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Associate Professor Deborah Heke
Ngā Puhi, Te Arawa
Te Whare Wananga o Wairaka Unitec
Associate Professor Deborah Heke (Ngā Puhi, Te Arawa) is the Director of Ngā Wai a Te Tūī Māori and Indigenous Research…
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 creativity and excellence in academia. She is an alumna of Auckland University of Technology, MAI ki Aronui, and the Eke Tangaroa Māori and Pacific Early Career Academic programme at AUT.
She currently leads Te Kupenga o MAI as MAI Strategy Lead.
Associate Professor Meegan Hall
Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Tūwharetoa
Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington
Meegan teaches courses on higher education learning and teaching and hosts teaching orientations and events. Most of…
Meegan teaches courses on higher education learning and teaching and hosts teaching orientations and events. Most of her teaching is to lecturers and tutors whilst she also contributes to the programme offered by Te Kawa a Māui, the School of Māori Studies, such as their introductory course about Māori society and culture and their postgraduate course about Māori research methodologies.
Her research interests lie in Māori academic development, Māori pedagogies, Māori student achievement and retention in higher education.
Professor Shaun Ogilvie
Te Arawa (Ngāti Whakahemo), Ngāti Awa (Ngāti Pukeko)
Shaun Ogilvie has a PhD in Ecology from the University of Canterbury and is the Director of Eco Research Associates…
Shaun Ogilvie has a PhD in Ecology from the University of Canterbury and is the Director of Eco Research Associates Ltd, a private environmental research company. He is also the Māori Business Development Consultant for the Cawthron Institute in Nelson, and a contractor to other organisations, including Lincoln University and The Environmental Protection Authority.
Shaun is the principal investigator on several Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga research projects:
- Mātauranga Māori of naturally occurring toxins in native plants
- Commercial feasibility of using mātauranga Maori-based fish traps to eliminate bycatch
- Tetrodotoxin in kaimoana: Science and mātauranga mitigating health risks from a lethal neurotoxin.
Shaun was previously Associate Professor of Wildlife Management at Lincoln University, and Tumuaki of the Kaupapa Māori Unit of Lincoln’s Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty. Before this, he was the Principal Scientist – Māori Research at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research in Christchurch. He was also a Scientist at Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research. Shaun has extensive experience of environmental research with Māori communities and his research interests include the development of techniques for the management of animal pests. To watch a presentation by Shaun on his research, click here
Marie-Chanel Berghan
Te Rarawa, Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Tarāwhai
Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga
Marie-Chanel Berghan looks after the financial, contract and operations (physical resources and infrastructure)…
Marie-Chanel Berghan looks after the financial, contract and operations (physical resources and infrastructure) management of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga. As well as managing the publications, specifically the two NPM Journals; AlterNative and MAI Journal. Marie-Chanel has a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration and in Business, Māori Development. Before joining the centre, she was the Whakapiki Ake Project Manager at The University of Auckland’s Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences for five years and prior to that, a Project Administration Manager at Hewlett Packard.
Emeritus Professor Poia Rewi
Ngāti Manawa, Tūhoe, Te Arawa
Kanapu
Happily married with children and mokos who make life so refreshing. My teaching, research and practice included…
Happily married with children and mokos who make life so refreshing. My teaching, research and practice included Indigenous language revitalisation, te reo me ngā tikanga Māori, Māori oratory, Māori performing arts and Māori history and have spanned the University of Waikato 1990-2003 and the University of Otago 2023-2020. Poia has also held leadership roles at Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori and Te Mātāwai. And if he didn’t have 5 operations on his achilles tendon he would have definitely been an All Black and a competitor on Dancing with Stars.
Associate Professor Meegan Hall
Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Tūwharetoa
Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington
Meegan teaches courses on higher education learning and teaching and hosts teaching orientations and events. Most of…
Meegan teaches courses on higher education learning and teaching and hosts teaching orientations and events. Most of her teaching is to lecturers and tutors whilst she also contributes to the programme offered by Te Kawa a Māui, the School of Māori Studies, such as their introductory course about Māori society and culture and their postgraduate course about Māori research methodologies.
Her research interests lie in Māori academic development, Māori pedagogies, Māori student achievement and retention in higher education.
