Vice-Chancellor Professor Jan Thomas and Chancellor Alistair Davis celebrate graduates in the procession
Among the staff graduates is Pūkenga Reo Associate Professor Hone Morris Ngāi Te Rangitotohu ki Rangitāne, Ngāti Mārau ki Kahungunu, Ngāti Maru ki Rongowhakaata, Te Ao Kapiti ki Pāhauwera, Te Māhurehure ki Tūhoe. Dr Morris has achieved a milestone many aspire to but few undertake: the completion of a PhD. His PhD is as much a journey into whakapapa, whenua, and te reo Māori as it is an academic achievement. His research explores the profound connections between land, language and people, shining a light on the stories of his tūpuna from Tamatea and the enduring wisdom they carry.
Associate Professor Hone Morris graduates with his Doctor of Philosophy
Dr Morris plans to bring these insights into his teaching and mentoring, supporting colleagues and students alike.
"Nā te ako i ngā tukanga pūmātauranga o tēnei hīkoi kairangi e āhei ai au ki te āwhina i ētahi au e hīkoi pēnei ana. Ā kāti hā, he kohinga kōrero te tuhinga nei i kohia mai ai i ngā kōrero a ngā tūpuna hei whakapūioio i te tuakiri me te hononga mana: mana whenua, mana tangata, mana reo.
Lessons learnt in the academic processes allows me to assist others on the PhD journey. So, it’s a culmination of narratives gathered from the words of tūpuna to consolidate identity and connection: connection to land, to its people and the language."
His research, inspired by the belief that ‘beyond the written word lies another realm’ seeks to reconnect people with the oral traditions of te reo Māori and the worldview of their ancestors.
"He reo ā-waha noa iho te reo Māori, me te aha, nā te tirotiro i te reo i tua atu i te kupu tā ka tuwhera mai he tirohanga hou hei whakaaro, hei ara tūhono hoki ki te ao i nōhia ai e ngā tūpuna nō mua mai o te tāmitanga, ka mutu, ā muri ake he kamakama te kai mā rātou me he rū whenua.
Te reo Māori was initially an oral language so to explore the language beyond the written word opens a whole new dimension of thinking and connection to the world our tūpuna lived in pre-colonisation and the seismic adjustment that had to make post settlement."
At the heart of his thesis is the intricate relationship between land, language, and people.
"'Kei te whenua te reo, kei te reo te whenua'. He kīanga tēnei i whānau mai i tā māua nei ko taku mātanga ko Ahorangi Cynthia White kōrerorero, ā, ka noho hei iho matua o taku tuhinga, arā, kei ia ingoa wāhi kei ia ingoa wāhi, kei ia ingoa wāhi i waiho mai ai e ngā tūpuna ki ngā whenua o te rohe o Tamatea ko tōna ake tātai kōrero, ko tōna ake toi kupu hei honohono a onamata ki anamata mā te mana whenua, mana tangata and mana reo.
'Language is in the land, and the land is in the language'. A phrase that came out of initial discussion with my learned supervisor Professor Cynthia White, is the quintessential core of my thesis. Every place name left by tūpuna on the lands in the Central Hawke’s Bay district has its own history, its own narrative connecting the past to the present through the land, through the people and the language."
He hopes his work will inspire future generations to connect deeply with the whenua and the words their ancestors left behind.
"Ko te tūmanako ia, mā te tārai kupu nei ka kitea e ngā reanga o rātou mā nāna nei te whenua kuratongarerewa rā i takahi hei huarahi atu ki te tuakiri mā te mana whenua, te mana tangata me te mana reo.
It is hoped through the crafting of this thesis future generations of tupuna who lived and walk the treasured lands of Tamatea will find connection to identity through personal connection to the land, to the ancestors and the language."
In pursuing his research, teaching and mentoring, he helps ensure those connections remain alive – honouring the legacy of his tūpuna and offering pathways for future generations to walk with pride.
We congratulate Dr Morris and all our staff graduates on their achievements:
- Dr Valter Dos Anjos Almeida – Doctor of Philosophy
Research Officer, School of Veterinary Science - Dr Maria May Dacre – Doctor of Philosophy
Lecturer, Institute of Education - Dr Jeronimo Vicente Figueira Menezes – Doctor of Philosophy
Senior Tutor, School of Psychology - Dr Yinxuan Hu – Doctor of Philosophy
Junior Research Officer, Riddet Institute - Dr Shanika Yoshini Koreshi – Doctor of Philosophy
Lecturer, School of Psychology - Dr Wendy Joan Newport-Smith – Doctor of Philosophy
Manager, NZ Food Safety Science Research Centre - Dr Janine Maree Palmer – Doctor of Philosophy
Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing - Rebecca Louise Owen – Master of Science, Animal Science
Technician, School of Veterinary Science - Dr Sharan Ram – Doctor of Philosophy
Research Officer, Centre for Public Health Research - Anita Jane Shea – Doctor of Philosophy
Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Education, School of Veterinary Science - Florence Emily Rose Smith – Master of Science, Animal Science
Junior Research Officer, School of Agriculture and Environment - Dr Komahan Sivanandarajah – Doctor of Philosophy
Research Officer, School of Agriculture and Environment - Dr Michelle Idah Musakwa – Doctor of Clinical Psychology
Professional Clinician, School of Psychology - Dr Evan Armando Valdes – Doctor of Philosophy
Assistant Lecturer, School of Psychology
Check out the special moments captured on the day
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