Marnie Reinfelds Ngāti Mutunga, Taranaki, Te Ātiawa One of the research methods Marnie utilised in her Doctor of Philosophy degree was tohu, a deeply Māori way of knowledge generation that provided spiritual nourishment throughout her doctoral journey. It privileged Māori ways of knowing, being, and doing within the research context. She intends to publish her thesis section on tohu, and feels a responsibility to present it in a format that is accessible and user‑friendly for whānau. She also acknowledges the influence of Matua Tākirirangi Smith’s writing in He ara uru ora: Traditional Māori understandings of trauma and well-being, and recognises the duty of manaaki to honour that legacy in her own work. Marnie hopes that future generations of kairangahau Māori will build on and expand this thinking.
Alehandrea Manuel Ngāti Porou Alehandrea proposes writing a tamariki and whānau‑friendly pukapuka on sensory health, with short stories about living with hearing loss, using hearing aids,getting glasses, experiencing glue ear, and navigating hearing and ear health services.Designed to be taken home from clinic visits and read at night, the pukapuka will foster comfort and understanding for tamariki and their whānau. Inspired by resources such as Harold the Giraffe and books like First Signs and Ngā Waka Aituā, it also addresses the underrepresentation of tāngata whaikaha in health narratives, while encouraging tamariki to see themselves as future health professionals and to contribute to a more inclusive healthcare system.She also intends to write an Indigenous journal article exploring Māori relationality and the significance of the senses. This work will draw on her past and current research work, as well as mātauranga Māori and Māori lived experiences, to deepen understanding of sensory health through a Māori lens.
Geoffrey Hipango Te Āti Haunui‑a‑Pāpārangi, Ngā Rauru Kītahi, Taranaki, Ngāti Apa Geoffrey’s writing on Te Ao Hou Marae, Whanganui, is a personal reclaiming of relationship with his marae that has been transformational for both the marae and himself. A promise made during a difficult life changing period in his life is captured in the whakatauākī ‘kia maraetia te noho — live the marae’. The lessons he received gave him the strength to help turn around a marae in need of love and attention, creating ripple effects for whānau and the wider community.He has been writing a lot over the years and has accumulated stories specific to Te Ao Hou Marae that are more than historical, offering insights and learnings that he believes would be relevant to a wider audience.
Pikihuia Reihana Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga, Rangitāne, Ngāti Kuia, Ngāi Tahu Doctor of Philosophy (health and well-being), Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington. Pikihuia’s doctoral thesis is titled “Reclaiming data, reclaiming lives: The role of coronial data in understanding rangatahi whakamomori Māori in Te Tai Tokerau.”Her research examines the intersections of lived experience and clinical factors such as age, gender, descent, and iwi affiliation. She is driven by a commitment to data sovereignty — ensuring bereaved whānau have access to information about the loss of their loved ones.The coronial process generates valuable data which, when analysed, can provide actionable insights for bereaved whānau and inform public health strategies for prevention, intervention, and postvention.By integrating lived experience with Crown data across justice, health, and welfare, her research aims to offer a holistic understanding of rangatahi whakamomori within te ao Māori, strengthening community, belonging, and social resilience.A whānau-led approach ensures data is repatriated in ways that respect whānaumātauranga, whakapapa, and mana motuhake. Findings will be data-driven and grounded in real-world experiences, supporting culturally anchored strategies and a more comprehensive national suicide prevention framework.
Jennifer Sarich Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Hāua ki Taumarunui Doctor of Clinical Psychology, Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland. Housing insecurity and homelessness constitute complex societal issues that areintimately interwoven with other experiences of being displaced to the margins ofsociety. Women experience specific gendered barriers which may include relationship breakdown, the threat of violence, childcare challenges, discrimination and living in crowded, unsafe, or substandard housing. Her doctoral thesis draws upon a kaupapa Māori research project entailing a community participatory and collaborative review of Te Whare Hīnātore, Auckland City Mission’s first kaupapa Māori-led women’s transitional housing service. The review was in collaboration with Pūrangakura Ltd and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.Despite Māori being disproportionately impacted by housing insecurity, responses hav often focused on the physical side of housing, neglecting the intimate ways in which history, culture, identity and belonging play an important role in reimagining home. By partnering with Te Whare Hīnātore, Jenn had the unique opportunity to listen to the voices of wāhine Māori whose stories shared interwoven themes that contextualise histories of housing insecurity with trauma, grief, state care intervention, racism and poverty, as well as shifts across internal states of healing and navigating their way forward. This included notions of home for wāhine Māori, belonging and aspirations for the future.Wāhine Māori are central to this research. Given the reverential status of wāhine in te ao Māori has been grossly disrupted through processes of colonisation, wāhine Māori have since been caught in the cultural crossfire of racist, sexist and classist systems. Mana wahine theory was used to understand their experiences in relation and balance to everything else, including relative to the oppressive impact of colonial settlement. This brings forward the intersecting nature of class, which is particularly insidious, as beliefs about people in poverty or lower socioeconomic status are often stigmatised. Common attitudes homogenise homeless populations, ignoring diversity within and the multiplicity of pathways into homelessness. The impacts are therefore twofold, where material deprivation contributes to hardship, and assumptions of deservingness limit responsiveness from services.