Dr Heather Gifford
Ngāti Hauiti, Te Atihaunui ā Papārangi
Whakauae Research for Māori Health & Development
Heather is a trained nurse working in the field of child and family health, and has taught at a tertiary level in…
Heather is a trained nurse working in the field of child and family health, and has taught at a tertiary level in health services, as well as working as a manager with a Māori Development Organisation and in primary health care.
She has completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Health at Otago University, a Masters in Public Health from the same university and a PhD and Postdoctoral Fellowship with Te Pūmanawa Hauora, the Research Centre for Māori Health and Development, Massey University.
In collaboration with Ngāti Hauiti, Heather established Whakauae Research for Māori Health and Development, an iwi based research centre and from 2005 - 2016 she held the role of Research Centre Director.
In 2016 Heather assumed a senior advisory role and since then her research interests have concentrated on health service delivery and intervention, and the development of whānau, hapū and iwi based models to address Māori health issues, in particular tobacco control research with a focus on prevention and policy work.
Associate Professor Māmari Stephens
Te Rarawa
Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington
Māmari completed an MA (Distinction) in Classical Studies, BA (Hons), and an LLB (Hons) at Victoria University. She…
Māmari completed an MA (Distinction) in Classical Studies, BA (Hons), and an LLB (Hons) at Victoria University. She then spent three and a half years at Russell McVeagh in Wellington working in the Māori legal team in the Corporate Advisory Group, latterly concentrating on ACC law.
Māmari has been with the Faculty of Law at Victoria University of Wellington since January 2006 and, with Assistant Professor Mary Boyce of the University of Hawai'i, runs the Legal Māori Project. The outputs of this project are available free online at www.legalmaori.net.
Her primary research interests are law and language, Māori and the New Zealand legal system, and social security law. She is currently working on a social security law textbook to be published by Thomson Reuters. This book is also being supported by a grant from the Law Foundation.
Professor Rangi Matamua
Ngāi Tūhoe
University of Waikato
Associate Professor Matamua of Tūhoe, is a senior lecturer based in the School of Māori and Pacific Development at…
Associate Professor Matamua of Tūhoe, is a senior lecturer based in the School of Māori and Pacific Development at Waikato University. He has undertaken significant research in the areas of Māori language revitalisation, Māori culture, Māori astronomy and broadcasting. In his MA thesis Rangi focused on traditional Tūhoe weaponary, and his PhD examined the role of Māori radio in Māori language revitalisation. In addition, Dr Matamua has produced a number of publications in his specialist areas, and sits on a number of related boards including Society for Māori Astronomy Research and Traditions (SMART).
Professor Huia Tomlins-Jahnke
Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Hine
Massey University
Associate Professor Huia Tomlins Jahnke has been involved as a researcher and research coordinator of the D Company…
Associate Professor Huia Tomlins Jahnke has been involved as a researcher and research coordinator of the D Company Māori Battalion Oral History Project since 1997 when the Ngāti Kahungunu veterans of D Company established the project. She is Principal Investigator on the NPM project Au e ihu! Nga Morehu TauaThose that are left must endeavour to complete the work. Huia is currently an Professor of Māori Education, and Head of School in the College of Education at Massey University.
Professor Shaun Ogilvie
Te Arawa (Ngāti Whakahemo), Ngāti Awa (Ngāti Pukeko)
Shaun Ogilvie has a PhD in Ecology from the University of Canterbury and is the Director of Eco Research Associates…
Shaun Ogilvie has a PhD in Ecology from the University of Canterbury and is the Director of Eco Research Associates Ltd, a private environmental research company. He is also the Māori Business Development Consultant for the Cawthron Institute in Nelson, and a contractor to other organisations, including Lincoln University and The Environmental Protection Authority.
Shaun is the principal investigator on several Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga research projects:
- Mātauranga Māori of naturally occurring toxins in native plants
- Commercial feasibility of using mātauranga Maori-based fish traps to eliminate bycatch
- Tetrodotoxin in kaimoana: Science and mātauranga mitigating health risks from a lethal neurotoxin.
