The Mātauranga Māori Research Fund (MMRF) provides grants of up to $40,000 each to help researchers understand and develop mātauranga Māori and kaupapa Māori and strengthen their relationships and research co-development with Māori communities.
The grants were introduced in 2019 after a successful pilot scheme. The first round saw the funding of eight separate projects on a diverse range of topics.
These include Associate Professor Wayne Patrick, director of the University’s Centre for Biodiscovery, and Ian Mitchell (Te Uri Taniwha, Ngāpuhi) co-leading a project to identify Northland honeys considered particularly healthful by tangata whenua (people of the land) and testing them for their antimicrobial properties.
Associate Professor Jo Smith (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Waitaha) from the School of English, Film, Theatre, Media Studies, and Art History is partnering with kaupapa Māori expert Dr Jessica Hutchings (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Huirapa, Gujarati) and kaupapa Māori visual communication design expert Dr Johnson Witehira (Tamahaki, Ngāpuhi) from IDIA Indigenous Design and Innovation Aotearoa to develop a range of online storytelling tools to support the food sovereignty aspirations and kaitiakitanga (guardianship and protection) obligations of Māori whānau, communities, and businesses.
In conjunction with Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, senior lecturer Dr Mairéad de Róiste from the School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences is creating a digital platform to integrate mātauranga Māori, virtual reality, sound, and geographic data to weave a closer connection with the Wairarapa Moana wetlands.
Lecturer Kevin Shedlock (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou) from the School of Engineering and Computer Science is working with iwi and hapū in the Northland region to use virtual reality to tell tribal stories of Te Ruapekapeka Pā heritage site.
Allan Halliday (Ngāti Hau, Ngāpuhi), chairperson of the Te Ruapekapeka Trust, says the Trust appreciates the expertise the MMRF has provided in preparing for the 170th commemoration in January 2021 of the battle that resulted in the end of the Northern wars, “where those within Te Ruapekapeka Pā confronted the British Empire and, while heavily outnumbered, managed to defeat the Brits”.
Tipene Merritt (Ngāti Kauwhata, Ngāpuhi, Rangitāne o Manawatū, Ngāi Te Rangi) is the University’s Research development adviser (Māori). He provides support for the projects, from advising on proposal development to helping with project management.
“I’m always mindful of how things are looking from an iwi or Māori organisation’s point of view. Is this a good use of their time? Is the research going to provide a tangible outcome for them? If it is a stepping stone to a larger research outcome, we need to ensure people are clear about that.
“If researchers need to meet with iwi and feel a bit culturally ‘over their head’, I go along and help them,” says Tipene, although he encourages them to develop their own skills and relationships and see where they lead.
Tipene also encourages researchers to attend conferences and other events where they can hear about the research interests and needs of iwi and other Māori organisations.
“Researchers should try to understand the research and development component of those needs, then once they know those, try to marry them to the expertise of the University.
“Or maybe some of the iwi’s youngsters are interested in science and we can bring in the community outreach programme of our Māori and Pasifika support service, Te Rōpū Āwhina Whānau.”
Ultimately, says Tipene, “the Māori research potential is boundless”.