Pātai Puāwai

Kiri West (Ngāti Marutūahu), The University of Auckland

The New Zealand government has indicated a willingness to consider the application of Māori data sovereignty (MDS) in the storage, management and governance of data-sets held by them. To what extent is there alignment between the principles of Māori data sovereignty (as communicated by Te Mana Raraunga) and the government’s current data infrastructure? What are the barriers to the successful implementation of MDS, both from a state perspective, as well as from the perspective of Māori?

Karamea Tina Tukukino (Ngāti Awa, Ngāi te Rangi, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Tamatera), Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi

The aim of this research is to co-develop a values-based evaluative framework that supports ethical AI integration in Māori tertiary educational contexts. The concept of Mātāhihiko invokes the synergy between ancestral wisdom and contemporary technologies, positioning Māori educational institutions as leaders in shaping ethical, culturally grounded applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Maren Tahata (Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato-Tainui), The University of Auckland

Māori students remain underrepresented in STEM fields in Aotearoa-not due to lack of ability or interest, but because the education system often fails to reflect Māori identities, values, and ways of knowing. This research explores how culturally responsive science teaching can support Māori students to develop strong science identities and envision their “science possible selves” for students who aspire to work in STEM careers and those who will use science to inform their daily lives.

Jolene Barletta Rangihaeata (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Konohi, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngā Rauru, Ngāti Ruahine, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Hikairo, Ngāti Apa), University of Waikato.

Climate change poses profound environmental and cultural challenges for Indigenous peoples across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, including Māori communities in Aotearoa. Despite minimal contributions to global emissions, Māori are among the first to face rising seas, biodiversity loss, and extreme weather events that threaten marae, urupā and ancestral lands. In Tairāwhiti, Cyclone Gabrielle (2023) caused rivers to exceed record levels, altering the land and ultimately displacing whānau.

Project lead: Professor Waikaremoana Waitoki (Ngāti Hako, Ngāti Māhanga), The University of Waikato | Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato

The ACT Party introduced the Treaty Principles Bill in 2024, proclaiming to protect everyone’s equal rights before the law. The Bill has sparked immense debates over the Crown’s attempt to rewrite the articles of te Tiriti o Waitangi and undermine Māori tino rangatiratanga.

Project lead: Professor Tom Roa (Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato, Ngāti Apakura), The University of Waikato | Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato

This project will document Māori-led responses to climate change through a Te Ao Māori (Māori worldview) lens, focusing on the connection between Māori communities and their ancestral whenua (land).

Through wānanga (digital storytelling workshops) and interviews, the research will explore how Māori of the Waikato-King Country region have addressed in the past and are addressing today the effects of climate change through their deep understandings of traditional knowledge and innovative Māori solutions.