title: KAUMĀTUATANGA  Supporting School Leaders To Develop Cultural Values While Resisting The Dominance of Colonialism

authors: Nuri, Ngahuia

subjects: Kaumātua

abstract: In an education system that is asserting to the importance of Māori (indigenous people of Aotearoa) language, culture, identity and the history of Aotearoa  (New Zealand) into the curriculum, there is direction from the Ministry of Education (MOE) for schools to reach out to iwi. What this looks like and how this can be achieved is not an easy task. This thesis follows the journey of three kaumātua (respected, knowledgeable elders, both female and male) working alongside the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) of a decile 10 kura auraki (mainstream primary school) where ākonga Māori (Māori students) were in the minority. The research examines what role kaumātua might have in guiding other schools to help tamariki Māori (Māori children) enjoy and achieve education success as Māori. It highlights the coming together of leaders from two different worldviews with this vision as a common purpose. 

Kaumātua in te ao Māori (the Māori world) are respected elders. Kaumātua are leaders, respected for their wisdom, knowledge and models of behaviour among other attributes. The Māui narratives are one example of demonstrating the characteristics of kaumātua. It was through his respected elders that Maui achieved so much. It was his grandfather who rescued him and taught him all he knew. It was his grandmother Mahuika who gave him fire and it was his kuia (female elder) Murirangiwhenua from whom he received the magic jawbone. The wisdom of Māori kaumātua has been recognised for centuries by Māori and yet kaumātua are often an untapped resource in the mainstream sector of education. In this thesis the kaumātua and members of the SLT share their experiences of working together and the learning and unlearning that has taken place over a period of four years from 2016 through 2019. They share their vulnerability, humility and strength in the goals they have worked towards over this period of time.

text: KAUMĀTUATANGA  Supporting School Leaders To Develop Cultural Values While Resisting The Dominance of Colonialism In an education system that is asserting to the importance of Māori (indigenous people of Aotearoa) language, culture, identity and the history of Aotearoa  (New Zealand) into the curriculum, there is direction from the Ministry of Education (MOE) for schools to reach out to iwi. What this looks like and how this can be achieved is not an easy task. This thesis follows the journey of three kaumātua (respected, knowledgeable elders, both female and male) working alongside the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) of a decile 10 kura auraki (mainstream primary school) where ākonga Māori (Māori students) were in the minority. The research examines what role kaumātua might have in guiding other schools to help tamariki Māori (Māori children) enjoy and achieve education success as Māori. It highlights the coming together of leaders from two different worldviews with this vision as a common purpose. 

Kaumātua in te ao Māori (the Māori world) are respected elders. Kaumātua are leaders, respected for their wisdom, knowledge and models of behaviour among other attributes. The Māui narratives are one example of demonstrating the characteristics of kaumātua. It was through his respected elders that Maui achieved so much. It was his grandfather who rescued him and taught him all he knew. It was his grandmother Mahuika who gave him fire and it was his kuia (female elder) Murirangiwhenua from whom he received the magic jawbone. The wisdom of Māori kaumātua has been recognised for centuries by Māori and yet kaumātua are often an untapped resource in the mainstream sector of education. In this thesis the kaumātua and members of the SLT share their experiences of working together and the learning and unlearning that has taken place over a period of four years from 2016 through 2019. They share their vulnerability, humility and strength in the goals they have worked towards over this period of time.

year: 2024

title: Mai uta ki tai: Cyclone-driven suspended sediment effects on early benthic juvenile kōura (Jasus edwardsii), Te Ākau o Tokomaru, Aotearoa

authors: Karaha-Paki, Vijuan

abstract: Kōura (Jasus edwardsii) are ecologically, culturally, and economically significant taonga species central to mahinga kai systems throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. In Te Tairāwhiti, particularly Te Ākau o Tokomaru, Cyclone Gabrielle (February 2023) resulted in unprecedented sediment loads being delivered to coastal waters, smothering inshore rocky reefs that serve as critical nursery habitats for settling puerulus and juvenile kōura. This research investigated how repeated suspended sediment exposure affects the body condition, survival, and physiological condition of early benthic juvenile kōura, integrating Western scientific methods with mātauranga Māori perspectives to support kaitiakitanga and ecosystem recovery. 

