This month the NPM whānau were thrilled to celebrate the news that our NPM Ruānuku Emeritus Professor Ngahuia Te Awekotuku (Te Arawa, Tūhoe, Ngāpuhi, Waikato) was elected as a Companion of the Royal Society Te Apārangi. The award of Companion—Ngā Takahoa a Te Apārangi - recognises outstanding leadership or sustained contributions to promoting and advancing science, technology, or the humanities in Aotearoa.

July has been a busy month for our NPM secretariat with calls for proposals out for our New Horizons summer internships and Whakaaweawe Impact and Transformation grants, as well as the opening of submissions for our Indigenous Climate Change Research Summit. We are excited about the widespread interest shown in the opportunities on offer and look forward to announcing the outcomes in coming months.
 

In this month’s e-pānui we kōrero with two of our researchers, Professor of Architecture Deidre Brown and PhD student Kapua O’Connor, about the implications of their current research. Deidre, who is a Fellow of both the Royal Society Te Apārangi and New Zealand Institute of Architects, shares her unique insights into how the current housing environment impedes access to high-quality multi-generational housing for whānau. Kapua, who recently published the co-authored book A Fire in the Belly of Hineāmaru, explores the nuances of ahikā and its potential to expand contemporary understandings of mana. Meanwhile in our ‘meet the researchers’ section, Associate Professor Donna Cormack, who leads our RIRI (Research to Interrupt Racism and (In)equity) programme, shares what makes her tick.

Calls are also now out for the submission of project ideas for the NPM Futures Programme New Horizons summer internships and abstracts for the virtual Indigenous Climate Change Research Summit in November - see more details below.

This month was one of celebration, with the announcement of increased funding for Te Mataini in Budget 2023 and several prestigious awards going to wāhine across our networks. 

The NPM whānau were thrilled to see the government commit $34 million over two years to Te Matatini, up from just $2.9 million a year. It was a long-awaited and much-needed boost to a kaupapa that for decades has had a profound impact on whānau and communities, extending far beyond the biennial showcase event. NPM was proud to partner with Te Matatini and other research partners to produce the report The Value of Kapa Haka last year, along with a widely-viewed webinar. 

April has been an action-packed month for our NPM team. 

We kicked off with a two day strategic planning session at Vaughan Park in Long Bay. It was the first time our Secretariat has come together since gaining new full-time appointments to our Pou Whakapā | Communications lead (Cindy Simpkins-McQuade, Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Tūhourangi - Ngāti Wāhiao, Tūwharetoa), and Pou Whakaweawe | Impact and Transformation lead (Dr Maree Sheehan, Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato, Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Raukawa, Ngāti Tahu- Ngāti Whaoa). It was a timely opportunity to look forward and think about how, in our respective roles, we can all contribute to the NPM mission of ‘Creating the foundations for flourishing Māori futures.’  

February has been a devastating month for whānau and communities, with the flooding in Northland and Auckland, and then Cyclone Gabrielle. We are grateful that the NPM secretariat was not directly impacted by Gabrielle. However, it was a very tense and worrying time for those with whānau in the hardest hit areas, particularly the East Coast, Hawkes Bay and Northland.

Welcome to our first e-pānui of 2023!

We are grateful that our Tāmaki-based secretariat and researchers were able to return to the office this week after the recent flooding. Our aroha goes out to the many whānau affected by the devastation left in its wake. The manaakitanga extended by communities and marae reminds us, once again, of the power of kotahitanga that endures within Te Ao Māori in times of crisis.

After a very busy period, the NPM whānau are looking forward to a period of rest, reflection and recuperation.

Last month we virtually hosted more than 600 participants at our 10th International Indigenous Research Conference. With open access keynotes, concurrent paper sessions and collabs, IIRC22 provided multiple forums for Indigenous researchers to come together and share, strategise, listen and learn. 

With the promise of summer (and a holiday) now in sight, the team at NPM are ramping up to welcome our keynote speakers, presenters, and participants to IIRC22 on 15 November. The final programme for our fully virtual conference is on the NPM website. Registrations are still open. Don’t forget that we’ve also made the keynote sessions open access for those who aren’t registered –  you will still need to use the registration tool but just select the Free Keynote Only option.

The past month has been an extremely busy one at NPM with our network being in full planning mode for the upcoming virtual 10th International Indigenous Research Conference (IIRC22) and MAI Doctoral Conference, both in November.