Sara Annak's clear voice echoed through the Sakima Art Museum in Ginowan, Okinawa, accompanied by the indigenous peoples depicted in the artworks of Anonie Frank Grahamsdaughter and Tomas Colbengtson, as well as the local people in the paintings of Mr and Mrs Maruki. The audience closed their eyes and listened attentively to Sara's joiks. Between periods of joiking, she read out the following English translation of her joiks, followed by my Japanese translation. The audience became immersed in Sápmi.

I begin my performance with Iädnamæ Vuälie – the joik of Mother Earth.
This joik is an invocation, a living song that connects us to the land beneath our feet and to the memory carried in the earth itself.

The joik tradition is one of the oldest musical expressions of the Sámi people. It is not only music – it is a way of speaking with nature, with ancestors, and with the spiritual world. When I joik Iädnamæ Vuälie, I call upon the presence of the Earth as a mother who nourishes, carries, and heals us.

From this opening, the performance flows into words and rhythms that reflect both sorrow and hope – a reminder that to feel is to live, and to live is to remember that we are not alone

I begin with Iädnamæ Vuälie – the joik of Mother Earth.

It is an invocation, a sound that connects us to the ground we stand on, to the roots of time, and to the living memory of the land.

Poem:

Okinawa
Your fertile lands, embraced by the sea.

Mahterahkka.

Warm sands — like the memory of touch.

Okinawa
You carry our shared tears in the ground.

Mahterahkka.

Yet you still shimmer,
yet you still embrace.

You love,
you give,
again and again.

Okinawa

We feel hunger.

We feel sorrow.

We feel fear.

We feel love.

We feel compassion.

We feel…

the pulse of the earth beneath our feet,

the trembling of memory,

the breath of those who came before us.

Mahterahkka

When the sorrow burns,
she heals us.
When the joy is loud,
she holds us.

Okinawa
I feel you,
I remember you,
we belong.

Mahterahkka,
you hold me,
you bind me,
you remind me.
that I belong.

Jojk Trees

From there, the performance moves into the peace of the forest, my interpretation of an old joik from my home area in Sápmi. The reason I can joik it today is because of the archival recordings that preserve the voices of those who came before us. Through those archives, I have heard her voice — a voice that reaches through time.

To let the melody of the forest breathe through my vuölie is to remember that we are connected — then, now, and in the times to come. The forest becomes a living presence, and the joik a way of listening to what still echoes within the land. It is a song of remembrance, of peace, and of belonging.

Jojk Krievieh

Krievieh- The power of the joik is to be
not outside the feeling,
but within it.

I do not joik about the reindeer.
I joik the reindeer
and the reindeer calf,
its fragile steps,
its first breath under the summer sky

NásaVuöllie– The Joik of Resistance

Humanity has one true task, to protect the Earth for the generations to come,
to ensure that our children, and all who follow will still have a place to be.

Yet we do not always understand what is truly good for us.

Exploitation threatens my life in Sápmi, more than anything else, except perhaps the changing climate. Mines, forestry, tourism and now, military training grounds cut into the body of the land.

Nása is the beginning of these exploitations in Sápmi. Four hundred years ago, a mine was created there. The water in Silbojavrie is still undrinkable. Now, a Chinese company wishes to open a new quartz mine on that same mountain. I travelled to Nása. I spoke with the mountain.
I made a promise to do everything within my power to protect it. We placed a great brass ring upon the mountain, a symbol of our covenant. That day, I received this joik and the mine has not opened since.

Geävrrie – The Drum Joik

I have felt the drum vibrate through my body. Its rhythm echoes deep within, awakening both longing and strength — a living pulse connecting body, soul, and memory.

My father is a skilled craftsman. It took him a lifetime to create this drum for me. For many years, it was as if generations of trauma had tied knots in his hands. Only when he finally released the fear of failure could he bring the drum to life.

To me, this drum is more than an instrument. It is a symbol of resistance, strength, and the courage to reclaim what was once taken. My father’s bravery vibrates beneath the drumskin, and he is with me every time I play.

In Sápmi, the drum once held great spiritual power. It was a sacred tool — a bridge between the human world and the spirit world. When the church understood its significance, the drums were confiscated. Some were sent to museums across Europe; most were burned.

Yet the heartbeat of the drum still lives.
I listen to its power
and let it flow through every beat.

Begäran Niejdgutje Vindens älskade lilla dotter

I end with Bieäggan Niejdgutje – Beloved Daughter of the Wind.
It is a tribute to all girls — a call to dance beneath the moonlight and follow the voice of their hearts. There are so many things that hold us back, so many fears that whisper you cannot. But we must not be afraid. We must open our hearts and follow our dreams, for the wind carries those who dare to move with it.

Poem
In the shadow of the trees’ crown,
in the shelter of the trunk’s strength.
A trembling surge from the source—
it flows, it keeps flowing—
carrying the wisdom of the ancient mother.
The ancient force, rooted in time,
streams through the soul,
pulsing, alive.
At the crossing point between worlds
I stand.
I behold the old wisdom’s power—
an omen,
a whisper from the vastness of time.
It leads me,
it carries me,
back to the strength of the root.*

When I stepped off the plane at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, I was greeted by a gust of cold air. Suddenly thrust into this cooler climate, first thing that came to my mind was… ramen. I recalled an episode of Anthony Bourdain from many years before, when he paid a visit to “Ramen Alley” in Sapporo, Hokkaido’s largest city, to immerse into the truly iconic culinary experience there. Following his path, I discovered the region’s distinct ramen traditions - steaming broths with local seafood, miso, bean sprouts, pork, butter, and even corn. Yet food was only the first layer of discovery. In that same episode, Bourdain also visited a small Ainu restaurant in Shiraoi. It was the first time I had heard about the Ainu, Indigenous people of Hokkaido who have been subjected to marginalization and discrimination for a long time. In Europe, we often learn of Japan through narratives of cultural pride or heritage preservation. Confronting Japan’s contemporary Indigenous struggles disrupted that image.

