CAFÉ 2026 Panel: Indigenous Knowledge and Design

Join the Canadian Architecture Forums on Education at 6:00 PM on March 20, 2026, at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, University of Toronto, Main Hall, for a thought-provoking panel featuring Erik Skouris, Trina Moyan and Johl Whiteduck Ringuette, moderated by Julien Todd. The session is part of the 2026 Canadian Architecture Forums on Education (CAFÉ), presented by the Canadian Architecture Students Association (CASA-ACÉA) across Toronto, Halifax, Winnipeg and Montréal.

Free for Students, Interns & All Self-identifying Indigenous Community Members, $10 for Industry Professionals & Faculty (Non-Profit)

Erik Skouris is an Anishinaabe Ojibwe architect from Michipicoten First Nation (Bear Clan) who practices at Two Row Architect. He serves as the Greater Toronto Area representative on the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Indigenous Task Force, with a focus on Indigenous perspectives in architecture. In Fall 2024 and 2025, he taught Advanced Architecture Studio at the Department of Architectural Science at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Trina Moyan is an Elder in the Daniels First Peoples Leadership Advisory Group, an artist, and an activist who is nehiyaw iskwew (Plains Cree) from the Frog Lake First Nation in Alberta. She is a co-founder of Bell & Bernard, a Toronto-based First Nations consulting firm. Her career began as a writer and producer for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), and she co-produced and directed the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards (now Indspire) for CBC Television. Moyan also works as a muralist and traditional dancer, and is a University of Toronto alumna.

Johl Whiteduck Ringuette is an Anishnawbe and Algonquin designer and food sovereignist from North Bay, Ontario (Mink Clan), with roots in Nipissing First Nation. He is a co-founder of Miinikaan Innovation & Design and owner of NishDish Catering. His work includes land-based culinary education through the Ojibiikaan Indigenous Culinary Arts Program. Ringuette is also a co-founder of Red Urban Nation (RUN) and the Toronto Indigenous Business Association (TIBA).

Julien Todd is a Métis student from the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design at the University of Toronto, who grew up in Lethbridge, Alberta. He leads the Daniels Indigenous Design Coalition and is a member of the Indigenous Students’ Association at the University of Toronto. Julien is also a member of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Indigenous Task Force, and CASA-ACÉA is honoured to have Julien as the CAFÉ Student Indigenous Relations Advisor.

About the Canadian Architecture Forums on Education (CAFÉ)

In March 2026, the Canadian Architecture Students Association (CASA-ACÉA) is honoured to present CAFÉ Indigenous Knowledge and Design at the University of Toronto, Dalhousie University, McGill University, the University of Manitoba, and Toronto Metropolitan University. The series of events will bring vital Canadian conversations to the forefront. They promise to be an important moment in highlighting important local Indigenous voices and bringing meaningful perspectives to students across the nation. CASA-ACÉA is an independent, non-profit, bilingual, and student-led organization. Their mission is to connect and advocate for the community of architecture students across Canada by supporting, promoting, and profiling student success. In shaping this next set of forums, CASA-ACÉA has selected the theme and is curating the conversations for the coming forums, in consultation with influential Indigenous voices in architecture across Canada. CAFÉ is an outreach project launched in 2019 by Dr. Lisa Landrum in Manitoba. Previous forums addressed national themes, including Architecture Policy for Canada (2019–2020), Equity in Architecture (2022) and CAFÉ Housing (2025).

CAFÉ 2026 Indigenous Knowledge and Design

CAFÉ 2026 responds to the need for stronger representation of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives within architectural education. Canada’s built environment continues to be shaped by colonial systems that have historically overlooked Indigenous ways of knowing, land stewardship, and place-based design. Through a national platform bringing together Indigenous architects, educators, and knowledge keepers, CAFÉ 2026 creates space for reflection, dialogue, and learning, supporting meaningful conversations on Indigenous-led design and practice within the Canadian architectural context.