2026 Indigenous-Led Transboundary Mining Conference

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes are honored to host the fifth Indigenous-Led Transboundary Mining Conference.
About this Event

Welcome to the Conference!

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes are honored to host the 2026 Indigenous-Led Transboundary Mining Conference on September 14-17, 2026 at Edgewater Missoula in Missoula, Montana.

This gathering will bring together Indigenous leaders from across what is also known today as Montana, Idaho, Washington, Alaska and British Columbia, as well as government officials and community partners. We will share information, spend time together on our lands and waters, and explore solutions for transboundary governance regarding the impacts of mines on the lands, waters and communities of our collective transboundary rivers. We must develop a road map to heal and protect all our waters.

As Indigenous leaders, we understand these are not just environmental issues. They are issues of sovereignty, cultural survival, and our right to protect the places that have sustained our people for countless generations. Our waters are the lifeblood of our peoples—from Montana to Idaho, Washington, Alaska and British Columbia—we all share concerns with Indigenous peoples who reside along these same rivers, and collectively, we are stronger together.

The first Indigenous-led Transboundary Mining Conference was hosted by UCUT in Wenatchee, WA in 2022. The second conference was hosted by Lower Similkameen Indian Band in Osoyoos, BC in 2023. The third conference was hosted by the Central Council of Tlingit & Haida in Dzántik’i Héeni (Juneau, Alaska) in 2024. And the fourth conference was hosted by Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it First Nation in Qukin ʔamakʔis in Fernie, BC.

This is the fifth annual gathering of Indigenous leaders, government officials, and regional partners to share knowledge about mining activities in the US-BC transboundary region that are jeopardizing our waters and our communities for generations to come.

These gatherings have provided a diverse and informative set of presentations and panels, highlighting the array of mining projects that currently impact our waterways as well as proposed mining projects that bring additional threats to our way of life.

Registration

Registration is live!

Early Bird Registration Rates – Available through August 14

• $0 – Indigenous Youth and Elders
• $125 – Tribes and First Nations
• $225 – Government, Non-Profit, and Community Organizations
• $325 – Foundations, For-Profit

Regular Registration Rates – Begin on August 15

• $0 – Indigenous Youth and Elders
• $175 – Tribes and First Nations
• $275 – Government, Non-Profit, and Community Organizations
• $375 – Foundations, For-Profit

This event is not open to the public.

Agenda

The conference agenda is available on the conference website here.

Travel

The 2026 Indigenous-Led Transboundary Mining Conference will be held in Missoula, Montana, ancestral territory of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, at Edgewater Missoula. More information about travel is available on the conference website here.

Scholarships

Scholarships for travel or registration costs for Indigenous participants are available. Please reach out to [email protected] if you need scholarship assistance. Please include the name of your Tribe or First Nation.

Sponsorships

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes would like to thank Wilburforce Foundation for their generous support of this event.

Agenda

🕑: 11:30 AM - 06:00 PM
Monday Afternoon, September 14 – Tribes and First Nations Only

Info: Monday Afternoon, September 14 – Tribes and First Nations Only


11:30 AM: Check-In Begins – Tribes and First Nations Only

12:15 PM: Lunch provided

1:00 PM: Prayer and Welcome Remarks

1:15 PM: Knowledge Exchange – Introductions and Updates from Each Tribe and First Nation

2:30 PM: Break

3:00 PM Knowledge Exchange – Introductions and Updates from Each Tribe and First Nation (continued)

3:30 PM: Grounding Discussion

5:00 PM: 60 Minute Break


Monday Evening, September 14 – All Conference Participants


6:00 PM: Welcome Dinner – All Conference Participants

🕑: 07:30 AM - 05:30 PM
Tuesday, September 15

Info: Tuesday, September 15
All Conference Participants Welcome 7:30 AM: Check-In Opens

8:00 AM: Breakfast

8:30 AM: Morning Prayer & Opening Remarks

9:00 AM: Grounding / Daily Overview

9:15 AM: Introduction to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes

9:45 AM: Break

10:00 AM: Session 1 – Waters Impacted: The Taku, Stikine, Unuk, and Salmon Rivers

11:15 AM: Session 2 – Waters Impacted: Co-Led Science and Knowledge in the Northern Watersheds

Noon: Lunch

1:00 PM: Session 3 – Waters Impacted: The Upper Columbia River

2:00 PM: Session 4 – Waters Impacted: The Similkameen River

3:00 PM: Break

3:30 PM: Session 5 – Waters Impacted: The Kootenai/y Watershed
4:15 PM: Session 6 – Waters Impacted: Indigenous-Led Science and Knowledge in the Kootenai/y Watershed
5:00 PM: Film Premier
5:30 PM: End for the Day

🕑: 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Wednesday, September 16

Info: All Conference Participants Welcome 7:30 AM: Morning Ravens: Coffee Talks (details forthcoming)

8:00 AM: Breakfast on your own at the hotel

9:00 AM: Depart for Part 1 – Touring CSKT Lands and Waters

Noon: Conference Lunch at the CSKT River Honoring Site on the Flathead River

1:30 PM: Depart for Part 2 – Touring CSKT Lands and Waters

5:00 PM: Return to Missoula; Dinner in Missoula on your own

🕑: 08:00 AM - 04:00 PM
Thursday, September 17

Info: All Conference Participants Welcome


7:30 AM: Morning Ravens: Coffee Talks (details forthcoming)

8:00 AM: Breakfast

8:30 AM: Welcome and Daily Overview – reflections from the tour

9:00 AM: Session 1 – Elders and Youth Panel: Perspectives on the Legacy of Mines and Mining on Indigenous Lands

and Waters (Past, Present, and Future)

10:30 AM: Break

11:00 AM: Session 2 – Presentation / Panel (details forthcoming)

Noon: Lunch

1:00 PM: Session 3 – Legal Solutions for Addressing Mining Impacts in Indigenous Territories

2:30 PM: Break

3:00 PM: Session 4 – Presentation / Panel (details forthcoming)

4:30 PM: Closure

🕑: 12:30 PM - 08:00 PM
Agenda for the 2026 Indigenous-Led Transboundary Mining Conference

Info: Monday, September 14

12:30 PM: Check-In Begins – Tribes and First Nations Only

1:30-4:30 PM: Conference – Tribes and First Nation Only

5:00 PM: Check-In Begins - All Conference Participants

5:30 PM: Welcome

6:00 PM: Dinner

8:00 PM: Conclusion of Day 1