My purpose to visit Hokkaido was rather clear. I stepped out of the plane there not only as a visitor, but also as a researcher. I was eager to conduct all relevant steps that would allow me to investigate the preservation of Ainu heritage and the impact of the 2019 Ainu Policy Promotion Act. My aim was to examine how this landmark legislation functions in practice: through naked legal frameworks, museums, tourism infrastructure, and, most importantly, Ainu voices themselves.

During my stay I met with academics, cultural workers, activists, and residents. I encountered institutions that, for better or worse, shaped cultural memory of Ainu by curating heritage spaces, ecotourism landscapes, and national parks. What emerged was a deeper understanding of the ambivalence of “care” in the cultural sector and the urgent need for Indigenous-led heritage governance, not replicating settler colonial logics. During my stay I consulted with legal experts on the jurisprudential tensions between cultural nationalism and minority rights. Discussions provided not only deep historical context but also insight into the ongoing community struggles for cultural representation and ownership. Visit at the UPOPOY National Ainu Museum and Park in Shiraoi being a flagship institution under the 2019 law was particularly revealing for me. Despite its modern facilities and ambitious programs, there are still voices questioning whether UPOPOY empowers Ainu cultural autonomy, or does it rather transform their traditions into sanitized narratives for tourism?

As Charlotte Woodhead emphasised true legal “care” of the heritage protection must be respectful, dialogic, and empathetic, rather than paternalistic or state-controlled. In Hiroshi Maruyama’s texts I found a critique of settler-colonial policy frameworks which led me to combine those approaches to analyse how “heritage” can be weaponized as a depoliticizing tool.  The 2019 Act, while on a one hand a step forward in recognition, continues to frame the Ainu as objects of state stewardship rather than agents of cultural and legal autonomy. The Act does not meaningfully address land restitution, fishing rights, or co-governance. Instead, it privileges tourism and “revitalization” largely on state terms. It seems to mostly use “heritage” recognition to neutralize Indigenous struggles, making them appear cultural (safe, symbolic, folkloric) rather than political (about power, rights, or sovereignty).

Very powerful and complicated part of the fieldwork unfolded in Shiretoko National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site in northeastern Hokkaido. Designated in 2005, it was described in the Japanese government’s nomination documents as an untouched natural treasure. However, what was not acknowledged in the application, was the deep Ainu presence, history, and ontology there.

As many academics, especially Ann-Elise Lewallen, have shown, such symbolic erasure is an example of the settler colonial logic of elimination. Even that some action has been undertaken to manage conservation and preservation of one element of local heritage, it only works because the land has been abstracted from its Indigenous stewards. Furthermore, cases where local fishers often resist claims to water and land rights, caught within capitalist imperatives of resource management. This raises another question: can ecotourism, even when Indigenous-led, escape the logic of commodification?

My fieldwork reaffirmed a central concern: that the current legal framework, while acknowledging cultural diversity, does not seem to support cultural sovereignty. Ainu people are encouraged to ‘express’ their heritage, but within state-sanctioned formats, often for external consumption. It leads to replacing active rights with mostly symbolic inclusion. Therefore, a new model is needed, one grounded  in reciprocity, memory, and justice.

Traveling across Hokkaido geographically from west to east, conceptually from law to ethics, I came to see that the 2019 Ainu Law operates less as an emancipatory statute and more as a framework for regulated visibility. Ainu culture is “cared for” so long as it does not challenge ownership, territory, or national identity.

The legacy of colonialism remains evident in former colonies and continues to manifest globally in the form of settler colonialism. Compounding this issue are the global climate crisis and the unequal distribution of wealth engendered by the relentless expansion of capitalism, as well as imperialist wars such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Israel's genocide of the Palestinians. These issues leave many people feeling powerless. Furthermore, in the Ryukyu Islands, local people have been silenced by a combination of Japanese settler colonialism and US militarism.

Marginalised by the invasions and domination of modern nation states, Indigenous peoples have endured harsh assimilation policies while resisting non-violently and surviving. They have demonstrated resilience by reviving their languages and culture, as well as by creating contemporary art that reflects their collective memory of the trauma and stigma caused by settler colonialism. This art draws on their historical and cultural bonds as a people. When hope seems elusive, we believe that we should learn from the resistance and resilience of Indigenous peoples, joining their fight for decolonisation to preserve hope for the future. It is this conviction that has led us to organise this exhibition.

Tomas Colbengtson, who belongs to the Sámi people of Scandinavia, and Antonie Frank Grahamsdaughter, who is descended from Canada’s First Nations peoples, have created numerous works confronting the discrimination and oppression of Indigenous peoples caused by colonialism. Through contemporary art, they reveal and bring to life histories and cultures as seen from Indigenous perspectives — stories not reflected in state-centred histories found in textbooks. Colbengtson engraves photographs of ancestors onto glass and metal, while Grahamsdaughter uses video art to give a voice to her ancestors, creating a dialogue between the living and the dead, and connecting the past with the future in order to pass cultural memory on to future generations. Together, their work establishes an Indigenous identity that is not depicted in official national histories, acting as a beacon that illuminates the obscured darkness of history.

This joint exhibition, which will take place from 17 September to 6 October 2025, is the first of its kind in Okinawa and Japan. By presenting rarely seen contemporary Indigenous art from Scandinavia and Canada, the exhibition aims to offer visitors a decolonial perspective on Okinawa.

Centre for Environmental and Minority Policy Studies (CEMiPoS)
Sakima Art Museum

We are honoured to be co-hosting the 'Resistance and Resilience' exhibition with the Sakima Art Museum in Okinawa. The museum is renowned for its anti-war and peace exhibitions, particularly the permanent display of the 'Battle of Okinawa' series painted by Mr and Mrs Maruki. In the wake of the final Decolonising Futures seminar in Naha in July 2025, two distinguished Indigenous contemporary multimedia artists, Antonie Frank Grahamsdaughter and Tomas Colbengtson, will exhibit their work in solidarity with Ryukyuans who seek peace. Colbengtson engraves photographs of his ancestors onto glass and metal, while Grahamsdaughter breathes new life into their images through video art, creating a dialogue between the living and the dead and connecting the past with the present. This exhibition strengthens the identity of Indigenous peoples, which is not reflected in history centred on settlers, and sheds light on the hidden darkness of history. We hope that as many people as possible from the Ryukyu Islands will visit the museum and enjoy the exhibition.

