July 30 – August 8, 2025. Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, hosted an art-science meeting of Northern Indigenous knowledge holders: artists, singers, dancers, and scholars from Russia, Mongolia, Canada, Estonia, and USA. The goal of the meeting was to share knowledge on Indigenous cultural landscapes and think through methodologies that help document such knowledge for the communities. The program combined academic formats – scientific presentations and wokrshops – with traditional forms of knowledge sharing through stories, songs, dances, and collaborative crafts.
Highlights included:
- art-science panel on “Rethinking Cultural Landscapes Amid Climate Change Through Time and Space”
- visit with the water laboratory of the Mongolian Institute of Geography and Geoecology
- discussions around creation stories and their meaning to cultural landscapes of Northern Indigenous Peoples;
- screening of the film Elvel and follow up creative workshops exploring shadow theater and stop-motion animation;
- workshop on direct-to-digital mapping in Google Earth;
- collaborative music session with renowned musician and throat singer Bayarbaatar Bavuudorj
- dance workshops with Itelmen dance group “Elvel”
- art workshops on shadow puppetry, grass weaving, salmon skin sewing, throat singing
The gathering was hosted by the Mongolian Institute of Geography and Geoecology of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences and the Mongolian National University of Education. Meeting participants had amazing opportunities to immerse into the Mongolian culture through visiting with nomadic culture camp, National Museum of Mongolia and engaging with Mongolian artists and scientists.