The Knight Lecture is one of the University of Manitoba's most prestigious lecture programs, intended to enrich academic life and discourse by inviting great thinkers and leaders to our campus to challenge our perceptions. It is free and open to all.
Dr. Kimmerer is a botanist, member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Distinguished Teaching Professor Emerita at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, founder of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment, and a MacArthur Fellow. She is also the bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass, which has inspired millions of readers through its exploration of Indigenous knowledge, ecological stewardship and our relationship with the natural world.
Her lecture, The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World, explores the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of Indigenous ways of knowing and the gift economy. Drawing on her experiences harvesting serviceberries alongside birds and other members of the natural community, Kimmerer invites audiences to reconsider economic systems rooted in scarcity and competition and imagine new possibilities grounded in gratitude, interconnectedness and mutual flourishing.
Through the lens of the serviceberry tree, Kimmerer examines how abundance is created through sharing. By distributing its wealth of berries throughout the natural community, the tree helps sustain others while ensuring its own survival. Her lecture challenges us to consider what we value most and what we might learn from Indigenous wisdom and the plant world as we navigate today's social and environmental challenges.
What: The Fall 2026 Distinguished Knight Lecture featuring Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer
When: October 19, 2026, from 2 to 4 p.m. Doors open at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Desautels Concert Hall, Fort Garry campus, 150 Dafoe Rd.
Cost: Free to attend.
Dr. Kimmerer will be available for a book signing following the event. Bring your own copy or purchase one on site.
Registration information will be available soon. Seating is limited and advance registration is strongly encouraged.
