Auckland University of Technology (AUT)

What are the implications of reclaiming and reviving the mātauranga associated with nga atua Māori and how does it contribute to reimagining the role of atua Māori in the modern world?

How and why are atua Māori, and associated mātauranga, being referenced in different fields today? For example: Sport, recreation, and nutrition; Health and environmental sciences.

Kapa haka provides a space for cultural expression, physical movement, and identity development. But how can technology be used to develop accessible kapa haka-informed physical movement resources that promote cultural identity development and overall wellbeing for rangatahi and whānau Māori?

Inspired by an ancient mōteatea and grounded in the living whenua of Ngāti Porou, He Uru Mānuka is a creative cultural mapping project breathing new life into ancestral knowledge. As climate shifts reshape the Waiapu River, we pair traditional practice with modern technologies to document, protect, and uplift the mauri of the land, the waters, and the stories in between.

Māori (and Indigenous) women engage in embodied relationship with the natural environment in a range of ways, such as raranga, rongoā, or physical activity. This research explored what these embodied relationships can teach us about the potential for reciprocal healing between wahine and whenua, person and place, by developing a network of Māori and Indigenous women and prioritising mātauranga wāhine.

This internship applied kaupapa Māori methodology and Mana Wāhine theory to analyse interview data from the E Tū Wāhine, E Tū Whānau project. Working with leading researchers, the intern explored culturally grounded ways to support wāhine and whānau wellbeing, while challenging harmful stereotypes around Māori women and domestic violence.

This kaupapa explored the relationships between environmental tohu (signs) observed in reporepo (swamplands), the phases of the maramataka, and the health of local ecosystems in the Hokianga.