<p>T&#275;n&#257; koutou katoa<br>
Ko Pirongia te maunga<br>
Ko Waipa te awa<br>
Ko Tainui te waka<br>
Ko Ng&#257;ti Maniapoto, Ng&#257;ti Kahungunu me Waikato Tainui ng&#257; iwi<br>
Ko Ng&#257;ti Parewaeono te hap&#363;<br>
Ko Te Keeti te marae<br>
N&#333; Kirikirioa au<br>
Ko Sophia Newton t&#333;ku ingoa</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>I am studying part-time for a Master of Museum and Heritage Studies at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington.&nbsp; My main interest has been the often-fraught relationship between M&#257;ori and museums in Aotearoa as well as overseas. I am particularly passionate about the care of taonga within these museums as well as the mana attached to wh&#257;nau caring for their own taonga. I credit my experience with my wh&#257;nau and caring for our taonga and whenua in Otorohanga as the source of this passion.</p>

<p>I am currently working at Manat&#363; Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage as a policy advisor and prior to this role, I was an assistant programme coordinator for the M&#257;tauranga M&#257;ori programme at Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga with a focus on grant funding.&nbsp; Previously, I have also worked as a research assistant at Te Papa Tongarewa.</p>

<p>I am grateful and honoured to have been awarded a Winter Studentship with Whakauae Research and to work alongside pou tikanga Utiku Potaka. Together we will collate a comprehensive inventory of taonga tuku iho of significance to Ng&#257;ti Hauiti and develop a plan for the first in a series of exhibitions to display some of these taonga. I&rsquo;m excited and privileged to learn more about Ng&#257;ti Hauiti and am looking forward to visiting R&#257;t&#257; and spending time with the team in Whanganui.</p>
