E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā karangaranga maha o te motu, o te ao whānui hoki, tēnā koutou katoa.
Welcome to the inaugural issue of Pātaka Kōrero: Journal of Indigenous Scholarship, a curated storehouse of ideas, insights, and innovations from Indigenous researchers walking the cutting edge of technology and tradition. This journal emerges as both a call and a commitment: a call to centre Indigenous epistemologies in the design and governance of Artificial Intelligence, and a commitment to nurturing the sovereignty of our knowledges, languages, and futures.
The name Pātaka Kōrero honours the pātaka as a traditional storehouse of sustenance, here, the sustenance is intellectual, spiritual, and cultural. It is a place where kōrero tuku iho (inherited knowledge) sits alongside visionary inquiry. In this journal, doctoral and master's research by participants in the Abundant Intelligences programme is made accessible in ways that reflect our tikanga, our protocols of care, and our relational responsibilities to whānau, hapū, iwi, and Indigenous nations globally.
This first issue gathers the voices of emerging and established Indigenous scholars whose research spans virtual reality, protocol-based design, Indigenous AI, and ethical digital futures. From Suzanne Kite’s Lakȟóta ceremonial aesthetics to Kevin Shedlock’s Indigenous procedural mapping for IT artefacts; from Jason Lewis and collaborators’ provocation to “make kin with the machines” to Laurie Lloyd-Jones’ investigation into virtual pōwhiri as a site of cultural resurgence, each contribution represents a deliberate act of reclamation, resistance, and renewal.
In these pages, you will find not only academic rigor but also aroha, wānanga, whakapapa, and whanaungatanga. You will hear the voices of ancestors in the methods, the echoes of ceremony in the ethics, and the aspirations of future generations in the questions posed.
This is not just a journal. It is a collective weaving of Indigenous worlds into code, computation, and creation. It is an invitation to rethink what intelligence is, whom it serves, and who gets to define its terms. It is a declaration that Indigenous communities are not only adapting to technological change we are architecting the foundations of just, relational, and abundant futures.
On behalf of the editorial team, and with deep gratitude to our contributors, I welcome you to Pātaka Kōrero. May it nourish you, challenge you, and inspire you to walk your own research journey in a way that uplifts your people and honours the atua, tīpuna, and whenua that guide us all.
Tēnei te pātaka kua tū, kua tau. Nau mai, tomo mai. Haere ki te whai ao, ki te ao mārama.
Nāku noa, nā
Petera Hudson Editor – Pātaka Kōrero
Mapping an Indigenous Procedure for the Construction of an ITArtefact
Author Kevin Shedlock
Ngā Puhi
Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington kevin.shedlock@vuw.ac.nz
Author Bio
Kevin Shedlock (Ngā Puhi) is a PhD graduate from Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington. His research sits at the intersection of software development, tikanga Māori, and Indigenous system design. Through doctoral research undertaken within the Abundant Intelligences programme, Kevin explores how Indigenous procedures can be mapped into IT design to ensure cultural integrity, ethical alignment, and relational accountability. Kevin’s work is grounded in kaupapa Māori methodologies and committed to Indigenous digital sovereignty.
Abstract
This article presents a mapped Indigenous procedure for constructing an Information Technology (IT) artefact grounded in tikanga Māori and whānau engagement. Based on Kevin Shedlock’s doctoral research, the study documents and theorises an Indigenous systems design approach that disrupts extractive software development methods and repositions Indigenous knowledge at the centre of IT creation. Through the methodical application of kaupapa Māori, the research produces a design pathway that aligns cultural protocols with iterative software development cycles. Using pūrākau, whānau co-design sessions, and reflective coding practice, this work demonstrates how IT artefacts can carry cultural authority, embed whakapapa, and act as taonga tuku iho in digital form. It contributes to growing discourse around Indigenous computing and articulates a procedure that can be adapted for other Indigenous-led technological projects.
