About this research
Intern: Arpo Deer, University of Canterbury
Supervisor: Dr Rory Clifford, University of Canterbury
The intern collaborated closely with leading technology providers and Dr Rory Clifford to explore how emerging digital tools—such as 3D modelling, carving simulations, and immersive environments—can deepen tamariki engagement with mātauraka Māori. Together, we are unlocking innovative ways for young people to experience and understand whakapapa, tikanga, and toi Māori through interactive, culturally grounded digital experiences.
This partnership is helping to ensure that traditional knowledge and creative expression are carried forward in formats that resonate with today’s learners while honouring the integrity of Māori knowledge systems.
The intern collaborated closely with leading technology providers and Dr Rory Clifford to explore how emerging digital tools—such as 3D modelling, carving simulations, and immersive environments—can deepen tamariki engagement with mātauraka Māori.
Ētahi atu · Other projects
This internship created a 3D-printed Tekoteko trophy using a biodegradable harakeke filament to honor the memory of Dr Paora Mato. The project blends traditional Māori carving with contemporary art, sparking conversations about tikanga and cultural practice.
View projectHe Tohu Maumahara ki a Paora Mato
This internship created a 3D-printed Tekoteko trophy using a biodegradable harakeke filament to honor the memory of Dr Paora Mato.
The project blends traditional Māori carving with contemporary art, sparking conversations about tikanga and cultural practice.
This project explores hapū data sovereignty for Ngāti Tiipa, using tikanga to protect and manage data for whānau. It tests a Māori data privacy framework with Ngāti Tiipa’s digital databases, drawing on their mātauranga to guide decisions on data privacy and sovereignty.
View projectProtecting Ngāti Tiipa hapū data sovereignty
This project explores hapū data sovereignty for Ngāti Tiipa, using tikanga to protect and manage data for whānau. It tests a Māori data privacy framework with Ngāti Tiipa’s digital databases, drawing on their mātauranga to guide decisions on data privacy and sovereignty.
Kairangahau · Researchers
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Professor Tahu Kukutai FRSNZ
Professor Tahu Kukutai FRSNZ
Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Co-Director Tahu Kukutai is Professor of Demography at Te Ngira: Institute for Population Research, The University of Waikato where she specialises in Māori and Indigenous demography and data sovereignty. Tahu is a founding member of the Māori Data Sovereignty Network Te Mana Raraunga and the Global Indigenous Data Alliance. She co-edited Indigenous data sovereignty: Toward an agenda (ANU Press, 2016), Indigenous data sovereignty and policy (Routledge, 2020) and The Oxford Handbook of Indigenous Sociology (Oxford) . Tahu has undertaken research with and for numerous…
Motiti Marae and Tapuiwahine A12 whenua are full of unseen stories, rhythms, and vibrational energies. This research brought together cutting-edge sonic mapping and LiDar scanning technologies to explore the ecosystems and acoustic heritage of these ancestral lands. In partnership with local hapū, marae, and iwi, the project captured both the seen and the…
View projectMotiti Marae and Tapuiwahine A12 whenua landblocks: The seen and the unseen – Exploring whenua and waterways ecosystems through sonic mapping and LiDar scanning technologies.
Motiti Marae and Tapuiwahine A12 whenua are full of unseen stories, rhythms, and vibrational energies. This research brought together cutting-edge sonic mapping and LiDar scanning technologies to explore the ecosystems and acoustic heritage of these ancestral lands. In partnership with local hapū, marae, and iwi, the project captured both the seen and the unheard — illuminating the mauri of the whenua and awa in powerful new ways.
Kairangahau · Researchers
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Dr Maree Sheehan
Dr Maree Sheehan
As a researcher, educator, and composer, I have the privileged role of responding to the educational aspirations of many communities. My personal belief is that outstanding achievements are invariably the result of planned and sustained collaboration. This is especially true when the team has diverse skills and are kaupapa-driven, committed and hardworking, therefore I also acknowledge those who work with me. I especially have had the benefit of many mentors in my lifetime and want to acknowledge those who have supported me to be where I am today. Over the last 15 years, I have worked as a… -
Dr Valance Smith
Dr Valance Smith
Dr Valance Smith (Ngāpuhi, Waikato, Ngāti Haina, Ngāti Pākehā) has recently been appointed to Assistant Pro-Vice Chancellor (Māori Advancement) and leads the Mātauranga Māori Strategy at AUT. Valance provides cultural leadership to AUT, his whānau and abroad, this year accompanying the Pacific Mission Delegation to Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands alongside Rt Hon Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters. While his doctoral thesis looked at the role of contemporary Māori music in promoting te reo Māori (2014), his most recent research applies mātauranga Māori across many disciplines of research… -
Professor Maui Hudson
Professor Maui Hudson
Maui Hudson (Whakatōhea, Ngāruahine, and Te Māhurehure) is an interdisciplinary researcher working on Indigenous ethics, Indigenous data sovereignty, and the challenges of working at the interface of mātauranga Māori and science. He is currently the Co-Director of the Te Kotahi Research Institute working on projects around Indigenous Trade, benefit sharing, and improving research practices when working with Indigenous communities. Maui is a founding member of Te Mana Raraunga Māori Data Sovereignty Network and the Global Indigenous Data Alliance as well as a co-author of the CARE Principles… -
Associate Professor Claudio Aguayo
Associate Professor Claudio Aguayo
Claudio Aguayo is an Associate Professor in Digital Innovation in Education at Te Ara Poutama, the Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Development at Auckland University of Technology (AUT). With a background in Biology and a PhD in Science & Technology Education, Claudio’s work bridges human-computer interaction (HCI), user experience (UX) design, cross-cultural responsive design, and critical design in digital learning environments. As Director of AUT's AppLab, Claudio leads projects exploring emerging technologies for educational transformation and curriculum innovation. His research-driven…