Tautohetohe: The Art of Debate

Intern: Hariata Moriarty, Ngāti Toarangatira, Ngāti Kahungunu kit e Wairoa, Ngā Puhi Hokianga ki te Raki, University of Waikato

Project Supervisor: Dr Gianna Leoni

Partner: Te Hiku Media

Project Summary: 

This summer internship formed part of the Papa Reo project, a multilingual language research platform grounded in Indigenous knowledge and powered by advanced data science. Te Reo Irirangi o Te Hiku o Te Ika (Te Hiku Media), long-time kaitiaki of te reo Māori data, the project focused on investigating the linguistic features of tautohetohe (formal debates) broadcast in the mid-1990s.

Under the supervision of Dr Gianna Leoni and supported by a multidisciplinary team, the intern conducted archival research, transcribed audio, tagged parts of speech, and analysed linguistic data. The findings contributed to broader efforts to preserve, understand, and revitalise te reo Māori through the application of innovative digital tools.