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Start date: 2020Subject: search.filters.subject.Māori Doctoral Thesis

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    He kura whenua, he kura reo, he kura tangata : relationships over time between the land, the language, and the people : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, Turitea Campus, Massey University, Manawatū, Aotearoa
    (Massey University, 2024-11-12) Morris, Hone Waengarangi
    Taipitopito Kei tua o te kupu tā he kura whenua, he kura reo, he kura tangata is the fundamental inspiration of this research. The phrase implies beyond the written word, there lies another realm, another experience, another perspective. This research will explore the relationships over time between the land, he kura whenua, the language, he kura reo, and the people, he kura tāngata within the narratives pertaining to the lands and waterways, the language on the land and the tūpuna connected to the land blocks, Rākau-tātahi, Ōtāwhao, Whenuahou and Waikōpiro, in the Tamatea Central Hawke’s Bay tribal district, incorporating the townships of Takapau, Waipukurau, Waipawa, Porangahau and surrounding areas. The ultimate wish in pursuing this area of research is provide access to the historical account of how the hapū of the Rākautātahi, Takapau regions are connected to the land and each other. Through providing a detailed account of the ancestors movements, their settling of the lands, the daily activities and the intimate connection reflected in the kupu and the origins of place names left on the land, the present generation and future generations will forever be connected to the land and the language used by the ancestors to strengthen individual and collective identity fulfilling the fundamental aim of this thesis, he kura whenua, he kura reo, he kura tangata. The relationship between the land the language and the people is the primary focus of this research drawing on traditional Indigenous lore and natural order: from time immemorial Māori have believed, as with many Indigenous peoples, that they belong to the whenua rather than the colonised concept of the whenua which belonged to them. Reference to written law feeding the public domain and constraint of sovereign order will be applied for comparison and contrast through the unique narratives articulated by tūpuna from 1883 – 1892—when the four land blocks in this research were investigated—within the proceedings of the Native Land Court, Te Kōti Whenua Māori borne out of statutes, Native Lands Act of 1862 and given authoritative power under the Native Lands Act on 30 October 1865. The moods of the land, the river, and its tributaries, conveyed by the stories and the perspectives of tūpuna underlie this research. For centuries narratives were conveyed orally by tūpuna, from generation to generation through the lens of traditional Indigenous lore and of the natural order to strengthen understandings that all living things are connected; within that understanding Māori possessed an inseparable collective connection to the land, the waterways, and the stories. Rereata Makiha (2021) refers to a whakatauākī by Tūkakī Waititi sharing the same reasoning as tūpuna regarding inseparable collective connection to the land, the waterways, and their respective stories, “Kāhore he aha i hangatia, i ahu noa mai rānei kia noho wehe i tēnei ao, ahakoa matangaro ka mōhiotia te mauri” Nothing was ever created or emerged in this world to live in isolation, even a hidden face can be detected by its impact on something. This research dives into narratives expressed during times of peace and times of conflict, quintessentially revealing a mindset that once walked side by side with the Gods and communicated to all living things as a brother or a sister, a guardian or parent. This is the story of the hapū of Tamatea-Heretaunga district and their lived experiences with the land. The research draws largely on the evidence provided by tūpuna in Native Land Court cases from 1883 through to 1892. Fundamentally, this research embodies the adage that, “the land is in the language and the language is in the land”, kei te whenua te reo, kei te reo te whenua, a phrase borne out of initial discussions with Professor Cynthia White, Pro Vice Chancellor, College of Humanities and Social Sciences about my research which can be articulated together with the phrase, “the land remembers” Logan (1975). To this I add the following thought, “tukua te whenua kia kōrero”, let the land speak, a statement I made to a group of tourist operators 23/06/19 when explaining the Te Waha-o-te-Kurī educational kiosk based at the eastern end of the Manawatū gorge, at Ferry Reserve. This thesis answers the following question, “What was the relationship over time between the land, the language and the people within the specific land blocks bordering Te Awa Pokere-a-Tama-kuku and its tributaries?”