On behalf of CEMiPoS

Founder and Director Hiroshi Maruyama                                                                                                                                      

From July 11 to 13, 2025, the final international conference Decolonizing Futures was held on mainland Okinawa. Organized across multiple venues—including Atelier Mekaru Base and Okinawa International University—the event brought together activists, scholars, artists, and allies to explore decolonial strategies across diverse fields such as language and cultural revitalization, museum practices, performances, and legal frameworks. The gathering provided a rich space to reflect on the intersections of cultural resistance, self-determination, and knowledge sovereignty across different Indigenous contexts, with a special focus on the Ainu and Ryūkyūan peoples.

Day 1 – Performances at Mekaru Base

The opening evening took place at Atelier Mekaru Base, featuring powerful performances that grounded the conference in artistic and embodied forms of memory and resistance. These performances took place in a vibrant atmosphere, with a joyful and engaged audience composed of conference attendees and members of the local community. The event was sold out.

The first performance was by Higaza Theatre who presented three Okinawan plays: Mashii Hamee, Kampoo nu kweenukusaa and Ichimushi Eisaa. The performance stood out as a powerful expression of local cultural identity, not only through its themes and aesthetics but also through the use of Uchināguchi during the plays. This made it a unique opportunity to experience theatre as a living manifestation of local heritage, allowing the audience to engage with the region’s history, emotions, and linguistic landscape.

The second part of the evening featured UNA, a collaborative ritual-performance by four women artists from Amareya Theatre and guests. Through visual symbolism, movement and spiritual invocation, the performance reclaimed feminine power and called for ecological and political healing, confronting colonialism, patriarchy, and environmental collapse.

Day 2 – Conference at Okinawa International University

The second day marked the beginning of the conference presentations, introduced by Professor Masahide Ishihara, who offered a warm welcome and contextualized the work ahead. The opening session, titled The Legacy of Scientific Racism, brought together diverse contributions that explored the long-standing impact of scientific racism and colonial legacies on Indigenous peoples, particularly in the Japanese context.

Professors Hiroshi Kikuchi and Harumi Ogawa examined the persistent reluctance of the Japanese government and society to recognize the Ainu as Indigenous peoples, emphasizing the structural denial and historical erasure that continue to undermine their rights. In a related contribution, Professor Hiroshi Maruyama addressed the enduring impact of scientific racism and colonial policy on the Ainu, drawing attention to inadequate research guidelines and the role of settler academic institutions in perpetuating paternalistic approaches. While his focus was on the Ainu, Professor Maruyama emphasized that these dynamics equally affect the Ryūkyūan peoples, who remain subjected to similar forms of epistemic marginalization and institutionalized colonialism within the Japanese academic landscape.

Carles Jornet, researcher at CEMiPoS, presented a case study on how ethical research practices can support Indigenous self-determination, focusing on the repatriation of the historic treaty El Acuerdo de Voluntades and human remains to the Rapanui people. His presentation emphasized the enduring colonial dynamics of the Chilean state, which continue to obstruct repatriation processes and thereby limit the exercise of Indigenous sovereignty. Closely aligned with this contribution, Professor Yasukatsu Matsushima analyzed the Lewchewan repatriation movement, framing it as a political act rooted in the right to self-determination and the broader decolonization of Lewchew. His intervention highlighted the intersection of legal, cultural, and political dimensions in ongoing efforts to reclaim ancestral remains. Natalia Deptała addressed the role of legal frameworks in safeguarding cultural identities, exploring both the potential and constraints of state-driven heritage protection mechanisms. Her presentation offered a comparative perspective that underscored the importance of critically assessing the effectiveness of existing laws in diverse national contexts.

Finally, Seira Duncan shared reflections on historical and contemporary exchanges between the Ryūkyūan people and other Indigenous communities, with particular focus on their relationships with Māori. Her talk showcased how trans-Indigenous alliances foster mutual recognition and strengthen efforts toward linguistic and cultural revitalization. Unfortunately, the plenary session led by Rauni Äärelä-Vihriälä, which was to focus on revitalization of the Sámi language was cancelled due to the speaker’s inability to attend the conference. In place of the plenary, participants were invited to experience a curated exhibition featuring the works of artists Tomas Colbengtson, Antonie Frank Grahamsdaughter, Chie Kyan, and Kengi Takara. The exhibition brought together a variety of visual, material, and symbolic expressions, each reflecting distinct yet interconnected Indigenous perspectives. The audience was offered a valuable opportunity to engage with contemporary art as a form of knowledge-making, activism, and healing—echoing the broader themes of the conference on decolonization and cultural revitalization.

In the early afternoon, participants at the conference had the option to attend  two different sessions on the topic ‘Language Revitalization, Reclamation and Community Building’. Session A commenced with Daichi Shimabukuro’s presentation exploring the challenges and potentials of the Okinawan language input method engine (IME) and the ways in which it may contribute to Ryūkyūan language revitalization. Following this, Nick Overacker proposed community-controlled Indigenous speech corpora with special reference to the Ainu language, and his talk emphasized data sovereignty and ethical concerns. Misato Matsuda and Gijs van der Lubbe then highlighted the Nature Method in relation to Ruuchuuan language revitalization, accompanied with Misato’s own learning experience as a Ryūkyūan. Aleksandra Jarosz discussed Indigenous values and worldviews expressed in a wide range of Ryūkyūan proverbs which are often based on nature and highlight community and empathy. The presentations were followed by a lively discussion that saw the audience ask a range of questions, as well as the presenters themselves ask each other about potential challenges. For instance: was Shimabukuro considering more than one Ryūkyūan language? what was it like for Matsuda herself to learn a Ruuchuuan language through the Nature Method?

