Tanya Ruka
Te Ara Wairua: Reclaiming Pacific Spirituality Through Waka Migration and Indigenous AI
This research explores the intersection of Indigenous precolonial spirituality and AI digital consciousness through the practice of futuring. By tracing ancient Pacific oral stories and migration routes, this project investigates wairuatanga—the spiritual practices of Māori and Indigenous Pacific peoples—as they relate to the natural world and navigation across Moana-nui-a-kiwa, the Pacific Ocean. It aims to map the spiritual significance of waka journeys and weave these narratives into AI models grounded in Indigenous languages and cosmologies. Using GIS digital mapping and AI language models, the research envisions potential futures where Indigenous epistemologies are at the core of technological advancement. Enabling a framework for Indigenous futuring by blending spiritual knowledge with digital consciousness, this project aims to create resilient pathways for the survival and evolution of cultural spiritual practices, ensuring their relevance in future digital and environmental land and seascapes.
Iwi affiliation
Ngāpuhi
Supervisors
Qualifications
Master of Art & Design, AUT 2013
Publications
Kilford, A., Withers, S., Ruka, T., & Kane, F. (n.d.). Mapping the benefits of collaborative textile research in Aotearoa New Zealand. DRS Digital Library.
https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/textileintersections/textileintersections2023/researchpapers/20/
Center for Humans and Nature. (2023, May 23). Tanya Te Miringa Te Rorarangi Ruka | Center for Humans & Nature. Center for Humans & Nature. https://humansandnature.org/tanya-te-miringa-te-rorarangi-ruka/
Kane, Faith; Brorens, Peter; Guen, Marie Joo Le; Kilford, Angela; Ruka, Tanya (2019). Exploring a Place-Based Approach to Materials Design: Harakeke Nonwovens in Aotearoa New Zealand. Loughborough University. Conference contribution. https://doi.org/10.17028/rd.lboro.9724661.v1
Conference Presentations
Kane, Faith; Brorens, Peter; Guen, Marie Joo Le; Kilford, Angela; Ruka, Tanya (2019). Exploring a Place-Based Approach to Materials Design: Harakeke Nonwovens in Aotearoa New Zealand. Loughborough University. Conference contribution. https://doi.org/10.17028/rd.lboro.9724661.v1