
Te Whaihanga – Preparing students to work with Māori
Status
Completed: 19 March 2019
Project Details
A two-year project to help built environment professionals and students learn why and how it is important to engage effectively with Māori. A collaboration of Ngā Aho, the University of Auckland, Auckland University of Technology, Victoria University of Wellington, Unitec Institute of Technology, Papa Pounamu, Whenua Design, The New Zealand Institute of Architects, University of Victoria and Glasgow University.
Aims:
The primary aim of the project was to help people employed in, or studying towards, careers in planning, architecture, engineering and landscaping to work with Māori professionals, iwi representatives and community and papakāinga developers.
Methodology:
The project's methodology featured literature reviews, interviews, group discussions and observations. These formed the basis of new teaching and learning materials for the planning, architecture, engineering and landscape disciplines.
Project Reference Group
- New Zealand Planning Institute
- The New Zealand Institute of Architects
- Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand
- New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects
- Auckland Council
- Landcare Research/Manaaki Whenua
- Te Hana Te Ao Marama Community Development Trust.
Team

Professor Dory Reeves
Project Contact Leader
University of Auckland
Lena Henry
Deputy project leader
University of Auckland and Ngā Aho
Dr. Barbara Kensington-Miller
University of Auckland
Lena Henry
University of Auckland and Ngā Aho
Professor Andrew Barrie
University of Auckland
Professor John Tookey
Auckland University of Technology (AUT)
Fei Ying
Auckland University of Technology (AUT)
Nicola Naismith,
Auckland University of Technology (AUT)
James Rotimi
Auckland University of Technology (AUT)
Dave Moor
Auckland University of Technology (AUT)
Rau Hoskins
Unitec Institute of Technology and Ngā Aho
Dr Te Kipa Kepa Morgan
Ngati Makino
Derek Renata Kawiti
Victoria University of WellingtonJacky Bartley
Papa PounamuNeil Challenger
Whenua Design and The New Zealand Institute of ArchitectsDiane Menzies
Ngā Aho and The New Zealand Institute of ArchitectsChristine McCarthy
University of VictoriaProfessor Alison Phipps
Glasgow UniversityStatus
Funding
150000.00 (excl GST)
Key Findings
Key Recommendations
Resource
FLYER | Te Whaihanga
An overview of the Te Whaihanga project.
(PDF, 950 KB, 4-pages).
- 7 November 2018
Watch the video, Te Whaihanga Series Intro 2018 (Youtube, 720p, 04:11).
- 8 January 2018
Watch the video, Te Whaihanga 1: Preparing to Meet Mana Whenua (YouTube, 720p, 06.21).
- 8 January 2018
Watch the video, Te Whaihanga 2: On the Mana Whenua Site. (YouTube, 720p, 05.38).
- 8 January 2018
Watch the video, Te Whaihanga 3: Kaitiakitanga and Development. (YouTube, 720p, 07.42).
- 8 January 2018
A project report prepared by Dory Reeves and Lena Henry, from the University of Auckland.
(PDF, 5.4 MB, 90-pages).
- 19 March 2019
External Resource
Te Whaihanga | Learning Assessment Tool Survey
This Online Survey will help evaluate some of the skills and knowledge professionals need in working with Māori.
External Resource
Te Whaihanga | Critical Incident Analysis Tool Survey
This Online Survey will help evaluate some of the skills and knowledge professionals need in working with Māori.
In November, Ako Aotearoa, with the Auckland Council and Te Hana Te Ao Marama, were honoured with the "Planning for equitable and inclusive cities and human settlements” award by the Commonwealth Association of Planners—Awards for Outstanding Planning Achievement in the Commonwealth.
- 8 December 2021
The collaborative Te Whaihanga project received international recognition as a finalist in the 2022 Royal Town Planning Institute “International Award for Planning Excellence”. The prestigious awards were held in the United Kingdom on 1 December 2022.
- 9 December 2022