Ema Tu’akoi (2021 & 2022)
Tēnā koutou, he uri tēnei nō Ngāti Whakaue rātou ko Ngāti Tūwharetoa ki Taupō, ko Ngāti Maru ki Hauraki hoki ki te taha o tōku Māmā. Nō Ma’ufanga rāua ko Holonga ki Tongatapu ahau hoki ki ngā taha o ōku mātua whāngai. Ko Ema Tu’akoi tōku ingoa.
I was fortunate enough to be a recipient of the Ngā Motu Whakahī Summer Scholarships twice! My first time in 2021, working alongside the beautiful Ariana Hond (Taranaki, Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Ngāi Te Rangi) on updating He Kohikohinga Rangahau, a Māori Psychological bibliography. The second time in 2022, alongside Saffron Stanley (Ngāi Te Rangi, Waikato-Tainui, Ngāi Tahu) conducting an environmental scan of media sources for another project.
With both scholarships, I enjoyed being able to whakawhanaungatanga with the wider cohort of students, and felt overwhelmed by the awhi and tautoko that was shown to me by the leadership team. I still keep in contact with many of the other tauira (and tuākana) that I met through NMW!
NMW has played a vital role in building my research capability and my passion for Māori research. Following these scholarships, I continued to pursue Māori research, now working with Whakauae Research Services and completing my Master of Indigenous Studies.
Tēnā tātou.
Brianna Smith (2021 & 2022)
Tēnā koutou, ko wai au? Nō Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa me Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki ki te taha tōku Pāpā. He Tiainamana me Māori me Pākehā. Nō Tiana ki Guangzhou Guandong rāua ko Ngāti Kahungungu ki Heretaunga ki te taha tōku Māmā.
Ko Brianna Smith tōku ingoa.
I am grateful for being presented with two scholarships through Ngā Motu Whakahī (2021 and 2022). In 2021, I completed a systematic review about how whanaungatanga supports the health and well-being of urban rangatahi Māori. In 2022, I wrote a 5000-word literature review about postnatal mental healthcare services for Indigenous people and takatāpui.
NMW summer research scholarships provided an abundance of positives that continue to support my studies and academic career. To name a few, NMW offered an income over the summer. It delivered opportunities for learning and upskilling. For example, I learned to read research efficiently and write a thematic analysis. It created a space for whakawhanaungatanga with leading academics, postgraduate students and the fellow NMW cohort. Building these relationships was invaluable as I made long-lasting friends and connections. NMW has opened doors to future job opportunities as a research assistant. Thanks to NMW, alongside my studies, I am a research assistant for Te Ārai Palliative Care and End of Life Research Group in the School of Nursing (UoA) and a research assistant for the Tuākana programme in the Faculty of Science (UoA).
NMW is an experience not to be missed.
Kia ora
Olivia Clough (2022)
Before my time as an undergraduate Waipapa Taumata Rau, I had little to no vision as to what my future would bring. Entering my final semester, I am confident that in the future, I see myself amongst other Māori scholars making a difference for tangata whenua. This long term goal of mine begins with my journey as a Ngā Motu Whakahī summer scholar recipient.
Ngā Motu Whakahī supported me to develop my cultural identity, which is something I had struggled with tremendously in the past. Through the programme, I was able to interact with other aspiring tauira to understand all the ways in which we can enhance the presence of mātauranga Māori in the current scope of academia. The scholarship provided me with a positive environment and copious support for personal and academic development, which helped me realise the purpose of Kaupapa Māori research. That is, to revive matauranga maori not only for us in the present, but also for the benefit of our future generations as when we re-ground ourselves we open the pathway for others to do the same.
Finally, I would like to express my gratitude for the opportunity for which I am truly grateful. It was not only the knowledge I gained through this experience that was valuable, but the friendships I formed within the entire cohort that made this experience one I will forever cherish.