Morgana Watson Te Āti Haunui‑a‑Pāpārangi, Te Ātiawa, Taranaki, Ngāpuhi Creative Practice Doctor of Philosophy in Māori and Indigenous Studies, University of Canterbury. Morgana’s research is a dual inquiry on Māori futurism and interactive media. The first kaupapa asks “what might a Māori future look like when advanced technology is interwoven with tikanga and kawa, uplifting hapū and whānau wellbeing?” By prioritising wairua, reciprocity, and mana motuhake, this kaupapa reimagines a future free of colonial oppression and capitalism, where the brilliance of ancient ceremonies is elevated alongside technological innovation.The second kaupapa on Māori and Indigenous interactive media explores how and where these speculative pūrākau take shape. As a Māori game developer with 4Phase Aotearoa, we create escapism, sanctuary, and adventure in worlds where colonisation never occurred (or is decentred), removing its trauma and centring te ao Māori as the foundation of our stories. This creative reset allows us to experience pūrākau and tikanga in dynamic new ways, reviving practices and protocols that may otherwise feel distant or inaccessible. By reconnecting people to atua, tipua, taniwha, the taiao and our cosmogony through interactive storytelling, we not only recover cultural narratives but also ensure their prosperity for future generations.At the heart of Māori futurism is the relationship between tangata, taiao, and technology. The suspension of disbelief in speculative play creates Indigenous freedom to dream, envisioning futures where balance with our taiao is restored and enhanced. Interactive media becomes a platform to test and model real world solutions grounded in Māori values like tiakitanga, tapu, and collective well-being above extractive colonial systems. By embodying these principles in game mechanics and world-building, her research offers pathways where cultural innovation directly contributes to environmental well-being and the flourishing of both people and whenua.
Teresa Foster Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Te Ātiawa Nui Tonu, Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health (Māori Health), Te Pūmanawa Hauora, the Research Centre for Hauora and Health, Massey University. Teresa’s doctoral research is centred on wairua, recognising that healing and recovery for whānau is incomplete without spiritual balance. Grounded in rongoā wairua, her study documents, analyses, and revitalises practices that affirm the reciprocal relationships between people, atua, and whenua, and ensures knowledge returns to whānau through wānanga and practical resources. Teresa’s work contributes to cultural revitalisation by recording, protecting, and transmitting Māori healing knowledge that was suppressed through colonisation. By validating these practices in contemporary health settings, she helps remove marginalisation and strengthens pride in identity and practice. Her research strengthens social resilience by reconnecting whānau to their whakapapa, whenua, and spiritual practices. By creating safe spaces where Māori practices are normalised and celebrated, whānau and rangatahi regain confidence in who they are. Teresa affirms a wholistic view of Māori well-being where spiritual, emotional, cultural, and physical domains are interwoven. By revitalising practices such as karakia, mirimiri, and wai-based healing, she supports whānau to reclaim control over their health journeys. This is an expression of tino rangatiratanga, enabling whānau to make health decisions that reflect their values and tikanga.
Auriole Ruka Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Maniapoto, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Whātua Doctor of Philosophy, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi. Auriole’s doctoral thesis is titled “Upholding the ahi kā: The enduring role and leadership of wāhine Māori as ahi kā.”Central to her research is the enduring role of mana wahine within the ahi kā. Mana wahine is derived from te ira wahine, the essence of the female, and encompasses tikanga, whakapapa, rangatiratanga, and resilience. Wāhine find spiritual nourishment through their connection to the whenua as descendants of Papatūānuku, and when wāhine are nourished they are empowered to provide the same nourishment as nurturers and protectors of their whānau, hapū and iwi.Maintaining ahi kā ensures mana whenua rights to implement all forms of tiakitanga, highlighting an active, intergenerational commitment to environmental well-being and sustainability.Her Master’s thesis ‘Te ahi kei roto i taku puku’ highlighted the adverse effects of thedisconnection from the environment. Tangata whenua experienced ‘poverty in paradise,’ suffering land confiscations, economic exclusion and ruptures to communal life. Environmental challenges like climate change disproportionately impact our communities, linking environmental degradation directly to whānau well-being. This reinforces that a holistic view of whānau well-being includes environmental stewardship and this will continue to be a key focus of the doctoral thesis.Whānau‑led recovery is grounded in kaupapa Māori methodology, affirming Māori cultural philosophies and practices. Ahi kā is fundamental to whānau well‑being and identity, embodying enduring connection through occupation, tiakitanga, and active engagement in hapū. This connection is vital for maintaining mana whenua, implementing all forms of tiakitanga and being able to tell our stories.Emotional health is a significant component to understanding the impact of historical and contemporary injustices. The experiences of wāhine who endured feelings of whakamā (shame, embarrassment) and mamae (pain, hurt, wound) due to discrimination, rejection, and being devalued are recognised as profound, and wāhine research protocols such as rongomātau (‘feeling the knowing’) are designed to acknowledge and integrate these emotional experiences, connecting them through a whakapapa lens to a comprehensive understanding of well-being and strengthens our pathway back to our tino rangatiratanga.
