Project purpose: Parents of young children, as the intimate stewards of a new generation, carry the weight of societal expectation upon their often youthful shoulders. While it is true that parenthood has probably never been more scrutinised by communities, institutions and the state at large, leaving almost all parents feeling pressured, it is also the case that certain groups, especially young parents endure greater suspicion, censure and surveillance than any other.

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. The health, integrity and sustainability of ancestral lands, waters, forests, mahinga kai, wahi tapu and nohoanga are critical social and biophysical determinants of the health and wellbeing of Māori people and Māori communities.

Project purpose: The importance of producing more Māori doctoral and other postgraduate qualification completions, for Māoridom and New Zealand society generally is well understood – Ngā Pae o Te Māramatanga set specific goals towards it, the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative and Ako Aotearoa have funded research about it, and the Tertiary Education Commission provides equity weighting to encourage it amongst Tertiary Education Organisations.

Project purpose: The project is a pilot for a larger project tracking phonological development (speech skills) in Māori for Māori speaking pre-school children. Although there is a substantial body of literature on how children develop speech sounds in English we know nothing about the developmental trajectory in Māori.