Photo © Angela Gzowski

Today, for the first time since 2019, the Indigenous Connectivity Summit is back in-person as the community gathers in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada for the sixth annual event.

Indigenous community members and leaders, network operators, researchers, and policymakers will work together this week towards a common goal of connecting Indigenous communities in the US and Canada to fast, affordable, and sustainable Internet.

This year’s Summit marks a significant milestone as it transitions to a truly community-led event, under the leadership of the new Indigenous Connectivity Institute, formed to ensure Indigenous communities have the capacity, support, knowledge, and financial resources needed to drive digital equity solutions in their respective communities, on their own terms, and under their own leadership.

At the very first Summit organised by the Internet Society in Santa Fe in 2017, we couldn’t have envisioned how impactful this event would become. But we did know that it would ultimately have to be led by the community, and I’m pleased to see that happen this year with the Institute taking the lead role in managing the Summit. 

This year’s Summit will feature workshops, lightning talks and panel discussions on issues Indigenous communities face as they work to access the internet on their own terms, including broadband mapping, spectrum sovereignty, and building off-grid networks. 

Beyond the formal program, what really makes the Summit special is the opportunity for participants to meet, get to know each other, and build lasting community. After two years of virtual events, I know many of us are excited to be able to finally get to speak face-to-face. Many long-lasting relationships have been made at the Summit over the past six years, and those relationships have resulted in real change for communities across North America. 

Follow along on the livestream

For those unable to attend in-person, the Summit will be livestreamed  from 9:00am CDT Tuesday 25th – Thursday 27th. The stream will also be available to watch on-demand so you can catch up on sessions you don’t want to miss.

Developing policy recommendations

The Summit will culminate in the development of policy recommendations designed to advance an environment that enables Indigenous communities to drive their own connectivity solutions. After the Summit, draft recommendations will be open for review and comment before being finalized. These recommendations will then form the basis of our advocacy in the coming months.

To receive an email alert when the draft recommendations are open for comment, sign up to emails from the Indigenous Connectivity Institute.

For updates from the Summit, follow along on Twitter @connect_fund.