It was a huge week for Tā Timoti Kāretu at WIPCE 2025. He says that this year’s conference feels different, and more like a whare wānanga, a space where researchers and educators come together to share what they know.
“Ko ngā mea tuatahi o ēnei āhutanga o ēnei momo hui ko te reo”, says Kāretu.
Reinforcing one of the goals of Indigenous language revitalisation for many in attendance.
Kāretu stresses that what really matters is the conversations between iwi and what each is doing to keep their language strong. “He aha ngā tikanga kei te tukuna, he aha ngā tikanga kei te puritia,“ says Kāretu.
He also reflects on Indigenous communities still struggling with their languages.
In his experience, learning and speaking native languages in daycare centres and schools is what will help sustain it. Without that foundation, languages risk being lost.
WIPCE 2025 an eye-opening experience
Kevin “Bubba” Martin from Six Nations, Ontario, Canada, says watching different communities share their strategies and successes has inspired him to bring new ideas home. He describes the conversations as invaluable for someone working to revitalise their own language.
“That commitment and dedication, what people are doing, sharing, showcasing, that’s huge for me,“ Martin.
Phil Beaumont, a Native American from Montana, recalls the struggles he faced learning his language as a child. Today, he sees change. Children in his community are starting school, learning their first language, not just English. For him, that early engagement is what will ensure the survival of Indigenous languages for generations to come.
Te Anga Whakamua ki WIPCE 2028
Ka tū te WIPCE e whai ake nei ki Hawai‘i i te tau 2028, he wā anō hei hui, hei whakawhiti whakaaro, ā, hei whakapakari i te ora o ngā reo taketake.
E ai ki a Kāretu, ia tau ka whakapūmau te whakaaro kotahi: ka tupu, ka ora te reo i te wā e ūngia ana e te hapori, ka tohatohahia ngā mātauranga, ā, ka ako tonu tētahi ki tētahi.
