<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Dr Heather Gifford, Professor Denise Wilson and Dr Amohia Boulton during the Symposium</em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Whakauae was recently privileged to host a&nbsp;research symposium in Whanganui showcasing the work of several of our Kaupapa M&#257;ori research colleagues. The symposium,&nbsp;<em>Taupua Mana, Taupua Waiora: Lifting health by enhancing mana</em>, held on 21 November 2019, featured a series of four presentations. Following the&nbsp;whakatau and whakawhanaungatanga,&nbsp;three members of AUT&rsquo;s Taupua Waiora team each discussed aspects of their recent research work.</p>

<p>Professor Denise Wilson&nbsp;(Ng&#257;ti Tahinga) outlined the early findings of her Marsden Fund-supported research project, <em>Indigenous women keeping safe in unsafe relationships</em>.&nbsp;The research&nbsp;shifts the narratives about w&#257;hine from the typical view of weakness and victim, &nbsp;towards an acknowledgement of their mana and strength, and highlights the important role of t&#257;ne in building resilient wh&#257;nau.</p>

<p>M&#257;ori health equity and mana motuhake, especially in relation to mate pukupuku M&#257;ori (cancer), are the focus of Associate Professor Jacquie Kidd&rsquo;s (Ng&#257; Puhi)&nbsp;current research. In her presentation, <em>Te P&#257; Ora: it&rsquo;s ok on the inside!</em> she explored the wh&#257;nau ora and health literacy perspectives of M&#257;ori with cancer and chronic illness as well as the issue of health literacy, particularly cultural health literacy, for services involving M&#257;ori.</p>

<p>Dr Isaac Warbrick&rsquo;s&nbsp;(Ng&#257;ti Te Ata, Te Arawa, Ng&#257; Puhi) research interests include M&#257;ori men&rsquo;s health, traditional health models, and cultural reconnection as motivators for lifestyle change. His presentation, <em>Te Taiao me te tinana &ndash; Reconnecting health to the environment</em> included an outline of the development of outcome measures based on M&#257;ori knowledge, the link between Indigenous health and our environment, and the use of innovative applications of traditional knowledge, such as te maramataka.</p>

<p>The symposium concluded with a presentation from Emma Rawson (Ng&#257;ti Ranginui, Ng&#257;i te Rangi, Ng&#257;ti Raukawa) a recipient of the Pae Tawhiti Postgraduate Scholarship awarded by Whakauae in 2016. Emma is currently completing a master&rsquo;s degree through AUT. She discussed the results of her research which examined barriers and enablers of success for M&#257;ori working in mainstream public health units.</p>

<p>The opportunity to hear about cutting edge Kaupapa M&#257;ori research, from the researchers themselves,&nbsp;was greatly appreciated by the Whanganui symposium participants. Whakauae received&nbsp;very positive feedback from participants including that their expectations of the day were in almost all instances exceeded. Most believed that research events of this type and calibre are a particularly useful way of sharing research findings. Several participants commented that they would have liked a higher level of symposium attendance from amongst their colleagues as the research presented&nbsp;is so highly relevant to the work that they are engaged in.</p>
