The Re-imagining Māori and Home Symposium - held on the 17th of July 2025 at the AUT City Campus in Auckland - brought together researchers, practitioners, rangatahi, and community leaders to explore innovative housing solutions grounded in Māori perspectives. Hosted by Whakauae Research, AUT Taupua Waiora Centre for Māori Health Research, and Design for Health, the one-day event was a powerful space for sharing whakaaro, creative problem-solving, and action-focused kōrero.
The symposium was part of the Tō Mātou Kāinga, Tō Mātou Ūkaipō research project; one of three research projects in the HRC-funded, Kia Puāwai Ake Ngā Uri Whakatupu research programme. The symposium itself centred on four key themes: Climate and Sustainable Futures, Rangatahi and Home, Māori Housing Solutions, and research reflections from the Tō Mātou Kāinga, Tō Mātou Ūkaipō project. Presentations were followed by interactive workshops where participants responded creatively and collaboratively to critical questions about housing, identity, and future wellbeing. The hands-on workshops invited attendees to explore the symposium ideas together, sparking laughter, curiosity, and deep engagement.
The first session of the day focused on Tō Mātou Kāinga, Tō Mātou Ūkaipō itself. It set the tone by exploring what "home" means through a values-based game, encouraging attendees to reflect on personal and collective concepts of kāinga. It highlighted findings from the research project, which gathered lived experiences from whānau across Aotearoa. A clear takeaway from that session was that the solutions already exist within our communities, but they must be amplified and connected to broader systems of change.
Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland PhD candidate, Milly Grant-Mackie, followed with a powerful presentation on climate change and the impact of sea level rise on her hapū in Owhata in the far north. Using kaupapa Māori methods and drone-based 3D modelling, she illustrated the forced relocation to a vulnerable sandspit and the ongoing environmental degradation resulting from colonisation.
Otago University Research Fellow, Amber Logan, reframed sustainability through a Māori lens, rooted in whakapapa, tikanga, and wairuatanga. She challenged Western models by showing how Māori ways of living are inherently sustainable, because they are relational and system-centred. Her presentation concluded that if we live by our values, sustainability is the natural outcome.
The rangatahi panel, led by Aaron Hendry (Kickback) and Cindy Kawana (E Tipu e Rea Whānau Services), was an opportunity to hear strong, honest kōrero from a group of young Māori wahine about homelessness, systemic barriers, and the deep need for safe, supportive, and culturally grounded homes. These wahine also shared messages of hope, reconnection, and collective healing, reminding us that rangatahi must be part of the solutions.
In the final session, Reuben Taipiri shared his inspiring personal journey of developing a whānau papakāinga using whare uku (clay houses) as a kaupapa Māori solution to housing that is regenerative, sustainable, and rooted in whenua. His story was an inspirational example of what becomes possible when Māori take the lead in imagining and building homes that reflect our identity and values.
Complementing the symposium was a beautiful and thought-provoking exhibition. It featured creative outputs from the Tō Mātou Kāinga project alongside powerful works by AUT students, exploring themes of health, wellbeing, and Māori housing through visual design, storytelling, and animation. The exhibition added a visual and emotional layer to the kōrero, demonstrating how creativity plays a vital role in transforming complex issues into meaningful insights.
Final Reflections
A clear message emerged throughout the day, namely that Māori already hold the tools, knowledge, and vision to shape the future of home and housing. The challenge is to elevate these solutions, honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and shift systems to support Māori-led approaches. As one speaker said, “If we live in a Māori way, then sustainability will occur.”
The symposium created not just kōrero, but wānanga, a space of connection, creativity, and collective purpose. Insights and creative responses from the day will be carried forward into future mahi, including a summer studentship project that will develop a visual storytelling resource to continue amplifying these voices and visions.
Acknowledgements
Our sincere thanks to all presenters, panellists, rangatahi, facilitators, artists, and attendees. Your presence and contributions were invaluable.
