The Water and Indigenous (WAI) Symposium was held from March 12–14th, 2025 in Aotearoa, New Zealand, bringing together Indigenous students, postgraduates, and early career professionals from across the Pacific. Centered on Indigenous resilience, wellness, sovereignty, and ‘āina, wai, and moana connections, the gathering fostered meaningful relationships between Indigenous researchers and scholars. Through knowledge exchange and collaboration, the symposium strengthened trans-Pacific pilina, or self-sustaining relationships, that honor ancestral wisdom, community well-being, and shared stewardship of land and water.