Agenda at a glance
March 16
📌Opening Ceremony
13:00-13:30 Europe - CET
📌Session 1:Indigenous Knowledge, interspecies communication & AI
13:30-15:00 Europe - CET
30 minutes break ⏰
📌Session 2: When Animals Become Data: Scientific Limits and Risk in AI Wildlife Monitoring
15:30-17:00 Europe - CET
March 17
📌Session 3: When Animals Become Data: Ethics in the Age of AI
13:00-14:00 Europe - CET
📌Closing Ceremony
14:00-14:30 Europe - CET
March 18
📌 Opening Ceremony:
13:00-13:25 Europe - CET
📌 Session 1: Indigenous-Led EO & AI in Practice
13:30-15:00 Europe - CET
March 19
📌 Special Session
14:00-14:25 Europe- CET
📌 Keynote
14:30-15:25 Europe- CET
📌 Session 2: Institutional Pathways: Collaborating Across GEO
15:30-17:00 Europe- CET
📌 Commitment and Next Steps
17:00-17:30
Europe- CET
About the Summit:
Building on the 2020 and 2023 GEO Indigenous Summits — which brought together thousands of Indigenous leaders, Earth observation (EO) experts, UN agencies, youth, and institutions to address access and governance barriers in EO data and tools — the 2026 edition turns toward the future.
With support from Environment and Climate Change Canada, this year we go deeper into practice and policy: exploring how Indigenous-led frameworks are already guiding biodiversity monitoring, interspecies responsibility, and the ethical development of AI and environmental technologies.
From the ground to orbit, this Lab and Summit are spaces to:
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share knowledge and fieldwork across disciplines,
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learn from existing ethical models in action,
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co-develop tools and approaches that serve communities, ecosystems, and future generations.
Whether you're working with EO data, biodiversity science, AI, policy, or space infrastructure — you're invited to listen, contribute, and be part of shaping more accountable and relational systems of environmental and space governance.
✅ Register to Attend
This event is free and open to all — but registration is required to access the sessions.
🔗 Click here to register
Once registered, you will receive the Zoom access link.
📩 For questions, contact: Diana Mastracci Sanchez — diana@space4innovation.com
Full Agenda Below👇
LTOME-KATIP ETHICAL LISTENING LAB
DAY 1 MARCH 16
OPENING CEREMONY
13:00-13:30 Europe - CET
Introduction to the Ltome-Katip Ethical Listening Lab and to the GEO Indigenous Allianc e grounding principles, featuring keynotes from Indigenous leaders, EO scientists, and policy actors. This session will open space to reflect on the convergence of Earth observation, AI, and Indigenous governance.
Moderator: James Rattling Leaf Sr. (Rosebud Sioux)
Keynote speaker: Phil Two Eagle (Sicangu Lakota)
Phil Two Eagle (Sicangu Lakota)
Session 1: Indigenous Knowledge, interspecies communication & AI
Indigenous Knowledge, interspecies communication & AI
Session 1
13:30-15:00 Europe - CET
As AI systems increasingly classify and interpret animal signals, deeper epistemological questions emerge: who defines meaning, and according to which knowledge systems? This session explores how Indigenous knowledge frameworks engage with animal communication and how AI tools can be designed in ways that respect relational worldviews, sovereignty, and ecological reciprocity.
Moderator: Diana Mastracci Sanchez
Speakers:
1️⃣ Katip Shuar Monitors (Shuar)
2️⃣ Chief Titus Letaapo (Samburu)
3️⃣ Dr. Madison Shakespeare
4️⃣ James Rattling Leaf Sr. (Rosebud Sioux )
5️⃣ Gabriel Peredo Albornoz Uma Kanchariq
Speakers:
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Reina Tunki (Shuar)
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Jhazmyn Vargas (Shuar)
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Doris Tunki (Shuar)
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Rafael Vargas (Shuar)
Titus Letaapo (Samburu)
Dr. Madison Shakspeare (Saltwater Gadigal)
James Rattling Leaf Sr. (Rosebud Sioux)
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Gabriel Peredo Albornoz Uma Kanchariq (Ainu-Quechua)
Session 2: When Animals Become Data: Scientific Limits and Risk in AI Wildlife Monitoring
🌍 When Animals Become Data: Scientific Limits and Risk in AI Wildlife Monitoring
Session 2
15:30-17:00 Europe - CET
As artificial intelligence becomes embedded in wildlife monitoring — from camera traps and bioacoustics to satellite detection and eDNA pipelines — animals are increasingly rendered as machine-readable data points. Yet these systems often operate under ecological uncertainty, uneven training datasets, and complex field conditions that challenge model reliability. This session focuses on the scientific and operational limits of AI-driven wildlife monitoring: misclassification, dataset bias across geographies, domain shift, signal ambiguity, over-scaling of models, and the gap between algorithmic outputs and real conservation decisions. Rather than presenting governance frameworks, the discussion surfaces the technical and ecological fault lines that emerge when automated systems begin shaping how species are detected, counted, and interpreted in fragile ecosystems.
Moderator: James Rattling Leaf Sr. (Rosebud Sioux)
Speakers:
1️⃣ Dr. Jessica Hernandez
2️⃣ Prof. Anthony Vodacek
3️⃣ Sahara Al-Madi
4️⃣ Wakanyi Macharia-Hoffman
5️⃣ Dr. Rosa Vazquez Espinoza
Speakers:
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LTOME-KATIP ETHICAL LISTENING LAB
DAY 2 MARCH 17
When Animals become data: Ethics in the Age of AI
13:00-14:00 Europe - CET
🌍 When Animals Become Data: Ethics in the Age of AI
This session presents the GEO Indigenous Alliance Animals Ethical Toolkit as a practical governance framework for biodiversity technologies. The Toolkit outlines principles for co-design, transparency, Indigenous data sovereignty, and ethical impact assessment across wildlife AI systems.