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    Place, provenance, protection : alignments, challenges, and opportunities for Māori future foods : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Food Technology at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, Massey University, Manawatū o Turitea, Palmerston North
    (Massey University, 2025-07-08) Wright, Summer Rangimaarie
    This thesis examines key alignments, challenges, and opportunities for Māori future foods, conceptualised as food production processes and outcomes that positively impact Māori and kinship networks. Beginning with a focus on plant-based future foods, a scoping interview study with Māori enterprise revealed strong alignment with Māori aspirations, including fulfilling kinship responsibilities, bringing together multiple forms of value, advancing collective wellbeing, and protecting and expressing Māori rights and interests - particularly in cultural and intellectual property. Participants identified place branding as a promising avenue to protect and develop cultural landscapes and enable future foods. The second study developed a content analysis protocol to explore the branding of Māori food and beverage packaging, with a focus on the prevalence and potential functions of place elements. Findings show that place branding is widely used by Māori enterprises, affirming its relevance to Māori future foods, while also highlighting a need to understand perceptions of Indigenous place elements. The third study used means-end chain laddering interviews to examine how critical consumers in Aotearoa New Zealand and Singapore perceive Māori place elements. It found a range of positive and negative perceptions across both contexts, which suggest viable approaches to place branding by Māori food enterprise. The thesis presents three key messages: plant-based future foods are relevant to Māori on multiple levels; Māori future foods can be enabled through place branding; and Māori place branding can support enterprise development and the protection of Māori rights and cultural property. These findings have implications for advancing Māori future foods and for growing the research and practice of decolonial Māori and Indigenous place branding. By exploring these interconnections, the thesis contributes to a deeper understanding of how Māori aspirations can shape and benefit from future food systems. It also critiques the ongoing appropriation of Māori culture by government and industry to advance broader agricultural and economic agendas. This research offers a transdisciplinary approach, addressing gaps at the intersection of Māori enterprise, future foods, Indigenous place branding, and consumption studies.
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    Experiences of precarity for Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2025-04-30) Martin, Ahnya
    Socioeconomic precarity and in-work poverty are associated with increased exposure to ill-health and untimely death. Presently in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), there are many conversations in public discourse about the precariat, or people experiencing in-work poverty, and what “they” need. There are fewer conversations with households experiencing precarity to understand the insecurities they face in relation to inadequate incomes and associated insecurities in housing, food, and leisure, and how various policies designed by more affluent groups frustrate or improve their precarious situations. Successive governments have continued to act without adequate dialogue with the precariat, with less than desirable outcomes. These outcomes are particularly stark for Māori who as a result of ongoing processes and the legacies of colonisation are overrepresented within the precariat. Understanding precarity for Māori from the perspectives of those who are directly impacted is imperative if we are to ensure policy measures are successful in preventing and alleviating in-work poverty. This thesis contributes to current Indigenous efforts to theorise the contemporary and lived experiences of precarity for Māori. I have approached precarity as a cultural and economic assemblage that can be reassembled to enhance the lives of members of the precariat. Speaking to methodological pluralism, I have employed a qualitative methodology of enhanced interviewing using mapping and photo elicitation guided by Kaupapa Māori (KM) praxis to enact this culturally centred approach that is informed by tikanga (protocols/customs) Māori. Four consecutive engagements with one Cook Island Māori and nine Māori households (40 interviews in total) informed the development of various policy initiatives to address issues of precarity. Chapter 1 serves to historicise and situate the evolution of precarity within Aotearoa NZ: particularly for Māori. Chapter 2 (Publication 1) reflects on this application of KM praxis to document and respond to the everyday experiences of households living in precarity in Aotearoa NZ. I outline the relationally ethical and community-engaged methodology informed by key cultural principles which I have employed in my research design and fieldwork. The findings inform my recommendations for policy which responds to household needs. The third chapter (Publication 2) draws on assemblage theory to document the participants’ everyday experiences of precarity and how policy initiatives emerge as key elements within the everyday lives of the precariat. The fourth chapter (Publication 3) shifts the focus to householders’ engagement in leisure as they cope with and respond agentively to situations of precarity. I document how core Māori principles and processes of whanaungatanga (cultivating positive relationships) and manaakitanga (caring for self and others) are foregrounded in household engagements in contemporary leisure practices. Overall, this thesis contributes to current Indigenous theorising of precarity by providing insights into the lived experiences of the consequences of policy efforts to alleviate the multifaceted insecurities associated with household precarity. Recommendations to inform policy settings are outlined at the final discussion chapter.