Milly Grant‑Mackie Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kahu ki Whaingaroa, Ngāpuhi Doctor of Philosophy in coastal geomorphology, Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland. Milly’s doctoral thesis, ‘Te ngarunui, te ngaruroa, te ngarupaewhenua: The journey of understanding the relationship between sea level rise and coastal marae in Te Tai Tokerau, through mātauranga and science’, connects cultural recovery and environmental well-being.In a recent wānanga, her whānau identified three core priorities for their marae. The first is power: for decades, the marae has had none or very limited electricity. The second is water: the marae runs on tank water, and only in the past four years has a tap and drainage been installed in the whare kai. The third is tikanga: like many marae around Aotearoa, her whānau and hapū have been heavily impacted by colonisation, and one of the biggest losses has been tikanga and reo.She believes that once the marae is fully functioning, tikanga can be revitalised and cultural practices breathed back into life.Her doctoral research centres on collecting and collating stories, pūrākau, and mātauranga connected to whenua, moana, and sites of cultural significance. This process is not only about gathering information for her thesis but also about ensuring these stories, knowledges, and histories are retained and revitalised for future generations.Her marae, Ōwhata, sits on a low-lying sandspit in Herekino Harbour, Te Tai Tokerau. It is a rural marae with limited infrastructure and a history of major changes to the surrounding environment. These changes are not just about the landscape, they have changed how whānau live, gather, and practice tikanga.Her study aims to understand how sea level rise and extreme weather will affect coastal marae communities like hers, and to co-create responses that reflect who we are as Māori. Whānau knowledge, stories, and history will be woven together with scientific tools such as mapping, soil and sediment analysis, and models that show how the coast might change in the future. Her research is creating pathways for whānau-led solutions to climate change that honour our whakapapa, restore our connection to place, and enhance both environmental and cultural well-being.
Kahura Moke Kāwhia Moana, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Maniapoto Master’s of Digital Business (digital data sovereignty and Māori agribusiness), University of Waikato. Kahura’s research is directly connected to the Waiata theme, which recognises cultural recovery and prosperity as essential to whānau well-being. Māori agribusiness is not just an economic activity — it is a living expression of whakapapa, tikanga, and the enduring relationship between whānau, whenua, and wai.Kahura works with Māori landowners to realise aspirations for whenua development, and this mahi has shown that prosperity is not defined purely in financial terms; it also encompasses cultural, spiritual, and collective outcomes.Grounded in the principle that the health of the natural environment and the well-being of whānau are inseparable, his research positions digital innovation as a modern tool to uphold traditional responsibilities to the environment. By integrating environmental indicators with cultural frameworks, the research provides new ways for Māori enterprises to evaluate success — where enhanced soil health, restored waterways, and biodiversity protection are as important as financial sustainability.This work directly responds to the need for solutions that strengthen tiakitanga within Māori agribusiness, creating opportunities for whānau to heal, reconnect, and ensure that future generations inherit environments that sustain their prosperity, identity, and resilience.
