Mātau Taiao

Featured image: Nurtured by and dedicated to te reo Māori

Nurtured by and dedicated to te reo Māori

Rosemary Rangitauira • Jun 20, 2022

Te reo Māori is Dr. Anaha Hiini’s life purpose. Raised by his grandparents, Kepa and Maata Hiini, Anaha of Ngāti Tarāwhai, Tūhourangi, Ngāti Whakaue descent made a promise at the age of six to his late grandmother, Maata Hiini. “I’ve always had a passion for Māori culture.  My first inspiration was my Nan. I remember saying to her that I … Read More

Featured image: Pursuit of Indigenous sovereign rights

Pursuit of Indigenous sovereign rights

Rosemary Rangitauira • May 05, 2022

Dr Simon Lambert’s dream is to see Indigenous nations across the world exercising their sovereign rights by adding their say to disaster risk reduction planning. Simon, of Ngāi Tūhoe and Ngāti Ruapani ki Waikaremoana, specialises in indigenous disaster risk reduction, indigenous health and indigenous development, social science, environmental management, planning and policy. He is currently an Associate Professor in Indigenous … Read More

Featured image: ‘My stroke gave me purpose’ – Rukingi Haupapa

‘My stroke gave me purpose’ – Rukingi Haupapa

Rosemary Rangitauira • May 05, 2022

Rukingi Haupapa (Ngāti Whakaue, Te Arawa) credits his stroke in 2005 for changing his life: leading him to change his name, get his mataora (facial moko) and set up a trust to help fellow stroke survivors. Oranga (health and wellbeing) is Rukingi’s passion. He holds a Master’s degree in Indigenous Studies and completed his thesis entitled ‘Te Waharoa’, … Read More

Featured image: Te reo Māori can enhance all aspects of life – Dr Rāpata Wiri

Te reo Māori can enhance all aspects of life – Dr Rāpata Wiri

Rosemary Rangitauira • Mar 31, 2022

Dr Rāpata Wiri is on a mission to make it easier for people – including teachers – to learn te reo Māori so they can enhance all aspects of their lives. He affiliates to Tūhoe (Ngāti Ruapani, Ngāti Hinekura, Ngāti Manunui, Hāmua) and Te Arawa (Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Rangiteaorere, Tūhourangi, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Rangiwewehi). Rāpata holds a PhD in Sociology … Read More

Featured image: Creating change by sharing mātauranga

Creating change by sharing mātauranga

Rosemary Rangitauira • Mar 31, 2022

He Kai Kei Aku Ringa | Providing Food By My Own Hands This whakataukī resonates with Phoebe Fordyce and inspires her ambition to help create meaningful change that empowers Ngāi Māori by ‘using the tools’ she has learned. Phoebe, who affiliates to Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, is nearing the completion of her PhD in History at the University of … Read More

Featured image: Professor Suzanne Pitama shares her vision for Otago University

Professor Suzanne Pitama shares her vision for Otago University

Rosemary Rangitauira • Feb 28, 2022

Otago University’s recently appointed head of campus and first wahine Māori dean of any Otago Medical School, Professor Suzanne Pitama, knows what she wants to achieve in her role. Suzanne hails from Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Whare, and is an educational psychologist, elected as dean and head of the university’s Christchurch campus in December 2021. The former director of … Read More

Featured image: Horohoro is my passion – Kataraina George

Horohoro is my passion – Kataraina George

Rosemary Rangitauira • Jan 24, 2022

Kataraina George encourages emerging Māori researchers to study a discipline that they love because she says passion will help them overcome the toughest career challenges. Kataraina of Te Arawa is the Environment and Nursery manager at Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Kea Ngāti Tuara Trust Horohoro near Rotorua. The Ngāti Kea Ngāti Tuara uri (descendant) studied Marine biology before diving … Read More

Featured image: Māui Tikitiki a Tāranga inspires Māui Hudson’s research journey

Māui Tikitiki a Tāranga inspires Māui Hudson’s research journey

Rosemary Rangitauira • Nov 30, 2021

Māui Hudson says the characteristics of his namesake, the Māori diety Māui Tikitiki a Tāranga, enables and inspires him to confidently walk into new spaces of research. He hails from Te Whakatōhea, Ngāruahine and Ngāpuhi. Māui is a trained physiotherapist but is well-known for his leadership in creating guidelines and principles to safeguard mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) across various … Read More