Whakamanahia / Endorsements
“This is an important story for social scientists working on the research/policy interface in Aotearoa. The chapters in this book confirm the utility of the He Awa Whiria framework for bringing different knowledge systems into mutually respectful articulation when conducting research, developing policy and guiding practice.”
Emeritus Professor Richard Bedford CNZM QSO FRSNZ
University of Waikato and Auckland University of Technology
Former President, Royal Society Te Apārangi
“Through the metaphor of the braided river, He Awa Whiria explores how Western science and mātauranga Māori may be framed as a methodological approach that opens up new ways of thinking about research and its impact in our communities. In pushing the boundaries of what constitutes knowledge, the authors offer critique and new insights that undoubtedly will provoke further debate and thereby advance our understanding.”
Professor Cheryl de la Rey
Vice-Chancellor | Tumu Whakarae
University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha
“We have come to a place in time where the concept of co-governance has become divisive. This book is much needed right now, demonstrating how by bringing Western and Māori ideas and initiatives together, we can end up in a much better place.”
Lisa Te Morenga; Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei, Te Uri o Hau, Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa
Professor of Māori Health and Nutrition
Massey University
“Angus Macfarlane and his co-editors’ inspiring He Awa Whiria (braided rivers) framework has provided us with a powerful, challenging and beautiful model for working together. As streams of knowledge flow alongside each other, crossing over and moving apart, ever-changing, running to the sea, they find those good solutions we all seek.”
Charlotte Macdonald
Professor of History, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington
“If there ever was a time when mātauranga Māori and modern science needed to be framed in relations of mutuality that time is now. The image of He Awa Whiria beginning as a meandering stream in the mountain foothills, then spreading out across the plains in a myriad of rivulets before coming together again at the coast is a brilliant metaphor of how mātauranga Māori and science should be explored.”
Wally T. Penetito; Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Tama te Rā
Emeritus Professor, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington
“‘Me haere tāua ki te wai’, these were the words of my kuia – a reference to the river and how it has spiritual healing qualities. Further, drawing on her experience, she would remind us that often wellness can also be achieved via another source – ‘Whakaaro Māori i te tuatahi, kātahi ka hono atu ki ngā āhuatanga pai o te ao auraki, hei painga mō te katoa’. My kuia suggested an inclusive line (in tandem with He Awa Whiria contentions), simple yet profound.”
Kahu Hotere; Ngāti Maniapoto, Te Aupōuri, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Wai
Pou Tiaki, Royal Society Te Apārangi
“He Awa Whiria provides the perspective, the language and the tools for educators and policy-makers, to find more just and lasting solutions for educational and social issues, which require weaving into a multicolored canvas both western knowledge and Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Extraordinary for New Zealand and beyond.”
Dr. Maria Carolina Nieto Ángel
Founder and Program Director of Cultivar Paz: Cultura de cuidado y Justicia Restaurativa en la educación, Bogotá, Colombia
“He Awa Whiria encourages, challenges, and supports the weaving of mātauranga Māori into organisational planning and design, policymaking, and practices. This book is an invaluable resource for people learning about, researching, and leading transformation through professional practice – professionals, learners, and vocational and tertiary educators alike.”
Dr. Helen Mataiti
Academic Mentor, Professional Practice, Capable NZ – Te Pūkenga
“My thanks to the authors for publishing this important work. The concept of He Awa Whiria has guided our work here in the United States. We utilize this concept to bring together various initiatives in a culturally appropriate way under the umbrella of a Culture of Care.”
Dr. Tom Cavanagh
Colorado State University