Session B brought together diverse approaches to language revitalization and decolonial education, with a focus on the Ryūkyūan, Hawaiian, Japanese, and Palauan contexts. Yumi Standlee shared personal and community-based narratives in her presentation Stories of Ryūkyūan-Hawaiian Language Heritage, highlighting the intergenerational transmission of language among diasporic communities. Jisuk Park addressed the need to decolonize Japanese language textbooks, critically examining historical narratives that often reproduce nationalistic and colonial assumptions. The presentation proposed the necessity for more inclusive and accurate portrayals of Japan’s linguistic and cultural diversity. Gillian Sawyer introduced a decolonial approach to language resource creation through her work on Palauan language reclamation using ArcGIS StoryMaps. Her project combined digital mapping tools with oral histories and community knowledge, offering an innovative methodology to document, visualize, and share Indigenous linguistic heritage. Finally, Zack Edwards and Dylan John Tamotsu Kamiyama Pilger explored the entanglement of language, capitalism, and colonialism in the Ryukyus, advocating for a deeper engagement with the lived realities of Ryūkyūan communities resisting linguistic and cultural assimilation.

Discussions following the session led to the conclusion that revitalization is not about returning to the past, but rather about moving forward while resisting the constraints of enduring colonialism. It involves keeping alive cultural forms and knowledge systems that have been passed down through generations, a treasure bestowed upon us by our ancestors. This process necessarily requires the exercise of effective sovereignty and self-determination, as these are the political foundations that make it possible for a people to pursue their own goals in terms of language and culture. In this sense, revitalization is inseparable from decolonization.

The second day of the conference concluded with a workshop on the Yaeyaman language picture book project, by Sachiyo Fujita-Round, Madoka Hammine, Akira Toji and Zack Edwards. The session was truly engaging, creating a space where participants could connect not only with the language but also with one another.

A particularly meaningful moment was the presence of Mr. Akira Toji, a speaker of Kumoomuni, one of the Yaeyaman language varieties. His contribution offered attendees an unforgottable opportunity to witness an endangered language in use, while also highlighting the richness, beauty, and complexity of the oral tradition embedded within it. Beyond its linguistic value, the workshop emphasized the cultural depth carried through storytelling and speech in Yaeyaman. This was transmitted to the audience by Mr. Akira Toji, through the old  tale of God and the six birds of Kohama Island.

Day 3 – Conference at Okinawa International University

The final day of the conference opened with a session entitled Towards Healing through Art. It featured various presentations, including I-Yun Cheng’s talk on decolonizing museums with Indigenous practices, which studied the use of Indigenous languages in Taiwanese museums. This session also hosted Antonie Grahamsdaughter’s presentation focused on Indigenous women, art and activism using personal narratives and multimedia elements. Finally, Špela Drnovšek Zorko presented a multidisciplinary project concerned with ‘entangled Easts’ in the contexts of ‘Eastern’ Europe and ‘East’ Asia, as well as ‘the decolonial potentialities of such a move’.

The morning coffee break was followed by two sessions in parallel. Session 4, Decolonization from Okinawa, Ryukus, was opened by Sutej Hugu, who presented the poet-activist Elder Bukun’s work in the context of Indigenous language literature in Taiwan. Soroush Hashemloo shared his progress on his master’s thesis pertaining to the 1975 Okinawa Expo and how Japanese colonialism in Ryukyu has developed over time. Alexyss McClellan-Ufugusuku’s presentation examined the Poké Lids campaign in Japan in relation to the promotion of Okinawa's Hawaiian image. Finally, Kazuma Maetakenishi presented an ethnography of Okinawan comedy in relation to minority resistance.

On the other side, session 5 Diaspora, Identities and Decoloniality, counted with various topics of deep relevance to the conference. José Carlos Feliciano Nishikawa’s presentation shared the story of Rosa Kimiko, his Uchinanchu-Andean grandmother, highlighting how language barriers, discrimination, and community resilience shaped the experience of Okinawan descendants in Peru across 118 years of migration history.  The following presentation, by Zimbabwean academic and visual activist Skye R Tinevimbo Chirape, reflected on reimagining research in psychology and migration through participatory and visual methodologies. This presentation offered a valuable example of the potential of a decolonial logic of research methodologies, in this case aiming to challenge dominant paradigms and promote healing, justice, and community-led knowledge production beyond academic boundaries. Finally,  Micah Mizukami explored the personal experiences of diasporic Uchinānchu at the 2022 Taikai through a community-based oral history approach, highlighting how participants navigated Okinawa’s multilingual setting, questioned the narrative of unity, and offered reflections on language and future directions for reconnecting with their shima.

After lunch, artist Kengi Takara’s talk Resistance - Flower Demonstration highlighted his exhibitions Forest, Earth, Sea, Bases and Postwar as well as his use of raw materials from Okinawa in works such as the Flower Demonstration. Additionally, Okinawa-born artist Chie Kyan demonstrated how she incorporates local materials like red soil into her work, which embodies themes of resistance, as in Takara’s work. This presentation was followed by two workshops. In the first, led by Chie Kyan, participants engaged with the red soil of Yomitan, collected from a former airfield with a painful colonial and military past, to connect with Okinawa’s layered histories of dispossession, resistance, and resilience. For Kyan, drawing with red soil becomes an act of prayer, inviting collective reflection and a shared wish for peace. The second workshop, led by Gabriela Gushiken and Mateus Oliveira, encouraged participants to explore objects and experiences that evoke discomfort or alertness, linking them to broader systems of marginalization and hegemonic power. Using a dynamic card-based method inspired by champuru and gambiarra, attendees collaborated to transform discomfort into creative responses and ideas for social change. Together, these workshops demonstrated how artistic and participatory practices can serve as powerful tools for healing, critical inquiry, and collective imagination.

