The Elder and Knowledge Holders Council

About The Council

The Elder and Knowledge Holders Council supports 2SiMS with relational, cultural, and experiential guidance that comes from years of working in community. The council helps to shape planning, strengthen partnerships, support community visits, and offer insight about safety, expectations, and regional realities. Their knowledge ensures that our work reflects the teachings, experiences, and priorities shared with us across communities and Nations.

Who Is Our Council

Our Elder and Knowledge Holder Council is made up of knowledge carriers from different Nations and regions who support 2SiMS with relational guidance, community insight, and lived experience. Each person brings teachings from their nation, homelands, and protocols. Together, they help strengthen how 2SiMS responds to community needs, priorities, and day-to-day realities.

What The Elder and Knowledge Holder Council Does

  • Guides planning for gatherings, regional visits, and national projects, ensuring decisions reflect community realities across different Nations and territories

  • Supports conversations about safety, expectations, and community needs, especially during programs and travel

  • Offers relational context that strengthens how 2SiMS responds to concerns, whether they arise from community members, youth, partners, or within staff teams

  • Helps staff navigate situations that require cultural or experiential knowledge, including matters involving ceremony, regional teachings, or intergenerational dynamics

  • Provides insight about how programs, communications, and partnerships may be understood across regions, helping our work land in a good way

  • Supports relationship-building with Indigenous and 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations, offering guidance about how to move respectfully and responsibly in shared spaces