Abundant Intelligences

This Thursday, April 17, Epistemological Foundations continues the conversation around our knowledge practices and their implications at the Abundant Intelligences Research Program with a session centered on Data Sovereignty and AI.

Moderated by Kevin Shedlock, this talk will bring together Ashley Cordes, Peter-Lucas Jones, and Keolu Fox to reflect on their approaches to knowledge-making, and elaborate on the implications of their data sovereignty approaches. Join us for this critical conversation at the intersection of data, power, and Indigenous self-determination.

This will be a hybrid event with an in-person session in Montreal that will take place at the Milieux Resource Room (Room EV 11.705) on the 11th floor of the Concordia EV Building, 1515 Saint-Catherine St W.

To attend remotely, please use the Zoom link in our bio.

If you are attending in-person, please RSVP by email at [email protected].

Epistemological Foundations: Data Visualization with Sara Diamond, Jason Leigh, and Kari Noe

Epistemological Foundations returns this Winter to continue the conversation around our knowledge practices and their implications. Please save the date to attend our next Epistemological Foundations Conversation, focusing on the theme of Data Visualization. This talk will bring together Kari Noe, Jason Leigh, and Sara Diamond to reflect on their approaches to knowledge-making, and elaborate on the implications of data visualization for community governance, science communication, and archiving. This session will be moderated by our co-director Hēmi Whaanga.

This will be a hybrid event. The catered Montreal viewing party will take place in the Milieux Resource Room (Room EV 11.705) on the 11th floor of the Concordia EV Building, 1515 Saint-Catherine St W.

If you plan to attend in-person, please RSVP via email to [email protected].

If you plan to attend remotely, please access the Zoom link here: https://concordia-ca.zoom.us/j/87565796076

March 6, 2025
5:30pm EST / 2:30pm PST / 3:30pm MST / 12:30pm HST

March 7, 2025
11:30am NZST

Meet Abundant Intelligences Co-Investigator Dr. Linda Tuhiwai Te Rina Smith, Distinguished Professor at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi.


Her academic career is grounded in her love of teaching, and research that makes a transformative difference in Māori, Indigenous, and diverse other communities. Smith is the author of Decolonizing Methodologies, one of the seminal texts in Indigenous studies, decolonial studies, and research methodology.

Decolonizing Methodologies articulates a framework for Indigenous people to undertake research on their own terms and to the benefit of their communities. Her scholarly work inspired and sustains ongoing efforts to re-centre Māori and Indigenous knowledge practices within the academy and in relationship to community.

She will contribute to Abundant Intelligences’ understanding of how to integrate Indigenous and Western research and research-creation methodologies.

Meet us Monday - Tile #2

This tile represents Oyate, or 'people', and showcases the connection between land and sky.

The Oyate Tile, part of the Abundant Intelligences Global Logo, comes from the Wíhaŋble S’a Pod and is inspired by Lakȟóta visual language. It is a geometric representation of 'people' or 'Nation.'

Because of its close relationship with porcupine quills, the Lakȟóta visual language is composed of lines, triangles, and squares. Repetition, combination, and reflection are also important conventions within the language, as exemplified by the combination of the two triangles that compose the Oyate symbol.

Like most of the tiles in the Wíhaŋble S’a Pod logo, the Oyate symbol is based on Sadie Red Wing’s Master of Graphic Design Thesis, "Learning the Traditional Lakȟóta Visual Language through Shape Play" (North Carolina State University; College of Design, 2016).

Come support Indigenous Researchers at the Indigenous Futures Research Centre's Annual Research Symposium, taking place on January 23rd and 24th. It will be available both in-person at 4TH SPACE Concordia University, and Online via Zoom or on their Youtube Channel.

🌟 2025 IFRC Research Symposium Schedule now live at ifrc.ca/symposium2025 🌟

We’re thrilled to share the official schedule for our upcoming symposium!

Join us on Thursday, January 23, and Friday, January 24, 2025 (in person or online) for insightful presentations and dialogues by faculty, students, and affiliate IFRC members whose research engages Indigenous communities and knowledges. This year’s symposium includes panels presented by Abundant Intelligences, the CURC in Onkwehonwené:ha, AbTeC Gallery, The First Peoples Studies Program, the Office of Community Engagement, and so much more!

Check out the full schedule on our website, ifrc.ca/symposium2025, for full details!


🗓 Thursday & Friday, January 23 & 24, 2025
📍 4TH SPACE, or online!

✨DEADLINE EXTENDED ✨

We are Hiring! Manager of Partnership Operations with Abundant Intelligences

Abundant Intelligences explores how to transform AI research and AI technologies in order to better serve Indigneous communities and all of humanity. We have a small but mighty headquarters staff that need inspired and inspiring leadership as they support the research and community-engagement activities of our diverse and far-flung research team. We work extensively with Indigenous communities in Canada, the US, the Pacific, and New Zealand, and require a headquarters team that is focused, adaptive, and passionate about our mission to co-develop advanced computational technologies with them. Working with Partnership leadership, you’ll identify where the HQ staff should spend their time and effort, anticipate their resource and staffing needs, and develop operational plans that keep everyone sync’d up, energized, and focused on enabling groundbreaking research.

Deadline to apply: January 29, 2025

🌟 Meet the Visionaries behind Abundant Intelligences 🌟

We are thrilled to introduce the Principal Investigators leading Abundant Intelligences, the groundbreaking research program exploring how Indigenous Knowledge Systems can expand and transform the field of Artificial Intelligence.

👨‍🏫 Jason Edward Lewis
Jason is a renowned scholar, artist, and the Founding Director of the Indigenous Futures Research Centre at Concordia University. With a focus on ethical AI and Indigenous self-determination, his work inspires innovative, relational approaches to technology rooted in community and culture.

🌿 Hēmi Whaanga
Hēmi is an esteemed Māori scholar whose expertise in Māori language, knowledge, and digital humanities is shaping a future where Indigenous knowledge informs cutting-edge AI practices. His commitment to decolonizing AI ensures technology aligns with Indigenous values of reciprocity and sustainability.

Together, Jason and Hēmi bring a wealth of knowledge, creativity, and cultural grounding to Abundant Intelligences. Their leadership is driving a collaborative effort to reimagine AI in ways that honor diverse ways of knowing and being.

💬 Follow us for updates, insights, and opportunities to engage with this transformative work!

Abundant Intelligences is looking for a Postdoctoral fellow in Indigenous Data Sovereignty to join their research team! If you are passionate about advancing Indigenous knowledges and are ready to dive into groundbreaking projects, we want to hear from you!

Positions open until filled.
Link in bio for more info!