Ngahuia Mita
2024: Dr Ngahuia Mita (Te Aitanga-ā-Mahaki, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Hako) of Rehutai Consulting and Tairāwhiti Waka will explore how waka hourua, double-hulled sailing canoes can be vessels for kaitiakitanga guardianship and hauora health and wellbeing
Waka are bastions of Māori and Pacific identity and culture that enabled Polynesian ancestors to navigate across Te Moananui a Kiwa the Pacific Ocean to settle in Aotearoa. In this research, Dr Mita will investigate kaitiakitanga within waka hourua practices, by studying the lived experiences of those involved in waka voyages. This will yield deeper insights into fundamental values and principles like whanaungatanga social connection and manaakitanga principles of care. The research will undertake a systematic review of existing literature and multimedia sources, and collect new data through interviews, to gather evidence that underpins a better understanding of how waka practices influence identity and hauora health and overall wellbeing. The research will also support the preservation of mātauranga knowledge and kaupapa practices surrounding waka hourua double hulled sailing canoes for future generations.