Projects

We have identified a set of questions relating to Māori restorative justice in the Aotearoa Justice system and its effectiveness for Māori:

What are the barriers Māori face when they participate in restorative justice as it stands?

What can we learn from the traditional ways of resolving conflict that could minimise these barriers?

What unique Human Resource Management (HRM) practices are offered in Aotearoa workplaces that directly engage in a positive way with Māori employees? 

What do these look like? How are the perceived (and received) by Maori and non-Māori employees? Do they positively shape attitudes as we might expect - and if not, why not? What are the barriers and drivers behind them? 

This Ageing Well NSC research project explored the unique role of kaumātua within Ngāti Whakaue, challenging government definitions that homogenise Māori elders. It highlights how kaumātua serve whānau, marae, hapū, and iwi—and what’s needed to support and sustain their leadership into the future.

This research report has been titled Rākau-nui as an acknowledgement to the full moon phase in the Maramataka (Māori lunar calendar). Rākau-nui also represents the collected journey to which this full report has been constructed from. The Maramataka is

This report has been prepared for Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga as part of the summer internship programme 2018-2019. This project is titled Tangaroa Ara Rau: Whānau connections and Water Safety with a purpose to understand unique whānau connections to water and its benefit for water safety.

How do fat Indigenous wāhine reclaim body sovereignty as a form of resistance? This research centred on the lived experiences of fat Māori wāhine, challenging colonial and biomedical narratives through the lens of mātauranga Māori. It reclaims tino rangatiratanga and mana motuhake of the body, and reimagines access, wellbeing, and worth beyond systems of oppression.

This research explored how mahinga toi—through process, theory, and creative output—supported whānau, hapū, and iwi oranga and mana motuhake. Grounded in Te Whānau a Apanui, it developed a tukunga iho methodology that extended pūrākau into creative practice, recognising toi as both healer and knowledge system.

Kia ū ki tau kawai whakapapa, kia matau ai, ko wai koe, e anga atu koe ki hea – Take ahold of your ancestral stem, so that you might know, who you are, and what direction you're going in.

What mātauranga exists that can support our flora for their continued existence as taonga and how can Māori build their response capability to biological threats on taonga plant species?

What is the current state of knowledge on wairua, pregnancy and birthing, what are the key initia-tives and opportunities for collaborative research pro-jects, and who are the key stakeholders in this area?

How do we collectivise what we have for greater gain?

This platform project explores how Māori-led taiao initiatives reconnect whānau and hapū with place, identity, and whakapapa.
Through case studies, wānanga, and digital tools, the project examines the aspirations, processes, and outcomes of environmental mahi that strengthen connections between people and te taiao.

This project investigated how Māori values underpinning the Māori economy can be theorised and applied to enhance community wellbeing. By stocktaking existing literature and engaging across sectors, the researchers built a Māori-led theory of value grounded in tikanga and Indigenous epistemologies.

This project explored how Māori and Indigenous communities used digital platforms to protect and share mātauranga, with a focus on te taiao. It investigated tikanga-based digital protocols and iwi/hapū needs, informing the development of Indigenous-led digital solutions.

What current methods do Māori (particularly those on low incomes and/or living in conditions of poverty) use to manage money?

What financial products and services are likely to be effective for Māori and how might these be successfully implemented?

This project brought together a multidisciplinary Māori research team to identify tikanga-based strategies for climate change adaptation and mitigation.
It consolidated Indigenous knowledge, promoted Māori-led solutions, and developed pathways for enhanced community wellbeing in the face of climate challenges.

How can local tangata whenua be empowered to make the best decisions for sustainable management of Northland’s brown kiwi, and how can the isolated kiwi populations from Ipipiri (Eastern Bay of Islands) be managed to maintain local whakapapa and reduce the negative impact of small population sizes and inbreeding?

Is harakeke one key to a sustainable future for Aotearoa and, if it is, how do we utilise it to develop this sustainable future?

In this platform research, our focus makes the distinction between ‘kai’ as a culturally defined Māori notion and western interpretations of ‘food’.

This NPM Platform Project is building an understanding on how to build stronger, more connected iwi, through enhancing engagement with Māori governance entities.

In Phase 1 of the research, we are exploring the approaches used by Māori governance entities to ask: how do Māori governance entities engage members regardless of where they’re living?