DWeb Camp 2026

Engie Matene

Engie is an Indigenous Technologist and founding member of Mātou Collective, working at the intersection of Indigenous data sovereignty, digital identity, and emerging technologies. Her work is grounded in kaupapa Māori design and collective ownership, supporting Indigenous-led approaches to technology.

In collaboration with Tauhokohoko - https://www.tauhokohoko.nz/ - Matou has developed an Indigenous Digital Identity Protocol and is advancing community-led digital sovereignty and trade initiatives through the development of the Indigenous Digital Sovereignty Stack, enabling Māori and Indigenous communities to govern, and sustain their own digital infrastructure.


Sessions

07-10
10:00
30min
Story Time #2 — Matariki (Māori New Year) with Special Guest
🌱 Andi Wong 💙, Ishadai Sky, Engie Matene

Each morning, children are invited to come to hear and respond to a myth, legend or story that has been passed on from generation to generation, as told by our special guest Storyteller of the Day.

Intergenerational Growth: Seedlings, Saplings, and Old Growth
Kinderopolis
07-10
11:30
60min
Resistance, Resilience and Regeneration - The Role of Collective Infrastructure in Times of Collapse
Madelynn Martiniere, Michael Suantak, Engie Matene, Luandro, Richard Ng, nádia coelho pontes, Esther Jang

In the face of increasing climate disasters, social unrest, and the collapse of long-held economic systems, people around the globe have been building innovative solutions that empower, engage, and protect their communities - providing alternatives that are both locally relevant and globally applicable.

This conversation invites practitioners working across countries and contexts doing the work to be in community with one another, share what's working, what we're learning, and where the challenges lie.

Together, we'll explore what is truly required for community designed, owned, and governed infrastructure to effectively mitigate the growing effects of climate, social, and economic rupture, and approaches to scale.

Solidarity Tech
Solidarity Station
07-11
09:30
60min
Data Sovereignty Panel: Centering Community Control of Agricultural Knowledge
Steve Francis, Engie Matene, Rosanna Crawford, Tara Conway

How can we center agricultural data sovereignty in the rapid development of open ag tech? Kicking off the morning of Camp Day 4, this panel brings together international perspectives to explore the critical need to build digital, social, and legal infrastructure that allows communities and land stewards to maintain control over their own information. Moderated by Steve Francis, the session opens with an introductory framing on data stewardship and navigating the tensions between open access and data enclosure. Panelists will then share concrete case studies highlighting community-led approaches to data ownership, ranging from Indigenous-led technology design in Aotearoa (New Zealand) to evaluating true cost accounting and participatory science. The final portion of the session will be dedicated to a collaborative discussion on building data commons that protect knowledge rather than exploit it.

D:Food/Web
The Seedbed