About this research
Project Summary
Toiora, Hauora is a Kaupapa Māori arts-based collaboration to theorise the pedagogy of Māori creative practices that support flourishing Māori whānau wellbeing. This innovative research centred Māori arts-based practice ‘as teacher’, bringing together three established Māori arts scholar-practitioners to expand the currently under-researched field of Māori pedagogies, and to highlight the critical role of Māori arts practice and pedagogy to grow well and flourishing Māori futures.
The research developed the pedagogical theory of three embodied art forms - whatu, raranga and kapahaka - often viewed simply as artefact or cultural performance, to make an important contribution to Māori pedagogies for wellbeing, Māori and Indigenous arts and education scholarship, and broader Kaupapa Māori goals of enabling flourishing Māori wellbeing through our own Māori arts-based research lens.
This Kaupapa Māori scoping project developed and tested the theory around the pedagogy of each modality within the researchers own arts-practice communities.
The aim was to promote a wider range of Kaupapa Māori practices that enable whānau wellbeing through the arts which are inextricably bound to our reo, tikanga and mātauranga Māori. A theory of Māori arts pedagogy explored in this scoping project will support seeking funding to scale this work, intertwining our established practice with ‘new’ theory to create a Māori arts pedagogy of praxis across the education, arts and hauora sectors.
Research Question
How might theorising Māori arts-based pedagogy contribute to a better understanding of Māori arts practices as a vehicle for whānau wellbeing?
Lead Researcher
Dr Hinekura Smith, Te Rarawa, Ngā Puhi, Ngā Wai a Te Tūī Māori and Indigenous Research Centre, Unitec
Research Team
Dr Donna Campbell, Waikato University
Dr Jani Wilson, Ngāti Awa, Ngā Puhi, Mātaatua, Massey University
Highlights
- The project centres Māori arts-based practices—whatu (weaving), raranga (harakeke weaving), and kapahaka (performance arts)—as pedagogical tools, not just cultural artefacts.
- Focused on how these practices contribute to whānau wellbeing through language transmission, cultural education, and intergenerational relationships.
- The project has directly influenced Māori arts pedagogy and its application across education, arts, and health sectors, promoting a deeper understanding of Māori arts’ contribution to flourishing Māori futures.
Select Outputs
Goldsmith, A., Smith, H., & Penetito, K. (2024). Toi Ako – Developing Māori Arts Pedagogy: A Kaupapa Māori Literature Review. Occasional and Discussion Paper 2/2024. ePress, Unitec. Link
Toiora, Hauora is a Kaupapa Māori arts-based collaboration that theorises the pedagogy of Māori creative practices, specifically focusing on how Māori arts can support flourishing Māori whānau wellbeing.
Kairangahau · Researchers
Associate Professor Hinekura Smith
Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi
Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland
Dr Hinekura Smith (Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi) is NPM's Emerging Researchers’ Leader, providing further national leadership and…
Associate Professor Hinekura Smith
Ētahi atu · Other projects
This nationwide research programme set out to deepen our understanding of the experiences, challenges, and contributions of Māori PhD graduates across Aotearoa. By tracing the post-graduation journeys of nearly 800 Māori doctoral scholars, the study aimed to highlight their intellectual, cultural, social and economic impact—within whānau, hapū, iwi and…
View projectPromising Futures Te Kawau Mārō: The Lifeworlds of highly qualified Māori - a cohort study of Māori PhD students and graduates
This nationwide research programme set out to deepen our understanding of the experiences, challenges, and contributions of Māori PhD graduates across Aotearoa. By tracing the post-graduation journeys of nearly 800 Māori doctoral scholars, the study aimed to highlight their intellectual, cultural, social and economic impact—within whānau, hapū, iwi and beyond.
Although the programme has since been disestablished, its kaupapa remains vital: to inform new models of Māori leadership and participation across academia, government, iwi development, and civil society.
