Global indigenous unity and knowledge through education returns to Aotearoa for WIPCE

Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland will become the centre of indigenous knowledge, connection, and celebration as more than 3800 educators and leaders from Aotearoa New Zealand and around the globe gather for the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education (WIPCE) 2025.

The summit returns to Aotearoa for the first time in two decades and will feature national and international keynote speakers, academic and community presentations, networking sessions, symposiums, panel discussions, seminars, workshops, cultural excursions, and a village marketplace. The conference will conclude with a closing ceremony.

Hosted by Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makaurau | Auckland University of Technology (AUT) alongside Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, WIPCE will take place at the Aotea Centre from 16 to 20 November.

Toeolesulusulu Professor Damon Salesa (Satapuala, Neiafu, and Falealupo - Sāmoa) , AUT Vice-Chancellor, says on the WIPCE website that AUT has a “deep, enduring and committed relationship with Māori and is committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi”.

“It is with privilege that we host and welcome WIPCE back to Aotearoa New Zealand for the first time in 20 years with the opportunity to celebrate and foster cross-cultural exchange, rejuvenate traditions, and ignite innovative Indigenous approaches to education.

“As it is said in Sāmoa, ‘le malu le vai i lou finagalo’ - may your mind be like cool water’.”

Opening on Sunday with a pōhiri and a Parade of Nations - a colourful procession down Queen Street where delegates from multiple cultures will showcase their traditional attire.

A joint statement from the four co-chairs of WIPCE 2025, including Toesolesulusulu, Dr Noe Noe Wong-Wilson, Dr Bentham Ohia, and Professor Meihana Durie, highlights the importance of this moment for indigenous people across the world.

“As we head into final preparations for WIPCE 2025, we acknowledge the hard work and collective effort that has brought us to this point. WIPCE is about celebrating and affirming a shared sense of Indigenous determination and unity,” the joint statement reads.

Jenna Te Ariki, a student at The University of Auckland, performs at WIPCE 2025 launch in May. Photo/Supplied

“WIPCE is also a time to draw inspiration from the power of Indigenous ceremony, language, culture and scholarship and to reimagine the future of Indigenous education through sharing our deepest experiences, our distinctive histories and bold visions for the future.”

Together with the iwi manaaki, they look forward to welcoming manuhiri (visitors) to Aotearoa and in particular, “to Tāmaki Makaurau, a city that is home to the largest number of Pacific people in the world”.

In 1987, Vancouver, Canada, hosted elders and knowledge keepers who established the community-focused purpose of WIPCE. Since then, the movement has united Indigenous educators, leaders, and knowledge keepers to honour, preserve, and advance indigenous education.

The themes throughout the week-long event include education systems and practices, science and technology, health and wellbeing, politics, self-determination and decolonisation, cultural arts, youth, and linguistics revitalisation. The conference will feature an impressive line-up of Māori and Pacific keynote speakers, including Linda Tuhiwai-Smith, a Distinguished Professor at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, Dr Ella Henry, Cliff Curtis, actor and producer, and Eru Kapa-Kingi, an influential voice in youth politics.

Among the academics participating is Dr Teina Rongo (Cook Islands Māori), who is the chairperson and co-founder of the environmental NGO, Kōrero o te `Ōrau, based in Rarotonga. Rongo will discuss environmental and climate issues.

Dr Teina Rongo. Photo/Supplied

Dr Jonathan Kay Kamakawiwo'ole Osorio, a native Hawaiian educator, composer, and leading voice in the Kanaka Maoli movement for ea (sovereignty), will also present as a guest speaker, sharing insights into the diverse yet unified Kanaka Maoli efforts towards sovereignty.

Durie says the event is an extraordinary opportunity to showcase indigenous scholarship and unity on a global scale. “Although it is clear that Indigenous rights remain under immense threat, this gathering unites Indigenous educators, scholars and champions from across the world.

“Amplifying Indigenous voices and aspirations to transcend barriers that limit our collective potential, and more importantly, to achieve transformative inter-generational outcomes for indigenous education worldwide.

“WIPCE is really about thinking about the future and how we navigate it collectively as Indigenous people. Our greatest strength comes through our unification.”

Beyond its cultural and academic value, WIPCE 2025 is expected to provide a major boost to the city’s economy.

Nick Hill, the Chief Executive of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, says the conference will be the largest academic event ever held in Aotearoa.

“WIPCE 2025 has the highest number of attendees ever recorded at an academic conference in New Zealand,” Hill says. “The conference is expected to contribute $8.275 million to Auckland’s economy and generate more than 16,600 visitor nights.

“In addition, this gathering reflects our identity as the world’s largest Māori and Polynesian city, enriched by more than 200 ethnicities. We are committed to sharing knowledge that connects us all.”

For those unable to attend the conference, the celebrations will extend into the heart of the city with Te Ao Pūtahi, a vibrant and free public festival at Aotea Square, where there will be free hands-on creative workshops, storytelling sessions, and selling kai and gifts.

The Pacific stallholders attending include contemporary stationery business, Kākou Collective, Tongan accessories by Koloa Jewellery, the Cook Islands’ Kora Pearls, digital storytelling from Pacific Kids’ Learning, Siah Finai, a Sāmoan artist, Solomon Islands Crafts, and plenty of Pacific cuisine specialities.

Audiences can enjoy kapa haka performances from groups like Ngā Tumanako, winners of Te Matatini 2019, with live music from artists including Corrella, Jackson Owens, Betty-Anne, and IA.

Registrations to attend WIPCE 2025 have closed. Te Ao Pūtahi is free, open to all, and runs from 16 to 20 November at Aotea Square.