Universities in Aotearoa hold a vast, largely unmapped, collection of Māori data. With that, these institutions are in positions of power to control the ways in which Māori data is collected, stored, accessed and used, often without meaningful involvement from Māori communities. Organised across three objectives, this project explores how Māori data…

The internship project was about Māori understandings of neurodiversity and development of digital technologies.

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.

This internship examined how the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples has influenced domestic law reforms, drawing lessons from Canada, Belize, and beyond. It explored strategies for Indigenous peoples and civil society to advance rights within national and international legal frameworks.

This project created “Te Proton Poi” — a waiata integrating mātauranga Māori with quantum physics to support community engagement with advanced health technologies. Inspired by MRI concepts and kapa haka, the project highlights how culturally grounded approaches can bridge science and te ao Māori to empower whānau.

This internship is about the kanakana/piharau/pouched lamprey, a struggling fish species in New Zealand due to decline in river water quality, industrialisation, and river alteration.

InternPunua Waitoki, University of WaikatoSupervisorAssociate Professor Te Taka Keegan, University of WaikatoOverviewThis internship investigated suitable Māori language data formats and quantities that can be best utilised by modern AI systems to build generative AI tools for te reo Māori that support Māori Data Sovereignty. The research informs…

This internship focused on the creation of a ‘supervisor’s package’ to support He Ara Pūkeko, an apprenticeship programme.

This internship explored the emerging field of Māori data governance, focusing on unmet needs within current data systems. The project unpacked Te Kāhui Raraunga’s Māori Data Governance Model and repackaged its components into practical formats—including FAQs, presentations, and social media-ready content—to support wider understanding and application…

How do we protect our data as Māori? This internship explored Māori data sovereignty—what it means, how it’s practiced, and why it matters. Through a series of easy-to-understand research briefs, the project supports whānau Māori to better understand and navigate issues like facial recognition technology and the future of our digital information.

This internship created briefs for whānau Māori that explored what Māori Data Sovereignty is and why the protection of Māori data is important in today’s world of rapid technological advancement.

This internship aim was to scope the possibilities hapū, iwi and Māori organisations have to exercise Māori data sovereignty over electoral roll data, collected compulsorily about Māori for the administration of the electoral rolls by the Electoral Commission.