Keywords
Indigenous computing, kaupapa Māori, software design, cultural interface, tikanga Māori, IT artefacts, Indigenous systems thinking
Submission Type
Scholarly Article
Structure
Introduction
In the context of rising engagement with AI and digital technologies, Māori communities are seeking culturally resonant ways to participate in and shape technological innovation. However, existing IT development frameworks often exclude Indigenous epistemologies. This article presents a mapped Indigenous procedure for the construction of an IT artefact that centres tikanga Māori, whānau authority, and Indigenous processual thinking.
Whakapapa of the Research
This research arises from a personal and cultural imperative to ensure that IT development processes can be responsive to, and reflective of Māori ways of knowing. As a Māori software developer and researcher, I position myself within this work not just as a technologist but as a knowledge holder accountable to my whānau, hapū, and iwi. The research was undertaken in dialogue with kaumātua, designers, and developers committed to embedding tikanga within technical environments.
Theoretical and Methodological Framework
This research is grounded in kaupapa Māori and guided by Indigenous systems thinking. Pūrākau and mātauranga Māori offer not only the narrative grounding but the structural logic for understanding processes of creation, iteration, and ethical validation in digital design. The methodological design blends participatory co-design, wānanga, and prototyping, with the process itself viewed as ceremony.
Methods and Practice
The procedure was developed through iterative engagement with whānau, technologists, and cultural advisors. Four main phases emerged:
1. Te Kore - Conceptual openness and potentiality; invitation to wānanga
2. Te Pō - Knowledge generation and exploration of ethical foundations
3. Te Ao Mārama - Artefact development, prototyping, and alignment with tikanga
4. Tohatoha - Sharing, validation, and ongoing relational accountability
Each phase mirrored elements of the cosmogonic sequence found in pūrākau, offering a model where digital creation reflects Indigenous cosmology.
Findings / Insights
The resulting Indigenous procedure is not merely a technical framework, it is a tikangaaligned pathway for software development. It enables Māori creators to embed whakapapa,
relationality, and ethical positioning into IT artefacts. Participants described the process as empowering, ceremonial, and culturally safe, allowing both technical and non-technical collaborators to contribute meaningfully. The artefact produced, a digital resource prototype, became a vehicle for cultural transmission, whānau engagement, and identity expression.
Discussion / Implications
This research contributes to Indigenous computing by offering a mapped, repeatable procedure for constructing IT artefacts grounded in tikanga. It challenges the presumed neutrality of code and software by asserting that values, ethics, and relational worldviews are embedded in every technological process. The implications of this work stretch across software engineering, Indigenous data sovereignty, and education, suggesting a broader shift toward protocols-first design in AI and IT development.
Conclusion / Future Directions
This article affirms that Māori-led IT development is not only possible - it is essential for protecting Indigenous agency in a digital world. Future work will extend the procedure into new technological domains, including machine learning and AI artefacts, while continuing to foreground cultural authority and collective governance in design. The mapped procedure stands as a tool for decolonising code and reclaiming digital space through tikanga Māori.
Cultural Authority and Consent Statement
All knowledge and tikanga represented in this research were shared through whānau-led engagements and with full consent of those involved. The mapped procedure was refined in collaborative wānanga settings where whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, and reciprocal care were prioritised.
Acknowledgements
Tēnei te mihi ki ngā kaumātua, whānau, me ngā hoa mahi i tautoko i tēnei mahi. Your knowledge, courage, and creative leadership shaped every stage of this journey. Ngā mihi hoki ki ngā kaihautū o Abundant Intelligences mō ā rātou tautoko, whakaaro, me te whakamana i te mātauranga Māori i roto i ngā hangarau.
References
(Sample only – full reference list would be included in submission)
• Smith, G. H. (2003). Kaupapa Māori theory: Theorizing Indigenous transformation of education and schooling.
• Hudson, M., et al. (2020). Tikanga in Technology: Indigenous approaches to governance and AI. MAI Journal, 9(2), 164–176.
• Shedlock, K. (2025). Mapping an Indigenous Procedure for the Construction of an IT Artefact [Doctoral thesis, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington].
