Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica), a hardy, adaptable plant native to Asia, is often labeled as aggressive and as a result is rapidly removed across North America. Western environmental frameworks tend to cast non-native species as ecological villains, giving little attention to their histories of introduction or the colonial forces that moved them. This research reframes Japanese knotweed as a relocated being shaped by human disturbance and colonial legacies and invites a broader understanding of how mechanical removal influences its role in an ecosystem. Though perspectives of non-natives differ across and within Indigenous communities, there is a desire present, as is with the Anishnaabe, “to not judge plants and animals for attributes beyond their control.” Their approach, as part of the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) connecting Indigenous communities, stems from the understanding of humans and plants as “kincentrically related,” with each part being essential to the livelihood of the whole. Working to understand how non-natives fit within TEK may elicit much diversity, among and within Nipmuc Bands, about the place of non-native species that are increasingly becoming widespread in their ancestral homeland and in the land areas they steward today. Drawing on interviews, ecological plot studies, and collaborative conversations, this research explores the relational way of understanding non-native species that TEK offers. In partnership with the Hassanamisco Nipmuc Band, we explore how relationships to Japanese knotweed shift when viewed through Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). I consider how language, management practices, and use influence Nipmuc understandings of Japanese knotweed. I share concluding insights from my summer research, including the effects of different management strategies on the plant’s behavior, and how these outcomes may shape shifting views of the plant’s place in the ecosystem.