Join us for the 53rd Annual Temagami/N’dakimenan Colloquium September 24 to 27, 2026, taking place at Camp Wanapitei in Temagami, Ontario.
The Temagami/N’dakimenan Colloquium is an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural academic conference and land-based learning experience that broadly explores the socio-ecological relations between people and place as well as Indigenous-led efforts to reclaim history and culture. This four-day event focuses on the history and contemporary issues related to Anishinaabeg self-determination and relations to land and water in N’Dakimenan, the traditional territory of the Temagami First Nation (TFN) and Teme Augama Anishinaabe (TAA) in Northern Ontario. We gather to learn about the long-standing relationship between the TFN, TAA, and these lands, as well as their experiences with settler neighbours in the context of colonialism, resource extraction, tourism development and efforts to develop a shared land ethic among all those who now call N’dakimenan home.
The Colloquium brings together senior undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty, staff and alumni, from Trent University, the University of Toronto, Carleton University, York University, Nipissing University and more. We join Knowledge Keepers and leaders of the TFN and TAA, as well as experienced trip leaders and members of the extended Camp Wanapitei community, to share and enjoy the lands and waters of n’Dakimenan. Ceremony and storytelling play a central role. Other activities include canoeing, walking, swimming, hiking, campfires, film-screenings, poetry readings, music jams and a square dance on the Saturday night. Graduate students from participating institutions, TFN or TAA are invited to present current or recently completed research as part of two student panels to take place over the course of the Colloquium. Participants stay in Camp Wanapitei camp cabins, or in the Wanapitei Chateau. Wanapitei is accessible via bus or car on the rough gravel Red Squirrel Road.
Gathering on the traditional lands of the TFN and TAA reminds us that the headwaters of the Anishinaabe world are not only sacred geographies but living systems under continual strain from anthropogenic pressures, including climate change and resource extraction. These pressures are not separate from the long history of colonial encroachment; they are its latest expression, shaped by the same geopolitical forces that sought to dispossess Anishinaabe Peoples of their lands. Protecting the headwaters today means confronting both the historical injustices that reshaped this territory and the contemporary crises that threaten its future, including how settler‑colonial geographical imagination continues to frame the North as a frontier to be consumed and claimed through tourism, recreation, and resource extraction. Colloquium events encourage participants to see these patterns clearly, so they do not replicate the same impacts on the land or the communities who continue to defend.
2026 Theme: “Storying Aki: How Land Shapes and Informs Our Personal, Collective, and Legal Stories”
“The primary political task of a community of Word Warriors…is to engage the legal and political discourses of the state in more serious ways,” (2006, 74) writes Dale Turner. Anishinaabe storytellers throughout Turtle Island demonstrate the ways narrativity, language, and stories are shaped by the very lands in which they inhabit and enact their sovereignty. This year’s colloquium will focus on the relationship between Aki (the land) and legal histories, personal stories, and literature and creative works produced by Anishinaabe intellectuals, or Word Warriors. Storytelling plays a key role in the cultural and political integrity of the Teme Augama Anishnabai. For example, creation stories provide a moral and ethical framework through which to understand the world. Paired with harvesting and other practical skills, storytelling is seen as a necessary component of Indigenous survivance, a porte manteau that suggests both survival and resistance, according to Gerald Vizenor (2008). “This was the Anishnabi way and it worked well for countless generations,” explains Turner (2006, 88).
The 2026 Colloquium makes space to celebrate stories of Aki (the land), Anishinaabe modalities of storytelling, and Anishinaabemowin concepts related to the animacy, mapping, and caring for the land. As we gather, we honour the caretakers — past and present — whose responsibilities endure even as climate change accelerates ecological disruption and resource extraction continues to degrade forests, waters, and animal nations.
Temagami/N’dakimenan Colloquium fees are $515+tax ($250+tax for students and free for anyone under 13) which includes all food, lodging and guided wilderness excursions. (Note: some institutions are paying partial or full costs for participants, so check with your institutional liaison). Shared transportation to the camp (Thursday morning to Sunday evening) will be coordinated through the participating universities.