Kairangahau · Researchers
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Professor Joanna Kidman
Professor Joanna Kidman
Joanna is a sociologist with affiliations to Ngāti Maniapoto and Ngāti Raukawa. Her work spans indigenous sociology, Māori youth, higher education, decolonization studies and comparative education. She is especially interested in the interplay of power relations between different groups of people. Joanna is working on two Marsden projects: He Taonga te Wareware: Remembering and Forgetting New Zealand’s Colonial Past investigates how New Zealanders selectively remember and forget difficult and violent events from our colonial past; and What Inspires and Sustains Young People's Engagement in… -
Associate Professor Reremoana Theodore
Associate Professor Reremoana Theodore
Research Associate Professor Reremoana (Moana) Theodore is the Co-Director of the National Centre for Lifecourse Research (NCLR), and a member of the Royal Society Te Apārangi Council. Moana is an inaugural HRC Māori Health Research Emerging Leader Fellow. She is an Investigator on the Graduate Longitudinal Study NZ (GLSNZ) and Te Kura Mai i Tawhiti – a Māori community research programme. She is a Co-Investigator on the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study and an Associate Investigator in Brain Research New Zealand. Moana is a member of the University of Otago Te Poutama… -
Associate Professor Hinekura Smith
Associate Professor Hinekura Smith
Dr Hinekura Smith (Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi) is NPM's Emerging Researchers’ Leader, providing further national leadership and coordination of MAI Te Kupenga and developing and nurturing initiatives that contribute to the outcomes and objectives of NPM’s Capability and Capacity Strategy. Hinekura was initially a secondary school te reo Māori teacher then moved into teacher education research almost 10 years ago, when she commenced her postgraduate studies. She has worked as a professional development facilitator in Māori medium schools, te reo Māori facilitator in English-medium schools and a… -
Dr Tara McAllister
Dr Tara McAllister
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Dr Sereana Naepi
Dr Sereana Naepi
He Kahu Kōrero – Cloaks that Speak will be an accessible scholarly book celebrating the art of whatu kākahu and the transformative journeys of six Māori women and their whānau.
View projectHe Kahu Kōrero – Cloaks that speak
He Kahu Kōrero – Cloaks that Speak will be an accessible scholarly book celebrating the art of whatu kākahu and the transformative journeys of six Māori women and their whānau.
Māori doctoral scholars often face significant challenges in universities dominated by Western academic traditions. These environments can clash with Māori cultural values and needs, reflecting colonial legacies that marginalise Indigenous knowledge and methodologies. To address these challenges, the Te Kupenga o MAI (MAI) programme was created in the late…
View projectTahatū-o-te-rangi: a study of the experiences and contributions of MAI Te Kupenga PhD scholars
Māori doctoral scholars often face significant challenges in universities dominated by Western academic traditions. These environments can clash with Māori cultural values and needs, reflecting colonial legacies that marginalise Indigenous knowledge and methodologies. To address these challenges, the Te Kupenga o MAI (MAI) programme was created in the late 1990s by Professor Graham Smith. This initiative supports Māori and Indigenous PhD students across Aotearoa New Zealand, providing mentorship, resources, and community connections grounded in Māori cultural values. MAI helps reduce isolation and creates culturally safe spaces for Māori scholars to succeed academically while maintaining their cultural identity.
This research focuses on understanding the long-term impact of the MAI programme by examining the experiences of recent Māori PhD graduates. It aims to explore their motivations, challenges, and the role MAI played in supporting them, as well as their career pathways and contributions to their communities after completing their studies. The findings will inform future efforts to support Māori doctoral scholars, ensuring they thrive in academia and contribute meaningfully to their whānau, hapū, iwi, and society.
Kairangahau · Researchers
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Associate Professor Deborah Heke
Associate Professor Deborah Heke
Associate Professor Deborah Heke (Ngā Puhi, Te Arawa) is the Director of Ngā Wai a Te Tūī Māori and Indigenous Research Centre at Unitec. With a background in Exercise Physiology, Psychology, and Public Health, her current research centres on Mana Wahine scholarship. Recent work includes an exploration of Māori and Indigenous women’s embodied practices and physical activity in te taiao as a means for connecting, communicating, and healing. Deborah is also passionate about building the capability and capacity of Māori and Indigenous (future) scholars and providing spaces for Indigenous… -
Associate Professor Hinekura Smith
Associate Professor Hinekura Smith
Dr Hinekura Smith (Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi) is NPM's Emerging Researchers’ Leader, providing further national leadership and coordination of MAI Te Kupenga and developing and nurturing initiatives that contribute to the outcomes and objectives of NPM’s Capability and Capacity Strategy. Hinekura was initially a secondary school te reo Māori teacher then moved into teacher education research almost 10 years ago, when she commenced her postgraduate studies. She has worked as a professional development facilitator in Māori medium schools, te reo Māori facilitator in English-medium schools and a… -
Dr Tim West-Newman
Dr Tim West-Newman
Tim West-Newman develops and implements technical business solutions including websites for Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga. Tim has a PhD in Human Computer Interaction and has worked mainly in web and information technology systems development, having worked in The University of Auckland and AUT University, as well as an independent contractor for various organisations. -
Associate Professor Lara Greaves
Associate Professor Lara Greaves