Language Revitalization Synergy Symposium (LRSS) 2025

Bradley McDonnell, PhD students Blaine Billings, Sebastian (Sebi) Ohara-Saft, and Yumi Standlee gave invited presentations at LRSS 2025, which took place at the National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics (NINJAL) in Tokyo, between June 13 and 16. The symposium is a product of years of collaboration between Professor Yumiko Ohara at University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and Professor Masahiro Yamada at NINJAL, who leads the Conservation of Endangered Languages Project, and aimed to “bring together people who have been directly involved in language revitalization efforts” in different capacities in various parts of the world, including Ainu moshir, Aotearoa, Hawaiʻi, Indonesia, Ryukyus, and Taiwan, to “facilitate a collaborative synergy in order to accelerate revitalization”. The symposium included participation by community members and organizers, members of non-profit organizations, educators, and researchers, including Te Ururoa Flavell, the former minister of Māori Development, and Professors Kauanoe Kamanā, Yumiko Ohara, Scott Saft, and William H. Wilson from UH Hilo. Brad gave a plenary talk and participated in a multilingual round table, Sebi delivered an oral presentation on issues concerning assessment, and Blaine and Yumi gave poster presentations.