This article illuminates the embryonic academic practice of writing doctoral theses in te reo Māori, storying the experiences of graduates, supervisors, examiners and senior managers involved in this pathway. In keeping with Indigenous sensibilities, a narrative research approach is adopted, whereby analysis proceeds by carefully curating interview data to tell a compelling insider story of the reo Māori doctoral journey. This narrative research process respects the teaching power of stories, told in the voices of pioneers in this field, and brings forward a joyful counter-narrative to the dominant detrimental research stories about Māori university education.

This article discusses issues related to participating in and performing Māori culture within non-Māori settings. The paper explores the possible meanings and implications of holding pōwhiri as part of education events, using a research approach that integrates narrative research and autoethnography with Kaupapa Māori scholarship in educational research.