A 52-day pulse-based laboratory experiment exposed 81 early benthic juvenile kōura to three treatment levels: Control (0 mg/L), Tobserved (1,000 mg/L), and Tmaximised (5,000 mg/L) suspended sediment concentrations, alternating between exposure phases and recovery periods to simulate natural post-storm sedimentation dynamics. Sediment was sourced from the Mangahauini River mouth to reflect local conditions. Kōura were initially housed communally (Days 1-19), and then separated into individual tāruke following observed cannibalism. Across the experiment, body weight to carapace length (BW:CL) ratios, survival, blood refractive index, gill condition, and moult stage were assessed. 

All treatment groups began with statistically equivalent body condition (p = 0.135), but cumulative effects emerged over time. During communal housing, mortality was highest in the Tobserved treatment (51.9%) compared with Control and Tmaximised treatments (both 18.5%). After separation, Tmaximised individuals showed the greatest losses (45.5%), mostly during the recovery rather than exposure phases. Overall mortality reached 45.7%, with sediment-exposed treatments experiencing 55% (Tmaximised) to 59% (Tobserved) losses compared with 22.2% in the Controls (p = 0.001). 

By Day 52, sediment exposure significantly reduced body condition (p = 0.016), with the Controls maintaining higher BW:CL ratios than Tmaximised (p = 0.013). Gill assessments indicated universal and severe damage in sediment-exposed kōura (100%) but none in the Controls (0%). Quantitative image analysis confirmed strong sediment concentration- dependent effects across all damage metrics – particle lodgement, filament integrity, surface discolouration, and composite scores (all p < 0.001) – with structural deformities in 66.7% of Tobserved and 100% of Tmaximised individuals. Blood refractive index showed no treatment differences, and 84.1% of kōura remained in intermoult stage at Day 52, with no significant difference in moult stage distribution between treatments (p = 0.328). However, moult frequency during the individual phase was lower in sediment-exposed groups compared to the Controls (Control: n = 11, Tobserved: n = 4, Tmaximised: n = 5). 

These findings show that suspended sediment exposure poses population-level threats to kōura recruitment through irreversible gill damage and delayed mortality. Elevated cannibalism during communal holding, particularly observed in the Tobserved treatment, likely resulted from temporal clustering of moult events rather than sediment-induced behaviour. For Te Ākau o Tokomaru and the wider CRA 3 fishery, this highlights the need for integrated catchment-to- coast management addressing land-derived sediment inputs and protecting coastal nursery habitats. From a Te Ao Māori perspective, sedimentation represents a disruption to whakapapa relationships with Tangaroa and a weakening of mauri in coastal ecosystems. Restoring these connections requires co-governance frameworks that embed mātauranga Māori, empower kaitiaki-led monitoring and rāhui, and address the cumulative impacts of land-use intensification and repeated cyclone events on ecosystem resilience in Te Tairāwhiti.

text: Mai uta ki tai: Cyclone-driven suspended sediment effects on early benthic juvenile kōura (Jasus edwardsii), Te Ākau o Tokomaru, Aotearoa Kōura (Jasus edwardsii) are ecologically, culturally, and economically significant taonga species central to mahinga kai systems throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. In Te Tairāwhiti, particularly Te Ākau o Tokomaru, Cyclone Gabrielle (February 2023) resulted in unprecedented sediment loads being delivered to coastal waters, smothering inshore rocky reefs that serve as critical nursery habitats for settling puerulus and juvenile kōura. This research investigated how repeated suspended sediment exposure affects the body condition, survival, and physiological condition of early benthic juvenile kōura, integrating Western scientific methods with mātauranga Māori perspectives to support kaitiakitanga and ecosystem recovery. 

A 52-day pulse-based laboratory experiment exposed 81 early benthic juvenile kōura to three treatment levels: Control (0 mg/L), Tobserved (1,000 mg/L), and Tmaximised (5,000 mg/L) suspended sediment concentrations, alternating between exposure phases and recovery periods to simulate natural post-storm sedimentation dynamics. Sediment was sourced from the Mangahauini River mouth to reflect local conditions. Kōura were initially housed communally (Days 1-19), and then separated into individual tāruke following observed cannibalism. Across the experiment, body weight to carapace length (BW:CL) ratios, survival, blood refractive index, gill condition, and moult stage were assessed. 

All treatment groups began with statistically equivalent body condition (p = 0.135), but cumulative effects emerged over time. During communal housing, mortality was highest in the Tobserved treatment (51.9%) compared with Control and Tmaximised treatments (both 18.5%). After separation, Tmaximised individuals showed the greatest losses (45.5%), mostly during the recovery rather than exposure phases. Overall mortality reached 45.7%, with sediment-exposed treatments experiencing 55% (Tmaximised) to 59% (Tobserved) losses compared with 22.2% in the Controls (p = 0.001). 