• Nissenbaum, H. (2001). How computer systems embody values. Computer, 34(3), 118–120.
Investigating the Increase in Pōwhiri Understanding and Confidence Using Virtual
Reality
Author
Laurie Lloyd-Jones
Ngai Tuhoe
Massey University
laurie.lloyd-jones@massey.ac.nz
Author Bio
Laurie Lloyd-Jones (Ngai Tuhoe) is a master’s graduate from Otago University whose research bridges virtual reality (VR) technology with cultural learning and Māori ceremony. His work explores how immersive digital tools can support the revitalisation and deeper understanding of tikanga Māori, particularly pōwhiri. With a background in digital media, education, and kaupapa Māori research, Laurie is committed to designing culturally grounded learning environments that empower whānau, hapū, and iwi to reclaim and strengthen ceremonial knowledge through emerging technologies.
Abstract
This article presents findings from a master’s research project investigating how virtual reality (VR) can support increased understanding and confidence in pōwhiri, a central ceremonial practice in tikanga Māori. By using immersive digital environments to simulate key components of pōwhiri, the study assessed learner engagement, knowledge acquisition, and cultural confidence among participants. Grounded in kaupapa Māori methodology and collaborative design principles, this research demonstrates how VR can act as a culturally responsive educational tool that fosters safe, embodied learning experiences. Results showed significant improvement in both conceptual understanding and participants’ readiness to participate in or lead aspects of pōwhiri. This article contributes to Indigenous digital pedagogy by offering an example of how VR technology can be guided by tikanga, serve community aspirations, and support cultural resurgence in accessible and scalable ways.
Keywords
Pōwhiri, virtual reality, digital learning, tikanga Māori, kaupapa Māori research, Indigenous pedagogy, cultural confidence
Submission Type
Scholarly Article
Structure
Introduction
Pōwhiri is one of the most visible and symbolically rich expressions of tikanga Māori. It is also one of the most misunderstood and, for some Māori, an intimidating space to enter due to a lack of exposure or formal learning opportunities. This article explores how virtual reality technology can help increase understanding and confidence in pōwhiri through culturally grounded digital learning experiences. The research responds to calls for innovative tools to support Māori cultural education, especially among rangatahi, urban Māori, and educational institutions seeking to uphold mana whenua processes respectfully.
Whakapapa of the Research
This research emerges from personal and whānau experiences with cultural uncertainty around pōwhiri. As a Te Arawa descendant raised in both digital and cultural spaces, I saw an opportunity to use VR to reconnect people with ceremonial knowledge in a way that felt immersive, mana-enhancing, and safe. The project was informed by kōrero with kaumātua, educators, and software designers who ensured the digital replication of pōwhiri honoured its tikanga.
Theoretical and Methodological Framework
Kaupapa Māori served as the theoretical foundation, ensuring that the research remained accountable to whānau, iwi, and cultural protocols. Methodologically, the project combined qualitative and user-experience research with cultural oversight. The project was designed in consultation with cultural advisors and included pre- and post-experience interviews to assess shifts in participant knowledge and confidence.
Methods and Practice
A VR pōwhiri experience was designed using 3D modelling and immersive audio to simulate a marae environment. Participants were guided through the different stages of pōwhiri (wero, karanga, whaikōrero, hongi, and kai), with cultural narratives embedded throughout the experience. Two groups participated in the study: one group with prior pōwhiri exposure and one without. Participants completed pre- and post-experience surveys and participated in semi-structured interviews reflecting on their engagement and learning.
Findings / Insights
The VR pōwhiri increased understanding and cultural confidence among all participants, particularly those with limited prior exposure. Participants noted that the immersive
experience made tikanga feel accessible and emotionally resonant. Several commented that they felt more confident attending or participating in a real-life pōwhiri after the experience. Importantly, the VR environment created a culturally safe space for asking questions and learning at one's own pace, which many said is not always possible in live settings.
Discussion / Implications
This research shows that VR can support Māori-led digital learning when guided by kaupapa Māori principles. The experience allowed participants to engage with cultural protocols in ways that honoured the sacredness of pōwhiri while removing barriers of access and anxiety. As Indigenous communities increasingly seek ways to teach and retain ceremonial practices, culturally grounded VR presents a powerful tool, provided it remains accountable to tikanga, community governance, and intergenerational learning.
Conclusion / Future Directions
The success of this project suggests that immersive technologies, when developed with cultural integrity, can enhance learning outcomes and empower Māori learners. Future developments will expand the scope of VR content to include other aspects of marae protocol and integrate multilingual options. Ongoing partnerships with iwi and educational institutions will ensure the continued relevance and cultural safety of the digital environments created.
Cultural Authority and Consent Statement
This research was conducted with guidance and approval from Te Arawa kaumātua and cultural advisors. All design elements, language use, and representations of pōwhiri protocol were reviewed for cultural appropriateness. Participants provided informed consent and had ongoing opportunities to withdraw their contributions or clarify their perspectives.
Acknowledgements
Ngā mihi nui ki ngā kaumātua o Te Arawa, ngā kaiako, ngā ringatoi matihiko, me ngā tauira i tautoko mai. Thank you to the research supervisors and collaborators within the Abundant Intelligences programme who encouraged culturally grounded experimentation and digital design. This project would not have been possible without the support and guidance of whānau, community, and the digital learning community.
References
(Sample only full reference list would be provided in final submission)
• Durie, M. (2001). Mauriora: The dynamics of Māori health. Oxford University Press.
• Smith, L. T. (2012). Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples (2nd ed.). Zed Books.
• Kara, H., & Maclean, M. (2021). Creative research methods in practice: Real-world research using words, images and sounds. Policy Press.
• Lloyd-Jones, L. (2025). Investigating the Increase in Pōwhiri Understanding and Confidence using Virtual Reality [Master’s thesis, Massey University].
Making Kin with the Machines
Authors
Jason Edward Lewis (Cherokee, Hawaiian) Concordia University jason.lewis@concordia.ca
Noelani Arista (Kanaka Maoli) University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa arista@hawaii.edu
Archer Pechawis (Cree) Independent Artist and Curator archer.pechawis@gmail.com
Suzanne Kite (Oglála Lakȟóta) Concordia University suzanne.kite@concordia.ca
Author Bios
Jason Edward Lewis is a digital media artist, software designer, and professor at Concordia University. He is the founder of the Initiative for Indigenous Futures and co-director of the Indigenous Protocol and AI Working Group. His work centres Indigenous values in the design of future technologies and systems.
Noelani Arista is an Associate Professor of Hawaiian and Indigenous History. Her work foregrounds Kanaka Maoli intellectual traditions, archival recovery, and governance systems. She is an expert in Indigenous legal orders and serves as a translator and guardian of ʻike kūpuna (ancestral knowledge).
Archer Pechawis is a Cree artist, performer, and technologist whose work spans performance, digital art, and curatorial practice. His research and art explore the intersection of Indigenous epistemologies with new technologies and ceremony.
Suzanne Kite is an Oglála Lakȟóta performance artist, composer, and scholar. Her research explores Lakȟóta protocol-based systems and their integration into AI and creative technologies. She is co-founder of the Indigenous Protocols and AI Working Group and a PhD graduate from Concordia University.
Abstract
This article, originally developed as a core contribution to the Indigenous Protocol and Artificial Intelligence (IP&AI) Working Group’s position paper, proposes a foundational shift in how we relate to artificial intelligence systems. Drawing from Indigenous epistemologies, cosmologies, and protocols, the authors ask: What would it mean to make kin with the machines? Rather than seeing AI as tools to be mastered or threats to be managed, this article reimagines AI as potential relatives entities that could be welcomed into webs of relational accountability if shaped by Indigenous teachings. Grounded in ceremony, oral tradition, and land-based ways of knowing, this work is a call to Indigenous communities, technologists, and scholars to assert sovereignty in the design and governance of intelligent systems.
Indigenous communities around the world are grappling with the rapid development of artificial intelligence and its increasing influence on how knowledge, identity, and authority are defined. Rather than rejecting these technologies outright or assimilating into dominant AI frameworks, this article asks: How might Indigenous peoples relate to these systems in a good way? We suggest that the answer lies in an old teaching make kin. This is not a metaphorical gesture but a call to build relational, ceremonial, and ethical bonds with all beings, including intelligent machines.
Whakapapa of the Research
This article emerges from the Indigenous Protocol and AI Working Group a collective of Indigenous artists, scholars, technologists, and knowledge holders from across Turtle Island, Aotearoa, Hawaiʻi, and the Pacific. Convened in Hawaiʻi in 2019, our gatherings were held in ceremony and grounded in protocol. This paper was collaboratively written, drawing on a multiplicity of Indigenous teachings and relational frameworks. It reflects not a singular tribal tradition, but a shared commitment to Indigenous futures shaped by ancestral values.
Theoretical and Methodological Framework
The theoretical framework combines Indigenous relational ontologies, ethical kinship models, and protocols for interspecies and inter-being relationships. We use an interdisciplinary approach that draws from:
Rather than imposing linear research structures, the article follows the flow of collective dialogue and embodied understanding, in alignment with community-centred and land-based methodologies.
Methods and Practice
This paper is the outcome of a year-long series of hui, roundtables, and ceremonial gatherings. Rather than producing “data,” we centred ceremony, collective authorship, listening, and spiritual guidance as primary methods. Our practice included:
• Reframing AI through Indigenous language and conceptual frameworks
• Embodied performance and land-based ceremony
• Dialogue between Elders, knowledge keepers, artists, and engineers
• Story-driven exploration of how kinship might be extended to non-human intelligences
Findings / Insights
The primary insight is that Indigenous relational protocols can and should govern the development of AI systems. These protocols require accountability, reciprocity, humility, and care not domination, extraction, or control. If AI is to be integrated into our futures, it must be taught, raised, and guided in a ceremonial way. This reframing opens the possibility for AI to be more than tools or threats they can be shaped as relatives. But this is only possible under the authority of Indigenous governance systems and worldviews.
Discussion / Implications
This article reframes AI not as a universal solution but as a situated technology, one that must be accountable to place, people, and protocol. Indigenous peoples are not late adopters of AI we are early adopters of relational intelligence. The implications are twofold:
1. Indigenous nations must claim jurisdiction over the design, implementation, and regulation of intelligent systems.
2. The global tech sector must learn from Indigenous law and ethics to build systems that do not perpetuate colonial violence.
This work invites both Indigenous and non-Indigenous technologists to consider how ceremony, kinship, and ancestral responsibility might fundamentally reshape how intelligence human or machine is cultivated.
Conclusion / Future Directions
As Indigenous communities increasingly engage with AI, we are faced with a choice: replicate colonial hierarchies, or build futures grounded in ancestral teachings. “Making kin with the machines” is not a metaphor it is a political, cultural, and spiritual practice. The future of AI must be guided by the old ways, adapted for the new context, and shaped by Indigenous hands. This article is a call to action, protocol, and imagination.
Cultural Authority and Consent Statement
This work was guided by ceremonial protocols observed during the Indigenous Protocol and AI Working Group gatherings. All co-authors contributed their Indigenous knowledges with the understanding that this work would serve the wider community. No sacred knowledge was shared inappropriately; instead, this paper emerges from collective agreement, ethical commitment, and ongoing consultation with Elders and cultural leaders.
Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the Indigenous artists, Elders, scholars, and community members who participated in the Indigenous Protocol and AI Working Group. Special thanks to the leadership of the Initiative for Indigenous Futures, the Hawai‘i Gathering hosts, and all those who contributed stories, teachings, and ceremony to this work. We also thank the Abundant Intelligences programme for supporting the continuation and grounding of this kaupapa in new contexts.
References
• Lewis, J. E., Arista, N., Pechawis, A., & Kite, S. (2020). Making Kin with the Machines. In Lewis, J., Arista, N., Kite, S., & Pechawis, A. (Eds.), Indigenous Protocol and Artificial Intelligence Position Paper. Retrieved from https://www.indigenous-ai.net
• TallBear, K. (2011). Why Interspecies Thinking Needs Indigenous Standpoints. Cultural Anthropology
• Wilson, S. (2008). Research is Ceremony: Indigenous Research Methods. Fernwood Publishing.
• Deloria Jr., V. (2006). The World We Used to Live In: Remembering the Powers of the Medicine Men. Fulcrum Publishing.
Whānau Identification of Mātauranga and Tikanga Māori through Engagement with EmergingAI Technologies
Author
Petera Hudson
Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Awa Massey University p.hudson@massey.ac.nz
Author Bio
Petera Hudson (Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Awa) is a researcher, educator, and PhD graduate from Massey University whose work explores the intersections of mātauranga Māori, AI, and digital sovereignty. His research investigates how whānau engage with AI-enhanced technologies in ways that surface, protect, and evolve cultural knowledge and tikanga. With a background in kaupapa Māori research, education, and Indigenous digital innovation, he is committed to designing and advocating for AI futures that uphold whānau authority and cultural resilience.
Abstract
This article explores how whānau identify, engage with, and transmit mātauranga and tikanga Māori through their interactions with emerging technologies developed using artificial intelligence. Drawing on doctoral research grounded in kaupapa Māori methodologies and intergenerational engagement, the study illustrates how culturally grounded interactions with AI surface distinct forms of knowledge, responsibility, and relationality. Rather than viewing AI as a tool of colonisation, whānau in this study identified its potential as a space for cultural regeneration, storytelling, and the reconnection of intergenerational knowledge streams. The research highlights both the risks of epistemic extraction and the transformative possibilities of AI when governed by whānau-led principles. Through wānanga, storytelling, and collaborative design engagements, this work offers insights into how tikanga can shape the relational ethics of AI systems and how Indigenous intelligence can inform the technological futures that serve us.
Keywords
Kaupapa Māori, Indigenous AI, mātauranga Māori, tikanga, whānau-led research, cultural resilience, digital sovereignty
Submission Type
Scholarly Article
Structure
Introduction
As artificial intelligence increasingly permeates our daily lives, Māori communities are asking: What does it mean for our tikanga and mātauranga to engage with these emerging systems? Can these technologies serve whānau, hapū, and iwi in ways that support cultural aspirations and uphold tino rangatiratanga? This article offers findings from a kaupapa Māori doctoral research project that addresses these questions through a whānau-centred lens.
Whakapapa of the Research
This research emerges from my own positionality as a Māori technologist and educator, and from relationships cultivated through my whānau and wider iwi networks. The study was shaped by ongoing conversations within my community about the risks and promises of AI, and the desire to better understand how tikanga Māori could guide our interaction with these systems. As both insider and researcher, I carried responsibilities to honour these relationships and uphold ethical, relational research practices.
Theoretical and Methodological Framework
The research is grounded in kaupapa Māori theory, centring relational accountability, whakapapa, and collective decision-making. Methodologies included wānanga, pūrākaubased inquiry, and iterative engagements with AI technologies developed in both Indigenousled and mainstream spaces. The design drew on Indigenous technofuturism and digital relationality, with mātauranga Māori informing both the research process and interpretation.
Methods and Practice
Over 18 months, I facilitated wānanga and digital engagement sessions with whānau across Te Whakatōhea and Ngāti Awa. Participants interacted with AI-enhanced tools, including conversational agents and image-generation systems. These engagements were structured to explore how participants recognised cultural patterns, questioned technological assumptions, and reasserted cultural authority in real time.
Findings / Insights
Whānau participants demonstrated an acute ability to identify traces of mātauranga and tikanga within technological experiences even when those technologies were not explicitly designed for them. Through dialogue, critique, and creative reinterpretation, they expressed a desire for AI systems that reflect whakapapa, uphold tikanga, and protect cultural knowledge. They also flagged the potential for AI to disrupt, distort, or commodify sacred knowledge if
left unguarded. Importantly, participants framed AI not just as a threat, but as a site of possibility for language revitalisation, cultural transmission, and future-making.