Nina Reesen Fischer Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi Master’s in Early Intervention Specialist Teaching, Massey University. Nina’s research is grounded in te ao Māori approaches to early childhood education and specialist teaching, weaving together ways of being, knowing, and doing.Her work draws on Te Awa Whiria – the Braided Rivers Approach, a fluid and dynamic method for combining mātauranga Māori and western science to create a more powerful and integrated understanding.Within early childhood, the strands of our learning whāriki are represented in mana atua, mana whenua, mana tangata, mana reo, and mana aotūroa. Bringing these strands to life with mokopuna involves drawing upon Papatūānuku and ngā atua within pūrākau, to understand the interconnected way mokopuna learn. This approach also supports adults to explore Indigenous knowledge alongside science, translating terminology into tangible concepts that reflect the everyday lives of mokopuna, whānau, and educators. Nina’s dissertation will implement this culturally responsive, environmental approach to strengthen kaiako well-being. Children learn and thrive when their culture, knowledge, and community are affirmed, and when the people around them help make these vital connections. This intergenerational experience focuses on nurturing kaiako well-being and building a sense of self-efficacy, enabling kaiako to ‘see,’ ‘feel,’ and ‘listen’ to the difference they make in the lives of others.A key component of the research is enacting ako to establish trust within learningpartnerships—an intentional process. Trust in professional relationships is deeply connected to social justice, allowing educators to bring who they are to what they do (identity) while respecting the diversity of the collective.
Ella Dudley Te Āti Haunui‑a‑Pāpārangi Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Psychology and a Master of Science in Psychology, University of Otago. Ella’s Masters research explores how rangatahi anticipate they would navigate and respond to a disclosure of sexual abuse from a friend. Her research has a particular focus on the impact that such a conversation might have on the disclosure recipient and their wellbeing.Resources will later be produced to help young people feel better able to have these conversations.This mahi sits closely alongside the He Pounga Waihoe programme and its metaphor of the paddle. Disclosures are moments of courage that ripple outward, impacting not only the rangatahi who have experienced harm but also their peers, whānau, whakapapa, and future generations. Disclosure itself is a kind of paddling: a forward motion that requires bravery, effort, and trust, with ripples that extend across the water. How those ripples are received by others can either support healing and resilience, or create further silence and harm. Her research is about working with people and communities to strengthen the conditions that make these conversations safe, mana‑enhancing, and culturally grounded.Her career goal of becoming a clinical psychologist is an extension of this kaupapa. Clinical psychology in Aotearoa needs to move beyond Western frameworks to honour the knowledge, practices, and values that already exist within Māori communities. The He Pounga Waihoe programme provides both a metaphor and a framework: our mahi today must be anchored in mātauranga and tikanga, because what we do now will shape the waters for rangatahi and whānau in the future.Disclosure processes and conversations are not only psychological but spiritual. When rangatahi share their experiences, they are entrusting part of their wairua. Her research seeks to nurture that wairua through reciprocity: ensuring participants’ contributions are valued, protected, and given back in the form of meaningful outcomes.Working and talking with local rūnaka and whānau allowed reclamation and strengthening of traditional ways of communication and collective care, rather than relying solely on Western models that often silence or marginalise Māori voices.The environment in which kōrero happens, makes a huge difference. The research supports safe environments that enhance overall wellbeing and lead to better outcomes.Abuse disclosure is one of the many contemporary challenges that young people and their support networks face. By focusing on the enablers and barriers to disclosure, this project works to strengthen resilience at both the individual and whānau levels. It also reinforces identity by validating rangatahi Māori voices and showing that their experiences matter in shaping how psychology in Aotearoa responds to traumatic experiences.Abuse impacts body sovereignty, and disclosure can be an act of reclaiming that sovereignty. By amplifying rangatahi perspectives, this kaupapa helps whānau and clinicians alike to recognise the importance of tinana as inseparable from wairua, hinengaro, and whānau. In this way, the research contributes to a holistic vision of hauora that respects traditional understandings.
Ella Cameron-Smith Ngāti Korokī Kahukura, Waikato, Ngāti Ranginui Doctor of Philosophy, Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka – University of Otago Her kaupapa, He Paataka Oranga aims to explore the food identities of Ngāti Koroki Kahukura across Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Jasmine Sampson Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Ngāti Kuri Doctor of Philosophy, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi Jasmine aims for her research to strengthen the tribal identity of Ngāti Apa through land-based healing and through retracing the footsteps of their eponymous ancestor, Apa-Hāpai-Taketake to reclaim mātauranga-ā-iwi.
Meretini Bennett-Huxtable Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngā Iwi Nui Tonu o Mōkai Pātea, Ngāti Maniapoto, Tainui, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngāti Rangi, Tūwharetoa Doctor of Philosophy, Auckland University of Technology How Indigenous knowledge systems, particularly Māori oral traditions and the use of te maramataka, foster a healing connection between whānau and their environment in Aotearoa/New Zealand
Fern Smith Ngāpuhi Doctor of Philosophy, University of Auckland How taitamawahine in Te Tai Tokerau enact their reproductive autonomy when making the decision to have an abortion.
