The opening session of the 2026 Quality in the Built Environment Winnipeg Convention brings together Elder Albert D. Marshall and architect Richard Kroeker for a wide-ranging conversation about how Indigenous ways of knowing can reshape the way we understand quality in the built environment. At the heart of the discussion is Two-Eyed Seeing which is the practice of drawing on the strengths of Indigenous and Western knowledge systems together, and the related principles of kinship, reciprocity, relationship, and responsibility. Through stories of architecture, education, land, materials, and community, the speakers challenge conventional approaches that treat buildings as isolated objects and instead invite us to see them as part of dynamic relationships between people, place, materials, ecosystems, and future generations.
The conversation then opens to the room, bringing students, educators, architects, researchers, ecologists, and community members into a discussion about reconciliation and meaningful action. Topics range from Indigenous representation in architectural education and the role of elders and land-based learning, to accessibility, environmental protection, land ownership, housing, energy use, economic values, and the structural barriers that shape design and policy. Throughout, the session returns to a central challenge: moving beyond discussion toward action, and rethinking the built environment as an opportunity for restoration rather than destruction. Above all, Elder Marshall calls on participants, particularly the next generation, to know who they are, learn from multiple ways of knowing, work collectively, and consider how their decisions can benefit both people and the natural world for generations to come.
You can watch the recording of the session below:
