(Extended deadline: Friday 23 May 2025)
Onto-epistemic Turn in Interculturality: Revitalising Knowledges from Place
https://ialic2025.sciencesconf.org/
We are delighted to announce a call for abstracts for the upcoming International Association for Languages and Intercultural Communication (IALIC) 2025 hybrid conference in Auckland University of Technology (AUT), Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand, from 21st to 23rd of November 2025.
Why an Onto-epistemic Turn?
Onto-epistemic is a combination of two words: ontology (ways of being) and epistemology (ways of knowing). The “onto-epistemic turn” means recognising our ways of being in the world (how we live, our identities), deeply connected to our ways of knowing the world (how we understand and learn about it). This “turn” invites us to reorient, decentre, and redefine foci, problems, and/or goals of our field(s) beyond Western- centric views to embrace diverse ways of knowing/being, particularly Indigenous perspectives. It is a shift from accepting knowledge as purely scientific or objective to recognizing it is deeply connected to and located within culture, place, and community.
A Western approach to planning a vegetable garden might focus solely on scientific methods—soil types, plant compatibility, water needs, etc. The practice māra kai [food garden] is “regarded for enhancing the wellbeing of the local ecosystem – as creating and maintaining māra [garden] required an intimate understanding of how the whenua [land] connects to the wider environment – māra kai reminded Māori of their place within the wider cosmos” (Tassell-Matamua, Boasa-Dean, C McEntee, p. 105). It is about a relationship with the land, following the seasons, and understanding the land as alive and connected to people in a deep, spiritual way. You might plant certain crops in specific places because that is where they thrive according to traditional knowledge passed down through generations. It is not just gardening—it is a way of being that is tied to identity, history, and community. The “Onto-epistemic Turn” in IALIC 2025 aims to bring together different ways of knowing and being, through the lens of languages, cultures, and Indigenous knowledges, to create richer, more inclusive conversations about how we live in and understand the world or our place.
Conference Themes and Guiding Ǫuestions
IALIC 2025 invites attendees to explore how Indigenous knowledges and intercultural practices can address pressing global challenges. The conference centres Indigenous knowledges and pedagogies around place, language, and culture toward shaping sustainable futures (Battiste, 2002; Loncon, 2023), recognising the need to decolonise methodologies to foster epistemic justice (Smith, 1999, 2012; Stewart, 2024). Such themes ask how place-rooted wisdom can challenge dominant narratives (Berkes, 2012, 2018; Fitzpatrick C Allen, 2019; Mignolo, 2011) inside and outside academia. Another key theme of the conference is how languages act as vessels of culture and belonging and the need to preserve and revitalise them (Crystal, 2000; Hinton, 2013; Ndhlovu, 2014). Therefore, the power of storytelling and art in revitalizing knowledge systems (Archibald, 2008; Elke, 2024; Fairbairn-Dunlop, C Coxon, 2014) and reimagining Education as a tool for intercultural collaboration and land/place-based learning (Greenwood, 2012; Kovach, 2009, 2021) are essential themes to critically engage with the ‘Onto-Epistemic Turn’ of the conference.
We encourage contributors to engage with the following themes, using these guiding questions when writing their abstract proposals:
1. Indigenous Knowledges and Cosmologies
- How do Indigenous languages and cosmologies preserve ancient wisdom and inform future practices?
- What are the roles of place and language in maintaining and revitalizing Indigenous cultures?
- How can Indigenous knowledge systems contribute to global sustainability efforts?
- How can Indigenous ways of knowing, rooted in place, offer alternative pathways to sustainability and resilience?
- In what ways do Indigenous cosmologies challenge dominant scientific narratives about the environment?
2. Language, Culture, Identity, and Technology
- What are the impacts of language loss on cultural identity and community cohesion?
- How does language act as a vessel for cultural identity and connection to place in Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities?
- How do bilingualism and multilingualism influence cultural connections and personal identity?
- How can digital tools and technologies support the preservation and revitalization of languages and cultures?
- How can technology bridge gaps between different linguistic and cultural communities?
- What are the risks and opportunities of technology in bridging or widening divides across cultures?
3. Epistemic Justice, Power, and Politics
- How do language policies affect the preservation and promotion of Indigenous languages?
- What are the challenges and opportunities in achieving epistemic justice for marginalized communities?
- How can power dynamics in knowledge production be addressed to ensure equitable representation?
