Event celebrating te reo Māori ‘incredibly inspiring’

Competition was “fierce “ at the first Ōtakau Whakaihu Waka Māori 3/5 Miniti Kōrero competition.

Māori postgraduate tauira and reo speaking postgraduates were invited to partake in the inaugural competition, which was run in a similar manner to the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) but with the option of speaking in te reo Māori or English.

Each participant had three minutes to present on their research if speaking in English, or five if speaking in te reo Māori, with everyone allowed just one Powerpoint slide to accompany their presentation.

Graduate Research School Māori Postgraduate Support Advisor Rachel Sizemore says the competition was “fierce”, with Master of Indigenous Studies tauira Krystle Mikaere winning the top prize, Neihana Matiu winning best te reo Māori speaker, Joshua Stewart winning  Best stage presence and Atarangi Crane the Runner-up.

Krystle says her presentation focused on one “simple but important” question: Who gets to define Māori success?

“There was such a high calibre of Māori researchers presenting, so to have my research recognised by the judges was incredibly affirming,” Krystle says.

A highlight for her was seeing presentations delivered in te reo Māori.

“It was incredibly inspiring to see our language celebrated as a language of research and scholarship, and it reflected the strength and diversity of Māori knowledge within our postgraduate community.”

Krystle says the presentation given by Neihana was a “fantastic example of the richness and excellence of research presented through our own language”.

The competition created a space where Māori researchers could share their stories in ways that were meaningful to their communities as well as to the wider public, she says.

Krystle is a Kaituitui | Colleges Programme Co-ordinator for the University.

“Working alongside Māori tauira every day, I spend a lot of time thinking about the strengths they bring to the University and the ways their stories are overlooked.

“The competition felt like an opportunity to share why this research matters beyond my thesis, and to celebrate Māori knowledge in a way that is grounded in our own perspectives.”

Rachel and Te Aka Reo coordinators Professor Karyn Paringatai and Dr Wahineata Smith decided to run the competition having been inspired by a similar event held during the Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga’s MAI Hui-ā-tau doctoral conference held at Otago last year.

“We wanted to run a Te Titiri-led event for our Māori postgraduate students and reo speaking postgraduates students so they could compete in a culturally safe and inclusive environment”, Rachel says.

Rachel hopes the event will be held again in the future.

The Māori 3/5 Miniti Kōrero competition, which took place on 29 May, was held in the lead up to the University’s 3MT® divisional heats which kick off later this month.

Divisional heats will be held on the following dates:

• Humanities Divisional Heat, Dunedin (Otago Business School room 1.05)
  Monday, 20 July, 10am
• Health Sciences Divisional Heat, Dunedin (Otago Business School room 1.05)
  Wednesday, 22 July, 9am
• Commerce Divisional Heat, Dunedin (Otago Business School room 1.05)
  Thursday, 23 July, 10am
• Sciences Divisional Heat, Dunedin (Otago Business School room 1.05)
  Friday, 24 July, 10am
• University of Otago Christchurch (Rolleston Lecture Theatre)
  Thursday, 30 July, 9am
• University of Otago Wellington (Nordmeyer Lecture Theatre)
  Wednesday, 29 July, 1pm

The winners from each of the heats will compete against each other at the University’s Grand Final 3MT® on Tuesday, 1 September 5 pm - 7 pm at St David’s Lecture Theatre.