Projects

Project purpose: The project is a Marsden Fund grant that examines entrepreneurial tribal Māori leadership. For 40 years there has been no major analytical work on contemporary Māori leadership.

This PhD offers a re-examination of the tikanga of ahikā—traditionally understood as a metaphor for sustained occupation—by exploring the literal fires that burned on hapū lands. Through investigating the diverse uses of fire by Māori ancestors (for warmth, kai, light, and communication), this research reveals a richer, more refined understanding of ahikā and its significance as a tikanga rooted not only in metaphor but lived, material practice.

Project purpose: To analyse patterns in the characteristics, attitudes and behaviours of Māori distinguished by various attributes e.g. urban/rural, different definitions of Māori ethnicity, in order to reveal some of the major ways in which Māori vary.

The programme of work to be carried out

Project purpose: To carry out a literature search and review on the topic of language revitalisation – with a focus on Māori language (particularly the Rongomaiwahine/Ngāti Kahungunu dialects where possible).

This research explores how mātauranga Māori enriches natural hazard resilience in Aotearoa by integrating Indigenous knowledge with science. It highlights Māori-led solutions that strengthen cultural identity, wellbeing, and community response to disasters. The resulting publication will be accessible and visually engaging, showcasing collaborative research to support thriving Māori communities facing environmental challenges.

Project purpose: Whariki Research Group is involved in collaborative, action-oriented research working with hapū and iwi in the field of Whenua Ora-Tangata Ora. One key project involves kaitiakitanga practices that are seeing improvements across a range of domains including the restoration of Lake Omapere and the Utakura Valley.