The final session, Creativity, Literacy and Environment, started with Professor Kamrul Hossein, who explored the evolution of Indigenous rights through human rights law, focusing on Sámi peoples and how treaty monitoring bodies have increasingly acknowledged their cultural identities as foundational to broader rights claims. Katarzyna Pastuszak highlighted artivistic collaborations between Indigenous female artists and Amareya Theatre & Guests, framing performance as a powerful tool to confront ecological crisis, decolonize landscapes, and cultivate resilience through embodied storytelling. Finally, a study on rural Japan by Rachel Herring examined how traditional cultural practices can inform more equitable energy transitions, revealing that while communities support localized, sustainable energy projects, broader awareness and inclusion of cultural heritage remain essential for long-term resilience and justice. Together, these presentations underscored the need for integrative, culturally grounded approaches to justice, healing, and transformation.

The closing words of the conference by Professor Hiroshi Maruyama, director of CEMiPoS, described the seminar as a precious gift and extended his gratitude to all participants for their presence and contributions, acknowledging how each of them helped make the gathering truly special. He gave particular recognition to Professor Madoka Hammine for her unwavering dedication and effort in making the seminar possible. Professor Maruyama emphasized the powerful entanglement of art and research throughout the conference, and how each presentation, whether directly or indirectly, was connected to the broader project of decolonization. He closed with hopeful remarks, expressing his wish that researchers and activists continue to collaborate in the pursuit of justice, supporting marginalized communities and protecting life in all its forms.

Hiroshi Maruyama, Founder and Director of CEMiPoS

It has been more than a week since the final international and interdisciplinary seminar: Decolonising Futures in Okinawa began. Time flies! Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who participated in the seminar. In particular, I would like to thank the international and local artists: Amareya Theatre & Guests, Antonie Frank, Tomas Colbengtson, Higaza Theatre, Chie Kyan, and Kengi Takara, for making the seminar such a special event. Many thanks also go to the young members of the organising committee: Aaron Hopes, Andrea Boccardi, I-Yun Cheng and Olivia Doyle, as well as two professors from Okinawa International University: Karl Okano and Ryo Hagino, who worked hard to prepare for and run the seminar. Personally, I owed the maintenance of my health to the following CEMiPoS members: Kamrul Hossain, Carles Jornet, Seira Duncan, and Nick Overacher, as well as the medical doctor Susumu Horimoto. Finally, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Professor Madoka Hammine for her exceptional leadership in organising the seminar from planning to execution.

In July 2025, Okinawa saw art and research come together in the pursuit of decolonising the future. The young researchers and local and international artists in particular made a strong impression on me with their energy. Furthermore, the international and interdisciplinary seminar in Okinawa was open to local citizens and activists, thus continuing the unchanging aims of CEMiPoS, as demonstrated in 'Indigenous Art Workshops & International Conference on Policy towards Indigenous Peoples: Lessons to be Learned' in Sapporo in 2017. Shortly after the seminar in Okinawa, Madoka Hammine, the seminar's principal organiser, called out to us: 'We would like to keep working on the shared interests and collaborate with you towards decolonizing futures together. Let us work and collaborate further in the future.' I am convinced that the aforementioned young researchers and local and international artists will collaborate across disciplinary boundaries to challenge the contemporary global agenda, including decolonisation. They will do so in solidarity with marginalised people and for the well-being of future generations, in response to Madoka's call.

Kamrul Hossain (Adjunct Professor at the CEMiPoS, and Research Professor at the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland in Rovaniemi, Finland)

In July 2025, the Ryukyu Islands served as the setting for the Final Okinawa International and Interdisciplinary Seminar on Decolonizing Futures, a powerful convergence of minds and movements. Hosted by the Center for Environmental and Minority Policy Studies (CEMiPoS), the three-day event brought together approximately 60 participants, including scholars, artists, activists, and local residents, for dialogue, performances, and collaborations rooted in Indigenous perspectives and decolonial scholarship. Held at Okinawa International University, which is located near the controversial U.S. Futenma military base, the seminar addressed the lived experiences of Okinawan communities. The location itself underscored urgent conversations around militarization, sovereignty, and environmental justice, making the university a participant in the event's narrative, not just a venue.

On July 11, the opening night at Atelier Mekaru Base in Naha set the tone. Performances by the Okinawan group Higaza and Poland’s Amareya Theatre, alongside guests from Gdańsk and Greenland, created a vibrant and emotionally resonant experience. The performances wove together stories of resistance, survival, and cultural memory, reminding attendees that art is a powerful tool in the decolonial struggle. Over the next two days, a full program of panels, workshops, and exhibitions took place. Presentations covered themes such as language and cultural revitalization, environmental justice, human rights, museum decolonization, and the right of stolen ancestral remains to be returned. The accompanying exhibition, "Resistance and Resilience," showcased visual works that captured the spirit of political defiance and cultural endurance.

My contribution focused on Indigenous rights within the context of human rights law, with a particular emphasis on the Sámi people of Northern Europe. Drawing from national court rulings and United Nations Human Rights Committee jurisprudence, I discussed how the Sámi people's connection to their traditional lands and natural resources is an essential expression of their cultural rights. This legal perspective sparked broader reflections on self-determination, political participation, and the real-world challenges Indigenous communities face when asserting their autonomy within state systems.

The final seminar wasn’t just a conclusion; it was a beginning. It emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, community-based knowledge, and creative expression in envisioning futures beyond colonial structures. By bringing together voices from Okinawa and around the world, the event provided a shared space of hope, solidarity, and determination for future generations. As we move forward, the lessons from this gathering remain clear: Decolonization is a political, legal, and deeply human project grounded in respect, creativity, and a commitment to justice.

As a research organization committed to decolonial, anti-racist, and justice-based work, we stand in full solidarity with the Palestinian people and we firmly denounce the genocide committed by the Israeli state.