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    Testing nine critical success factors for tribal self-governance in health care in the United States : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health at the Research Centre for Māori Health & Development, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2025) Andrews, Mara Kathleen
    This study examines a Critical Success Factor (CSF) Framework for Tribal Self-Governance (TSG) in health care, drawing on the experiences of Native American and Alaska Native Tribes in the United States. The research aims to validate, refine and critique this framework to support Indigenous development, including Tribal Self-Governance and self-determination in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, comprising documentary analysis, observation, literature review, and expert interviews (n=10). Member-checking interviews with U.S. Tribal Self-Governance practitioners provided additional validation. A deductive analytical framework based on the author’s original CSFs guided the analysis, which broadly followed the U.K. National Centre for Social Research’s Framework Analysis Model. Results confirm the validity of the nine-factor CSF Framework, with refinements to sequence, content and structure. The factors were reorganized into three sets/stages: commitment and initiation, operationalization, and sustainability to suggest a preferred order for those embarking on the Tribal self-governance developmental journey. The research process led to redefining the factors and prioritizing them based on assessment of their relative importance and member feedback. While no major omissions were identified by the research process, a critical analysis of study data provided some cautions and contextual issues for practitioners and governors to be aware of when implementing the framework. The refined CSF Framework aligns favourably with Kaupapa Māori principles, and an implementation plan for the New Zealand context is proposed. This research contributes to our understanding of effective Tribal Self-Governance models and their potential application in diverse Indigenous contexts, including for indigenous Māori in New Zealand.
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    Māori women's perspectives of raising a loved one who has autism (Takiwātanga) : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology, Massey University, Palmerston North, Manawatū, Aotearoa New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2025-02-17) Hastie, Jeanette Louise
    This thesis presents research that explored the understandings, worldviews, and approaches of eight Māori māmā (mothers) with children (tamariki) or adolescents (rangatahi) who have been diagnosed with autism (takiwātanga) in Aotearoa New Zealand. An interpretivist qualitative research design was utilised that combined methods from Western methodologies and Kaupapa Māori and Mana Wahine theory and research. The methodology was transformative (whakaahua) in nature, as the concepts behind the Western methodological tools were transformed into the concepts of te ao Māori (the Māori worldview) through the application of Kaupapa Māori and Mana Wahine theory. Eight Māori māmā attended one of four small focus groups consisting of two māmā and the researcher, during which they were encouraged to create an artwork while telling their lived experience of takiwātanga through pūrākau (narratives). Over approximately four hours, the māmā were asked to describe how they navigated the New Zealand education and health systems, and their home and community, with their tamariki and rangatahi with takiwātanga. The pūrākau revealed that the māmā had brought about a transformation of their own by resisting the Western deficit-based model of autism and drawing on their cultural understanding of takiwātanga to change their negative Western-based experiences into positive Indigenous-based ones. This led to the development of a model inspired by the taiaha, a Māori weapon of war, that demonstrates how a deficit-based Western ideology about autism can be transformed into a strengths-based Indigenous ideology about takiwātanga, from both the researcher’s perspective and that of the participants. The findings also identified strong connections between the māmā and those professionals and others who supported them, whom they called “game changers”. Professionals who were not supportive were circumnavigated or dismissed as the māmā held onto their own expertise and developed their own knowledge about takiwātanga. The te ao Māori concepts of whakawhanaungatanga (relationship building), manaakitanga (showing respect, generosity and care for others) and tuakana-teina (the relationship between an older [tuakana] person and a younger [teina] person) were woven throughout the pūrākau, which the māmā drew on to strengthen their mana wahine (power as women) and mātauranga wahine (female knowledge). The thesis concludes that cultural competence for registered professionals in education and health should include formal assessments of their knowledge of te ao Māori concepts such as manaakitanga, whakawhanaungatanga, and tuakana-teina in relation to takiwātanga.
