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Rangahau · Research project

Tohunga Talks: Digital Narratives of Tohunga that Nurture Multiliteracies of Ākonga

About this research

Project Summary 

This project engages in research activities that prioritise the reclamation and communication of Māori knowledge systems (mātauranga tuku iho). The research team is building on project work already started in Te Tai Tokerau (Tiritiria: Understanding children as inherently and inherited-ly literate). Tiritiria is underpinned by the Mana Model (Webber & Macfarlane, 2020), whakataukī (Hetaraka et al., 2024) and Kaupapa Māori research methods. 

Within this Tohunga Talks project we seek to highlight the potential of a Te Tai Tokerau centric digital space to support the ongoing development of Mana Ukaipō for students.  

Key principles that inform this project are: 

  1. to maintain and strengthen Te Tai Tokerau mātauranga tuku iho and research traditions;
  2.  to foster Te Tai Tokerau connections;
  3.  to promote a culture of whanaungatanga, tuakana/teina, and kotahitanga in order to better leverage our collective expertise; and 
  4. to maintain and strengthen Te Tai Tokerau  research traditions as they pertain to Te Tai Tokerau  reo, tikanga, and education practices.  

Leveraging off literature and existing datasets, the research team is working with kaumātua and tohunga within the Hihiaua community to collect kōrero tuku iho and mātauranga tuku iho for an educational digital platform. This project is co-designed with tohunga; however all content decisions sit with the tohunga themselves. 

Research Question

How can digital narratives of tohunga be curated to nurture multiliteracies of ākonga? 

Lead Researcher

Selena Meiklejohn-Whiu, Ngāti Raukawa, University of Auckland

Research Team
Professor Melinda Webber, Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Whakaue, University of Auckland

Dr Maia Hetaraka, Ngāti Wai, Ngā Puhi, Ngai Tahu, University of Auckland

Associate Professor Rebecca Jesson, University of Auckland 

This project explores how digital narratives of tohunga can be curated to support and enrich the multiliteracies of ākonga, particularly in Te Tai Tokerau. At its heart, Tohunga Talks is a collaborative digital storytelling initiative grounded in Te Tai Tokerau mātauranga tuku iho, Kaupapa Māori research approaches, and the Mana Model.