Expanding the convergence canon: indigenous knowledge systems and place-based convergence research in Lake Superior’s Keweenaw Bay, USA

This study presents results from an NSF-funded convergence research project conducted in partnership with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, USA. While convergence research frameworks often emphasize deep integration, we argue that participatory, place-based, and community-led convergence requires maintaining an integrity of difference. Through a systematic literature review, surveys and semi-structured interviews, we examined how team members operationalized convergence research and the Tribal Landscape System (TLS) framework. Across these data sources, convergence emerged as a negotiated practice shaped by distinct roles, institutional responsibilities, and long-term partnership commitments. Our findings demonstrate that ethical engagement, adaptive collaboration, and sustained commitments support knowledge co-production in Indigenous-university partnerships. Incorporating these elements into convergence frameworks strengthens community-led research and improves the design and evaluation of collaborative projects.