Pál Weihe and Sylvia Moore to Headline Thematic Plenary Session on Indigenous Peoples and Northern Communities

The UArctic Congress 2026 presents the first of five thematic plenary sessions: Indigenous Peoples and Northern Communities, featuring keynote contributions from Dr. Pál Weihe and Dr. Sylvia Moore.

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The session will feature keynote contributions from Dr. Pál Weihe and Dr. Sylvia Moore, and prioritizes the participation and empowerment of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in the context of health, culture and identity. Topics include Indigenous self-determination, public health, medical preparedness, inclusion of traditional/Indigenous knowledge, and mental and social well-being. Additional areas of discussion include youth engagement, sustainable community development, cultural heritage preservation as well as contemporary cultural and artistic expressions.

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The plenary session will be chaired by Bergur Djurhuus Hansen, Associate Professor at the University of the Faroe Islands, and will bring together Gunn-Britt Retter, Head of the Arctic and Environment Unit at the Saami Council; Malou Platou Johansen, Lecturer at the University of Greenland; Heather Agnatok, Programme Coordinator and UArctic Fellow; and Liisa Holmberg, Special Advisor for the Arctic Indigenous Cinema Master’s Programme. Together with the keynote speakers, they will form a panel offering a broad and interdisciplinary dialogue on current challenges and opportunities across the North.