This paper explores adaptive learning networks as a modern approach for developing resource management knowledge through social learning forums. It integrates indigenous knowledge and network theory, based on fieldwork with Anishinaabe First Nations in northwestern Ontario. The paper aims to: 1) critique the representation principle in incorporating indigenous knowledge into resource management, 2) apply network theory to facilitate adaptive learning in a cross-cultural context, and 3) propose a framework for adaptive natural resource management that integrates diverse perspectives on environmental change through social learning.