Tairāwhiti Waka, Tairāwhiti Tāngata: Exploring Tairāwhiti Voyaging Philosophies

Project Summary

This project translates the findings of lead researcher Dr Ngahuia Mita’s doctoral research Tairāwhiti Waka, Tairāwhiti Tāngata; Examining Tairāwhiti Voyaging Philosophies into practical printed and digital resources, to be shared with tamariki, rangatahi and whānau across Te Tairāwhiti and Aotearoa. 

The research is important as it provides a living example of the importance of waka hourua in connecting tamariki, rangatahi and whānau to whakapapa as a method to enhance wellbeing. 

For a kaupapa Māori researcher the completion of a doctoral thesis is a reflection of whānau and community, however often theses remain dormant in University catalogues and libraries restricted to the realm of research and academia. As the research was primarily about Tairāwhiti Waka (our double-hulled sailing canoe) and Tairāwhiti Tāngata (people of Te Tairāwhiti), this project will enable the fruits of this rangahau to be shared with the communities who made it possible.

Project Lead

Ngahuia Mita, Te Aitanga a Mahaki, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Hako, University of Otago