Dr Marjorie Lipsham MA, PDip, PhD

'He Rau Tauwhiro: The place of kaitiaki in contemporary Māori realities', builds on my doctoral work on Kaitiakitanga (Beverland 2022). Kaitiaki are considered spiritual beings and guardians who are relations to Māori through whakapapa. They take the form of birds, mountains, rivers, taniwha, atua, tūpuna or other manifestations such as trees. Concentrating on non-human forms, this research will investigate kaitiaki within iwi and their contribution to environmental and human health and wellbeing. Participants in the original study highlighted that kaitiaki provide tohu (signs, messages) that guide one in terms of protection, wellbeing, and the provision of safety and support. This research intends to inquire into kaitiaki understandings from iwi perspectives, specifically concentrating on how kaitiaki inform our experiences and understanding of the environment. This research finds additional urgency when considering the scale and impact of the current climate events across Aotearoa NZ. Focusing on non-human kaitiaki, located in the metaphysical and physical realms, is novel is terms of the written archive. No consolidated written research has brought together iwi understandings. A Kaupapa Māori methodology informs this study, and its principles as written by Smith (1999) will frame the research. Mātauranga will be incorporated, used and understood as a central focus of the research and its findings. Only Māori within iwi will be invited to participate in this research.