Shaun was previously Associate Professor of Wildlife Management at Lincoln University, and Tumuaki of the Kaupapa Māori Unit of Lincoln’s Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty. Before this, he was the Principal Scientist – Māori Research at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research in Christchurch. He was also a Scientist at Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research. Shaun has extensive experience of environmental research with Māori communities and his research interests include the development of techniques for the management of animal pests. To watch a presentation by Shaun on his research, click here
Emeritus Professor Poia Rewi
Ngāti Manawa, Tūhoe, Te Arawa
Kanapu
Happily married with children and mokos who make life so refreshing. My teaching, research and practice included…
Happily married with children and mokos who make life so refreshing. My teaching, research and practice included Indigenous language revitalisation, te reo me ngā tikanga Māori, Māori oratory, Māori performing arts and Māori history and have spanned the University of Waikato 1990-2003 and the University of Otago 2023-2020. Poia has also held leadership roles at Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori and Te Mātāwai. And if he didn’t have 5 operations on his achilles tendon he would have definitely been an All Black and a competitor on Dancing with Stars.
Cheryle Rewha Willoughby
Ngāti Kuta, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa
Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga
Cheryle has a BA in Media/Marketing and Māori studies from Massey University. Diploma in Project Management (TWWOA) and…
Cheryle has a BA in Media/Marketing and Māori studies from Massey University. Diploma in Project Management (TWWOA) and Sales Management, Business Studies (AUT). Her background is advertising and marketing working at Wilson & Horton Ltd for 12 years as EA and Sales Exec. Also in Event Management and Operations, finance, HR, sales and training.
She has worked with her whanau and hapu over 35 years. As a secretary, trustee and negotiator, for the Hauai whenua claim and the first successful settlement with the Crown, on behalf of her hapu.
Working as a Marketing Consultant with Dept of Labour, (CEG) Community Employment Group with various hui throughout Aotearoa developing communities and whanau to help lift and create opportunities towards self sustainability for their own region.
She has worked for Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga since 2022 also as MAI Journal Coordinator dealing with various stakeholders Authors, Peer Reviewers, Editors and Production contractors.
Professor Te Kawehau Hoskins
Ngāpuhi
Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland
Te Kawehau Hoskins affiliates to the people of Ngāti Hau in Whakapara, a community located north of the Whangārei…
Te Kawehau Hoskins affiliates to the people of Ngāti Hau in Whakapara, a community located north of the Whangārei district. She is the former HOS of Te Puna Wānanga, the school of Māori and Indigenous Education and Te Tumu-Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Education and Social Work. Te Kawehau has pursued an academic career in Māori education. She has further developed expertise in qualitative social and educational research, politics, ethics of Indigene, settler relations, and multicultural and bicultural education. She is presently the Pro-Vice Chancellor Māori at Waipapa Taumata Rau | The University of Auckland.
Emeritus Professor Poia Rewi
Ngāti Manawa, Tūhoe, Te Arawa
Kanapu
Happily married with children and mokos who make life so refreshing. My teaching, research and practice included…
Happily married with children and mokos who make life so refreshing. My teaching, research and practice included Indigenous language revitalisation, te reo me ngā tikanga Māori, Māori oratory, Māori performing arts and Māori history and have spanned the University of Waikato 1990-2003 and the University of Otago 2023-2020. Poia has also held leadership roles at Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori and Te Mātāwai. And if he didn’t have 5 operations on his achilles tendon he would have definitely been an All Black and a competitor on Dancing with Stars.
Cheryle Rewha Willoughby
Ngāti Kuta, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa
Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga
Cheryle has a BA in Media/Marketing and Māori studies from Massey University. Diploma in Project Management (TWWOA) and…
Cheryle has a BA in Media/Marketing and Māori studies from Massey University. Diploma in Project Management (TWWOA) and Sales Management, Business Studies (AUT). Her background is advertising and marketing working at Wilson & Horton Ltd for 12 years as EA and Sales Exec. Also in Event Management and Operations, finance, HR, sales and training.
She has worked with her whanau and hapu over 35 years. As a secretary, trustee and negotiator, for the Hauai whenua claim and the first successful settlement with the Crown, on behalf of her hapu.
Working as a Marketing Consultant with Dept of Labour, (CEG) Community Employment Group with various hui throughout Aotearoa developing communities and whanau to help lift and create opportunities towards self sustainability for their own region.
She has worked for Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga since 2022 also as MAI Journal Coordinator dealing with various stakeholders Authors, Peer Reviewers, Editors and Production contractors.
