John is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Canterbury’s Ngai Tahu Research Centre. He is a specialist in leading and developing multi-disciplinary research and development programmes focused on addressing interrelated social, economic, and environmental problems.
His research explores the way in which Indigenous and Western cultures shape identity, sense of place, and approaches to social and economic development.
John's current research interests are focused on sustainable development within indigenous tribal communities and in fostering novel approaches to development through engagement between Indigenous and Western ways of knowing.
He is currently working on the project Identifying Frameworks for Effective Iwi and Hapū Development with Associate Professor Merata Kawharu from the University of Otago.