Stacey Ruru, Emerging Researcher (Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Raukawa), and Logan Hamley, Intern Lead and Senior Researcher (Ngāti Rangi, Te Ātihaunui-ā-Pāpārangi) from Whakauae Research Services Ltd, recently attended the Working to End Racial Oppression (WERO) Conference at the University of Waikato in Hamilton. Centered on the theme of racism, the conference provided a platform to present, examine, and challenge racial oppression through diverse perspectives and research.
Whakauae Research Services proudly marks 20 years of advancing hauora Māori through kaupapa Māori research, community-led solutions, and strong partnerships. This milestone reflects our commitment to health equity, innovation, and empowering future generations of Māori researchers. To honour this journey, we gathered at Rātā Marae with whānau, hapū, iwi, and sector partners to reflect on our legacy and look ahead to the future. A special highlight was the launch of He Tukutuku Whakatupu, a commemorative book showcasing the impact of our tauira and their contributions to Māori health research.
We are consolidating our track record of producing high quality, timely, Kaupapa Māori research, working for whānau, hapū, iwi and hapori Māori. This Pou produces the rigorous evidence, research expertise and the thought leadership that has the potential to transform health services, health policy, and Māori health governance.
We are strengthening our capacity to conduct high quality research through investment in our infrastructure and our people. This Pou supports attracting and retaining high-performance Māori expertise and ongoing commitment to upskilling talented people within the Māori health research sector.
We are enhancing our TUI (Translation, Uptake & Impact) platform through investment in new people, new technologies and varied modes of dissemination. This Pou works to design and package new knowledge into media that are useful and meaningful to whānau, hapū, iwi and hapori Māori and other stakeholders, and which engage and create communities of interest.
We are enriching our alliances at the local, national and international level with groups and organisations who have an interest in advancing a Māori/Indigenous health equity agenda. This Pou works to establish partnerships and expertise across local and international Indigenous groups to develop effective new evidence, ideas, and knowledge exchange.
Creating a new team within our organisation who, drawing on their respective leadership roles in the sector, will translate research evidence into “actionable intelligence”. This Pou works to connect Māori research evidence directly to key areas of change-making to achieve the inclusion of Māori evidence in public health and public policy.