Professor Te Kawehau Hoskins
Ngāpuhi
Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland
Te Kawehau Hoskins affiliates to the people of Ngāti Hau in Whakapara, a community located north of the Whangārei…
Te Kawehau Hoskins affiliates to the people of Ngāti Hau in Whakapara, a community located north of the Whangārei district. She is the former HOS of Te Puna Wānanga, the school of Māori and Indigenous Education and Te Tumu-Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Education and Social Work. Te Kawehau has pursued an academic career in Māori education. She has further developed expertise in qualitative social and educational research, politics, ethics of Indigene, settler relations, and multicultural and bicultural education. She is presently the Pro-Vice Chancellor Māori at Waipapa Taumata Rau | The University of Auckland.
Emeritus Professor Poia Rewi
Ngāti Manawa, Tūhoe, Te Arawa
Kanapu
Happily married with children and mokos who make life so refreshing. My teaching, research and practice included…
Happily married with children and mokos who make life so refreshing. My teaching, research and practice included Indigenous language revitalisation, te reo me ngā tikanga Māori, Māori oratory, Māori performing arts and Māori history and have spanned the University of Waikato 1990-2003 and the University of Otago 2023-2020. Poia has also held leadership roles at Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori and Te Mātāwai. And if he didn’t have 5 operations on his achilles tendon he would have definitely been an All Black and a competitor on Dancing with Stars.
Dr. Chelsea Grootveld
Ngāi Tai, Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau a Apanui , Whakatōhea, Tūhourangi, Dutch
Chelsea is a respected wāhine Māori leader in education, kaupapa Māori research and governance. She holds a PhD in…
Chelsea is a respected wāhine Māori leader in education, kaupapa Māori research and governance. She holds a PhD in Education from Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington and is the founder of an indigenous research and evaluation company dedicated to advancing Māori aspirations.
Chelsea brings deep governance expertise, currently serving on the boards of High Performance Sport NZ, Taumata - Ihi Aotearoa Sport NZ, Tātai Aho Rau - CORE Education, International Funders For Indigenous Peoples; as Chair of the JR McKenzie Trust, Deputy Chair of Ngāitai Iwi Authority and Iti Kōpara Public Governance Aotearoa.
She is a member of the Institute of Directors and a former Chair of the Hato Pāora College Board of Trustees. In 2019, she was recognised with a Women in Governance award and served as a Future Director on the Sport NZ Board.
Proud māmā to Kahuroa and Mihi-Terina, and wife to Timoti, Chelsea has transitioned from triathlon and trail running to crossfit, yoga and netball coach of the PIC ‘aunties’. Her mahi is grounded in whakapapa, whanaungatanga and creating spaces where Māori thrive.
Associate Professor Hona Black
Tūhoe, Te Whānau a Āpanui, Whakatōhea, Ngāti Tūwharetoa
Massey University
Hona Black (Tūhoe, Te Whānau a Apanui, Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) works in te reo Māori revitalisation and has a…
Hona Black (Tūhoe, Te Whānau a Apanui, Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) works in te reo Māori revitalisation and has a particular interest in language acquisition and the restoration and expansion of te reo Māori domains within everyday life.
He is presently an Associate Professor in Māori Studies at Massey University, where he also serves as Programme Co-ordinator for Te Aho Paerewa. His work spans Māori language teaching, curriculum and assessment development, translation, and research, with a strong focus on creating environments where te reo Māori can be naturally acquired and used within homes, communities, and institutions.
He is also the author of several te reo Māori publications, including He Iti Te Kupu, Ngā Hapa Reo, and Te Reo Kapekape. His work frequently bridges academic research and community practice, reflecting a commitment to strengthening Māori language futures and supporting the normalisation of te reo Māori across homes, communities, and institutions.
Dr Meika Foster
Dr Meika Foster has a background in Law, Biochemistry and Nutrition Science, with particular interests in the…
Dr Meika Foster has a background in Law, Biochemistry and Nutrition Science, with particular interests in the development of plant-based, functional foods and ingredients of benefit to human and animal wellbeing and the environment; indigenous organisms research and conservation; and the protection of cultural and intellectual property. She is the Founding Director of Edible Research Ltd., a values-driven organisation that provides translational research services to the science sector, government organisations, and food and beverage businesses (including multi-national and small- and medium-sized enterprises) and community groups.