References:
Turner, Dale. This Is Not a Peace Pipe: Towards a Critical Indigenous Philosophy. University of Toronto Press, 2006.
Vizenor, Gerald. Survivance: Narratives of Native Presence. University of Nebraska Press, 2008.
Registration
- Our registration process is online.
- Please go to the following online portal to fill out your information
- You will be required to fill out the New User Sign Up to create an account
- You will then proceed to choose your affiliated university institution
- If the link doesn’t work, copy and paste this URL into your browser: https://wana.campbrainregistration.com/
- If you have any trouble signing onto the portal or proceeding with the form please email [email protected].
Cost and Payment
- Student fee: $250 + tax
- Staff/Faculty/Community member fee: $515 + tax
- Children 12 and under: Free (when travelling with students, staff, faculty or community members)
Logistics and Detailed Information about the Weekend
Transportation information will be provided by your affiliated institution
If you are driving your own vehicle, please know that the Red Squirrel Road is an unmaintained gravel road with active logging. There can be a few washouts on the road so please drive with caution. If you are driving, please plan to leave early enough to arrive before dusk (about 7:30pm in late September) and let us know beforehand when you expect to arrive. For detailed directions, please go to https://www.wanapitei.net/getting-to-wanapitei/
Physical demands and hike in to camp:
There is a 1 km hike from the parking to the camp. Please be prepared to carry ALL of your belongings for this distance. A backpack or canvas duffle bag is recommended.
Camp in General
Camp Wanapitei is a rustic, off grid seasonal summer camp. Main buildings have power supplied by a generator and there is no power in sleeping cabins. There is running water in some buildings and around camp. There are outhouses situated around camp.
Accommodations:
Camp Wanapitei is a summer camp and the cabins are rustic but comfortable, with bunk beds and mattresses. Most cabins are not heated and it can be cold at night. We do not provide bedding so you will need a sleeping bag rated for minus 7 °C or colder (or two summer bags with one inside of the other). You may want to bring a single fitted sheet to put on the mattress. There is running water on site but not in the cabins. There are outhouses with toilet paper near each cabin. There is no internet or cell coverage at the camp and everything runs on a generator. The power is turned off at 11pm each evening. Should a family member need to contact you in the event of an emergency, a message can be left at the camp office: (705) 492-8323
We will discuss other on-site safety rules at camp.
It is helpful to bring a thin base thermal layer to keep you dry and warm and have multiple layers of clothing that you can take on or off as you need. But when you are packing, don’t forget that the walk from the parking lot to camp is 1 km!
Weather: Be prepared for a wide range of weather. The temperature may vary from 20 °C during the day or you could wake up to snow outside your cabin. Please also be prepared to be outside in the rain. Did we mention a toque?
Food and meals: We have lots of great food at mealtimes. We ask that you do not bring your own food as animals can get into the cabins. IMPORTANT***Our Dining Hall and Cabins are NUT FREE and some participants do have nut allergies.
Alcohol: We are committed to maintaining a welcoming social environment that respects the diverse cultural practices and attitudes of all our participants, and to the safety and welfare of all members of our community. We ask that participants not consume alcohol or cannabis during the weekend.
Should a person or group of people engage in illegal, unsafe or disruptive behaviour related to the consumption of alcohol or controlled substances, Wanapitei staff maintain all rights to take action to stop this, including the removal of participants from the weekend, where the costs for travel home will be entirely the responsibility of the participant.
Swimming: If you choose to swim, the water is cool. Swimming is not supervised and there are no lifeguards.
What to Bring with you
Equipment and Supplies: Wanapitei has paddles and canoes for participants. If you have or can borrow a lifejacket, please bring it; there are some lifejackets but not enough for everyone so we rely on some people bringing their own. There is also a “Tuck shop” where you can purchase camp gear (water bottles, Wanapitei t-shirts, sweaters, track pants, yoga pants, toques, etc.). It will be open from time to time throughout the weekend.
Sleeping: Most cabins are not heated and it can be cold at night. We do not provide bedding so you will need a sleeping bag rated for minus 7 °C or colder (or two summer bags with one inside of the other). You may want to bring a single fitted sheet to put on the mattress.
