Mātau Taiao

Reconnecting with taha Māori on the shores of Lake Taupō

Rosemary Rangitauira • Nov 19, 2020

• environmental management,
• freshwater science,
• kaupapa,
• mātauranga māori,
• wetlands

In one day with her kaumatua (elder) on the southern shores of Lake Taupō, Yvonne Taura (Ngāiterangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Uenuku, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) found her future career ambition was to raise awareness in restoring New Zealand’s wetlands back to health.  In 2002 and in the middle of an identity crisis, Yvonne Taura returned home to … Read More

Enhancing the lives of tāngata whenua

Rosemary Rangitauira • Nov 19, 2020

• economic development,
• mātauranga māori,
• Sustainability,
• te reo Maori

Fiona Wiremu (Ngāi Tūhoe | Ngāti Ranginui) is driven to do all she can to enhance the lives of tāngata whenua and that’s evident in the multiple research areas she covers. These include mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) such as te reo Māori, culture and identity, Whai Rawa (Māori Economies), Te Taiao (Natural Environment), Mauri Ora (Human Flourishing and Wellbeing) and … Read More

New era for Ngāti Kuri and Auckland Museum

Guest Author • Nov 18, 2019

• Auckland Museum,
• Bioblitz,
• Māori,
• mātauranga māori,
• Museums,
• Ngāti Kuri

Words and images by Jacqui Gibson Gone are Auckland Museum’s days of doing science using a museum-centric academic approach, after Māori land rights holders Ngāti Kuri gave the museum an ultimatum. Tom Trnski holding a fossilised whale tooth from the Far North. Aussie-born Head of Natural Sciences at Auckland Museum Tom Trnski admits his first pepeha at Waiora marae … Read More

Mātauranga Māori and kererū conservation

Laura Goodall • Aug 18, 2016

• bird,
• conservation,
• Environment,
• indigenous knowledge,
• kereru,
• Len Gillman,
• mātauranga māori,
• native,
• sustainable,
• traditions,
• Treaty of Waitangi,
• wood pigeon

Letting people harvest New Zealand’s protected wood pigeon can create a win-win outcome for all, says conservationist Len Gillman. Len Gillman For centuries, Māori carefully managed and harvested kererū as an important food source. As kaitiaki (environmental guardians), communities will place a rāhui (temporary ban) on specific animals or plants if numbers get too low, to allow them to recover. This mātauranga Māori (indigenous knowledge) dates back to well … Read More

Disruptive thinking: rocket fuel for Māori innovation

Laura Goodall • Jul 06, 2016

• app,
• children,
• disruptive,
• disruptive thinking,
• doctor,
• entrepreneur,
• Health,
• imoko,
• innovation,
• inspiration,
• Lance O'Sullivan,
• Manawa Ora Korokoro Ora,
• Māori health,
• matariki x,
• matarikix,
• medical,
• Medicine,
• moko,
• school health,
• smart device,
• technologies,
• uber

Dr Lance O’Sullivan was kicked out of school for disruptive behaviour. Twice. Now the award-winning Māori doctor has created another kind of disruption – an ambitious new health app that aims to speed up diagnosis and treatment times for common childhood illnesses. Māori innovation is skyrocketing.  The June 2016 statistics say it all: Māori innovation reached almost 65 percent … Read More

Deciphering Matariki: science lessons from star lore

Laura Goodall • Jun 09, 2016

• ecology,
• Environment,
• indigenous knowledge,
• māori astronomy,
• matariki,
• mātauranga māori,
• rangi mātāmua,
• star knowledge,
• star lore,
• stars

For astronomy researcher Dr Rangi Matamua, traditional Māori star knowledge and Western science are not enemies but allies. His latest project uses historic star lore to shed light on modern environmental issues – and is also a deeply personal quest that began with a dying grandfather’s wish. Rangi Matamua Rangi Matamua’s path is literally written in the stars. Rangi (Ngai … Read More

Health and science stars shine for Matariki Awards

Laura Goodall • Jun 08, 2016

• aerospace,
• Disability,
• disability rights,
• engineering,
• Health,
• heather skipworth,
• huhana hickey,
• ironmāori,
• law,
• Mana Vautier,
• Maori,
• matariki awards,
• missy mackey,
• NASA,
• space flight

Talented Māori professionals behind Indigenous disabilities research, space flight and a fitness-focused health initiative are finalists for the 2016 Matariki Awards. The inaugural annual event, which celebrates extraordinary Māori talent across a broad range of fields and industries, is presented by Māori Television and Te Puni Kōkiri and pays homage to the seven stars of Matariki with seven award categories. One is the Te … Read More

Powering potential in young Māori

Laura Goodall • May 19, 2016

• academia,
• academy,
• achievement,
• ambition,
• children,
• culture,
• education,
• goals,
• kids,
• Learning,
• Mana Vautier,
• Maori,
• mātauranga māori,
• Naomi Manu,
• pasifika,
• pedagogy,
• potential,
• programme,
• Pūhoro,
• role model,
• school,
• space,
• STEM,
• students,
• teacher

Teachers have been shown to underestimate Māori children’s academic capabilities, which their achievements end up reflecting. But Pūhoro, a forward-thinking science academy, has now been set up to support Māori youth in reaching their true potential. Naomi Manu and Mana Vautier give us the lowdown. One thing that people really don’t like to talk about is prejudice. But we all have … Read More

Reshaping the mould for Māori obesity research

Laura Goodall • Apr 29, 2016

• community,
• Health,
• indigenous,
• indigenous knowledge,
• leadership,
• Maori,
• mātauranga māori,
• Northland,
• Obesity,
• partnership,
• rangatiratanga,
• research,
• te ao māori,
• te tai tokerau

What has the Māori word for ‘chieftainship’ got to do with a team of scientists looking at obesity in Northland? Answer: the researchers broke the scientific mould by putting the Māori communities — not scientists — in the leading role. Researcher Ricky Bell tells us how they did it. Rangatiratanga is a powerful word.  It’s loosely translated to mean chieftainship, authority, leadership.  But … Read More

Eyes wide shut? A different view of knowledge

Laura Goodall • Apr 07, 2016

• context,
• indigenous knowledge,
• kennedy warne,
• mātauranga māori,
• origin,
• paradigm shift,
• saani murray,
• Tangata Whenua,
• te ao māori

Scientific and Indigenous ways of thinking differ in how they view where knowledge comes from. Many experiments strip the environment away from a piece of knowledge to see if it still holds true. Yet indigenous knowledge has deep links to its origins and can become ‘lost in translation’ without context. This is something that scientifically-trained people can struggle to get their head around at first. Kennedy Warne, co-founder of New … Read More