In addition to her governance role with Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, Meika serves as an independent Board member on the Research Funding New Zealand Board and is one of the New Zealand representatives on the Food Safety Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Trans-Tasman Board. Formerly, she served on the Pūhoro Charitable Trust Board, which oversees the Pūhoro STEMM Academy, and on the Board of the New Zealand Food Safety Science & Research Centre (NZFSSRC).
Dr Foster has a track record and passion for supporting Māori Researcher capability building, through governance, supervision and mentorship activities. Her varied roles and contributions demonstrate a strong preference for working in transdisciplinary research environments, in recognition of the increasingly central role of science in legal, economic, social, environmental, and cultural decision-making in Aotearoa New Zealand. She lives with her extended family in Ōhoka, North Canterbury.
Dr Sonia Garcia Garcia
Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga
Sonia Garcia grew up in Spain with Catalan, Galician and Spanish as her family languages. Her career has largely…
Sonia Garcia grew up in Spain with Catalan, Galician and Spanish as her family languages. Her career has largely focused on policy and programme management.
In the Catalan public service, Sonia designed and managed grants and programmes to support the internationalisation of Catalan literature. She later pursued her interest in fisheries, earning a PhD from the University of Technology Sydney for research on Australian fisheries policy.
Sonia moved to Aotearoa in 2020 and worked as a Senior Policy Analyst and Programme Manager in the international fisheries team at the Ministry for Primary Industries. In this role, she led legislative reforms to the Fisheries Act and managed Te Pātuitanga Ahumoana a Kiwa, a capacity development programme for Pacific fisheries agencies.
A first stint at NPM was instrumental in Sonia’s bonding to Aotearoa. Now as Pouhere Rangahau, she feels privileged to support Māori researchers to achieve their goals and loves operating in a Māori-led environment.
Professor Simon Holdaway
Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland
I research how to interpret the past using the material remains found by archaeologists. This has involved field work…
I research how to interpret the past using the material remains found by archaeologists. This has involved field work in a number of regions of the world including southwest France, semi-arid and tropical regions of Australia, the north of Egypt, and northern parts of Aotearoa | New Zealand. I have an interest in stone artefacts particularly their interpretation as surface deposits at a landscape scale. I continue to have active fieldwork programmes as well as laboratory-based studies of material remains.
After receiving a BA(Hons) and MA degree in Anthropology from the University of Otago I moved to the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia graduating with a PhD in 1991. I taught at The University of Auckland for a year in 1992 before taking up a post-doctoral fellowship at La Trobe University, Melbourne in 1993. I subsequently lectured at La Trobe from 1994-1998, returning to The University of Auckland in 1999, where I became Professor of Archaeology in 2009. From 2016-2021 I was Te Urumatua | Head of School, Te Pokapū Pūtaiao Pāpori | School of Social Sciences, in the Faculty of Arts. Currently I am Manupiri Ihorua Rangahau | Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, working with colleagues in Te Tari Rautaki Rangahau, Matatika | the Office of Research Strategy and Integrity (ORSI).
I was elected as a Corresponding Fellow Australian Humanities Academy in 2018 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand in 2022.
Sarah-Maru Berghan
Te Rarawa, Ngātiwai, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Tarāwhai
Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga
As Pouhere Whakaaweawe at NPM, she helps drive positive change through grants, awards, and the Research portfolio, all…
As Pouhere Whakaaweawe at NPM, she helps drive positive change through grants, awards, and the Research portfolio, all grounded in Māori values. Drawing on a wealth of experience in the tertiary sector, including her recent work in research services at Waipapa Taumata Rau’s Faculty of Science, she is committed to advancing excellence and supporting our people.
Cheryle Rewha Willoughby
Ngāti Kuta, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa
Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga
Cheryle has a BA in Media/Marketing and Māori studies from Massey University. Diploma in Project Management (TWWOA) and…
Cheryle has a BA in Media/Marketing and Māori studies from Massey University. Diploma in Project Management (TWWOA) and Sales Management, Business Studies (AUT). Her background is advertising and marketing working at Wilson & Horton Ltd for 12 years as EA and Sales Exec. Also in Event Management and Operations, finance, HR, sales and training.
She has worked with her whanau and hapu over 35 years. As a secretary, trustee and negotiator, for the Hauai whenua claim and the first successful settlement with the Crown, on behalf of her hapu.
