Project purpose: Whariki Research Group is involved in collaborative, action-oriented research working with hapū and iwi in the field of Whenua Ora-Tangata Ora. One key project involves kaitiakitanga practices that are seeing improvements across a range of domains including the restoration of Lake Omapere and the Utakura Valley. The health, integrity and sustainability of ancestral lands, waters, forests, mahinga kai, wahi tapu and nohoanga are critical social and biophysical determinants of the health and wellbeing of Māori people and Māori communities. Values of kaitiakitanga, mana whenua and ahi kaa are expressions of this symbiosis which can be articulated in the aspiration Whenua Ora-Tangata Ora. Whariki Research Group regards Whenua Ora-Tangata Ora as an important and under-researched field that is missing from conventional understandings of the determinants of Māori health. This internship will enable a valuable contribution to be made to the research in this area and will provide an opportunity for a student to gain skills.
The programme of work to be carried out: As a multi-disciplinary, cross institutional collaboration there is a number of literature outputs and archival material. This internship will enable these various contributions to be summarised, focusing on literature of relevance to the Utakura mahi. Findings from these summaries will be presented to kaumātua and other community experts involved in the kaitiakitanga mahi. Their kōrero will be sought in order to examine the salience of the existing literature and to provide in-depth commentary and knowledge that will further contribute to this domain, adding often invisible (in terms of academy definitions of evidence), but nevertheless, key knowledge in this area. The candidate will synthesise the material for a report and make a hui presentation at Mokonuiārangi Marae in the Utakura Valley.
Day to day nature of the work: The candidate will spend approximately half their time reading, summarising and writing. They will spend approximately one week in the Utakura Valley, conducting the focus group and feeding analysis back for comment before producing a final document which they will present at a hui in the Utakura Valley. Helen Moewaka Barnes and other Whariki researchers will work alongside the student.
Skills the student will learn
- Collaborative research approaches
- Critical reading
- Review skills
- Analysis
- Interview skills
- Presentation skills.