Kaupapa Māori
Kaupapa Māori is the overarching research philosophy, which has paradigmatic (Indigeneity) and pragmatic elements (partnership) elements.
Multiple methods are used, including wānanga, kōrero, document analysis, iterative co-design, economic modelling, evaluation and observation.
Indigenous Perspectives
The research emphasizes understanding trade through Indigenous worldviews, which means that Māori culture, practices, and values are at the forefront of policy design and evaluation.
Collaboration with Māori Organizations
The project is conducted in partnership with Te Taumata and involves collaboration with various Māori and Crown agencies. This ensures that the research is relevant and grounded in the realities of Māori communities.
Participatory Research
Engaging Māori communities in the research process is crucial. This may involve workshops, interviews, and focus groups where community members share their knowledge and insights on trade and its implications for their wellbeing.
Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis
The research will likely incorporate both quantitative methods (like measuring economic impacts) and qualitative approaches (such as storytelling and case studies) to capture the full spectrum of Indigenous trade and its benefits.
Evaluation of Trade Policies
The team aims to assess existing trade policies and how they align with Indigenous values, helping to inform the creation of new policies that better support mana motuhake and wellbeing.
Research Aims
Mātauranga Māori, aligning with principles of Indigenous data sovereignty.
Indigenising trade policy using Indigenous world views, knowledges, and values.
Measuring Indigenous trade and its relationship to mana motuhake and wellbeing.
Enabling Indigenous trade through Indigenous entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Leadership Team
Project Science Leader: Hon. Nanaia Mahuta
Honorary Professor
Hon. Nanaia Mahuta (Tainui, Ngāti Mahuta, Ngāti Maniapoto) is a prominent leader in New Zealand’s political and Māori landscape. She became the first woman to serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2020 to 2023. Mahuta has been a Member of Parliament since 1996, representing several Māori electorates, including Hauraki-Waikato. Her career reflects a deep commitment to Māori development and public service, promoting Indigenous rights and sustainable governance.
Nanaia’s work is closely tied to the Kīngitanga movement, advocating for social and economic transformation for Māori.
Project Manager: Merepaea Manukau
He uri ahau nō Waikato, Raukawa, Ngāti Wharara, me Ngāti Toa Rangatira. With over 12 years of experience in senior Māori policy and strategy roles—including at Te Puni Kōkiri, the Ministry of Education, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority, and in iwi–Crown partnership development—Merepaea built a strong reputation for navigating complex Māori–Crown relationships with integrity, insight, and a commitment to meaningful outcomes. Her work has been grounded in robust implementation practices and a deep understanding of systems change. Merepaea also brings valuable experience from the education sector, having worked at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and previously at the University of Waikato within the Office of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Te Pua Wānanga ki te Ao.
Merepaea’s academic background is grounded in kaupapa Māori research, with a particular focus on evaluative and reflective methodologies that ensure meaningful impact for the communities she serves. She joined Te Kotahi Research Institute in April 2024 as a Senior Research Fellow, where her initial focus has been on Mokopuna Ora and supporting the Ruruku wānanga programme.
Governance: Ernestynne Walsh
Te Taumata, Māori Trade Advisory
Trustee
Ernestynne Walsh (Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui) is the Māori Data Service Lead at Nicholson Consulting and an emerging leader in Indigenous data sovereignty and governance. With expertise in Māori business insights, te reo revitalisation, and culturally grounded data practices, Ernestynne plays a pivotal role in shaping equitable outcomes for Māori communities.
She holds a Master of Māori and Indigenous Leadership and actively promotes Māori governance through He Tukutuku Koiora, a tikanga-led leadership programme. A trustee of Te Rau Hihiri, she advocates for Māori success in public sectors and strives to increase wāhine and rangatahi participation in governance roles. Her contributions have been recognised with awards for excellence in public sector technology and Māori innovation.
Mātauranga Māori Research Lead: A/Prof. Maui Hudson
Mātauranga Māori and Data Sovereignty
Associate Professor
Associate Professor Māui Hudson (Whakatōhea, Ngāruahine, Te Māhurehure) is the Director of Te Kotahi Research Institute at the University of Waikato and an influential researcher in Indigenous data sovereignty and governance. With a background in applied ethics and science, Māui’s work integrates mātauranga Māori into contemporary fields, such as environmental management, health, and innovation. He co-founded Te Mana Raraunga (the Māori Data Sovereignty Network) and the Global Indigenous Data Alliance, contributing to frameworks like the CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance.