Working as a Marketing Consultant with Dept of Labour, (CEG) Community Employment Group with various hui throughout Aotearoa developing communities and whanau to help lift and create opportunities towards self sustainability for their own region.
She has worked for Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga since 2022 also as MAI Journal Coordinator dealing with various stakeholders Authors, Peer Reviewers, Editors and Production contractors.
Associate Professor Deborah Heke
Ngā Puhi, Te Arawa
Te Whare Wananga o Wairaka Unitec
Associate Professor Deborah Heke (Ngā Puhi, Te Arawa) is the Director of Ngā Wai a Te Tūī Māori and Indigenous Research…
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 creativity and excellence in academia. She is an alumna of Auckland University of Technology, MAI ki Aronui, and the Eke Tangaroa Māori and Pacific Early Career Academic programme at AUT.
She currently leads Te Kupenga o MAI as MAI Strategy Lead.
Ahere Hapi
Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi, Muriwhenua
Kanapu
Ahere (Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi, Muriwhenua) proudly comes from the timber town of Tokoroa and has connections to both Maketu…
Ahere (Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi, Muriwhenua) proudly comes from the timber town of Tokoroa and has connections to both Maketu and Te Taitokerau. She is a passionate facilitator having worked with highly vulnerable youth to gain sustainable employment and life skills, as well as hapori throughout the Taupō-Ruapehu area to improve community engagement when conducting the 2023 Census. She has also worked with whānau in the Emergency Housing sector to navigate systems in order to reach better living circumstances, on top of several student-based roles to improve experience and participation in university.
Having just come back from a long international trip around Europe, Southeast and Eastern Asia, Ahere takes these new life experiences into this new Pou Hapori role. She has a belief that anyone who is willing to learn should be given a means to learn and uses all her professional roles and networks, to help those around her to achieve that principle.
About Kanapu:
Kanapu - Accelerating Māori RSI Talent, Leadership and System Navigation Kanapu is a Māori-led initiative on a mission to ignite Research, Science and Innovation (RSI) talent and leadership across Te Ao Māori. Māori researchers, scientists and knowledge-holders are fundamental to a vibrant RSI system but the evidence shows they are largely undervalued and unsupported.
Kanapu - which means lightning or instantaneous glow - will strike at the obstacles that block Māori pathways into the RSI system. Existing professional development and leadership programmes do not address the unique needs and aspirations of the Māori RSI workforce, nor offer fit for purpose training strategies and learning solutions. The RSI system is also fragmented, making it challenging for Māori communities, businesses and organisations to connect with the right people to meet their own research needs and aspirations.
Designed and led by Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga (NPM) Māori Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE), Kanapu is funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to connect and nurture a diverse puna (pool) of Māori talent in the wider RSI system and expand the impact of Vision Mātauranga.
Erina Watene
Waikato, Ngaati Maahanga
Erina Watene-Rawiri is an experienced governor and director having also served on Te Wai Maaori Trust, NZ Biological…
Erina Watene-Rawiri is an experienced governor and director having also served on Te Wai Maaori Trust, NZ Biological Heritage Science Challenge, Iwi, and not-for-profit boards; as well as many advisory groups (such as the New Zealand Fish Passage Advisory Group). Professionally, Erina is a freshwater scientist with a background in river and lake restoration, tāonga species research, resource management and environmental planning. She is experienced working at the interface between policy, mātauranga Māori, and science.
Ms Watene-Rawiri grew up alongside the Waikato River and has whakapapa connections to Waikato Iwi. Her strong technical expertise in freshwater management sits alongside her community connections.
Cindy McQuade
Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao, Tūwharetoa
Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga
Cindy McQuade is the communications advisor for NPM. She has a varied career in the media, working both as a journalist…
Cindy McQuade is the communications advisor for NPM. She has a varied career in the media, working both as a journalist and free-lance writer and as a graphic designer for many years.
She holds a Bachelor of Social Science, majoring in Political Science, Bachelor of Media Art, majoring in graphic design, and Cert. Journalism.
