Sponsored by Perkins + Will

Location: Laurentian Main campus, room C-203

1.5 ConEd Learning Hours

1.5 AIA LU

1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) has entered Canadian law. Federal procurement requires 5% minimum Indigenous content, and other clients are requesting Indigenous perspectives in architectural services.

Fewer than 1% of licensed architects in Canada are Indigenous. Collaboration is critical to meet demand until the profession diversifies. How can Indigeneity in architecture add value, depth, and cultural richness to our shared environments? How do we avoid exploitative relationships, tokenism, and cultural appropriation? This session explores how to build reciprocal relationships with Indigenous practitioners.

Learning Objectives

1. Learn how to respect and support Indigenous staff, consultants, engagement participants, knowledge carriers, and design professionals.
2. Gain a sense of when to include either Indigenous architects or consultants into the design team, and how their contributions integrate with project phasing and service delivery.
3. Understand ways to build reciprocal relationships with Indigenous participants and practitioners to get the best result for the project.
4. Learn how to integrate Indigenous perspectives into your design work that are regionally appropriate and mutually beneficial while avoiding cultural appropriation.

KaaSheGaaBaaWeak | Eladia Smoke, M.Arch., OAA, OAQ, FRAIC, LEED AP, is Anishinaabekwe from Obishikokaang | Lac Seul First Nation, with family roots in Alderville First Nation, Winnipeg, and Toronto. Eladia has worked in architecture since 2002, and founded Smoke Architecture as principal architect in 2014. She is the first Anishinabekwe architect in Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec, as well as the third Indigenous woman licensed as an architect in Canada. She taught as a Master Lecturer at Laurentian’s McEwen School of Architecture from 2016 to 2022. She serves as a founding member of RAIC’s Indigenous Task Force. Eladia represented Canada at the 2018 Venice Biennale Unceded exhibition as part of an international team of Indigenous designers and architects. Current professional work includes community-based and institutional projects working alongside Indigenous stakeholders, collaborating with First Nation communities, and listening closely to our Elders.