced. Check back soon!
Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR). The Trust Fund is a permanent fund constitutionally established by the citizens of Minnesota to assist in the protection, conservation, preservation, and enhancement of the state’s air, water, land, fish, wildlife, and other natural resources.
This work is supported by a University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment Impact Goal grant, 2023-2026, titled “Delivering Culturally Integrated Sustainability Education Through Supported Teacher Professional Development.,” under Grant No. IG 72.
