Pātai Te Ao Māori

Awardee: Uenukuterangihoka Jefferies (Ngāti Raukawa, Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Ngāti Awa, Te Whakatōhea), University of Auckland This kaupapa Māori-informed study explores how fidgeting—small, repetitive movements often seen in people with wairangi ā-aronga (ADHD)—might be linked to patterns of brain activity and thinking. The research focuses on rangatahi and…

Awardee: Mona-Lisa Wareka (Ngātiwai, Ngāti Rereahu), University of Waikato This research aims towards facilitating transformative change by investigating the impacts and experiences Māori face under current cannabis laws, while examining opinions surrounding potential decriminalisation. This project is significant as it is the first of its kind in Aotearoa…

Awardee: Hamiora Te Momo (Ngāti Porou (Ngāti Konohi), Ngāti Raukawa (Ngāti Whakatere), University of Waikato This doctorial study in computer science explores the design and development of a culturally grounded mobile augmented reality (MAR) system where carvings on the marae can see, recognise, and respond to users through tikanga-led interaction. Using…

This research supports iwi-led, tikanga-informed innovation, grounded in Kaupapa Māori methodology. Through wānanga and co-design with Ngāti Tukorehe, the team is developing safe, solvent-free dye processes that respect tikanga and are reproducible in community settings.

This project explores how digital narratives of tohunga can be curated to support and enrich the multiliteracies of ākonga, particularly in Te Tai Tokerau. At its heart, Tohunga Talks is a collaborative digital storytelling initiative grounded in Te Tai Tokerau mātauranga tuku iho, Kaupapa Māori research approaches, and the Mana Model.

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 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.

This internship canvassed a localised Māori community’s response to severe weather events to highlight the implications for psychology.

This project explored the intersection of te ao Māori and intellectual property law through a case study on the haka Ka Mate and the rights of Ngāti Toa Rangatira. It critically examined the Haka Ka Mate Attribution Act 2014, questioning its effectiveness in protecting Ngāti Toa’s interests within current legal frameworks.

This internship explored how urban-raised Māori postgraduate students can reconnect and rekindle their ahi kā with ancestral marae, strengthening their sense of belonging and empowering them to keep the home fires burning.

This internship project examined the collision and contest of te ao Māori and the intellectual property system with respect to mātauranga Māori.

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…