Māui actively supports Māori engagement in research and governance through initiatives like He Tukutuku Koiora. His leadership promotes strategic collaboration, advocating for Indigenous knowledge to shape future technology and policy developments that benefit both Māori and global communities.
1.1 Research Lead: A/Prof. Robert Joseph
Indigenising Trade Policy
Te Piringa Faculty of Law, University of Waikato
Associate Professor
Associate Professor Robert Joseph (Ngāti Raukawa ki Wharepuhunga, Ngāti Maniapoto) is a senior academic at Te Piringa Faculty of Law, University of Waikato. He is also the Director of the Māori and Indigenous Governance Centre, where he focuses on Indigenous governance, the Treaty of Waitangi, and dispute resolution. Joseph’s research interests include the intersection of traditional Māori knowledge systems and Western legal frameworks, post-settlement development, and Indigenous self-determination.
A Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand, Joseph has contributed extensively to Māori legal studies, including Indigenous governance initiatives both domestically and internationally. His academic work advances legal solutions that promote intergenerational wellbeing and sovereignty for Māori.
1.2 Research Lead: Prof. Matthew Roskruge
Measuring Indigenous trade and its relationship to mana Motuhake and wellbeing
Te Au Rangahau, Massey Business School
Professor, Co-Director Te Au Rangahau, Associate Dean Māori Massey Business School
Professor Matthew Roskruge is a co-director of Te Au Rangahau, the Māori Business Research Centre, and an Associate Dean Māori at Massey Business School. His academic expertise lies in applied economics, with a focus on Māori economic development, social capital, and wellbeing. Prof. Roskruge’s work often integrates Indigenous knowledge systems into economic research, exploring how these perspectives contribute to sustainable development and collaborative enterprise.
Matthew holds a Rutherford Discovery Fellowship and leads several research projects addressing Māori economic growth, health economics, and regional development. His efforts highlight the importance of Indigenous-led research in shaping economic policies that support both Māori and broader context.
1.3 Research Lead: Prof. Jason Paul Mika
Enabling Indigenous trade through Indigenous entrepreneurial ecosystems
He Manga Tauhokohoko, Auckland Business School
Professor of Māori Management, Associate Dean Māori
Professor Jason Paul Mika (Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Whakatōhea, Ngāti Kahungunu) is a Professor of Māori Management and Associate Dean Māori in He Manga Tauhokohoko, Auckland Business School. His academic expertise lies in Indigenous business and entrepreneurship, focusing on how Indigenous values inform sustainable business practices across sectors, including tourism, agribusiness, and trade. Jason earned his PhD in Māori entrepreneurship from Massey University and was a Fulbright-Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga scholar, undertaking research at Stanford University.
Jason’s work in Māori economic development and policy advocacy has shaped public policies in areas like environmental management and trade. He is also actively involved in global academic networks, including the Academy of Management and Te Apārangi Royal Society of New Zealand.
Sci-Comms: Desna Whaanga-Schollum Hon.FRAIC
Mātauranga Māori and Science Communication
Director, DWS Creative
Resident in her turangawaewae territories, Desna Whaanga-Schollum (Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Kahungunu, Pāhauwera) is an active design strategist who navigates multidisciplinary creative terrains and advocates for respect and reciprocal relationships with ancestral Place.
In 2024, Desna was conferred as an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) for the Indigenous design leadership of Ngā Aho, Māori Design Professionals Inc Soc. Under Desna’s stewardship as a founding member and past Chair, Ngā Aho has become a beacon of collective Indigenous empowerment. Ngā Aho steadfastly prioritises communal wisdom and Place-based methodologies over individualistic pursuits. This ethos has not only reshaped the contours of the built environment but also infused the broader realm of creative practices with transformative Indigenous perspectives. It has inspired a global recalibration of design ethos, embedding Indigenous vitality for future generations.
Past Governance roles incl.: Chair, Artspace Aotearoa; Trustee, Arts Foundation NZ; Trustee, Te Uru Contemporary Gallery; Governance Board, Auckland Urban Design Panel.
An Ambassador for Te Papa Tū Whirinaki, Landscape Foundation NZ, Desna holds a Master of Science Communication, Otago University, and is accredited with Te Ara Whakarei, Toi Iho (lifetime) registration. She is deeply committed to advancing the role of Indigenous design-thinking in shaping equitable futures.