Exploitation of geothermal taonga at Ohaki has resulted in irreparable damage to whānau land, tribal land and the marae reservation, including major land subsidence, devastation of wāhi tapu, and groundwater impacts. The whānau, determined to shift from grievance mode to (eco)development mode, are committed to caring for and regenerating their whenua. This article outlines a whānau journey of re-establishing papakāinga. Their narratives provide insights and key eco-development factors which provide a blueprint for resilient whānau-based living, based on the practice wisdom of their tūpuna.

This article was written as a result of my personal journey toward understanding my whakapapa and my place within academia. As a newly appointed academic I utilise the four stages of Kolb’s experiential model to provide concrete examples of complex situations, reflect on their meanings, conceptualise these meanings to make sense of them and move towards locating ‘self’ as a Māori academic and researcher. I provide comment on my search for authenticity and the barriers to exploring whakapapa.

Cultural identity research has largely focused on subjective and individualised notions of identity. In recent research we introduced the concept of “cultural embeddedness” as a framework for understanding the collective expectations derived from cultural values, practices and beliefs, and how these facets of culture are integrated into identity and enacted in everyday behaviours (Fox et al., 2021).

Placing whānau at the centre of research design and delivery empowers whānau to take ownership of their own narrative while leveraging and extending their existing resources and knowledge systems. This article outlines the development of a kaupapa whānau research framework developed by whānau involved in a whānau-inspired initiative at their marae. Conducted in accordance with whānau principles, the research was guided by a tikanga approach to ensure that the experience was mana enhancing for all engaged.

The beauty of te ao Māori is the pragmatic fluidity of many of our concepts. Generally employed to explain our genealogical links and connections to land, whakapapa can also be applied within the context of rangahau to organise, structure, analyse and understand information, experiences and relationships. This article introduces Te Waka Pounamu, a whakapapa-based framework developed as a methodological research model for my doctoral studies. Included in the whakapapa framework is a tikanga Māori model I have named Te Tuamaka.

Climate change is the most grievous threat of the 21st century and disproportionately affects politically marginalised communities such as Indigenous peoples. As custodians of approximately 80% of the planet’s biodiversity, Indigenous cultures have practised sustainable management of ecosystems and resources over millennia providing vital pathways for humanity to better mitigate accelerating climate change impacts.

Maori children are uplifted by the New Zealand government at disproportionate rates compared with tauiwi children. The removal of tamariki from culturally embedded networks exacerbates intergenerational trauma created by colonisation. Placements into unsafe contexts mean that additional instances of harm and cumulative trauma are common, and tamaiti atawhai are not positioned within fullness of their cultural being. This article draws on a broader Kaupapa Māori project involving semistructured interviews with kaiāwhina Māori across the North Island.

Book Review by Emma Gattey of Te Kai a te Rangatira: Leadership in the Māori world. Edited by Rawiri J. Tapiata, Renee Iritana Smith and Marcus Akuhata-Brown.