Clothing: You should try to bring clothes for camping and outdoor pursuits (for hot or cold, rain or shine). In addition to the clothes you want to wear during the day for hiking or canoeing, please bring warm clothes and sleeping bag for the evenings. There is a sauna so bring your bathing suit. To sum up, please bring:
- Backpack (or duffle) for all of your stuff (it is a 1 km hike into the camp)
- Rain gear, including boots or hiking shoes. If it’s raining when we get off the bus, the trail into camp can be muddy.
- Clothing/shoes for canoeing and hiking. Sandals are handy for in camp.
- Warm clothes for the evenings (layers are good), including a toque, mitts, extra socks, an extra pair of shoes and/or boots
- Bathing suit, towel.
- Warm sleeping bag (rated for -7 C or colder) – a second lighter bag or an extra blanket can also work – and a pillow if you wish one.
- Personal water bottle and travel mug
- Flashlight/headlamp
We will be hosting a virtual information session to share more information about preparing for the trip in early September. A link will be shared with all who have registered. Questions about logistics and items needed contact [email protected]
Temagami/N’dakimenan Colloquium
September 24-27, 2026
DRAFT SCHEDULE (subject to change)
Thursday, September 24
8:30 -9:00am Transportation departures from Toronto, Peterborough and Ottawa. Lunch en route.
12:00 – 2:00pm Transportation departures from North Bay.
3:00-4:00pm Arrival, Orientation and Registration to Camp Wanapitei. Settle into cabins.
5:00pm Welcome by attending Elder Paula Potts and TAA leadership, and Camp Wanapitei.
6:00-7:00pm Dinner – Camp Dining Room (all meals here). Orientation to camp.
7:30 -9:00pm Storying the Land/Debajehmujig on n’dakimenan panel: stories, readings,and discussion between TAA authors/oral storytellers (Tyson Stewart, Mary Laronde [moderator], Dale Turner, Marvyn Morrison)
9:00pm Evening snack & music (Chateau) Campfire on the point. Stories continue…
Friday, September 25 (day’s events interchangeable with Saturday, weather dependent)
7:00am Sunrise ceremony at point (Elder Paula Potts)
8:00am sharp Breakfast. Divide into groups for canoe instruction, hiking, or paddling. Pack lunches after breakfast.
9:00am-2:30pm Day hikes, canoe trips, canoe instruction, lunch in the field. Led by Anishinaabemowin speakers and TAA members, with Wanapitei guides.
4:30pm Anishinaabemowin language lessons with Alan Corbiere, John Turner, Alex Mathias and Elizabeth Osawamick
6:00-7:00pm Dinner
7:00-8:00pm Friday Keynote: Dr. Alan Corbière on Pictographs
8:00-9:30pm Screening of AskiBoyz (TFN ep. Featuring Gary Potts) (presented by Paula Potts and Tyson Stewart) and ‘Language of the Land’ documentary by Nicole Bedford.
9:30-10:30pm Evening snack & music (Chateau); Camp fire at the point.
Saturday, September 26
7:00am Sunrise Paddle up Red Squirrel River with Geoff Hodgins.
8:00am sharp Breakfast. Divide into groups for hiking, paddling or canoe instruction. Pack lunches after breakfast.
9:00am-2:30pm Day hikes, canoe trips, lunch in the field. Led by Anishinaabemowin speakers and TAA members, with Wanapitei guides.
3:30- 4:45pm Graduate Student Roundtable hosted by Paul Pritchard, Kevin Fitzmaurice and Martha Stiegman.
5:00pm International Indigenous Research Network roundtable (hosted by Dale Turner or substitute from U of T)
6:00-7:00pm Dinner
7:00-8:00pm Dance Performance with Christine Friday in the Dining Hall
8:00pm Square Dance (Dining Hall) – The Band led by Wayne Potts, Walter Quinlan, and Peter Andrée. Ben Wolfe to call.
