🌍 GEO Indigenous Summit & Ltome-Katip Ethical Listening Lab 2026
📅 March 16–19, 2026 | Online
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 your interest
Once registered, you will receive the Zoom access link.
Preliminary agenda below.
📩 For questions, contact:
Diana Mastracci Sanchez — diana@space4innovation.com
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.
Indigenous Knowledge, interspecies communication & AI
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.
Session 1
13:30-15:00 Europe - CET
🌍 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.
LTOME-KATIP ETHICAL LISTENING LAB DAY 2
MARCH 17
When Animals Become Data: Ethics in the Age of AI
Session 3
13:00-14:00 Europe - CET
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.
Following a brief presentation of the framework, invited respondents from AI research, conservation science, Indigenous data sovereignty, and data governance will reflect on how these principles can be implemented within their respective fields. The discussion will focus on operationalizing ethical safeguards in real-world biodiversity monitoring contexts.
CLOSING CEREMONY
Session 4
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
13:00-13:30 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.
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.
GEO INDIGENOUS SUMMIT DAY 2
MARCH 19
Featured Keynote Address
14:30-15:30 Europe - CET
Prof. Roger Dube (Turtle Clan from the Abenaki Nation)
Institutional Pathways: Collaborating Across GEO
Session 2
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.
Commitments & Next Steps
Session 3
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.