Aryan McKay Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga-a- Hauiti Doctor of Clinical Psychology, Massey University Māori perspectives on the hauora benefits and therapeutic applications of taonga pūoro
Hayden Turoa Whanganui, Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Ngāti Raukawa, Te Āti Awa To test a theoretical framework of relating to the characteristics of He Kawa Ora, exploring Whanganui geopolitical history through an analysis of five Whanganui political marriages between the period of 1750 to 1905, to better understand the source of Whanganui law, or kawa
Hannah Rapata Doctor of Philosophy, University of Auckland Kai Ora, Piki Ora: Connections and theories on sovereignties, kai, race, identities and data
Marcus Tamaira Ngāti Tūwharetoa Master of Public Health, Massey University Finding Tāne Ora: The lived experience of Māori men who have survived suicide behaviour.
Kayla Manuirirangi Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāruahine, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Kahungungu, Ngāi Te Rangi Masters of Social Sciences in Population Statistics and Demography, Waikato University The sense of “home” for rangatahi Māori and how this can be supported for rangatahi engaged in Kirikiriroa Family Services Trust: Tamariki Tu, Tamariki Ora
Uenukuterangihoka Jefferies Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Awa, Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Ngāti Maniapoto Master of Philosophy, Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makaurau – Auckland University of Technology This practice-led research project aims to produce a study & documentary that will employ pūrākau with filmmaking, presenting a narrative of the pūhoro from the vantage point of a kaiwhiwhi who has undertaken pre-colonial ceremonies and traditions such as the tohi rite (dedication to the atua) and karakia tawhito (traditional chants and incantation)
Doreen Bennett Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Huia, Te Arawa Doreen will complete a book that documents the journey of the arapaki project at Te Ao Hou Marae. The book will capture the work of our tūpuna, and share stories of Te Ao Hou Marae and the journey weavers have taken to complete their arapaki.
Kim McBreen Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe, Kāi Tahu Kim will explore the story of Niwareka, Mataora, and the whānau of Rarohenga to reveal what our tupuna want us to understand about violence, healing and living well. Kim plans to develop the story into a resource to support our thinking and decision making, especially around preventing and responding to violence.
Linda Thompson Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Whanganui, Tuwharetoa, Ngāti Kahungunu Linda will write about the establishment of Te Oranganui Trust and broader Hauora a Iwi developments in the decades 1990s – 2000s. Linda’s kaupapa is ‘Korowaitia te puna waiora hei oranga motuhake mō te iwi: Cherish and embrace the wellspring of health as the sustenance and autonomy for all the people
Emily Bain Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngāti Toarangatira, Kai Tahu Doctor of Philosophy, Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, University of Otago The experience of whaikaha Māori and the Aotearoa disability system. Through her research outputs, Emily plans to develop tools to improve the experience of whaikaha Māori and their whānau. Part of why Emily wants to interview the whole whānau is to ascertain and understand the experience of Māori whānau and how we can improve the disability system in Aotearoa to improve their experience of health care in Aotearoa
Tāniora Maxwell Ngāi Tai, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Whātua, Ngāti Kahu Doctor of Philosophy in Indigenous Studies, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi Legislative and policy reform requiring museums in Aotearoa to disclose and repatriate all stolen taonga Māori in their collections, significantly contributing to this field of study. Tāniora’s research interests encompass Indigenous museology, heritage justice, and taonga Māori repatriation. He is passionate about empowering source communities, identifying stolen taonga Māori, and repatriating culturally and historically significant taonga. Tāniora is a committed advocate for kaupapa Māori, focusing on educational and research endeavours that strengthen Indigenous communities. He commits to the ongoing struggle for Indigenous rights and heritage justice in Aotearoa and beyond
Mana Mitchell Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Apakura Doctor of Philosophy, Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, University of Otago Mana’s thesis draws on cultural pillars within te ao Māori to examine how to better employ Māori ethics and worldviews into scientific research. He will analyse a range of mōteatea, whakataukī, and whakatauākī, alongside interviews with tohunga, kaumātua, kaiako, and experts in te ao Māori, to explore how Māori have historically—and continue to—settle ethical dilemmas. The research will outline key Māori philosophical frameworks relevant to the kinds of challenges encountered in biomedical science
Erani Motu Ngāpuhi Doctor of Clinical Psychology, Massey University Erani will explore the cultural safety of assessments conducted for rangatahi Māori with offending behaviours in Te Whatu Ora. This research will have a Kaupapa Māori approach and include working with rangatahi Māori and their whānau. It will help determine whether assessment processes are considered culturally safe from a Māori perspective. Additionally, I aim to explore what cultural safety means to rangatahi Māori, the assessment process’s cultural safety, and rangatahi Māori engagement with their assessors
