(HSHK) at the University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ welcomed more than 100 Indigenous educators from around the world for the annual (WINHEC) 2024 conference. The five-day event, held September 27–30, attracted educators from as far as Norway, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Australia, and Canada, to share cultural ʻike (knowledge) and practices in Indigenous education.
“This is why it¡¯²õ so important for K¨¡naka Maoli to own the fact that we are Indigenous native peoples and that we have the spiritual connection to the land, to the waters, to our ancestors that is so similar to Saami, Apache, M¨¡ori regardless of where people come from,” said Jon Osorio, dean of Â鶹´«Ã½nuiākea.
WINHEC, first established in 2002 in Alberta, Canada, is a global effort to advance Indigenous studies in higher education. The conference serves as a forum for members of Indigenous-serving institutions to discuss Indigenous philosophies and knowledge systems. While most of the 2024 conference took place in Waik¨©k¨©, a key breakout session was an all day cultural experience at the ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ campus at , the site of HSHK¡¯²õ loʻi kalo (taro patch) and cultural garden.
ʻĀina-based education
During the session, participants engaged in hands-on learning led by Â鶹´«Ã½nuiākea haum¨¡na (students), who demonstrated traditional kalo cultivation, the importance of our water systems, and traditional imu (underground) cooking methods. Â鶹´«Ã½nuiākea, home to the nation¡¯²õ largest Indigenous studies program, deeply values ʻāina-based learning¡ªeducation rooted in the land, its resources, and people.
“The things that our ancestors knew about how to live off of this land, we believe are becoming increasingly important to sustain us for many generations,” Osorio added.
Among the attendees was Bashqwaa-idaamoqwe Roxanne Delille, an Ojibwe from Minnesota and dean of Indigenous and Academic Affairs at Fond du Lac Tribal Community College.
“When we think about that old knowledge, how do we pick that back up again and reclaim it so that we become stronger in who we are,” Delille said. “That¡¯²õ the beauty of it!”
Accreditation achievement
On the final day of the conference, Â鶹´«Ã½nuiākea received a prestigious renewal of a 10-year WINHEC accreditation, honoring the school¡¯²õ dedication to preserving and revitalizing Indigenous knowledge.
