Opening Plenary
Braiding Knowledge Systems for Wildlife Conservation
October 6 | 10:00 am
Hall D – Edmonton Convention Centre
The Opening Plenary will also feature the Caesar Kleberg Keynote
Session Overview
The concept of braiding knowledge systems, or “two-eyed seeing,” which recognizes the strengths of Indigenous and Western ways of knowing, has been around for more than a decade. Our plenary speakers from both the United States and Canada will help us understand how these two ways of knowing can be brought together by establishing an ethical space to cultivate respect, conversation, and collaboration. They will contrast how this can be achieved in the U.S. and Canada, and will provide a perspective from our next generation of wildlife professionals. By recognizing the common ground between these knowledge systems and understanding the important elements of both to wildlife conservation, we can leave the world in a better place for future generations.
Now, more than ever, our members need to stand together to protect our profession and ensure the future of wildlife conservation across America.
Art Rodgers
This year’s plenary was developed by TWS President Art Rodgers. President Rodgers is a research scientist for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and a TWS Fellow. He previously served two terms on Council as the Canadian Representative and President of the Canadian Section. On Council, President Rodgers has brought greater recognition of Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge to TWS and has served as a unifying voice across borders and membership. This year’s plenary reflects the thoughtful and unifying leadership he has brought to TWS.
Plenary Speakers
Dr. Julie Thorstenson, PhD (Lakota), Woksape Gluha Mani Winyan, is the Executive Director for the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society. She is a citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and grew up on a cattle ranch on the Reservation in Northcentral South Dakota. It was here where a love for the land and the environment was instilled in her. Dr. Thorstenson earned a B.S. (’99), M.S. (’05) and Ph.D. (’12) in biological sciences from South Dakota State University. Her research focused on cottonwood site selection using GIS for riparian restoration and incorporating culture into ethics education for scientists and engineers. Dr. Thorstenson has worked in Indian Country her entire career in various positions, including Wildlife Habitat Biologist and Health Department CEO for her tribe. She currently lives on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota with her husband and children.
Remington Bracher is a Nêhiyaw (Cree) member of Muskoday First Nation, raised in Edmonton, Alberta. He is a wildlife biologist, hunter, angler, trapper, and graduate student at the University of British Columbia Okanagan in Dr. Adam Ford’s Wildlife Restoration Ecology Lab. His research focuses on restoring culturally meaningful harvests in National Parks through collaborative stewardship models that weave Indigenous Knowledge and Western science. Remington’s passion for conservation stems from a deep, relational connection to the land and wildlife, shaped by his lived experiences, teachings, and a commitment to reclaiming cultural practices disrupted by colonialism. He has served as the Student Director for the Alberta Chapter of The Wildlife Society (ACTWS) for the past four years, where he established the ACTWS Hunting Mentorship Program. He is currently working to develop an Indigenous branch of the program, which will support students in reconnecting with their culture and the land through wildlife, ceremony, and land-based learning. Remington also coordinates the Native Student Professional Development (NSPD) Program for The Wildlife Society through the Native Peoples’ Wildlife Management Working Group. The NSPD Program supports Indigenous students from across North America by providing funding, mentorship, and community at and beyond the TWS conference.
Dr. Allyson Menzies, of mixed Métis and settler ancestry, was born on Treaty 2 territory, where her early connection to the natural world was shaped by prairie landscapes and time on the Land with family, which ignited a lasting curiosity about ecological systems and a commitment to their stewardship. She began her academic training on Treaty 1 territory at the University of Winnipeg, where she studied the physiology and behaviour of hibernating bats for her MSc. Her doctoral research at McGill University focused on the winter energetics and behavioral ecology of lynx, hares, and squirrels in the Yukon. As a postdoctoral researcher, she turned her attention to socioecological systems and ways to prioritize Indigenous values and knowledges in environmental monitoring—a focus that continues to shape her work. As an assistant professor at the University of Calgary (since 2024), Dr. Menzies’ research now bridges ecological science and Indigenous methodologies to advance culturally grounded, community-driven wildlife management and conservation. Her interdisciplinary approach supports both biodiversity and the human relationships that sustain it. She is committed to fostering the next generation of ecologists through training that emphasizes both technical excellence and social responsibility.
Two-eyed Seeing
The Wildlife Professional, Jul/Aug 2020
Members of TWS can learn more about “two-eyed seeing,” in advance of the plenary by reading our cover story in the Jul/Aug 2020 issue of The Wildlife Professional. To access a digital copy of the magazine, log in to your membership on wildlife.org and navigate to “Publications.”
“Science is powerful on its own. Traditional knowledge is powerful on its own. When you bring them together, it’s something that is hard to refute by anybody.”
–William Housty
Excerpt from The Wildlife Professional, Jul/Aug 2020
This year’s plenary is supported by the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Kingsville (Platinum Sponsor). The Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute is the leading wildlife research organization in Texas and one of the finest in the nation. The 2025 opening plenary will conclude with the annual Kleberg Keynote.
Dr. Luis Antonio Tarango Arámbula is a Wildlife Professor at the Colegio de Postgraduados, San Luis Potosí Campus, and a member of the Mexican National System of Researchers. He holds a degree in Agronomic Engineering with a specialization in Arid Lands from the Universidad Autónoma Chapingo. He completed his graduate studies in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at New Mexico State University. He earned a Ph.D. in Renewable Natural Resources from the University of Arizona. His academic career has focused on research, human capital development, and policy design for the conservation of Mexican wildlife. He has held leadership positions in academic institutions, scientific committees, and national technical working groups, while actively participating in national and international academic networks. Currently, as President, he leads the development of the Wildlife Mexico Chapter of The Wildlife Society, promoting scientific and professional collaboration aimed at the responsible management of natural resources. His work is distinguished by the integration of science, education, and institutional leadership, with a vision centered on ecological conservation, social participation, and cross-sectoral responsibility in wildlife stewardship.