CEMiPoS unequivocally condemns the Israeli government and all entities—whether states, institutions, corporations, or organizations—that support or facilitate the genocidal assault on Gaza.

Finally, while CEMiPoS rejects institutional complicity, it welcomes individuals who oppose systemic aggression and seek to contribute to transformative change. CEMiPoS believes that respectful and critical dialogue is essential to dismantling systems of oppression and building genuine solidarity across communities.

CEMiPoS reaffirms its commitment to justice, decolonization, and solidarity with all oppressed peoples, and calls on the academic community to take a clear stand against colonial violence.

We are delighted to announce that the Book of Abstracts for our upcoming international and interdisciplinary seminar is now available!

It offers a preview of the engaging topics and perspectives that our speakers will explore — as well as details on the theatre performances and exhibitions.

We look forward to welcoming you soon at the seminar!

👉 Download the Book of Abstracts here

Dear Participants,

Haixai, from Okinawa.

I am happy to share our conference's finalized program (attached to this email).We have 20 mins for each presentation and at the end of sessions, we have discussion &  question time. We are expecting about 60 people including those who are attending to listen, not to present. I am including those who showed interest in joining us in this email.

The conference starts at 18:00~ on the 11th of July evening at Atelier Mekaru Base in Naha with a performance by Higaza and Amareya Theatre. On the second and third days, we have presentations and workshops lined up at Okinawa International University.

On behalf of the organizing committee, I would like to advice the following:

1) Please respond to survey about the conference dinner on Day 3, if you have not done so.

2) Please upload your presentation slides on google drive, if possible. In the classrooms, there are PCs with HDMI that you can use. We will prepare adaptors for both Mac and Windows users. You can also present from your computer, but just in case, we would like to have PPTs in our google folders.

3) The conference participation fee is 10,000 yen (including performance tickets) for professors and university affiliated scholars and 5,000 yen (including performance tickets) for students. We also welcome citizens of Okinawa, if they are interested, they can join us for free. Additionally, if you want to attend Chie Kyan's art workshop, there is an additional fee of 300 yen that we will collect at the registration. We would like to collect the fee at the registration so please make sure you have cash with you.

4) There is no organized lunch this year, so you will need to bring your lunch or go to shops/restaurants near Okinawa International University during lunch break.

5) The conference venue is located at building 5 of Okinawa International University. Please see the attached file for your reference.

We are looking forward to welcoming you to Okinawa.
If you have any questions, please let us know.

Best wishes,
Madoka (on behalf of the organizing committee)

The Higaza theater group consists of seven members: Haruka Higa (director), Sayo Yamazato (Choreographer), Hiroya Tokumoto (video editor), Aya Taira (artist), Hiroko Nakamura (actor), Hisanori Kizawa (actor), Yoshinao Hiyane (musician). Since 2008, they have been producing plays in the traditional Ryukyuan languages “Uchināguchi”, performing at community centres, schools and welfare facilities, and holding workshops and exhibitions. They also perform for free in nursing homes.

The primary purpose and distinctive feature of Higaza's activities is the preservation of war experiences. They collect testimonies from survivors of the Battle of Okinawa and use these accounts as the basis for their scripts. Consequently, they have performed numerous pieces centred on themes of war, such as 'Kanpoo nu Kweenkusaa' (Survivors of the Battle of Okinawa in English), which is to be performed at Atelier Mekaru Base in Naha on 11 July. Second, Higaza's activities, which utilize a wide range of Ryukyuan languages, go beyond mere theatrical performances and play a significant role in the preservation of Ryukyuan culture and peace education. Haruka says: 'Against the backdrop of our activities, Okinawa is a place where the people, languages, traditions and nature have nurtured us. However, although Okinawa still has a unique history, languages, traditions and nature, these are on the verge of being lost.'

Amareya Theatre & Guests (https://www.teatramareya.pl/), based in Gdańsk, Poland, made a powerful impact across Europe in 2014 with their performance "Nomadic Woman". The piece was based on the true story of Louise Fontaine Najavaraq, a Greenlandic Inuit woman who was stripped of her native language and lost her sense of identity due to Denmark’s assimilation policies. Combining music and video with a creative performance rooted in Japanese Butoh, the work shed artistic light on the buried history of colonization in the remote region of Greenland. Between 2018 and 2022, Amareya made regular visits to Hokkaido, premiering new works each year in collaboration with Ainu Women's Association—such as "Requiem for Ainu and Kamuy"—and expanding the expressive possibilities of Ainu culture.

They are eager to premiere a new piece titled “UNA” at Atelier Mekaru Base in Naha on 11 July. The work is based on concepts developed by Inuit artist Louise Fontaine Najavaraq and transgender artist Apayauq Reitan, with choreography by Katarzyna Pastuszak and Natalia Cylińska. According to the artists, "UNA" is a ritualistic art performance that draws on Inuit concepts such as inua (essence) and sila (spirit, environment) to reclaim lost traditions and awaken feminine power. The aim is to inspire transformation and resistance against the injustices perpetuated by patriarchy, capitalism, and colonialism. It will be exciting to see how this work takes shape. Notably, Katarzyna holds a PhD from the University of Gdańsk for her research on Hijikata Tatsumi, the founder of Japanese Butoh. The three photos below are from the performance "Nomadic Woman" by Amareya Theatre & Guests.

In order to enhance interdisciplinary collaboration between artists and researchers in pursuit of decolonising futures, three esteemed visual artists and two innovative theatre companies have been invited. A curated selection of works by visual artists, including Antonie Frank Grahamsdaughter, who possesses Canadian Indigenous roots, Tomas Colbengtson, who hails from Sápmi in Sweden, and Uchinanchu Chie Kyan, is available for viewing below as part of the art exhibition held at the Okinawa International University on 12-13 July 2025.