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    Whānau identification of mātauranga and tikanga Māori through the engagement and interaction with emerging technologies that are generated by AI : a dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorial in Māori Cultural Studies/Tikanga Māori, Te Pūtahi a Toi at Massey University, Manawatū
    (Massey University, 2025-02-05) Hudson, Petera
    This research is strategically positioned to demonstrate whānau connections to one another as an extended whānau, to our lands, to our socioeconomic situation, and to our emotional identity as Māori people raised in the Whakatōhea (see Prologue and Chapter 1). The purpose of this research was to identify mātauranga Māori and tikanga Māori that have the potential to, when woven into algorithms, inform next-generation AI systems, that have the propensity to promote cultural well-being for our whānau and their futures. A critical review of selected literature was undertaken to understand the dialectic between te ao Māori and AI (see Chapter 2). The eclectic methodologies according to Kaupapa Māori theorising were outlined to aid in the identification of potential issues confronted when undertaking this research. These methodologies justify the selection of specific methods and their suitability for understanding Māori in AI-related development and their beliefs and practices (see Chapter 3). Following this, the findings are presented by addressing each question with supporting data. Subsequently, the aggregation of this data revealed critical elements and factors of transformation that would enable the promotion of cultural well-being for our whānau and their futures (see Chapter 4). Finally, this research supported the conclusion that Māori can develop transformative practices of change that has the potential to decolonise imperial-dominated AI systems. The research provided an opportunity for further exploration around developing knowledge-sharing interventions to help understand the prominence of the Western perspectives and to confront contemporary AI-related issues for our whānau (see Chapter 5).
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    Mai i te Kāhui Mounga ki Te Toka Tūmoana : Māori social workers’ experiences of growing up, the influence of whānau on their upbringing, and how these experiences impact their social work practice : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024) Watson, Andrea (Ange) Makere
    Kaimahi (Māori social workers) are like toka tūmoana – sometimes standing steadfast in a sea of chaos and uncertainty when working alongside whānau on change journeys. This thesis examines kaimahi growing up experiences, the influence of whānau on their upbringing, and how these experiences impact on their mahi as social work practitioners. This qualitative research project utilised Kaupapa Māori theory, incorporating a Mātauranga-ā-Taranaki methodological approach. The pūrākau of Pukeonaki ki Taranaki was utilised to assist in the interpretation of kaimahi experiences resulting in the construction of an overarching Te Kāhui Mounga ki Te Toka Tūmoana framework. Sixteen kaimahi were interviewed for this project, alongside separate interviews for some of their whānau members – eleven individual whānau members participated in six whānau hui. Key findings identified that kaimahi bring their lived experiences to social work which enables them to connect with maginalised whānau they work alongside. Theoretical understandings about becoming within te ao Māori illustrate how social work practice is always evolving with no finite end. The research also captured the voices of the whānau of kaimahi who were positive about having social work trained whānau members, often accessing them for their specialist knowledge, skillset, networks and resources. Participants identified that Māori have always been social workers practicing kaimahi ā whānau within whānau, hapū and iwi. It is subsequently argued that contemporary Māori social work practice can be traced to the Parihaka peace resistance movement, as the first documented form of Māori social and community work in Aotearoa. He Whāriki Haumaru model, developed within this thesis, illustrates how natural social work happens within whānau Māori with the threads of aroha (loving relationships), mokopuna ora, ngā mātāpono ā whānau (whānau values and beliefs), te taiao, hāpaitia (whānau happiness, unity, and connection), pou manawa (resources and resilience) kōrero (clear communication), and moemoeā (whānau aspirations) included. Kaimahi ā whānau networks have always operationalised these Māori-centric value systems to encourage oranga-ā-whānau – flourishing families.
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    What goes on TOA : lessons from Tāne Ora o Aotearoa (TOA) in high-performance : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Te Pūtahi-a-Toi, School of Māori Knowledge, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. EMBARGOED to 2 October 2026.
