Doctoral Projects

Kate Souness (Ngāi Tahu, Kati Mamoe, Waitaha, Ngā Puhi, Te Arawa), University of Canterbury

Utilising pūrākau as a method and methodology alongside Kaupapa Māori Theory and Mana Wahine theory, this work aims to examine traditional pūrākau inherent in waka hourua deep sea voyaging oral histories throughout the Pacific. The depth of knowledge will journey into the night sky and stories of stars, ancestors and meaning. Navigational knowledge from waiata, pūrākau, whakatau, karakia and kīwaha will inform part of the research.

Hannah van Wilsem vos (Ngāi Tahu), Universtiy of Waikato

Chelsea Cunningham (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Kai Tahu), Univeristy of Otago

The whakapapa that defines my geographical and cultural centre is captured concisely in our pepeha; it represents how we position ourselves within this world, for myself, a descendant of Ngāti Kahungunu.

The aim of this research is to reconnect to our pepeha by engaging with ancestral landscapes within Ngāti Kahungunu, retracing the footsteps of our tīpuna as told through pūrākau that have been passed down from generation to generation. Further to this, we will capture our engagement through the use of GoPro and drone technology to create short films for our whānau who are unable to physically engage with us, as a means to reconnect them through our experiences.

Oliver Skinner (Waikato Tainui), University of Otago

This thesis is a legal history of Wairarapa Moana, the wetlands comprising lakes Wairarapa and Onoke and their tributaries, from early Maori occupation of the area through to Treaty settlement processes and beyond. It explores the 'legal experiences' of Maori who are traditionally based around and share connections with Wairarapa Moana and questions how these experiences have shaped and continue to shape how the moana is managed and cared for today.

Georgia McLellan (Te Whakatōhea & Ngāi Te Rangi), The University of Auckland

Jenni Tupu (Ngāpuhi, Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Hine, Sāmoa), University of Otago