Doctoral Projects

‘Hua o te Kawariki’ explores Ngāti Whātua mātauranga to inform future teaching, learning and leadership. Grounded in the prophetic mōteatea He aha te hau, this research draws on the wisdom of Ngāti Whātua mātanga to shape the vision for a potential Ngāti Whātua curriculum and kura ecosystem.

Sharron’s doctoral research is a strengths-based study called ‘Hauora: A Ngāti Kahungunu perspective’ and the research question is, “What is the relationship between kaupapa Māori community-led initiatives and Māori notions of hauora and how can this mātauranga-ā-iwi inform Te Ara Toiora, the Ngāti Kahungunu Wellbeing Strategy?”

This study has been initiated by the iwi of Ōhiwa, led by Ngāti Awa to establish techniques and practices to provide information to assist in the co-management of Ōhiwa harbour.

The whakatauakī - 'Ko au ko koe, ko koe ko au,' stands as a determining principle behind the legacy created by Mita Hikairo Mohi and his teachings of the discipline of mautaiaha.  Many from across the motu have attended these wānanga held on Mokoia Island. The intention of Aramoana’s research is to explore this legacy and its impact on Māori Male well-being in relation to cultural reclamation, resilience and affirmation.

How do fat Indigenous wāhine reclaim body sovereignty as a form of resistance? This research centred on the lived experiences of fat Māori wāhine, challenging colonial and biomedical narratives through the lens of mātauranga Māori. It reclaims tino rangatiratanga and mana motuhake of the body, and reimagines access, wellbeing, and worth beyond systems of oppression.

This research explored how mahinga toi—through process, theory, and creative output—supported whānau, hapū, and iwi oranga and mana motuhake. Grounded in Te Whānau a Apanui, it developed a tukunga iho methodology that extended pūrākau into creative practice, recognising toi as both healer and knowledge system.