Indigenising movement: Building technology to fuel cultural vitality among rangatahi and whānau Māori in Aotearoa.

Project Summary

With Breakdancing set to become an Olympic sport at the Paris 2024 games, it is an opportune time to revisit what constitutes sport and movement in Aotearoa. 

Kapa haka offers the ideal environment for overall wellbeing and identity development to be nurtured in accordance with cultural norms, values, and beliefs. Given the physical exertion experienced through kapa haka, rangatahi and whānau Māori are able to physically move as Māori. However, there are few opportunities to participate in culturally informed physical movement experiences within the current mainstream sport and active recreation system. 

This project aims to design accessible physical movement and learning experiences that leverage the positive and powerful impact of kapa haka. 

Part of a broader programme of research, this project seeks to indigenise the youth sport and physical movement space for positive wellbeing outcomes. The project is conducting wānanga with rangatahi, tohunga kapa haka, and creative technology designers to design innovative ways to use technology to teach kapa haka, stories, and languages. By holding space for this collective to wānanga, resources can be developed to support Māori to move as Māori, whilst broadening access for whānau to reclaim their reo, tīkanga and mātauranga.

Lead Researcher