Sunday September 27
7:00am Sunrise ceremony at point (Elder Paula Potts)
8:30am Breakfast (Pack your things after breakfast or the night before. Bring your gear to the dining hall).
9:00am Group photo – front of dining hall
9:30–10:15am Graduate Student Roundtable #2 hosted by Paul Pritchard, Kevin Fitzmaurice and Martha Stiegman
11:00-11:30am Portage Challenge
11:30am Lunch: dining hall.
12:30pm Departure. Meet at Dining Hall to hike out together. Dinner en route home.
7-9pm Transportation returns to Toronto, Peterborough, and Ottawa.
*Note that the dance music comes from anyone who wishes to join ‘The Band’
Questions?
Please contact us if you have any questions about this event:
Trent University: Prof. Stephen Hill ([email protected]) or Prof. Kevin Fitzmaurice ([email protected])
Carleton University: Prof. Peter Andree ([email protected]) or Prof. Gabriel Maracle ([email protected] )
University of Toronto: Roxanne Skye ([email protected]) or Paul Pritchard ([email protected])
York University: Martha L. Stiegman ([email protected])
Nipissing University: Tyson Stewart ([email protected]) and Kirsten Greer ([email protected])
Sponsors:
We are grateful to Camp Wanapitei, the Bruce Hodgins Fund at Trent University, the Indigenous Research Network at the University of Toronto and our donors for their support allowing us to offer this experience to students and staff at this affordable cost. If you would like to donate to the weekend event, please connect with Peter Andree or Stephen Hill (contact info above).
History of Temagami Colloquium
“Nature will certainly triumph. Whether it will triumph over us, or in us and through us, remains to be seen.” Wayland Drew, 1973.
In the summer of 1972, Trent University Professors John Wadland and Bob Page travelled north to meet with their colleague Bruce Hodgins to scout out possibilities for a Canadian Studies field trip at Camp Wanapitei on Lake Temagami. Hodgins was volunteer director of the camp, in addition to being a professor of history at Trent. Apparently, they liked what they saw because by the next fall, September 1973, thirty-five students and a small team of faculty made the trip north to canoe, hike, square dance, and carry on academic discussions about environmental, Indigenous and Canadian issues.
Over the next fifty years, what started as the Canadian Studies 200 field trip evolved into a uniquely Trent tradition. In the intervening years, thousands of people have been drawn to this trip, both from Trent University and other institutions, building a tremendous community of people interested in understanding the land, sustainability, and our human connection to nature.The last ‘Trent’ Temagami Colloquium took place in 2023.
In December of 2024, a group of professors from five institutions (Trent, Carleton, U of T, Nipissing and York) met with Geoff Hodgins, the board Chair from Camp Wanapitei and members of the Teme Augama Anishinaabe (TAA), led by TAA Councillor Mary Laronde, to revive the Temagami Colloquium. The group included Professor Dale Turner of U of Toronto, and Prof. Tyson Stewart of Nipissing University, both members of the TFN and TAA. At that meeting, the group reaffirmed the event’s focus on the history and contemporary issues related to Indigenous self-determination and relations to land and water in N’dakimenan, the traditional territory of the Temagami First Nation (TFN) and Teme Augama Anishinaabe (TAA) in Northern Ontario. The 2025 Temagami Colloquium is the first to be organized by Camp Wanapitei, guided by a steering committee that includes representatives from all five institutions, working in close consultation with the leadership of the TFN and TAA.
The Temagami Colloquium builds on the hard work of John Wadland and Bruce Hodgins. Wadland studied under renowned naturalist and environmentalist John Livingston and was keen for his students to challenge the grand narrative of progress and to, perhaps, reclaim some of their humility toward nature and their understanding of its limits. Hodgins and Wadland (and many, many others) developed a passion for these issues and the Teme-Augama Anishnabai’s ongoing struggle for justice and their lands, particularly through their friendship with former TAA chief Gary Potts.
The Arthur, Trent’s student newspaper, has some articles about the trip written by Nick Weissflog (2015), Lindsay Thackeray (2014), and Catherine Monaghan (2012). Other articles can be found in the Trent Magazine (2015) and 2012