New collection showcases Māori knowledge and impact

Traditional Māori knowledge, concepts, tikanga and kawa (practices), as well as kaupapa Māori research methods, feature in a group of high-impact research projects hosted in a new web-based collection called Taikura.

A partnership between Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, a Māori Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) hosted at the University of Auckland, and the Royal Society Te Apārangi, the seven case studies not only highlight Māori knowledge but also interdisciplinary research.

Centre co-director Professor Melinda Webber says that like Te Apārangi, Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga is a critical “system enabler”.

“Since 2002, the centre has helped build the people, knowledge, networks, publishing platforms, policy channels and Indigenous research infrastructure that now supports Māori research excellence nationally, and internationally.

“We’re proud to work alongside this esteemed organisation to profile high-impact research projects that demonstrate the potential of mātauranga Māori.”

Stories in the collection include how a Māori-led initiative helped restore mussel beds in Ōhiwa Harbour to more than 45 million mussels; how collaborative community-led research, informed by whakapapa, led to a genetic test that has saved thousands of lives around the world; and how large language models are being trained on authentic content and data, including te reo Māori, to protect Māori data sovereignty.

Professor Dame Jane Harding, president of the Royal Society and a professor at the University’s Liggins Institute, says interdisciplinary research that includes active participation and leadership by Māori has already demonstrated its worth.

“Māori researchers have been recognised around the world, and particularly in the field of Indigenous scholarship. These case studies highlight innovative ways in which researchers around the country have collaborated to combine knowledge and research methods from different cultures to produce solutions to complex problems; from artificial intelligence to ocean voyaging. We hope that these exemplars inspire future endeavours.”

While Taikura is launching with seven case studies, Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga and the Royal Society intend to add more over time, to create a living collection.

The organisations welcome submissions for potential case studies of interdisciplinary research that demonstrate impact by, with, and for Māori.

View the case studies