Moderator: TBC
Speakers:
1️⃣ Diana Mastracci Sanchez
2️⃣ James Rattling Leaf Sr. (Rosebud Sioux)
3️⃣ Titus Letaapo (Samburu)
4️⃣ Francesco Stabilito
Speakers:
Diana Mastracci Sanchez
James Rattling Leaf Sr. (Rosebud Sioux)
Titus Letaapo (Samburu)
Francesco Stabilito
Closing Ceremony
Closing Ceremony
14:00-14:30 Europe - CET
The Ethical Listening Lab concludes with reflections on the responsibilities that emerge when animals, ecosystems, and communities intersect with machine learning systems. The closing session synthesizes key insights and outlines pathways for continued collaboration grounded in relational accountability and Indigenous leadership.
GEO INDIGENOUS SUMMIT
DAY 1 MARCH 18
Opening Ceremony
13:00-13:25 Europe - CET
A call-in to the GEO Indigenous Summit — where Indigenous governance meets the systems shaping Earth observation and AI. Indigenous leaders, Earth observation scientists, and policy actors will set the tone for two days focused on ethical frameworks, access, and long-term responsibility in environmental monitoring. The opening establishes a shared commitment to ensuring that technological innovation advances stewardship, accountability, and Indigenous leadership within global Earth observation systems.
Keynote:
Dr. Madison Shakspeare
Speakers:
1️⃣ James Rattling Leaf Sr.
2️⃣ Dr. Kriton Glenn
3️⃣ Diana Mastracci Sanchez
4️⃣ Prof. Takashi Hikasa
Keynote:
Dr. Madison Shakspeare (Saltwater Gadigal)
Speakers:
James Rattling Leaf Sr.
Dr. Kriton Glenn
Diana Mastracci Sanchez
Prof. Takashi Hikasa
Session 1: Indigenous-Led EO & AI in Practice
Session 1
13:30-15:00 Europe - CET
This session presents Indigenous-led and community-centered applications of Earth observation, AI, and environmental sensing. Through grounded case studies, speakers will demonstrate how satellite monitoring, AI-supported biodiversity analysis, and field-based sensor systems are implemented in ways that strengthen local governance, territorial stewardship, and community decision-making. The focus extends beyond tools to examine how these technologies are embedded within Indigenous knowledge systems and ethical frameworks, advancing biodiversity protection and climate resilience while moving beyond extractive data practices.
Moderator: TBC
Speakers:
1️⃣ Lisa Pizzoni (Maori)
2️⃣ Dr. Md Saifuzzaman
3️⃣ Steve De Roy
4️⃣ Mario Vargas Shakaim (Shuar)
5️⃣ Titus Letaapo (Samburu)
6️⃣ Drea Burbank
Speakers:
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Titus Letaapo (Samburu)
GEO INDIGENOUS SUMMIT
DAY 2 MARCH 19
Special Session
14:00-14:25 Europe - CET
A special session celebrating the inspiring Shakthisat girls from around the world who are learning to build satellites and step into the future of space technology. We will share video messages from two girls, offering a powerful glimpse into their journeys, dreams, and the next generation of global space leadership.
Moderators: James Rattling Leaf Sr. & Diana Mastracci Sanchez
Speakers:
Shaktisat girl 1
Shaktisat girl 2
Featured Keynote Address
Featured Keynote Address
14:30-15:25 Europe - CET
Prof. Roger Dube (Turtle Clan from the Abenaki Nation)
Prof. Roger Dube (Turtle Clan from the Abenaki Nation)
Session 2:
Institutional Pathways: Collaborating Across GEO
Session 2: Institutional Pathways: Collaborating Across GEO
15:30-17:00 Europe - CET
Moving from dialogue to implementation, this session brings together representatives from GEO initiatives and working groups to outline concrete opportunities for collaboration with the GEO Indigenous Alliance. Speakers will highlight entry points within biodiversity, climate, and regional GEO programs where Indigenous-led monitoring, data governance, and AI innovation can align with broader Earth observation priorities. The discussion focuses on practical mechanisms, shared responsibilities, and structured pathways that support sustained, accountable, and mutually beneficial partnerships.
Moderator: Nikolina Mileva (ESA)
Speakers:
1️⃣ James Rattling Leaf Sr. (GEO Indigenous Alliance)
2️⃣ Diana Mastracci Sanchez (GEO Indigenous Alliance)
3️⃣ Dr. Katie Millette (GEBON)
4️⃣ Paola De Salvo (GEO Knowledge Hub)
5️⃣ Christoph Aubrecht (CEOS WGCapD)
James Rattling Leaf Sr.
Dr. Christoph Aubrecht
Diana Mastracci Sanchez
Nikolina Mileva
Dr. Katie Millette
Paola De Salvo
Session 3: Commitments & Next Steps
Commitment and Next Steps
17:00-17:30 Europe - CET
The summit concludes with a facilitated session to synthesize key insights, identify shared priorities, and articulate concrete next steps for collaboration. Participants will reflect on emerging commitments, potential working groups, and mechanisms for continued coordination between Indigenous organizations, GEO initiatives, scientists, and funders. The closing aims to ensure that discussions translate into sustained engagement, long-term responsibility, and measurable progress beyond the summit itself.