- How can we address the imbalance of power in knowledge production to ensure epistemic justice for Indigenous peoples?
- How can we ensure that Indigenous knowledge systems are valued equally alongside Western epistemologies?
- What are the political implications of privileging Western epistemologies over Indigenous ones in policy and education?
- How can the body serve as a site for knowledge production in ways that disrupt cisheteronormative and racialized worldviews?
4. Intercultural Practices and Social Justice
- How can interculturality help dismantle systemic inequalities and promote justice?
- What are effective strategies for fostering intercultural dialogue and understanding?
- How can intercultural practices be integrated into policymaking and community initiatives?
- What role do Indigenous values play in fostering meaningful intercultural exchanges?
5. Art, Storytelling, and Revitalisation
- How do art and storytelling serve as mediums for preserving and revitalizing Indigenous knowledge systems?
- What are the roles of creative expression in maintaining cultural heritage and identity?
- How can digital storytelling platforms support the transmission of traditional knowledge?
- How can artistic and narrative practices contribute to the preservation and revitalization of Indigenous knowledges?
- What stories from Indigenous communities inspire resilience and resistance in the face of cultural erasure?
6. Education for Change
- How can educational practices be reimagined to centre place, culture, and sustainability?
- What are the roles of Indigenous knowledge systems in contemporary education?
- How can intercultural collaboration in education support the revitalization of place-based practices?
- How can educational frameworks be reimagined to centre Indigenous knowledges and promote sustainability?
- What are the best practices for incorporating place-based learning into mainstream education systems?
Conference Objectives
This conference aims to create a collaborative space for academics, students, practitioners, educators, artists, cultural leaders, activists, and policymakers, to co- create equitable futures rooted in diverse knowledge systems. By fostering an inclusive exchange of ideas, we seek to explore how the onto-epistemic turn in interculturality can lead to more equitable, sustainable, and culturally enriched futures, particularly in the context of Aotearoa and the broader global community.
Whether you attend in person or virtually, this hybrid conference promises an enriching experience. Submit your abstract and be part of a transformative conversation that decentres current narratives and honours the wisdom of place and its peoples.
Submission Information
We invite theoretical, empirical, arts-based, and ‘work-in-progress’ research ideas or proposals from scholars at all stages of their academic careers, as well as from individuals outside academia. We also invite creative proposals for our special Research Out-of-the-Box Exhibition to expand the boundaries of ‘normalized’ academic conferences and create new inter/trans-cultural and translanguaging spaces. We encourage creative unconventional forms of displaying academic research. Research displays can include multilingual and/or multimodal resources and create dynamic interactive presenter-viewer relationships.
Contact Elba Ramirez [ialic2025@aut.ac.nz] for any queries about abstract submission and/or conference.
Submission Guidelines
Abstracts – Conference Presentation | Academic Poster:
⇒ No more than 300 words.
⇒ Include a title, author(s) name(s), affiliation(s), and contact information.
⇒ Clearly state the theme(s) your abstract addresses and how you will unpack the ideas, including theoretical and methodological perspectives (if applicable).
⇒ Summarise key ideas, experiences, outcomes, recommendations, implications, and conclusions about your research and/or project and their relation to the conference theme(s).
⇒ List five keywords.
⇒ Include a 100-word bio of each presenter.
——————————————————————————————————————
Entries – Research Out-of-the-Box Exhibition:
⇒ No more than 300 words with an optional supporting sample/picture of idea.
⇒ Include a title, author(s) name(s), affiliation(s), and contact information.
⇒ Clearly state the theme(s) your entry addresses.
⇒ Summarise key ideas, experiences, outcomes, recommendations, implications, and conclusions about your research and/or project and their relation to the conference theme(s).
⇒ List five keywords.
⇒ Indicate preferred format display: Interactive (e.g., interactive posters, table games), art- based (e.g., poetry, photography, crafts, paintings, films, performance), and combinations of multiple formats.
⇒ Include a 100-word bio of each presenter.
