Rautaki Kounga

Awardee: Kirsty Dunn (Te Aupōuri, Te Rarawa), University of Canterbury The Awardee will undertake the Whakaaweawe Impact and Transformation Grant titled Ngā Au o Te Awaroa: Podcast Project Celebrating Māori Philosophy, Creativity, and Community. This three-part podcast project aims to share research undertaken within Aotahi: School of Māori and Indigenous…

Awardee: Alehandrea Raiha Manuel (Ngāti Porou), The University of Auckland The Awardee will undertake the Whakaaweawe Impact and Transformation Grant titled Lalanga e Ako’ae Māori and Pacific – Weaving together the learnings of Māori and Pacific ECR knowledge holders.

Māori doctoral scholars often face significant challenges in universities dominated by Western academic traditions. These environments can clash with Māori cultural values and needs, reflecting colonial legacies that marginalise Indigenous knowledge and methodologies. To address these challenges, the Te Kupenga o MAI (MAI) programme was created in the late…

This internship uncovered the hidden stories of 2,000 toki from Auckland Museum’s collection, combining archaeology and mātauranga Māori to trace their stone origins and reconnect them to whakapapa. The work opens new paths to understand historic resource use, trade, and sustainable practices in Aotearoa.

This internship compiled a bibliography of politics research by kairangahau Māori, supporting more inclusive and responsive political studies in Aotearoa. Guided by a multidisciplinary rōpū, interns built research skills and helped shape future pathways for Māori in politics and policy.

Project SummaryA new era is emerging in Aotearoa’s legal landscape—one where tikanga Māori is increasingly being recognised, tested, and applied within the state legal system. In 2021, Te Kōti Whenua Māori (the Māori Land Court) launched a tikanga-based dispute resolution process, offering an innovative pathway grounded in Māori legal principles.This…

‘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.