The inaugural Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Seminar Series 2004 and inaugural Professorial Lectures were well received by the seminar attendees. The kaupapa of the seminars and inaugural lectures was to showcase Māori researchers and their work. The seminars have provided an opportunity for showcasing an excellent sampling of the wealth of Māori research excellence which exists.
The seminars generated interest amongst a broad range of groups. This was reflected in the seminar audiences which included researchers from institutions and communities, professionals in the field, students, and both the Māori and general media.
A highlight of the series included two professorial lectures which were delivered in Tāne-Nui-ā-Rangi, Waipapa Marae. Professor Margaret Mutu, Head of Department of Māori Studies, presented her lecture entitled: Recovering Fagin's Ill-gotten Gains: Ngāti Kahu's experience in the Treaty claims settlement process. Professor Linda Smith, Joint Director of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, presented her lecture entitled: Māori Education in Uncertain Times: legacies, learnings and challenges. These were both extremely well received by the large audiences that attended them. Sadness followed Professor Mutu's lecture however when Professor Mutu's husband, Tūhoe Mānuera, suddenly passed away.
The seminar series concluded with a powerful joint presentation by Professors Ranginui Walker and Hirini Mead, discussing their view of Māori research excellence. Professor Ranginui Walker's lecture was titled: Growing Research Skills at Iwi Level. Professor Hirini Mead's lecture was: Researching Issues of Interest to Māori. This monograph is a compilation of papers written by some of the presenters from the 2004 seminar series.