Decolonizing Learning Club: Nibi Gathering
Posted: November 9, 2026
LWF staff recently attended the Nibi Gathering, as part of our Decolonizing Learning Club. For the past few years, we have shared in this learning opportunity, providing our team with a deeper understanding of the Indigenous knowledge systems that have guided relationships with water since the beginning of time. Our Programs Coordinator, Fallon Edinborough, reflects on what she has learned from the gathering over the years.
Attending last year's Nibi gathering is an experience I feel deeply grateful for. The gathering reminded me of the importance of water and our roles and responsibilities in relation to it, and my reflections afterwards made me think about how I approach learning itself.
During our staff discussion, I began to recognize how focused on work I had been throughout the gathering. As I listened to other team members talk about their ability to leave everything at the door in order to really experience the day, I found myself realizing that I had been more concentrated on questions like, “What is the goal I’m looking for?”, “How is this going to benefit me?”, and “How can I capture this and bring it back to the team?”. I was approaching the day with the expectation that I needed to come away with tangible takeaways. Those expectations had taken over, preventing me from being present and open to what I might learn.
Our discussion helped me recognize the value of slowing down and approaching learning with greater openness. I was reminded that not every experience needs to produce tangible outcomes to be meaningful. Hearing what resonated with others reinforced how my ability to learn following an event. I feel fortunate to work for an organization that creates space for these types of conversations.
Attending the Nibi gathering had also got me thinking about how I interact with water through my work. As the coordinator for our community-based monitoring network, part of my job involves taking samples from different streams and rivers throughout Manitoba. Sometimes my days can feel rushed as I move from one sampling site to the next, trying to get through everything as quickly as possible. At the time, I didn’t see an issue with this. I wanted to beat the traffic heading back into the city or get out of the hot sun or rainy weather as quickly as I could.
I began to realize that I wasn’t taking the time to really engage with my surroundings or appreciate the environment in a meaningful way. I feel very grateful to have a job where I can spend so much time outdoors, however, I started to recognize that in someways I had begun to take this for granted.
Something that I once felt lucky to experience had gradually become part of my everyday routine, something I expected rather than something I was actively appreciating.
I started making a conscious effort to change my behaviour when I would go out into the field. When I get to each site, I take my time. I don’t rush through the sampling process but instead take in my surroundings. I pay attention to the movement of the water and the landscape, and I appreciate all that it gives us.
We care so deeply for Lake Winnipeg, and each river and stream we sample is connected to it. I’ve gotten to know our sampling sites quite well over time, including how they behave during different rainfall events. I try to take in what they are experiencing and am appreciative of the water samples they provide me with.
Slowing down at each sampling site may seem like a small change, but it has made a meaningful difference in how I approach my work and how I connect with the water around me.