Dwayne Pahi O’Carroll Ngāruahinerangi, Ngāti Ruanui, Te Āti Awa Doctoral student College of Creative Arts, Massey University His kaupapa will investigate the transformative development of whakairo o Taranaki (Taranaki style wood carving) into modern-day context relative to the role of whakapapa (tribal lineage) Taranaki mountain-scape and land narratives. Pahi will analyse the Taranaki style carving to identify the origins, evolution and influences embedded within the unique curvilinear style. Researching Taranaki whakapapa to understand their relevance and importance for the landscape and geography of Taranaki Mounga and Taranaki rohe will provide a wider lens on how this unique form is developed and preserved
Leteisha Te Awhe-Downey Ngaa Rauru, Ngāti Ruanui Doctor of Philosophy, University of Otago Her kaupapa aims to better understand diasporic Māori experience—those who have been displaced from their tūrangawaewae—and how the intergenerational migration of Māori whānau, impacts their identity as Māori. A significant consideration in Leteisha’s rangahau is that the idea of ‘return’ for some, is not an easy task. Therefore, appropriate avenues need to be explored to allow Māori to reconnect with their whakapapa, which will be shaped by those who resonate with diasporic identity
Arna Whaanga Rongomaiwahine, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Rākaipaaka Doctor of Philosophy, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi Her kaupapa, He Mana Moana tō Te Aho Matua: Traditional Celestial Navigation into Māhere Ako is about preparing a variety of experiences for tamāriki aged between 5-12 years old with the basic foundations of becoming a traditional celestial navigator applying language, moteatea (singing), hands on activities, real-life experiences, and relationships. Arna’s kaupapa addresses intergenerational trauma, recovery and healing through Te Aho Matua as a holistic, innovative, and culturally appropriate method that enhances the kaitieki taiao through traditional celestial navigation
Ngaio Repia Ngāpuhi Masters in Guidance and Counselling, Massey University Ngaio is a school guidance counsellor who will be looking at culturally disconnected Māori. Ngaio intends to state social problems emanating from the legacy of colonisation in Aotearoa. This statement will include information covering the plight of both culturally connected and culturally disconnected Māori, including poor health, mental health, and life outcomes, thus providing an opportunity for critical thought leading to positive action and transformation of status quo. Te Tiriti o Waitangi provisions and principles provides a framework for resolving inequities
Katrina Taylor Te Āti Awa, Ngāruahinerangi, Ngāti Ruanui Master of Indigenous Studies, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi Katrina’s kaupapa on Taranaki healing practices for pouaru will explore Taranaki tikanga that may facilitate and promote the process of healing from spousal grief. The death customs of Māori have been documented and studied for many years, however, there is a limited amount of literature available regarding the perspectives and encounters of pouaru. The objective of Katrina’s study is to provide a platform for pouaru to express their diverse experiences and to recognise traditional Māori practises that facilitated their process of mourning and recovery
Tessa Thomson Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngāti Tūkorehewho Master of Science (Marine Biology), Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington Tessa’s Master’s thesis research investigates the history and current state of the toheroa, a large taonga shellfish species, in the rohe of Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, and specifically on Kuku Beach where her whānau Ngāti Tūkorehe whakapapa to. Tessa believes her research will aid in the regeneration of the toheroa, the beach environment in which they live, which will then help her whānau across all generations reconnect with the traditional kai of their people
Karanga Morgan Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngā Rauru, Te Arawa, Kāi Tahu Doctor of Philosophy, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi Understanding the rational and the emotion that drives the practice or tikanga. This research looks at the cultural integrity of such practices. The driving thoughts that perpetuate deliberate outcomes. To understand the process used for managing the application of practice to trauma. Tangihanga have the best examples of this etiquette today
Jess Collins Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Ngāti Porou, Taranaki Master of Creative Practice, Ata Institute of Canterbury Ngā Kete o te Wānanga and how this can be used as a methodology for processing trauma. The outcomes of these studies will be shared with our communities through mahi toi which is a traditional method of healing and transmitting knowledge
Petera Hudson Te Whakatōhea Doctor of Philosophy, University of Waikato My Whānau and I are engaged in the recording and archiving of our whānau stories. We are concerned about the protection of our stories and therefore wish to identify elements of mātauranga Māori that can be embedded in our next-generation Māori AI solutions
Alana Haenga-O'Brien Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau-a-Apanui Doctor of Philosophy, Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington Rangatahi Māori understandings of wairuatanga in relation to conceptualising identity and connections to self, whānau/hapū/iwi, and te taiao/ngā atua Māori.
Kahurangi Dey Ngāti Pukenga, Ngāi Te Rangi Doctor of Philosophy, Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington. Māori are disproportionately affected by food insecurity in Aotearoa. One in five New Zealand children are food insecure, and the majority of those children are Māori and Pasifika. My study/career goal to address this injustice in food distribution.