Antonie Frank Grahamsdaughter (https://www.antoniefrank.se/)

Born in Toronto in 1955. She is of Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) Indigenous heritage and holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm. She received advanced education in video at the Jan van Eyck Academy in the Netherlands and the Royal University of Fine Arts in Stockholm. Since the early 1980s,she has been a pioneer in experimental video art, installation, and performance, focusing on themes such as Indigenous rights and decolonization. In 2016, she was selected as one of the pioneering European women video artists by the curatorial team of the European Women's Video Art Project. Her notable works include the documentary “Uprising” (2019), which won the Best Director Award and Best Documentary Award at the Toronto Alternative Film Festival, and “The Voice of Indigenous Women and Activism” (2020), which explores the role of Indigenous women in activism. She has also curated exhibitions such as “Native Moving Images,” which challenges stereotypes of Indigenous peoples, and as a journalist, she has published numerous articles on Indigenous rights in Swedish monthly magazine “Fjärde Världen (The Fourth World).” She loves Okinawa.

Tomas Colbengtson (https://colbengtson.com/)

Born in 1957 in the remote village of Tärnaby in northern Sweden. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting from the University College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm in 1991. From 1998 to 2008, he was appointed Resident Artist at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, and from 2012 to 2022,he served as a full-time lecturer in fine arts at his alma mater, the University College of Arts, Crafts and Design. In 2018, he founded “Sápmi Salasta” (“Sápmi Embraces”), one of the first artist residencies dedicated to Indigenous artists, promoting intercultural dialogue and artistic exchange. His artistic practice consistently explores themes of colonialism, Sami identity, and cultural memory, employing media such as screen printing on glass and metal, etching, and digital art to create forms that embody decolonization. His works have been exhibited in 21 countries worldwide, including Greenland, Brazil, Egypt, and Japan, and are held in public collections such as the National Museum of Norway, the British Museum, the Swedish Public Art Agency, the Norwegian Public Art Agency, the South Sami Museum, and the Norwegian Sami Parliament. In 2024, he was awarded the Queen Sonja Print Award, one of the most prestigious awards in the world, in recognition of his contributions to printmaking.

Chie Kyan (https://www.chie-kyan.com/)

Born in 1969 in Okinawa, Japan. She completed her graduate studies in Japanese painting at the Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts in 1995. In 2001, she studied at the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts in China as an overseas research fellow. Since 2015, she has been engaged in restoring Ryukyu Kingdom cultural heritage paintings. She currently works as a part-time lecturer and researcher at the Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts. Her artwork centers on themes such as motherhood, prayer, and requiem, reflecting her Ryukyuan heritage. In 2022, she held a solo exhibition titled “RESONATE – 共鳴” in Okinawa. Between 2023 and 2024, Chie Kyan showcased her work in both domestic and international exhibitions, including shows in Sarajevo, Tokyo, Okinawa, and Taiwan. Highlights include The Flow of Okinawan Art, Nikkei Nihonga Grand Prize Exhibition, and Materials and Expression – Human Connections Through Nikawa. In 2025, she will take part in “Neither ○ nor ✕! – ART and Me” in Okinawa. She received the Kawabata Ryushi Prize in 1994 and the Okinawa Times Arts Encouragement Prize in 2020. Her works have also been selected for the Tanaka Isson and Sugatatehiko awards. Public collections of her work include the Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum and Sakima Art Museum.

After two editions in 2023 and 2024, the Decolonising Futures Seminar will conclude this July with a third seminar in Okinawa featuring the participation of international and Indigenous artists, including Ryukyuan artists. The objective of the seminar is to challenge the global colonialism, racism and paternalism that have exploited Indigenous, minoritized and other marginalised peoples. Furthermore, the seminar aims to support their initiatives to revive and reclaim their languages, cultures, art and nature towards decolonising futures.

Although scholarship is an invaluable tool for challenging and documenting historical and ongoing injustices, as well as formulating prescriptions, it is not in itself a sufficient means to achieve decolonisation. Art, in its capacity as a medium of resistance, has the potential to challenge the status quo by making the imperceptible, the oppressive, and the concealed visible, thereby evoking a profound response from the audience. For example, in the Fennoscandian countries, the art of Indigenous Sámi has served as a symbol of resistance to colonial encroachment in Sápmi, strengthening the bonds of Sami society as a whole. In the Ryukyu Islands, artistic expression has been instrumental for illustrating the sacrifice of a quarter of the local population during WWII. Artists have depicted the reality of fortification by the Japanese and US governments, thereby sharing poignant anti-militarisation statements.

To enhance interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers and artists in pursuit of decolonising futures, we have invited two esteemed artists and an innovative theatre company. These include Tomas Colbengtson (https://www.antoniefrank.se/) from Sápmi in Sweden, Antonie Frank Grahamsdaughter (https://www.antoniefrank.se/), a Swedish resident with Canadian Indigenous roots, and Amareya Theatre & Guests  (https://www.teatramareya.pl/) from Gdansk, Poland, which includes two Greenlandic Inuit artists. By employing photographs of their own ancestors and family videos, Tomas and Antonie's visual arts facilitate the viewer's immersion in the depths of their memories of Indigenous histories that are not reflected in textbook narratives that are centred on the state, thereby instilling a sense of the necessity for decolonisation. Amareya Theatre & Guests' performing arts focus on the stories of ethnic, sexual, linguistic, physical and religious minorities. The trauma and stigma experienced by marginalised Indigenous people under colonialism resonate with the audience's bodies through the stage and reverberate long after. Invitations to attend have also been extended to Higaza, a distinguished theatre group dedicated to the preservation and promotion of traditional Okinawan performing arts, and the transmission of the war experiences of the elderly to the audience in Uchinaguchi, the Okinawan language.

This three-day event, which encompasses both artistic and academic elements, will serve as a platform for all participants from the Ryukyu Islands and beyond to engage in mutual learning and collaboration, transcending all boundaries, with a view to establishing an Era of Hope for future generations in solidarity with marginalised peoples and communities across the globe.

