NPM E-PĀNUI

The last month has been an exciting period of renewal for Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga with the addition of two wonderful wāhine to our team.

Dr Kiri Edge has been appointed to the newly created role of Pouhere Rangahau (Research Leader), and Professor Melinda Webber is the incoming Chair of our Komiti Rangahau (Research Committee). Melinda takes over from Professor Huia Jahnke who served 6 years as Chair. We feel very fortunate to have Melinda and Kiri join NPM - you can read more about them later in this e-pānui.

Welcome to our first e-pānui of 2022! The year started with a bang, with former NPM Co-Director Professor Jacinta Ruru being made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to Māori and the law. Ngā mihi nui Jacinta!

Tērā ia ngā hihi kanapa o te rā
Karangahia e te hikuwai o te tau
Me ngā pō roa o te matiti

E kai ō mata ki te puanga
Ki te manahua o te Pohutukawa
Ānana, e te raumati nau mai rā

Whiringa-ā-rangi–Hakihea - the months of November and December - is when the magnificent bloom of the pohutukawa grace our shores, kina (sea urchin) are fat and ready to eat, and whānau look forward to spending time together. 

But this year has been a year like no other. 

Whiringa-ā-nuku has been a busy month for the Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga team, many of whom continue to work from home in Tāmaki and Waikato. Concern over the increasing COVID-19 case numbers and the challenges of lockdown - particularly for those living alone or with young tamariki - has amplified the importance of providing pastoral care to  colleagues and tauira. We are always grateful for the courage and commitment of those working tirelessly to keep our whānau and workplaces safe.

The month of September - known to many as Mahuru - is a time of regrowth, rebirth and renewal, marking the first phase of summer in the maramataka (Māori Lunar Calendar), and the beginning of spring in the Gregorian calendar. There are many tohu, or signs, associated with Mahuru (September) in Aotearoa - from the flowing of inanga (whitebait) and the tangi of the pīpīwharauroa (call of the Shining cuckoo), to the appearance of spring lambs and garden blooms. 

The month of August - Ākuhata - also known as Hereturikōkā or Here o Pipiri - is the time of our maramataka where conditions are optimal for planting and fishing. It is a time for grounding, and to be in close connection with Papatūānuku.

The current national lockdown has grounded most of us, the non-essentials of the motu, in ways that were unanticipated before the previous lockdown. However, the Delta-variant has brought uncertainty and concern—having seen its impact on the international stage.

Matariki - marking the beginning of the Māori New Year - is an opportunity to pause and reflect: to take stock of the year that has been, to remember those that have passed, and to look ahead. 

For Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga (NPM), the past year has been one of upheaval and change as we have all had to come to terms with living and working in a global pandemic.

"Dr Henare was a long-serving member of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga who provided critical research leadership and mentorship in the fields of mātauranga, Māori and Indigenous business enterprise, development economics, history, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We mourn his passing. We acknowledge his contribution. We devote this e-panui to his work and legacy". Co-Director Professor Jacinta Ruru

This issue is dedicated to our Māori Postgraduates and the Te Kupenga o MAI (MAI) network.

After the many disruptions of 2020, we finally came together, kanohi ki te kanohi, in late April for our much loved annual MAI Doctoral Conference. 

Hosted superbly by MAI ki Waikato at the beautiful University of Waikato Tauranga campus, it was a special and empowering gathering.

Over 70 Māori doctoral candidates from MAI networks around the country travelled to share their research including: