February 3, 2026
Canadian delegation from top to bottom, left to right: David Garneau, Keith Carlson, Harpell Montgomery, Jaris Swidrovich, Frank Deer, Annie Pullen Sansfaçon, Kahsennarò:roks Maddy Deom, Aimée Craft, Jennifer Brant, Margaret Kovach, Jeremy Patzer, Francoise Baylis, Kisha Supernant, Marie Battiste, Sheryl Lightfoot, Marti Ford and Victoria Dearborn.
By Kahsennarò:roks Deom (Kanien’keha:ka), Graduate Student, UBC
In November 2025, I joined Dr. Margaret Kovach (Nêhiyaw, Saulteaux), Professor in UBC’s Faculty of Education, and Indigenous scholars from across the country, to represent Canada at the Taikura Tri-Academy Indigenous Summit in Aotearoa (New Zealand), held on the ancestral lands of the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei (Māori).
As a master’s student in Indigenous Fisheries, this was my first time presenting at this stage of my academic journey. Doing so in such a supportive and affirming space—among Indigenous scholars deeply committed to Indigenous research—was a meaningful and validating experience. Below, I share my reflections on the summit.
About the Summit
The Taikura Summit was the second of three planned gatherings, following an initial meeting in Vancouver in 2024 hosted by the Royal Society of Canada. It brought together Indigenous academics from the Royal Society Te Apārangi (Aotearoa/New Zealand), the Australian Academy of Science and the Royal Society of Canada to share research, strengthen connections and engage more broadly with Indigenous scholars across disciplines.
What Made This Summit Different
Hosted by Professors Tahu Kukutai (Ngāti Tiipa, Ngāti Māhanga, Ngāti Kinohaku, Te Aupōuri) and Emeritus Professor Poia Rewi (Ngāti Manawa, Tūhoe, Te Arawas), the summit differed from a traditional academic conference. Rather than only listening to presentations over several days, participants engaged in meaningful dialogue and relationship-building through workshops and discussions. Dr. Kukutai described the summit as a chance to “collectivize”—a term that stayed with me throughout the gathering.
The summit opened with a pōwhiri (welcoming ceremony) led by Māori students from the Auckland University of Technology. Opening ceremonies at Indigenous gatherings ground us in community and ancestral teachings, reminding us of what is central. A youth-led pōwhiri embodied this spirit and allowed guests to learn what is important to Māori.
The program included talks and panels by Indigenous academics from all three countries, as well as Tongan and Samoan scholars. Speakers shared their research and experiences on the themes of Leading and Shaping International Research Agendas, Transforming Academia for Indigenous Peoples and Indigenizing the Academy.
Key Moments and Learnings
A highlight of the summit was the keynote by distinguished professors Sir Tā Hirini Moko Mead (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Manawa, Tūhourangi) and his daughter, Linda Tuhiwai Smith (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Porou). They shared stories about the traumas of academia in Aotearoa, including the Native school system, which sought to assimilate Māori children by teaching English—paralleling Canada’s residential school system.
They emphasized how colonization disrupted intergenerational knowledge-sharing. Today, children often rely primarily on parents for learning, rather than learning collectively from grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins and the extended community, as was more common in pre-colonial times.
They also stressed the importance of community-oriented education, prompting me to reflect on similarities with Canada and how village- and community-based learning might be better emphasized in higher education.
They concluded by reminding us that engaging with Indigenous languages is essential to engaging with Indigenous knowledge systems. Because these systems were created in our languages before colonization, they contain a depth of meaning that English cannot fully convey.
Language as a Central Theme
Language emerged as a powerful theme throughout the summit. With delegates representing many Nations and countries, language was central to our conversations, and many speakers incorporated their languages into their presentations.
Professor Frank Deer (Kanien’kehá:ka, University of Manitoba) opened with the Ohèn:ton Karihwatéhkwen in Kanien’ke:ha—“the words before all else.” Professor Clint Bracknell (Noongar, University of Western Australia), a song-maker, discussed co-creating a play entirely in Noongar, based on Macbeth. Professor Tom Calma (Kungarakan, Iwaidja, Woolwonga and former Chancellor of the University of Canberra) reflected on the disappearance of Aboriginal languages, noting the beauty of fluent Māori speakers alongside the reality that the language remains under threat.
Each Indigenous language exists in a different state of fluency, yet all have been profoundly affected by colonization. These moments reinforced how closely language is tied to culture, knowledge and connection.
Additional Highlights
Many other moments stood out for me. Associate Professor Daniel Hikuroa (Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti, Whanaunga, University of Auckland) spoke about the responsibility of being a good ancestor across generations. Professor James Ward (Pitjantjatjara, Narungga, University of Queensland) encouraged bravery in truth-telling about the academy’s role in harming Indigenous peoples.
Professor Dawn Bessarab (Bard, Yindjibarndi, University of Western Australia) spoke about yarning (communication and knowledge sharing) as a research methodology, emphasizing the importance of “having a yarn” or building relationships with participants before formal interviews—an approach vital for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers to understand and uphold.
Professor Emerita Marie Battiste (Mi’kmaw, University of Saskatchewan) reminded us that both non-Indigenous and Indigenous academics are still “marinating in Eurocentrism,” meaning we are not immune to settler-colonial ways of thinking. She highlighted the importance of sustaining Indigenous approaches to knowledge, including concepts such as Indigegogy (a blending of “Indigenous” and “pedagogy”) and Mawa’timk, a non-binary understanding of two-eyed seeing.
Final Takeaways
After the summit, my heart was full. Being surrounded by Indigenous academics who understand that knowledge should not be a closed loop but something shared with and benefiting our communities and families was deeply affirming.
As someone relatively new to academia and to the Royal Society, my main takeaways were less about the organization and more about the people: their work, their generosity and their commitment to collectivizing Indigenous academia internationally.
Having attended both the Vancouver and Tāmaki Makaurau summits, the most meaningful outcome for me has been connecting with Indigenous scholars across disciplines, academic pathways and life journeys who support and celebrate one another’s work.
This summit series is a meaningful foundation for ongoing collaboration, and I hope it will lead to many more independent gatherings of Indigenous academics, youth and community members from these countries and beyond.
This article has been edited for length and clarity.
Photo credits: Royal Society Te Apārangi
Kahsennarò:roks Deom (Kanien’keha:ka)
Graduate Student, UBC