Professor Te Kawehau Hoskins
Ngāpuhi
Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland
Te Kawehau Hoskins affiliates to the people of Ngāti Hau in Whakapara, a community located north of the Whangārei…
Te Kawehau Hoskins affiliates to the people of Ngāti Hau in Whakapara, a community located north of the Whangārei district. She is the former HOS of Te Puna Wānanga, the school of Māori and Indigenous Education and Te Tumu-Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Education and Social Work. Te Kawehau has pursued an academic career in Māori education. She has further developed expertise in qualitative social and educational research, politics, ethics of Indigene, settler relations, and multicultural and bicultural education. She is presently the Pro-Vice Chancellor Māori at Waipapa Taumata Rau | The University of Auckland.
Associate Professor Meegan Hall
Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Tūwharetoa
Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington
Meegan teaches courses on higher education learning and teaching and hosts teaching orientations and events. Most of…
Meegan teaches courses on higher education learning and teaching and hosts teaching orientations and events. Most of her teaching is to lecturers and tutors whilst she also contributes to the programme offered by Te Kawa a Māui, the School of Māori Studies, such as their introductory course about Māori society and culture and their postgraduate course about Māori research methodologies.
Her research interests lie in Māori academic development, Māori pedagogies, Māori student achievement and retention in higher education.
Dr Heather Gifford
Ngāti Hauiti, Te Atihaunui ā Papārangi
Whakauae Research for Māori Health & Development
Heather is a trained nurse working in the field of child and family health, and has taught at a tertiary level in…
Heather is a trained nurse working in the field of child and family health, and has taught at a tertiary level in health services, as well as working as a manager with a Māori Development Organisation and in primary health care.
She has completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Health at Otago University, a Masters in Public Health from the same university and a PhD and Postdoctoral Fellowship with Te Pūmanawa Hauora, the Research Centre for Māori Health and Development, Massey University.
In collaboration with Ngāti Hauiti, Heather established Whakauae Research for Māori Health and Development, an iwi based research centre and from 2005 - 2016 she held the role of Research Centre Director.
In 2016 Heather assumed a senior advisory role and since then her research interests have concentrated on health service delivery and intervention, and the development of whānau, hapū and iwi based models to address Māori health issues, in particular tobacco control research with a focus on prevention and policy work.
Associate Professor Māmari Stephens
Te Rarawa
Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington
Māmari completed an MA (Distinction) in Classical Studies, BA (Hons), and an LLB (Hons) at Victoria University. She…
Māmari completed an MA (Distinction) in Classical Studies, BA (Hons), and an LLB (Hons) at Victoria University. She then spent three and a half years at Russell McVeagh in Wellington working in the Māori legal team in the Corporate Advisory Group, latterly concentrating on ACC law.
Māmari has been with the Faculty of Law at Victoria University of Wellington since January 2006 and, with Assistant Professor Mary Boyce of the University of Hawai'i, runs the Legal Māori Project. The outputs of this project are available free online at www.legalmaori.net.
Her primary research interests are law and language, Māori and the New Zealand legal system, and social security law. She is currently working on a social security law textbook to be published by Thomson Reuters. This book is also being supported by a grant from the Law Foundation.
Professor Rangi Matamua
Ngāi Tūhoe
University of Waikato
Associate Professor Matamua of Tūhoe, is a senior lecturer based in the School of Māori and Pacific Development at…
Associate Professor Matamua of Tūhoe, is a senior lecturer based in the School of Māori and Pacific Development at Waikato University. He has undertaken significant research in the areas of Māori language revitalisation, Māori culture, Māori astronomy and broadcasting. In his MA thesis Rangi focused on traditional Tūhoe weaponary, and his PhD examined the role of Māori radio in Māori language revitalisation. In addition, Dr Matamua has produced a number of publications in his specialist areas, and sits on a number of related boards including Society for Māori Astronomy Research and Traditions (SMART).
Professor Huia Tomlins-Jahnke
Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Hine
Massey University
Associate Professor Huia Tomlins Jahnke has been involved as a researcher and research coordinator of the D Company…
Associate Professor Huia Tomlins Jahnke has been involved as a researcher and research coordinator of the D Company Māori Battalion Oral History Project since 1997 when the Ngāti Kahungunu veterans of D Company established the project. She is Principal Investigator on the NPM project Au e ihu! Nga Morehu TauaThose that are left must endeavour to complete the work. Huia is currently an Professor of Māori Education, and Head of School in the College of Education at Massey University.