Marnie Reinfelds Ngāti Mutunga, Taranaki, Te Ātiawa Doctor of Philosophy, University of Auckland. Enhancing the healing potential of birth for whānau Māori. I seek to contribute to growing Māori healing and recovery knowledges particularly in the area of mātauranga ūkaipō Photo by: Josie McClutchie
Sonia Hawkins Te Arawa, Tainui Doctor of Philosophy, University of Auckland I have been a Registered Nurse for 25 years. My PhD provides an evidence base for nursing to dismantle Māori health inequities. Racism and bias will be identified in parallel with nurses’ access to quality/quantity of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and cultural safety training and development.
Nicola Harrison Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau-a-Apanui Doctor of Philosophy, University of Auckland Familial childhood sexual abuse (FCSA) is epidemic in Aotearoa. Using Kaupapa Māori methodologies, I’ve been gifted 15 pūrākau by mōrehu of FCSA, each a testament to strength and resilience, accessed through enactment of whanaungatanga-iho. Mōrehu are creating long-lasting change toward well-being for their whānau by challenging imposter tikanga
Daria Bell Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa, Ngāti Maniapoto Masters of Science, University of Waikato To work with iwi/hāpu to create solutions on how we can be better kaitiaki of our moana/taiao in the face of climate change; with a focus on kaimoana preservation succession and mātauranga/tikanga Māori for the benefit of our tamariki/mokopuna.
Matariki Cribb-Fox Te Ātihaunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Apa, Taranaki Masters of Applied Indigenous Knowledge, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Localised tribal curriculums, with Te Kura o Kokohuia being a case study for its successes. Localised tribal curriculums seek to rejuvenate local customs, traditions and ways of learning by applying them to modern contexts, in this case, the western schooling system. These curriculums are underpinned by Kaupapa Māori methodologies, including but not limited to, pōwhiri, tangihanga, karakia, ruruku, waiata, taki whakapapa, kaupapa atua and so forth. This leads to a revitalising of the traditional methods of recalling and repopulating our knowledge
Te Kahurangi Skelton Taranaki, Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga Masters of Science, University of Otago Taranaki tua tinini. Working alongside my w’ānau, hapū and iwi of Taranaki we hope to make note of how climate change is impacting our coastal communities. Specifically looking at the implications for social, cultural and economic wellbeing of mana w’enua whilst maintaining our manaaki for the taiao. It is also my hope to highlight what this all means in the reality we find ourselves in as people dispossessed of w’enua as a result of confiscation and the intergenerational trauma that has followed
Jarden (Kuramaiki) Lacey Te Arawa, Ngāruahine Masters of Community Dentistry, University of Otago As a public health dentist I will be working directly with whānau, hapū and iwi to reorientate the oral health system. I am witness to how Pākehā models of oral healthcare delivery fails Māori. My studies will show that kaupapa Māori models underpinned by mātauranga Māori and a whānau centric approach achieve oral health equity
Ashlea Gillon Ngāti Awa, Ngāpuhi Doctor of Philosophy in Māori and Pacific Studies (Māori Studies) Kaupapa Māori, colonisation, racism, privilege, fatness, healthism, hauora, Indigenous pedagogies, access, basically, a bit of everything. My career goals are to continue on this transdisciplinary research pathway and keep undertaking research that supports the aspirations of Māori and seeks transformation, however that looks to us. Ultimately my study and career goals seek to re-prioritise our knowledge, grow our knowledge, and find ways for us to recover, heal, and thrive as Māori
Vance Walker Ngāti Porou, Ngati Kahungunu ki Waiarapa, Rangitane, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri Doctor of Indigenous Development and Advancement Embedding Māori culture into health and safety practice needs to start with validating a practical relationship between tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori and accepted practice. The Māori values of kia tūpato, ako and manaaki and the health and safety concept of risk perception is relationship between two known disciplines, albeit they are unknown to each other. I undertook a doctorate to prove my theory. And I have completed a case study that evidences the use of kia tūpato, ako and manaaki by workers as a lens to perceive real workplace risks. The use of these values resulted in improved health and safety behaviors by workers.