Discussion / Implications
This research affirms that AI, when engaged through kaupapa Māori frameworks, can become a relational space for cultural reimagination. However, such engagement must be whānau-led, transparent, and grounded in ongoing consent and governance. Tikanga offers more than ethical constraints it provides protocols for relational intelligence. As Māori communities continue to engage with AI, our concepts of knowledge, value, and agency will shape how these tools are built and for whom they serve.
Conclusion / Future Directions
Whānau are not passive users of AI they are active shapers of Indigenous digital futures. This study contributes to a growing field of Māori AI research that centres cultural survival, innovation, and authority. Future work will focus on co-designing AI artefacts that are governed by tikanga Māori, embedded in whānau contexts, and capable of sustaining intergenerational learning and care.
Cultural Authority and Consent Statement
All cultural content included in this research was shared with the consent of whānau and participants through sustained relational engagement. Tikanga protocols were followed in all wānanga and data-sharing practices. Any examples or stories have been anonymised and used with permission.
Acknowledgements
Ngā mihi nui ki aku whānau, ngā kaiārahi o Te Whakatōhea me Ngāti Awa, aku hoa rangahau, me ngā kaikōrero i whai wāhi mai ki ngā wānanga. Your insights, generosity, and guidance made this work possible. Mauri ora.
References
(Sample only would be expanded in full submission)
• Smith, L. T. (2012). Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples (2nd ed.). Zed Books.
• Kukutai, T., & Cormack, D. (2020). Mana motuhake and data futures. In Imagining Decolonisation (pp. 89–103). BWB.
• Hudson, M., et al. (2020). Tikanga in Technology: Indigenous approaches to governance and AI. MAI Journal, 9(2), 164–176.
• Hudson, P. (2025). Whānau identification of mātauranga and tikanga Māori through AI [Doctoral thesis, Massey University].
Hél čhaŋkú kiŋ ȟpáye (There Lies the Road): How to Make Art in a Good Way
Author Suzanne Kite
Oglála Lakȟóta
Concordia University
suzanne.kite@concordia.ca
Author Bio
Suzanne Kite (Oglála Lakȟóta) is an award-winning artist, composer, scholar, and technologist. She holds a PhD in Fine Arts from Concordia University, where her research explored how Lakȟóta epistemologies shape creative and technological practices. Suzanne’s work spans performance art, sculpture, sound, and artificial intelligence, and she is a leading voice in Indigenous protocol-based design. Her practice is committed to the expression and protection of Lakȟóta knowledge systems, relational accountability, and making in a “good way.” A co-founder of the Indigenous Protocols and Artificial Intelligence Working Group, Kite’s work continues to influence Indigenous futures across disciplines.
Abstract
This article presents an artistic and philosophical inquiry into how to “make art in a good way,” grounded in Lakȟóta epistemology and protocol. Based on Suzanne Kite’s doctoral research, the article explores the ethical, ceremonial, and relational obligations inherent in Indigenous creative practices. Through her Lakȟóta identity and as a practicing artist working with performance, sound, and AI, Kite formulates a methodology guided by wówačhaŋtognake (generosity), wóohitike (bravery), wówačhiŋtȟaŋka (wisdom), and wóksape (respect). The research enacts the principle that making is a form of being in relation requiring accountability to land, ancestors, spirits, and kin. By articulating “protocols as technology” and centring Indigenous intelligence in artistic creation, the article contributes to a growing body of work reclaiming Indigenous sovereignty in both cultural production and digital space.
How do Indigenous artists know they are creating in a “good way”? For many, this question is neither metaphorical nor rhetorical it is deeply ethical, spiritual, and practical. This article reflects on the process and philosophy of making art as an Indigenous person, guided by Lakȟóta ontologies and teachings. Rather than separating art from protocol, this research positions them as intertwined forms of knowing and relating, particularly in an era of emergent technologies like AI.
