NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community

 21st Annual Symposium

June 6-8, 2024

Co-hosted by

Kairos University

Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA

The NAIITS symposium is gathering on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary territory of the Oceti Sakowin (Seven Council Fires), an alliance that consisted of the Santee, Yankton and Teton Lakota. The seven tribes now occupy nine different reservations in South Dakota. The nine reservations are: Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Oglala Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and Yankton Sioux Tribe.   We honor and respect the diverse Indigenous peoples connected to this territory on which we gather.

“Dreaming Our World Home: The Roots and Role of Visions in Creating Indigenous Futures / an Indigenous Future”

Across the globe, Indigenous peoples are coming back. In the process, we're dreaming the world home. 

That's not to say that we ever left. Though buffeted, muted and hidden in plain sight, we've never gone away. 

Too often stories told about Indigenous peoples prioritize tragedy. Yes, colonization has taken a large and enduring toll on our communities. But despite the suffering, our peoples' dreams have always been of beauty and hope. 

Aboriginal singer Uncle Archie Roach, a Gunditjmara (Kirrae Whurrong/Djab Wurrung) and Bundjalung Elder, captured this in 1990 with his song "They Took the Children Away."

One sweet day, all the children came back…
Back where their hearts grow strong
Back where they all belong

We’re coming back, and our hearts are growing stronger. We’re reclaiming identity, revitalizing ceremonies and language, immersing ourselves in culture and asserting rights.

And we’re still dreaming.

Dreams and visions have always been a conduit for our renewal. Through dreams, we return to our origins as we journey into the future. Visions are creative doorways that help answer in community what does it look like to live at our best?

For us at NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community and iEmergence, the two members of the Indigenous Pathways family, the dream that created our community occurred at the 1996 World Christian Gathering of Indigenous Peoples in Aotearoa. Indigenous Peoples from across the globe came together and for the first time publicly celebrated our cultural and spiritual gifts. We declared, “We are going to be the peoples God created us to be.”

From June 6-8, 2024, we invite you to come to the land of the great dreams of Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull and Black Elk and tell us what your Indigenous dreams are. What are your Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dreams? Maori? Pasifika? Zuni? Nisga’a? Cree? Navajo? What are the dreams of Indigenous nations and communities from around the globe? Those living on their traditional lands and those in diaspora?

These dreams encompass a vast array of topics. How do we welcome back children into our circles? How do we heal from trauma? Renew culture and land-based spirituality?

In Western Christian spaces, visions are often about the end. How are Indigenous dreams about returning to the beginning? Western dreams often emphasize the judgement of Jesus and the Creator. How do they appear in Indigenous dreams as givers of gifts and renewers of life?

Indigenous dreams bring ancient wisdom to bear on contemporary conflicts. What are our dreams for our very troubled world? How can Indigenous peoples help dream the world home?

LIVESTREAM & VIRTUAL OPTIONS

Convocation on June 6 and the evening plenary sessions on June 7 and 8 will be livestreamed at no charge. Follow along on NAIITS' website and Facebook page for details on how to access the livestream from home as the symposium approaches. You do not need to register to access the open livestream.

In addition, a virtual option is now available that includes Main Sessions, daily Talking Circle discussions and a coffee and chat room. This option will run in Central Time and is a great way to be in community if you are not able to gather with us in person! Recordings of Main Sessions, and some Marketplace Sessions, will be made available to Registrants after processing. 

LOCAL HOTELS: 

Super 8 by Wyndham Sioux Falls/41st Street

4100 W. 41st St.
Sioux Falls, South Dakota

1.9 miles from Kairos University

60 rooms are designated for NAIITS Symposium guests at $139 USD/night for reservations made prior to May 22, 2024.

To book: 877-361-2508, itinerary: 5136B436389564, Block: NAIITS Symposium
To contact front desk: 605-679-6758 

Ramada by Wyndham Sioux Falls

407 S. Lyons Ave. 
Sioux Falls, South Dakota

3.0 miles from Kairos University 

To book: 605-679-6651

Comfort Suites 

3208 S. Carolyn Ave. 
Sioux Falls, South Dakota

2.3 miles from Kairos University

To book: (605) 937-5864

Transportation 

We would recommend using Lyft, Uber, or a taxi service to travel from the Sioux Falls airport to Augustana University.

Taxis will be available on demand at the airport, and Lyft and Uber rides can be arranged via app. A list of taxi companies available at Sioux Falls airport can be viewed here. 

It’s approximately a 12 minute drive from the airport to Augustana and will cost ~ $15 USD by taxi, Lyft, or Uber. 

For travel around Augustana University, Sioux Area Metro (public transit) information can be found here, with trips costing $1.50 USD (unfortunately taking the bus from the airport to Augustana involves a 25 minute walk and 2 bus transfers) 

Transit Map for the city of Sioux Falls

For general inquiries or registration support, please contact symposium2024@naiits.com.