Dr. Hine Funaki-Cole

I am a Māori inter-disciplinary researcher and lecturer in Sociology with the School of Social and Cultural Studies. My research interests encompass kaupapa Māori methodology, Sociology, Philosophy, Reclamation, Decolonisation, Māori identity and belonging, Higher Education, Hauntology, and Settler-Colonialism.

My current project investigates the challenges, strategies, and successes that Māori mothers encounter as they reclaim ancestral knowledge and wisdom for future generations. It positions Māori mothers as key change-makers for their whānau, adopting a desires-based approach to Māori futurism.

As part of this study, I have created an accessible zine that highlights the stories of Māori mothers reclaiming mātauranga Māori for their tamariki and mokopuna. This zine features visual accessibility design and is a collaboration with Māori artists and knowledge holders. It is available for free download, with hard copies distributed to hapū wānanga, Māori collective health spaces, and other non-profit organisations.

The stories within the zine aim to encourage whānau to come together, reconnect, and build upon their ancestral knowledge, fostering generational healing and supporting the decolonisation movement.

I prioritise supervision for Māori postgraduate students with similar research interests in kaupapa Māori and decolonisation.