UH welcomes 3,000 visitors for World Indigenous Conference

University of Hawaiʻi
Contact:
Jodi Leong, (808) 492-0597
Director of Communications, External Affairs and University Relations
Posted: May 19, 2014

UH/community leaders welcome visitors
UH/community leaders welcome visitors
The welcome
The welcome

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VIDEO & AUDIO link: 

WIPcE VNR b-roll.mpeg

WIPcE soundbites.mpeg

 

Educators from all over the world are gathering at the University of Hawai’i this week for the 2014 World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education.

The theme of this year’s conference is E Mau Ana Ka Mo’olelo:  Our Narratives Endure.

UH is hosting the conference at Kapi’olani Community College.  More than 3,000 educators from across the globe are attending the event, which is the largest venue for indigenous education in the world.  Educators will share their expert knowledge and discuss contemporary movements in education that support unique indigenous worldviews.

The conference kicked off today, with a grand opening ceremony at Sans Souci Beach, where representatives of the foreign visitors paddled to shore on four canoes and took part in a kali’i ceremony with university and community leaders onshore. 

The conference continues through Saturday.

For more information on the conference and for the conference schedule, go to:  wipce2014.com

SOUNDBITES:

Lui Hokoana

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, UH West O’ahu

The university of course, one of their core mission statements has to do with making the university a model indigenous serving institution. It's part of that.  Sharing our successes, indigenous education with the world, and bringing it to the forefront to share with them what is possible when a university or institution gets together to support indigenous learners. (:20 seconds)

 

David Lassner

Interim UH President

We're so proud to be the hosts this year, starting with this beautiful welcoming ceremony and our paddlers and the opportunity to welcome our brothers and sisters from other lands and especially the pacific. (:14 seconds)

It's the opportunity to share, for the University of Hawaii, we've adopted a mission statement to be a model indigenous sharing university and this is a fabulous opportunity to share what we have learned and to learn from others around the world, some who are far ahead of us in understanding best practices.  (:18 seconds)

 

Wenix Red Elk

Oregon  

When you have a gathering of indigenous people from all over the world, you have the tops in the profession, you have the tops in the workforce. And you have people who are coming together to take part in something like this and I'm so excited to just having the influence of seeing all these different people. (:12 seconds)

 

Gary Bonney

West Australia

I'd like to go home learning about what the rest of the world is saying with regards to their specific cultures in their corner of their world.  We have our issues where we come from, but sometimes we think we're doing it alone you know, whereas something like this here actually brings people together realizing that we're all together, we all come from the same sort of similar beliefs and cultures.   People like that are joining up worldwide then, it makes a lot of difference. (:16 seconds)

 

VIDEO:

Sans Souci Beach wide shots of the crowd

Canoes coming to shore

Welcoming ceremony

 

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