Thousands attend world’s largest indigenous education conference in Auckland

Source: Radio New Zealand

Indigenous peoples are leaving the world’s largest indigenous education conference (WIPCE) feeling inspired, uplifted and strengthened.

Over the week thousands of indigenous educators descended on Aotea Centre, Tāmaki Makaurau, for the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education 2025 (WIPCE).

Alongside keynote speakers and hundreds of presentations, discussions over the week-long hui have centred on kotahitanga (unity), shared strategy, and the reaffirmation of Indigenous sovereignty.

Miriam Zmiewski-Angelova (Choctaw, Cherokee descendant, Black) travelled from traditional Duwamish territory in Seattle.

Her mahi (work) with Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services brought her to WIPCE as a kaikōrero (speaker).

She told RNZ this week’s experience in Aotearoa has been “life changing,” especially sharing memories and learnings with her tamariki (children).

“We need to do more to make sure that there’s representation of indigenous folks, especially in the places that the education systems are happening in.”

She said it’s an experience “that we don’t have enough of.”

“Many times we’re at these conferences, and we’re desperately trying to find each other. I would love for a conference like this to be every year.”

Barbara Dude (Tlingit) and Margaret Katzeek (Central Council Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska) travelled to Aotearoa from Juneau, Alaska.

They told RNZ they are leaving the conference feeling incredibly inspired.

“It feels like we’re in the right place at the right time, and we needed to hear all these messages,” Dude said.

“Auckland is a big city, and so, I really didn’t know what to expect, but the people and hosts are just amazing.

“To be immersed in the singing and the dancing and rituals, the ceremony has been so uplifting.”

Katzeek said they hope to take back home with them the teachings and words from their ancestors, and other indigenous nations.

“The value of belonging has been really prevalent and that’s something that we really care about – making sure that our kids feel like they belong – so taking that energy back home is really important.”

Lee Breaker (Siksika Nation, Canada) is what he calls a ‘knowledge keeper’ of his peoples First Nations reserve.

This was his first visit to Aotearoa, and he said a big takeaway was experiencing a taste of te ao Māori.

“The Māori people are beautiful,” he said.

“I am learning about the culture of the Māori people right now. And right now, I believe it’s similar to what we do… especially the spiritual side.”

In their culture, they have the traditional practice of powwow – a gathering of Native American and First Nations peoples that involves dancing, singing, and celebration to honour and maintain tikanga, or traditions.

“What we do is a passion. It’s something that I can’t explain.

“We put our heart into our ceremonies back at home. And I see that [Māori] put a lot of heart into their ceremonies here too, learning to sing the songs and learning to understand the dance.”

Kereama Wright (Te Arawa) is a senior member of Ngāti Whakaue – the winning haka rōpū of Te Matatini 2025.

They were set to perform at Te Ao Pūtahi – a free festival taking place alongside the conference in Aotea Square.

He told RNZ kaupapa like WIPCE is hugely important, as it brings indigenous people from across the world together.

“We might be experiencing unprecedented attacks on our culture and on our language and on our lands, but we are better together. We are stronger together,” he said.

This year Wright has been to around six different countries, and he said that as a result of Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke’s viral haka in response to the Treaty Principles Bill, people identify him as Māori wherever he goes.

“That’s why I think it’s important that we come together as indigenous people, so that we can share the trauma, so that we can share the success stories, so that we can share models of education and models of political discourse that might be beneficial to other indigenous cultures.”

He said it’s also important to come together as one to give each other some “awhiawhi, hugs and kisses.”

Te Tai Tokerau leader Hone Harawira told RNZ, the importance of language revitalisation remained a core focus of the week-long hui.

“The language is the portal to your independence,” he said.

“Without an understanding of the reo, you can’t truly understand rangatiratanga, you can’t truly understand those principles which make us the special people that we are.

“You can learn about them in an academic way, but if you follow the reo, you can hold on to its principles.”

He encourages whānau to not “just chase around the edges,” and instead have the courage to challenge themselves to be a bit better every day, so that our children, our grandchildren, our great-grandchildren can see role models that they can feel comfortable aspiring to.”

“Charge into the reo, build your next generation so that those who do take over have something that we just struggled to have.”

The next WIPCE will take place in Hawai’i in 2028.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand