Tom Johnson PhD

Research Team:

Dr. Isaac Warbrick (Primary Supervisor)

Dr. Tanya Allport (External Supervisor)

Tom Johnson (Student)

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Start / Finish Dates:

1 November 2021 – 30 November 2025

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Description:

This PhD research project, based at Whakauae in Whanganui and supported by Whakauae and Auckland University of Technology (AUT), explores how Tāne Māori (Māori men) of Te Awa Tupua in the Whanganui-Rangitīkei-Ruapehu region maintain their wellbeing through engagement with Taiao (the natural environment).

The central objectives of this project are:

To establish new mātauranga Māori (knowledge) on how Tāne Māori of Te Awa Tupua maintain their hauora (wellbeing).
To understand how Kōrero Tuku Iho (ancestral narratives passed down through generations) are applied to everyday activities in the maintenance of hauora in Te Awa Tupua.
To translate key research themes into practical knowledge to benefit whānau Māori in the rohe around Te Awa Tupua.

The research seeks to identify and articulate how Tāne Māori have distinct, place-based, iwi/hapū/whānau-specific epistemologies and ontologies that inform the management of hauora. While the research focuses on the rohe around Te Awa Tupua, it is hoped that its findings will contribute to the health and wellbeing of both the Aotearoa New Zealand population and the natural environment.

The student has chosen a "thesis by publication" at AUT to ensure outputs are shared with whānau more quickly, rather than waiting for the thesis to be completed. This approach allows data to be disseminated as it is gathered, with all findings published in open-access, peer-reviewed journals, making the information more accessible to whānau.

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Progress:

Semi-structured interviews have taken place with whānau in the rohe.
An article detailing the place-based, Iwi-specific methodological approach for the PhD has been published in Genealogy. Titled "Kauaka e kōrero mō te awa, kōrero ki te awa," the article explains how a Whanganui-centric methodology could be made and builds a case for bespoke methodological approaches to research based on hapū/rohe kawa and the needs of Indigenous participants in research. This article will be included in the PhD under the methodology section.

Johnson, T. (2024). Kauaka e kōrero mō te Awa, kōrero ki te Awa: An Awa-Led Research Methodology. Genealogy, 8(1), 30. https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy8010030

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A paper that explores the wellbeing of Tāne Māori in Whanganui, framed by the ancestral connection to Te Awa Tupua, has been published. This work examines how Te Awa Tupua serves as both a physical and metaphysical source of wellbeing for its descendants. The paper also highlights colonisation as a key factor in the gendering of Tāne Māori, impacting their contemporary wellbeing, and identifies gaps in research on Tāne Māori wellness. This will be included in the thesis under the Literature Review section.

Johnson, T. (2021). Haukāinga - Bro Ora: Revitalising Tāne Māori Wellbeing through an Awa Lens. Whakauae Research Services Ltd, Te Pūtake - Whakauae Raro Occasional Paper Series, 2, December.

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Two additional papers are awaiting publication. Presentations on the PhD project have also been made:

Johnson, T. & Bennett-Huxtable, M. (2024, June 13). Kauawhiawhi ngā awa e rua (The Two Rivers that Flow). Paper presented at He Pounga Waihoe Nā ō Mātua Symposium of Māori Experiences of Intergenerational Trauma, Recovery and Healing, Te Ao Hou Marae, Whanganui, Aotearoa.

Johnson, T. (2023, August 18). Kauaka e kōrero mō te awa, kōrero ki te awa: An Awa-Led Research Methodology. Paper presented at Te Atawhai O Te Ao Symposium: He Pounga Waihoe Nā ō Mātua, Pūtiki Marae, Whanganui, Aotearoa.

Johnson, T. (2023, September 11–15). Tāne Māori Rītenga: How Māori Men of Te Awa Tupua are Keeping Well. Paper presented at Healing Our Spirit Worldwide (HOSW) Conference - The Ninth Gathering, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

A Māori Health Research PhD Scholarship from the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC), from the 2024 round of applications, has been awarded. The scholarship is held and facilitated by Whakauae Research and will support the PhD study for 1.5 years.

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Where to from here?

The project is in its ‘writing up’ phase, with findings and analysis being prepared for submission to AUT in April 2025. Following this, the final thesis will be submitted for examination in May 2025, and the research will be presented back to Whakauae and to whānau.

The information gathered will be shared with participants, and whānau will be asked, "What do you want to be done with the findings?" as part of a dissemination plan for the research results.

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