Professor Shaun Ogilvie
Te Arawa (Ngāti Whakahemo), Ngāti Awa (Ngāti Pukeko)
Shaun Ogilvie has a PhD in Ecology from the University of Canterbury and is the Director of Eco Research Associates…
Shaun Ogilvie has a PhD in Ecology from the University of Canterbury and is the Director of Eco Research Associates Ltd, a private environmental research company. He is also the Māori Business Development Consultant for the Cawthron Institute in Nelson, and a contractor to other organisations, including Lincoln University and The Environmental Protection Authority.
Shaun is the principal investigator on several Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga research projects:
- Mātauranga Māori of naturally occurring toxins in native plants
- Commercial feasibility of using mātauranga Maori-based fish traps to eliminate bycatch
- Tetrodotoxin in kaimoana: Science and mātauranga mitigating health risks from a lethal neurotoxin.
Shaun was previously Associate Professor of Wildlife Management at Lincoln University, and Tumuaki of the Kaupapa Māori Unit of Lincoln’s Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty. Before this, he was the Principal Scientist – Māori Research at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research in Christchurch. He was also a Scientist at Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research. Shaun has extensive experience of environmental research with Māori communities and his research interests include the development of techniques for the management of animal pests. To watch a presentation by Shaun on his research, click here
Marie-Chanel Berghan
Te Rarawa, Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Tarāwhai
Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga
Marie-Chanel Berghan looks after the financial, contract and operations (physical resources and infrastructure)…
Marie-Chanel Berghan looks after the financial, contract and operations (physical resources and infrastructure) management of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga. As well as managing the publications, specifically the two NPM Journals; AlterNative and MAI Journal. Marie-Chanel has a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration and in Business, Māori Development. Before joining the centre, she was the Whakapiki Ake Project Manager at The University of Auckland’s Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences for five years and prior to that, a Project Administration Manager at Hewlett Packard.
Emeritus Professor Poia Rewi
Ngāti Manawa, Tūhoe, Te Arawa
Kanapu
Happily married with children and mokos who make life so refreshing. My teaching, research and practice included…
Happily married with children and mokos who make life so refreshing. My teaching, research and practice included Indigenous language revitalisation, te reo me ngā tikanga Māori, Māori oratory, Māori performing arts and Māori history and have spanned the University of Waikato 1990-2003 and the University of Otago 2023-2020. Poia has also held leadership roles at Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori and Te Mātāwai. And if he didn’t have 5 operations on his achilles tendon he would have definitely been an All Black and a competitor on Dancing with Stars.
Dr Tim West-Newman
Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga
Tim West-Newman develops and implements technical business solutions including websites for Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga…
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.
Honorine Franswah
Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga
Honorine Franswah is the Research Operation Coordinator in Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga and assists with the contracts…
Honorine Franswah is the Research Operation Coordinator in Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga and assists with the contracts, finance and all the administrative functions of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga.
Honorine obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics major with auxiliary subjects Commerce and Statistics at the University of Madras and brings substantial administrative experience from nearly 20 years involvement in the manufacturing sector in India. She provided administrative support at The University of Auckland prior to taking up her role at the Centre
Kerensa Johnston (Chair)
Ngāti Tama, Ngāruahine, Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Whāwhakia
Kerensa is the Chief Executive of Wakatū Incorporation, a hapū-owned organisation based in Whakatū (Nelson), which owns…
Kerensa is the Chief Executive of Wakatū Incorporation, a hapū-owned organisation based in Whakatū (Nelson), which owns Kono NZ LP, an export food and beverage business; AuOra, focused on science and nutrition and Whenua, its land and property business. Committed to its 500 year intergenerational plan, Te Pae Tawhiti, Wakatū has an active social and cultural development arm which is committed to building whānau capability and innovation as well as achieving the Te Tau Ihu intergenerational strategy for the region, which includes constitutional reform.
Kerensa has a legal background and has worked as a solicitor in the private sector, as a Barrister, and as a legal academic at the Faculty of Law, University of Auckland, where she specialised in Māori legal development, public law, land law and international law. Kerensa joined Wakatū as General Counsel in December 2012, and was appointed Chief Executive in 2016.
Kerensa is also the Chair of Ngāti Tama ki te Tau Ihu Charitable Trust. She is a member of the International Association of Corporate Counsel, Corporate Lawyers’ New Zealand and Te Hunga Roia.