Project supervisor: Dr Kiri Edge & Professor Linda Waimarie Nikora
Institution: Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga
Raumati intern: Tama Blackburn (Ngāti Maniapoto; Ngāti Kinohaku)
Project Summary: The project explored a wide range of publicly available sources of information and data to build a research report about Te Atiawa knowledge, perspectives, and values, with the hope of creating a research model or methodology that is customised to Te Atiawa mātauranga. This is the first phase of a Masters thesis that will help Te Atiawa and their hapū to strengthen the physical, emotional, and spiritual bonds between their people and their Tupuna Mounga, Taranaki.
Through the project, the intern drew on years of experience with the Taranaki Mounga Project (TMP) where they have worked alongside members of Te Atiawa iwi and hapū and learnt about their ambitions and struggles. Although the intern is no longer employed with TMP, they are still engaged in Te Atiawa iwi and hapū matters as they live in the rohe and the interns’ Hoarangatira and Tamariki whakapapa to Te Atiawa.
The intern worked with NPM Pou Matarua, Professor Linda Waimarie Nikora and Pouhere Rangahau, Dr Kiri Edge. The intern was also be guided by the Poutaiao/Environmental team and Pouwhakakori/Cultural advisor from Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa. Other advisers included the Project Management team at TMP and hapū leaders within Te Atiawa.
Output: https://storymaps.com/stories/81745382be554798a073cce15ae17191
Intern Reflections:
One of the key learnings from this internship includes desktop research methods, as I am more accustomed to in-person rangahau. Other learnings like professional networking and ethical writing to ensure the mana of whanaungatanga is not just maintained but enhanced. Doing this rangahau/research helped me acknowledge the amount of mātauranga I had involuntarily absorbed from being immersed within Te Atiawa from a very young age and how it has developed my worldview. This project has given me much more appreciation for the communities that have raised me and continue to help me raise my tamariki. Tama Blackburn