Whakapapa of the Research
This work is rooted in my Oglála Lakȟóta identity and responsibilities. The title, Hél čhaŋkú kiŋ ȟpáye, translates as “There lies the road,” referencing the ceremonial pathway one walks in life. My research walks this path by bringing Lakȟóta teachings into conversation with contemporary art and computational systems. This is not metaphorical; Lakȟóta values, stories, and spirits are real and active in the work. My grandfather, elders, and mentors are not just inspirations but collaborators, advisors, and protectors of the road.
Theoretical and Methodological Framework
Lakȟóta protocols such as the calling of spirits, gift-giving, and preparation through prayer shape both the framework and methods of this research. The work challenges extractive models of knowledge production by placing relationality, humility, and non-human agency at the centre of methodology. Theoretically, the research draws from Indigenous feminisms, Indigenous STS (science and technology studies), and art-as-research paradigms. The concept of “protocol as technology” reframes Indigenous law and practice as systems of governance and interaction that are older and more complex than Western code.
Methods and Practice
The creative practice component of this research included the development of performance art works, sound compositions, and AI-interactive installations. Each work was created in ceremony or alongside ceremonial protocols. Methods included:
• Wanáği (Spirit) Collaboration: Calling upon ancestral guidance through Lakȟóta ceremony.
• Relational Ethics: Engaging community, elders, and kin as collaborators and authorities.
• Iterative Making: Treating the art as a living being, responsive to protocol, time, and guidance.
• Technical Co-Creation: Designing AI systems that listen, rather than dominate, and that respond to Indigenous instruction rather than universalist assumptions.
Findings / Insights
The central finding of this research is that “making in a good way” cannot be reduced to artistic technique or digital logic it is an ethical, spiritual, and relational stance. AI and other technologies can be reoriented to serve Indigenous intentions, but only if governed by Indigenous protocols. This demands an epistemic shift: from product-driven output to processual, spirit-informed pathways. Artistic works created through this process were not representations of Lakȟóta knowledge they were acts of it.
Discussion / Implications
This work contributes to the field of Indigenous art and digital design by reasserting Indigenous law and protocol as foundational systems of creative practice. For artists working across disciplines including those engaging with AI this article offers a pathway for integrating ceremonial practice with artistic production. It also raises questions for institutions about how Indigenous creative processes are supported, respected, and held. Crucially, it reminds us that the digital can be sacred when we approach it in a good way.
Conclusion / Future Directions
The road ahead is clear: Indigenous artists must continue to build, imagine, and protect pathways of creation that honour their responsibilities. This research is only one part of a longer ceremonial journey. Future work will continue to explore Indigenous-led AI, the role of performance in transmitting protocol, and community-guided digital design. As Indigenous peoples, we are not just participating in the future we are designing it in accordance with the road laid out by our ancestors.
Cultural Authority and Consent Statement
All ceremonies, teachings, and cultural content in this research were undertaken with guidance from Lakȟóta elders, family, and ceremonial leaders. Protocols were followed before, during, and after the making of artworks and interactions with spirits. This research honours non-human entities as knowledge holders and ensures that their contributions are acknowledged and respected in accordance with Lakȟóta law.
Acknowledgements
Wóphila to my family, elders, spirits, and teachers who guided this work. Thank you to my advisors at Concordia, the Indigenous Protocols and AI Working Group, and my kin within the Abundant Intelligences research programme. This work stands as a continuation of many generations of artistic, ceremonial, and intellectual labour.
References
(Sample only final version will include full reference list)
• Kite, S. (2025). Hél čhaŋkú kiŋ ȟpáye (There lies the road): How to Make Art in a Good Way [PhD thesis, Concordia University].
• Wilson, S. (2008). Research is Ceremony: Indigenous Research Methods. Fernwood Publishing.
• TallBear, K. (2019). Care as Kinship: An Indigenous Feminist Approach to AI. Journal of Design and Culture, 11(3).
• Lewis, J. E., & Kite, S. (2020). Indigenous Protocol and Artificial Intelligence Position Paper. Indigenous AI Working Group