    (Massey University, 2023-12-01) Rowe, Luke
    Disproportionately high burden of disease, social exclusion and deprivation among Māori men are well documented across most health and social indices, and they are reflected within a broad range of policy, strategy, and service delivery initiatives. The reasons underpinning these inequities are certainly complex though clear, as they are connected to a suite of social, cultural, environmental, historical, and structural factors that each coalesce to undermine the overall health status of Māori men. Despite this, there is a growing population of tāne (Māori men) who continue to buck these trends. They are referred to in this thesis as, “tāne ora.” The focus on tāne ora, rather than on Māori men’s health, is deliberate and emphasises the fact that while these two concepts share similar goals and objectives, they are founded on different principles and philosophies. Like the renowned Gould et al (2002) study which interviewed 10 Olympic gold medallists revealing a number of common characteristics between them, this research is about What Drives Tāne Ora focusing on a specific subset of tāne who operate within high-performance environments. Grounded in Kaupapa Māori and Mana Tāne theories, a phenomenological and qualitative research design provided the framework for exploring the journeys of eight tāne within professional rugby aged between 20 and 36 years old. This thesis presents findings of the relationship between high-performance (one phenomena) and tāne ora (another phenomena). By taking this approach, these tāne offer insights into their childhood through to their present-day high-performance endeavours as current All Blacks and/or Māori All Blacks. Three seminal findings were established from this research. Firstly, research into the health and wellbeing of tāne requires broader emphases and attention. Not to simply perpetuate health disparities and deprivation, but to cast a light on where opportunities for gains exist and how more bespoke solutions can be developed. Secondly, health and wellbeing of tāne should be informed by research methodologies which are equally as nuanced and framed. The need for a Mana Tāne Research methodology is overdue if not desirable. Lastly, what drives tāne ora involves a complex interplay of conditions referred to in an acronym format as, MANA TANE. Notably, that any pursuits related to tāne ora needed to be mātauranga-informed, and activated by mana in the first instance. MANA TANE highlights that while all conditions are important, there are some (i.e., MANA) that are essential and others (TANE) that are complimentary. These illustrate the convergence of the conditions as an alternative pathway towards achieving tāne ora. One in which the rules of the sporting and Māori worlds are different with one being more transient and the other, enduring. And that those who are most successful are likely to be those that can have a positive relationship with both modes seamlessly.
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    Colonial discourses of deviance and desire and the bodies of wāhine Māori : a thesis presented in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Creative Arts at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024) Allen, Elizabeth Anne
    This research traces how colonial ideologies of race, gender, and sexuality contributed to nineteenth and early twentieth-century representations of wāhine Māori and questions how these repetitive inscriptions might continue to have a negative impact on perceptions of wāhine Māori and kōtiro Māori in contemporary culture. As a Mana Wahine study, I demonstrate that fundamental codes of the developing colonial state were affirmed by how Pākehā guarded sexuality, ordered gender, and surveilled race. As a wahine Māori centred project, it examines the colonial dimensions of “domesticity,” the “civilising mission,” and the ‘paternalism of liberalism’ in Aotearoa/New Zealand, specifically, on the assumption that differentiations of race and colonial power were essentially ordered in terms of Western notions of gender. Of particular concern is the management of wāhine Māori sexuality, procreation, child-rearing, and marriage as a mechanism of colonial control of their bodies. Focusing on spaces of perceived proximity and desire as a source from which we can search for newly recognisable forms of social perceptions in relating, it offers an engagement with myriad forms of art across multidisciplinary fields to provide a unique window into a colonial exercise of the imperial project that had a direct impact on the bodies of wāhine Māori. A critical examination of the colonial metaphors around desire and degeneration, of the intimate and affect, attempts to decolonise its representative paradigms by addressing the consequential structural and material histories that, for wāhine Māori, resulted in meting out differential futures based on ‘fabulated’ divisions of worth, prompting the central questions of the dissertation, how are bodies similar or not? How are bodies available or not? How are bodies knowable or not? And to whom?
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    Ipurangi : Māori, the internet and implications for tikanga Māori : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Massey University, Turitea, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024) Warren, Krystal Te Rina Fain
    As the world incorporates technology and the internet, new developments provide challenges and opportunities for Māori engaging in these spaces. By developing and applying īWhakaaro (Kaupapa Māori Internet Theories) and īRanghau (Kaupapa Māori cyber ethnography) this research explores the overall question: what are the implications of Māori engaging online for tikanga Māori? And explores, how are tikanga Māori (Māori values, customs and protocols) maintained or transgressed through the use of the internet by Māori? Ipurangi, this research thesis, is framed around the cosmo-genealogical narrative of Tāwhaki who ascends through the heavens to obtain new knowledge. Just like the journey of Tāwhaki, Māori engaging online are presented with opportunities for great potential as well as obstacles that pose a threat to tikanga Māori. A new theoretical approach, īWhakaaro and a new methodological approach īRangahau, was used to analyse literature and identify themes that emerged from interviews with expert Māori who lead the use of the internet and apply tikanga Māori. eColonialism and Kaupapa Māori theory are applied to analyse how colonisation takes place online, and to develop a new theoretical position - īTāmi. This research makes three major contributions to research: first, a new lexicon for Māori engaging in the online space; second, new theoretical and methodological approaches for Kaupapa Māori research; and third, ipuRangi - a framework to guide Māori engagement with the internet.