Our Work | Ā Mātou Mahi
The Kingi Ihaka Research Centre undertakes kaupapa Māori research, evaluation and strategic writing for communities and organisations with questions they need to answer. Our work spans faith, health, caregiving, governance and community wellbeing. It may result in a research report, an independent evaluation, a decision paper or a publication.
We begin by agreeing on the question, who holds the kaupapa, how knowledge will be gathered and used, and what the findings need to inform. Where a community leads the research, we support its direction through research design, analysis and writing. Where an organisation commissions an independent evaluation, we follow the evidence and report our conclusions plainly.
Our recent research with Māori whānau caring for loved ones living with mate wareware examined what it takes to sustain care day after day, and which forms of support make a difference in practice. We bring that same attention to the people affected by a decision and to the evidence those making it need.
Key Areas
Māori Christian thought and leadership
We research and write about Māori expressions of Christian faith, leadership and theology, including how institutions recognise Māori authority and how their decisions affect Māori communities.
Kaumātua, caregiving and wellbeing
We work with kaumātua and whānau to understand what supports wellbeing in daily life. Our research attends to health and services alongside relationships, whenua, wairua and the responsibilities people carry for one another.
Te reo Māori and education
We examine what helps Māori learners participate and thrive, including the effects of language loss and whakamā. Our work gives educators evidence they can use to strengthen teaching and support for learners.
Community programmes and evaluation
We evaluate programmes in their own context, listening to participants and those who deliver them. We look at what is working, where people encounter barriers, and what the evidence can tell an organisation about its next decisions.
Our Projects in Action
Ngāti Hine Kaumātua Needs Assessment
Commissioned by the Selwyn Foundation and prepared for it and Ngāti Hine Health Trust, this study drew on kōrero with kaumātua in the Ngāti Hine rohe. It examined health, housing, social connection, cultural continuity and access to support. The report set out findings and options to inform decisions about kaumātua wellbeing.
Te Paiheretanga: Whānau Caregiving Experiences of Mate Wareware
For the Selwyn Foundation, we researched eight caregiving arrangements involving ten Māori caregivers. The study found that whānau and services could be present while one person or household still carried the daily responsibility for care. It offers a practical question for those designing support: after help has been provided, who still holds responsibility, and what has changed for them?
Te Whare Ruruhau o Meri Programme Evaluation
We evaluated Te Whare Ruruhau o Meri’s 12-week non-violence programme for tāne in Kaitaia and Whangārei. Participants described the importance of a safe space to speak, tikanga in the group, and tools they could use to change their behaviour. The evaluation also identified the contribution of kaiako and the pressures that contract requirements can place on kaupapa Māori delivery.
Language Trauma Research
Working with Te Wānanga Ihorangi, we examined how the history of te reo Māori suppression affects adult learners, including whakamā and fear of making mistakes. The report drew on learner and staff accounts to recommend teaching approaches that strengthen emotional safety, tikanga, whanaungatanga and opportunities to practise te reo.