By Day 52, sediment exposure significantly reduced body condition (p = 0.016), with the Controls maintaining higher BW:CL ratios than Tmaximised (p = 0.013). Gill assessments indicated universal and severe damage in sediment-exposed kōura (100%) but none in the Controls (0%). Quantitative image analysis confirmed strong sediment concentration- dependent effects across all damage metrics – particle lodgement, filament integrity, surface discolouration, and composite scores (all p < 0.001) – with structural deformities in 66.7% of Tobserved and 100% of Tmaximised individuals. Blood refractive index showed no treatment differences, and 84.1% of kōura remained in intermoult stage at Day 52, with no significant difference in moult stage distribution between treatments (p = 0.328). However, moult frequency during the individual phase was lower in sediment-exposed groups compared to the Controls (Control: n = 11, Tobserved: n = 4, Tmaximised: n = 5). 

These findings show that suspended sediment exposure poses population-level threats to kōura recruitment through irreversible gill damage and delayed mortality. Elevated cannibalism during communal holding, particularly observed in the Tobserved treatment, likely resulted from temporal clustering of moult events rather than sediment-induced behaviour. For Te Ākau o Tokomaru and the wider CRA 3 fishery, this highlights the need for integrated catchment-to- coast management addressing land-derived sediment inputs and protecting coastal nursery habitats. From a Te Ao Māori perspective, sedimentation represents a disruption to whakapapa relationships with Tangaroa and a weakening of mauri in coastal ecosystems. Restoring these connections requires co-governance frameworks that embed mātauranga Māori, empower kaitiaki-led monitoring and rāhui, and address the cumulative impacts of land-use intensification and repeated cyclone events on ecosystem resilience in Te Tairāwhiti.

year: 2025

title: Evaluation of lactic acid bacterium from chilli waste as a potential antifungal agent for wood products

authors: O'Callahan, Diahanna Rachelle

subjects: 16S rRNA gene sequencing

abstract: Aims:  The aim of this study was to isolate lactic acid bacteria from chilli waste and evaluate metabolites produced for the ability to arrest wood decay.

Methods and Results:  Using an optical density screening method, one bacterium (isolate C11) was identified as having pronounced antifungal properties against Oligoporus placenta. This isolate was identified as Lactobacillus brevis by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. To determine antifungal activity in wood, Pinus radiata blocks were impregnated with Lact. brevis [C11] cell-free supernatant and exposed to brown rot fungi O. placenta, Antrodia xantha and Coniophora puteana. The treated timber demonstrated resistance to degradation from all fungi. The antifungal metabolites were heat stable and not affected by proteinase K, but were affected by neutralization with NaOH suggesting the metabolites were of an acidic nature. The presence of lactic and acetic acid was confirmed by HPLC analysis.

Conclusions: Lactobacillus brevis [C11] produced acidic metabolites that were able to inhibit the growth of wood decay fungi and subsequent wood decay.

Significance and Impact of the Study:  Traditional wood treatments are becoming an environmental issue as the public demands more benign options. The use of lactic acid bacteria which are considered safe for general use is a potential alternative to the conventional heavy metal chemicals currently in use.

text: Evaluation of lactic acid bacterium from chilli waste as a potential antifungal agent for wood products Aims:  The aim of this study was to isolate lactic acid bacteria from chilli waste and evaluate metabolites produced for the ability to arrest wood decay.

Methods and Results:  Using an optical density screening method, one bacterium (isolate C11) was identified as having pronounced antifungal properties against Oligoporus placenta. This isolate was identified as Lactobacillus brevis by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. To determine antifungal activity in wood, Pinus radiata blocks were impregnated with Lact. brevis [C11] cell-free supernatant and exposed to brown rot fungi O. placenta, Antrodia xantha and Coniophora puteana. The treated timber demonstrated resistance to degradation from all fungi. The antifungal metabolites were heat stable and not affected by proteinase K, but were affected by neutralization with NaOH suggesting the metabolites were of an acidic nature. The presence of lactic and acetic acid was confirmed by HPLC analysis.

Conclusions: Lactobacillus brevis [C11] produced acidic metabolites that were able to inhibit the growth of wood decay fungi and subsequent wood decay.

Significance and Impact of the Study:  Traditional wood treatments are becoming an environmental issue as the public demands more benign options. The use of lactic acid bacteria which are considered safe for general use is a potential alternative to the conventional heavy metal chemicals currently in use.

year: 2011