Indigenous Placekeeping: Regenerative Design Frameworks

This webinar by Wanda Dalla Costa (Saddle Lake First Nation, founder of Indigenous Design Collaborative, Principal at Tawaw Architecture Collective) and Jeffrey Dean Roberts (Cherokee Nation, founder of Earthwise Design) details the Indigenous Placekeeping Framework, a holistic methodology contrasting linear Western design by embedding cultural, spiritual, and relational dimensions from project inception. Unlike conventional processes focused on efficiency and extraction, Placekeeping starts with relational accountability—mapping connections to land, ancestors, and community through ceremonies and storytelling to inform site-specific regenerative outcomes. Key steps include: 1) Ceremonial grounding to honor Indigenous protocols, establishing consent from the land; 2) Holistic site analysis incorporating living systems views, assessing not just physical attributes but energetic flows, historical traumas, and future kinship responsibilities; 3) Co-design with Native-led teams using consensus models rooted in governance traditions like the Haudenosaunee Great Law of Peace; 4) Material selections prioritizing local, regenerative sources (e.g., cedar for structural integrity and medicine); 5) Iterative evaluation via relational metrics like community well-being and ecological reciprocity, not just ROI. The Indigenous Model of Design and Living Systems Framework integrates circular economies, viewing buildings as living entities that give back—e.g., green roofs with native pollinator plants, rainwater systems feeding wetlands, and passive solar aligned with seasonal ceremonies. Practical details from decades of application include case examples of architecture enhancing resilience: trauma-informed spaces with circular layouts for healing circles, biophilic elements drawing from Indigenous patterns for mental health, and adaptive reuse honoring layered land histories. Roberts emphasizes Indigenous leadership's role in industry transformation, providing tools like framework checklists for practitioners to audit projects against regenerative criteria. Learning objectives equip participants with actionable insights: recognizing Indigenous perspectives' value in boosting biodiversity (20-30% via native plantings), cultural continuity, and long-term viability. This expert analysis offers field-tested protocols for architects and planners to implement regenerative design, fostering self-sufficiency through sovereignty-affirming practices.