Awanuiārangi Reo Māori Research and Scholarship Headed to Canada

Awanuiārangi Reo Māori Research and Scholarship Headed to Canada

Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi Professor Taiarahia Black will take te reo Māori research and scholarship to Canada later this month, alongside several local Māori media, and Māori tourism initiatives.

Hosted by Professor Ngāroimata Fraser, Chair of the School of Education at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), Professor Black will present up to eight themes through the university’s lecture series and engage with First Nations communities.

For Professor Black, the significance extends beyond presenting research overseas.

“Taking this research and scholarship, Tūmeke FM, SunFM, Reo Rangahau, Pūkaea, NZ Karakia Tumu Whakawātea, and the wider body of my scholarship to Canada demonstrates that te reo Māori is not simply a language of cultural preservation, but a living intellectual and research language.

“Its presence within the UNBC lecture series and engagement with First Nations contexts positions Māori knowledge alongside other Indigenous knowledge systems, creating space for reciprocal dialogue, linguistic revitalisation and scholarly exchange.

“The journey therefore strengthens te reo Māori’s place within a dynamic, interconnected Indigenous scholarly global landscape.

“I hope this visit will deepen a shared commitment to the revitalisation of our languages and open new pathways for collaboration, research, postgraduate education and exchange between Māori and First Nations peoples in ways that foster their languages, knowledge systems and aspirations.

“A very good example of this reciprocity is Professor Ngāroimata Fraser’s continued support for Awanuiārangi over many years, and now her daughter Karangawai Fraser, who will enrol in her PhD studies with me here at Awanuiārangi. These relationships show how Indigenous scholarship and education can create connections that extend across generations and across countries.

Professor Ngāroimata Fraser has lived in Canada with her whānau for more than 51 years while maintaining strong connections to Aotearoa and te reo Māori. She is an Adjunct Professor at Awanuiārangi and an international examiner of PhD theses written in te reo Māori.

Reflecting on the relationship between Awanuiārangi and UNBC, Professor Fraser says,

“There are many opportunities to strengthen connections between Māori and First Nations communities. Previously, UNBC and Awanuiārangi’s Cross-Cultural Indigenous Knowledge Exchange enabled students to spend time learning across both communities. Several UNBC students completed the cultural exchange programme and internships.

“This latest visit provides an opportunity to reconnect, build on that foundation, and explore where the relationship can go next.

“People here often ask, ‘Will there be any hope for our language to return?’ My answer is yes. We are teaching Indigenous and First Nations languages, and our students can revitalise their languages as they see fit.

“There is so much history and there are many wounded souls. My role is to get to the heart and soul of unteaching and unlearning and move towards teaching and learning through a pedagogy of the heart.”

The Canada visit therefore carries both scholarly and community significance: an opportunity to share what te reo Māori has made possible, learn alongside First Nations peoples, and strengthen relationships that place Indigenous languages at the centre of research, education and future-making.

About Professor Black

An eminent Māori scholar, educator and advocate for te reo Māori, Professor Black has dedicated his career to advancing Indigenous scholarship, postgraduate education and language revitalisation.

In 2000, he pioneered the world’s first doctoral dissertation undertaken entirely through te reo Māori, establishing a landmark in Indigenous-language scholarship and affirming te reo Māori as a rigorous language of advanced academic inquiry.

His body of work includes approximately 45 publications, language documentaries, the TūmekeFM SunFM Reo Rangahau Māori iwi radio initiative, and Karakia Tumu Whakawātea, hosted by New Zealand Māori Tourism.

Now in his eleventh year at Awanuiārangi, Professor Black continues to supervise and support Master’s, PhD and Professional Doctorate students.