Robyn Richardson Ngāti Hauiti ki Rātā, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Tukorehe Doctor of Māori Development & Advancement (Rongoā Māori), Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi How the use of Traditional healing systems can improve the wellbeing of our whānau and hapū by answering the following question ‘In what ways does papakainga facilitate the expression of Rongoā at Mangamāhoe’
Bonnie Maihi Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Maniapoto Doctor of Philosophy in Development Studies (Rangatahi), Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato ‘Ka hao te rangatahi’ has explored school and work pathways for rangatahi. It was an intimate study which included the voices of six rangatahi affiliated to gang spaces and their experiences with navigating these pathways from this space. It also included an intergenerational perspective of five adults who were these same rangatahi
Awhina Ruby Pitiroi Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāi Tai ki Tōrere Doctor of Philosophy (Māori Studies), Victoria University of Wellington The customary water rituals of Ngāti Tūwharetoa endemic to Lake Taupō and adjoining waterways and the role that these rituals play in the relationship between water and Ngāti Tūwharetoa. In my opinion iwi and hapū knowledge preservation and the revitalisation of traditional practices, particularly rituals, is a critical area that affects all of Māoridom. The collation of oral histories and accounts related to our water traditions, makes a significant contribution to our tribal cultural resources and facilitates access for those who seek the limited remains of this type of knowledge
Sophie Munro Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Master of Science (Critical Health Psychology), Massey University The impact that trauma has had on our Māori whānau intergenerational health and wellbeing, and how our indigenous knowledge can provide methods, processes and techniques for supporting whānau to move from a state of pātu ngākau to oranga ngākau. We hope to explore our different states of ‘wellbeing’ including the transition states of ‘mauri’ using the lens of Magnetic Resonating Imaging (MRI) to monitor the recovery of healthy brain neural connectivity that can become distorted during extreme or sustained stress
Tamahaia Skinner Te Ātihaunui a Pāpārangi, Ngāti Rangi Master of Māori and Indigenous Leadership (Mātauranga), University of Canterbury E mea ana te whakatauākī o tō mātau pou kuia a Te Manawanui Pauro ‘Ki te ngaro tō mita, ka ngaro ō maunga, ō awa, ō tupuna. Ki te ako i tō mita, ka hoki mai o maunga, ō awa, ō tupuna’. Kāore e kore i whakapono ōku kaumātua ki ēnei kōrero, me tō rāua hiahia kia ora tonu ai te reo o Whanganui i roto i ā rāua mokopuna kia kore ai e ngaro. Ēnei kōrero, ēnei āhuatanga katoa ka arahina ahau i roto i aku mahi katoa, kia whai oranga, whai hua tōku whānau, hapū, iwi anō hoki.
Helen Parker Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāi Tūhoe, Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau, Tūhourangi Mispronounciation of Māori names and the impact on Māori students in mainstream secondary schools
Kim Southey Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kuia Day-to-day racism in health. Re-presenting Māori and indigenous understandings of being: Deconstructing the notion of mental illness
Kirsten Gabel Ngāti Kahu Mana Motuhake: Healing intergenerational trauma through the reclamation of customary child-rearing practices
Raimona Inia Te Arawa, Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe, Te Whakatōhea Māori history, oral narratives of kaumātua, and iwi archives
Hana Burgess Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāpuhi Doctor of Philosophy in Māori Health, The University of Auckland Whakapapa as a way of being, knowing, and doing, and the role of genomics
Jamie Metzger Ngāi Tahu Doctor of Philosophy in Geography, University of Otago The customary concept of mauri from the perspective of taonga
Tarapuhi Vaeau Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi Doctor of Philosophy in Cultural Anthropology, Victoria University of Wellington Whānau-based recovery pathways for healing
Meri Haami Te Ati Haunui-a-Paparangi, Nga Rauru, Ngati Tuwharetoa Master of Music, Victoria University Music and the Whanganui awa through ethnomusicology.
Nayda Te Rangi Master of Applied Indigenous Knowledge, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa The liberated voice of wahine within a gang collective.
Dr Mera Penehira Ngāti Raukawa ki Ōtaki, Rangitāne, Ngāi Te Rangi Mana Kaitiakitanga: Mouri Tu, Mouri Ora, Mouri Tangata.
Dr Acushla O'Carroll Ngāruahinerangi, Ngāti Ruanui, Te Āti Awa How communities use new technology to deal with trauma.
Hayley Cavino Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa, Rongowhakaata Doctof of Philosophy, University of Syracuse Sexual violence and whanau restoration: Exploring knowledge-based approaches through narrative.
Malcolm Mulholland Ngāti Kahungunu Doctor of Philosophy, Massey University Indicators of Social Wellbeing: A Case Study.
Rawiri Waretini-Karena Ngāti Mahanga Doctor of Philosophy, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi Historical intergenerational trauma and transformative pedagogies.
Tania Gilchrist Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga Doctor of Clinical Psychology, University of Auckland Intergenerational trauma, child abuse and cultural disconnection.
Ripekapaia Ryan Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau Apanui, County Claire (Ireland) Doctor of Philosophy, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi Indigenous Māori health and Māori mental health and wellness.
Carroll Aupouri-McLean Ngāti Porou Master of Social Work, Massey University Whānau bereaved by suicide.