The Outline of the Programme

11 July 2025, Venue: Atelier Mekaru Base

Performing Arts for an Era of Hope
・Amareya Theatre & Guests from Gdansk, Poland and Greenland
・Higaza from Okinawa

12-13 July 2025, Venue: Okinawa International University

Exhibition of Visual Arts on "Resistance and Resilience"
・Antonie Frank Grahamsdaughter, Canadian First Nations’ descendant
・Tomas Colbengtson, Sámi on the side of Sweden                                                                     ・Chie Kyan, Uchinanchu (Ryukyuan)

Three panel discussions are scheduled to take place, with potential topics of presentation under consideration as follows:

・Panel discussion:  Women and Girls under Violence and Discrimination, Repatriation of Stolen Skeletons - Legacy of Scientific Racism, Environmental and Health Issues Facing Indigenous Communities
・Possible presentation topics: Language Loss, Language Reclamation and Community Building, Education, Language Policy and International Human Rights Framework, Collective Rights of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples, Indigenising Museum Spaces, Minority/Immigrant literature, Historical Revisionism and Hate Speeches, etc.
・Breakout Sessions
・Co-Creation Workshops

Banquet (Date, time and place to be communicated later)

＊Please note that the detailed programme will be published on the CEMiPoS website in June after the abstracts have been collected by 31 May 2025.
＊Unfortunately, we are unable to do an excursion due to a lack of staff. Nevertheless, the venues, including Atelier Mekaru Base and Okinawa International University, are significant locations for comprehending the present circumstances of the Ryukyu Islands. Atelier Meikari Base is a centre for culture and the arts, born out of a movement by Okinawan residents to revive a private theatre that had collapsed under the influence of cinema. Okinawa International University is known for the accident involving a helicopter from the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on its campus, which led to considerable local and national criticism and highlighted tensions over the US military presence in Okinawa. The Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, described as the most dangerous military base occupying a large area in a densely populated urban area, is visible from the roof of a building at Okinawa International University. Moreover, the Sakima Art Museum, which houses the Battle of War painted by Maruki Iri and Toshi, is located in proximity to Okinawa International University. The Marukis are renowned globally for their depictions of the devastation caused by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. A visit to the Sakima Art Museum before or after the three-day event is strongly recommended.

Fee for Registration

Professors: JPY 10,000
Students: JPY 5,000
Locals: Free
We are inviting five international and Indigenous artists from Europe with funding. We are using our own money for this, but unfortunately, it is not enough. We would be grateful if you could agree to the registration fee, which will partially cover the costs of travel, accommodation and food for these artists.

Deadline for Abstracts    

We would like to inform you that: The number of words in the abstracts is limited to 100-150; Authors must include the title, affiliation, email-address, and 4-5 keywords in the abstracts; The completed abstract should be submitted to Olivia Doyle (olivia.s.doyle@gmail.com) no later than 31 May 2025.

Recommendations for Accommodation and Easy Access to Each Venue

Accommodation Recommendations

Okinawa offers a range of accommodation options, from budget-friendly hotels to more luxurious stays. We recommend choosing a hotel or guesthouse in Naha or Ginowan, as these areas offer convenient access to the event venues via public transportation.
• Naha: Ideal for those who prefer easy access to Okinawa’s main airport and a variety of restaurants and cultural sites.
• Ginowan: Closer to Okinawa International University and offers a quieter environment.
• Urasoe: Suitable for those attending events at Urasoe Art Museum and Mekaru Base.

Venue Access Information

WARNING: In Okinawa, traffic is often very heavy. Buses frequently run late, sometimes by more than 30 minutes. Please allow extra travel time and consider using the Monorail or taxis whenever possible.

Atelier Mekaru Base (Performing Arts – July 11, 2025)
Address: 203 Mekaru, Naha, Okinawa
Access:
See their official website for further details (no English page available): https://www.m-base.okinawa/access/
• By Monorail: Get off at Furujima Station and walk approximately 8 minutes.
• By Bus: Several Bus stops around the venue. Please use Google Map to navigate your way.
• By Taxi: From Naha Airport, a taxi ride to Mekaru Base takes approximately 20 minutes and costs around ¥2,500.
• Parking: There is no parking available at Mekaru Base. Visitors are advised to use nearby coin-operated parking or public transportation.

Okinawa International University (Exhibition of Visual Arts, Presentations and Panel Discussions, etc. – July 12-13, 2025)
Address: 2 Chome-6-1 Ginowan, Okinawa 901-2701, Japan
Access:
For more details, visit their official website: https://www.okiu.ac.jp/english/access
• By Bus:
o From Naha Airport: Take bus No. 125 from Kokunaisen Ryokaku Terminal Mae (in front of the international passenger terminal). Get off at "Nagata" and walk 7 minutes. (Approx. 70 min / ¥620)
o By Monorail & Bus: Get off at Asahibashi Station (11 min / ¥270), then transfer to a route bus at Naha Bus Terminal (bus No. 90, 92, 98, 110, 21, 25, 120, 191, etc.), which takes approximately 50 min (¥570 - ¥610) depending on the route.
o By Taxi: A direct taxi ride from Naha Airport takes approximately 40 minutes and costs around ¥2,500.

Organising Committee: CEMiPoS & Allies

Madoka Hammine, Assistant Professor, University of Denver, Colorado
Masahide Ishihara, Professor, University of the Ryukyus
Kaoru Okano, Associate Professor, Okinawa International University
Ryo Hagino, Lecturer, Okinawa International University
Shinako Oyakawa, Co-Chair ACSILs
Aika Higashimori, Director, NPO “Cinema at Sea”
Kanae Uema, Curator, Sakima Art Museum
Andrea Boccardi, Assistant Professor, Masaryk University
I-Yun Cheng, PhD Candidate, University of Sydney
Olivia Doyle, Researcher, CEMiPoS
Aaron Hopes, PhD Candidate, Stanford University
Sachiyo Fujita-Round, Specially Appointed Associate Professor, Daito Bunka University
Hiroshi Maruyama, Director, CEMiPoS