As Earth Observation systems increasingly integrate artificial intelligence to monitor ecosystems, biodiversity, and species dynamics, there is a growing need for governance approaches that address not only what is measured, but who defines meaning, authority, responsibility, and use. Many biodiversity monitoring systems are built around biophysical indicators, yet Indigenous communities often understand ecological change through relationships: between species, land, water, memory, responsibility, stewardship, and future generations.

This Community Event will present work led by the GEO Indigenous Alliance in collaboration with Space4Innovation, with support from Environment and Climate Change Canada, to advance Indigenous-led approaches to relational ecological values and ethical AI governance in biodiversity monitoring.. The session will introduce two connected areas of work: a methodology for identifying and structuring relational values in ways that can inform EBV/EESV conversations, and an Indigenous-led Ethical AI Biodiversity Toolkit designed to support consent, accountability, benefit-sharing, interpretation, and Indigenous data sovereignty before biodiversity data is collected, shared, or used in AI systems.

The event will be grounded in Indigenous case studies, including buffalo restoration, relational accountability, Indigenous economies, land stewardship, and community-led decision-making. These examples will help illustrate why relational values are not abstract concepts, but practical dimensions of biodiversity governance, environmental monitoring, and responsible technology design.

The session will also explore how Indigenous-led methodologies, toolkits, and knowledge resources could be shared responsibly through GEO systems, including the GEO Knowledge Hub. Rather than creating parallel systems, the event will consider how Indigenous oversight, governance, and interpretive authority can strengthen existing GEO biodiversity, data, and knowledge-sharing architectures.

The interactive feedback session will gather input from the GEO community on practical outputs, implementation pathways, and governance considerations for applying the relational values methodology and Ethical AI Biodiversity Toolkit across GEO initiatives, biodiversity monitoring partnerships, and knowledge-sharing platforms. Participants will reflect on the guidance, safeguards, and institutional support needed to ensure that Indigenous-led tools are used responsibly within EO and AI-enabled biodiversity systems.

The event aims to identify practical pathways for responsible engagement between the GEO community and Indigenous-led biodiversity, EO, and AI governance work. Expected outcomes include feedback on the relational values methodology and Ethical AI Biodiversity Toolkit, clearer understanding of how these resources could be shared through GEO knowledge systems, and identification of potential next steps for piloting, adapting, or supporting the work with GEO partners.

Welcome and Indigenous-led Framing of the Community Event (Moderator: James Rattling Leaf Sr.)

Case Study 1: Buffalo restoration, relational values, and Indigenous governance (James Rattling Leaf Sr.)

Case Study 2: Indigenous economies, land stewardship, and community-led decision-making (Gwen Bridge)

From Case studies to Tools: The GEO Indigenous Alliance relational values methodology and Ethical AI Biodiversity Toolkit (Diana Mastracci)

GEO Knowledge Hub Pathway: How Indigenous-led methodologies and toolkits could be shared responsibly through GEO systems (Paola De Salvo)

Audience Q&A

Interactive Feedback Session: Testing the relational values methodology and Ethical AI Biodiversity Toolkit with GEO participants

Closing Reflections and Next Steps for GEO Partners (moderator)