Submit your abstract by 20 April 2025 via the Conference Website
https://ialic2025.sciencesconf.org/
Timeline
- Abstract Submission Deadline: Sunday 20 April 2025 (Extended new deadline: Friday 23 May 2025)
- Notification of Acceptance: Sunday 18 May 2025
- Early-Bird Registration: Thursday 7 March – Monday 1 September 2025
- Standard Registration: Tuesday 2 September – Sunday 23 November 2023
- Conference Dates: Friday 21 – Sunday 23 November 2025
Registration Fees
(*in New Zealand $ [NZD])
| Attendee Type | Early Bird | Standard |
| IALIC Members | 402.05 | 575 |
| Non-members | 575 | 805 |
| Students | 172.5 | 345 |
| Remote – Members | 287.5 | 287.5 |
| Remote – Non-members | 345 | 345 |
| Remote – Students | 115 | 115 |
Please see more details about the fees and how to register here.
Join us in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland!
Home to people from many places, cultures and traditions, Tāmaki Makaurau mirrors the collaborative and intercultural ethos of this conference, making it an ideal place to reflect, share, connect, and “turn”. Tāmaki Makaurau extends from Te Raki Pae Whenua (North Harbour) in the north to Te Puao o Waikato in the south, and from Waitemata in the west to Kaiaua in the east (Te Kōhanga Reo, n.d.). Throughout its history, “Tāmaki was visited by many of the important founding canoes, and several different iwi (tribes) have lived on the lands between its two harbours. Some tribes have occupied the area from the earliest times; others came and went, and some amalgamated to form new tribes” (Taonui, 2017). Nowadays, mana whenua are represented by the 19 iwi or hapū (sub-tribes) with ancestral relationships / territorial affiliations and specific rights and responsibilities in relation to natural resources within Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland Council, 2025).
References
Auckland Council. (2025). Māori in Tāmaki Makaurau. https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/plans-projects-policies-reports-bylaws/our-plans
-strategies/auckland-plan/about-the-auckland-plan/Pages/maori-tamaki-makaurau.aspx Archibald, J. (2008). Indigenous Storywork: Educating the Heart, Mind, Body, and Spirit. UBC Press. Battiste, M. (2002). Indigenous Knowledge and Pedagogy in First Nations Education. Apamuwek Institute. Berkes, F. (2008, 2018). Sacred Ecology. Routledge.
Crystal, D. (2000). Language Death. Cambridge University Press.
Elke, R. (2024). Arts based education: honoring indigenous ways of being, knowing, doing [Video]. Sage Research Methods. https:// doi.org/10.4135/9781529696233.
Fairbairn-Dunlop, P., C Coxon, E. (2014). Talanoa: building a Pasifika research culture. Dunmore Publishing.
Fitzpatrick, K. C Allen, J. M. U. (2019). Decolonising health in education: Considering Indigenous knowledge in policy documents. In S. Dagkas,
L. Azzarito, C K. Hylton (Eds.), ‘Race’, Youth Sport, Physical Activity and Health: Global Perspectives (1st ed.). Routledge.
Greenwood, D. A. (2012). A Critical Theory of Place-Conscious Education. In R. B. Stevenson, M. Brody, J. Dillon, A. E. J. Wals (Eds.), International Handbook of Research on Environmental Education (1sted., pp. 93-100). Routledge.
Hinton, L. (2013). Bringing Our LanguagesHome. Heyday.
Kovach, M. (2009, 2021). Indigenous Methodologies: Characteristics, Conversations, and Contexts (2nd ed.). University of Toronto Press. Loncon, E. (2023). Azmapu. Aportes De La FilosofíaMapuche Para El Cuidado Del Lof Y La Madre Tierra. ARIEL.
Mignolo, W. D. (2011). The Darker Side of Western Modernity: Global Futures, Decolonial Options. Duke University Press. Ndhlovu, F. (2014). Becoming an African Diaspora in Australia: Language, Culture, Identity. Palgrave Macmillan.
Smith, L. T. (1999, 2012). Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples. Zed Books.
Stewart, G. T., (2024). Introducing Indigenous Postqualitative Inquiry [How-to Guide]. Sage Research Methods: Diversifying and Decolonizing Research. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529690736
Taonui, R. (2017). Tāmaki tribes – Tribal history andplaces. Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/tamaki- tribes/page-1
Tassell-Matamua, N., Boasa-Dean, T., C McEntee, M. (2023). Indigenous Knowledge Revitalisation: Indigenous Māori Gardening and its Wider Implications forthe People of Tūhoe. Knowledge Cultures, 11(1), 98–114. https://doi.org/10.22381/kc11120236 Te Kōhanga Reo. (n.d.). Tāmaki Makaurau. https://www.kohanga.ac.nz/kaupapa/nga-rohe/tamaki-makaurau
