Māori in Engineering

The final episode of the Māori in Engineering podcast series, reflecting on He Kura Nā Rātā, He Kura Pūkaha is now live! Episode 5: Amani Tilialo, Lupesina Koro, Ariana George and I have a kōrero on their reflections of the wānanga, serving as kaitūao, and their vision of what the future of engineering industry could look like as they walk with it. Tēnā rawa atu ki a rātou.  Ariana, Amani, and Lup...

He waka kōtuia kāhore e tukutukua ngā mimira. A canoe that is interlaced, will never become loosened. In unity there is strength. Episode 4: Craig Watson, Sarah Witts and I have a kōrero on their reflections of attending the wānanga as tangata tiriti, and what ‘getting serious about being tangata tiriti’ actually looks like. Ngā mihi ki a rāua. Hei āpōpō for the final episode of this series sharin...

Te Moana Nui a Kiwa Whakapukahatanga Ihi South Pacific Professional Engineering Excellence (Te Mana Kiwi SPPEEx) held the Dinner and Awards evening on the second night. The hoe, carved from kauri rākau, were gifted to acknowledge; ​ Tētēkura (Legacy) hoe bears intricate designs, signifying a legacy of profound influence. Pōua Gerry Te Kapa Coates. ​ Te Ngaru Whakateo (Current) hoe features subtle...

He Kura Nā Rātā, He Kura Pūkaha  is a wānanga celebrating Māori in Engineering. In 2025, it was held over three days in Tāmaki Makaurau, hosted at Waipapa Taumata Rau. This five episode mini-series shares the reflections from the wānanga. Rā tuatahi was all about exploring the past and present of Māori in Engineering. Hear from Mia Goodsell - Matthews, L'Rey Renata , and Mason Popata as they s...

He Kura Nā Rātā, He Kura Pūkaha  is a wānanga celebrating Māori in Engineering. In 2025, it was held over three days in Tāmaki Makaurau, hosted at Waipapa Taumata Rau. This five episode mini-series shares the reflections from the wānanga. Hear from members of the organising rōpū - Wharehuia Dixon, Harota Lose, Deena Tapara, and Byron Konia - as they share whakaaro behind the intentional threads th...

Grace Walker (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngaruahine) and Jake Campbell (Te Rarawa) are the Founders of Tautoko Tech - a novel insulin pump with wrap around software support.  Their mission is to empower people with diabetes to live with confidence and ease from the moment of diagnosis.  They share their journey from academia to entrepreneurship, meeting at a Māori and Indigenous Doctoral Conference and crea...

Byron Konia (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou, Dutch) shares his journey to now holding a dual role as a Senior Mechanical Engineer and Māori Advisor. He shares his whakaaro through the lense of his mahi on the challenges the industry of the extreme weather patterns and the current political environment. We also take this episode as an opportunity to imagine what kotahitanga could look like for Māori...

Maria Ngawati (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Porou) is a Māmā, CEO of Indigishare, Te Taumata Wāhine in Tech 2024 trade delegate, and PhD candidate researching ways for indigenous support and advancement - and, so much more. In this episode, she talks on the variety of mahi she’s involved in, brings the perspective of a Māmā to an engineering student going through university with his reo rangatira, a...

Kerin Brockbank (Te Rarawa) shares her story of working as a Reservoir Engineer in the geothermal space, the Wairākei geothermal power development’s impact, and her experience of being Māori in the engineering industry. Reservoir engineering is all about dealing with the stuff that’s harnessing the energy that is deep underground - getting up to 3 kilometres deep. I hope you enjoy Kerin’s really h...

L'Rey Renata (Ngāpuhi, Tainui, Ngai Te Rangi) is a Māma, Water Engineer, PhD candidate, and Board Member in the engineering industry. One year into her PhD at Waipapa Taumata Rau, she talks about her thinking of re-defining engineering best practice through an indigenous Te Ao Māori lense, the intention of her findings to be pillar for engineering professionals. An absolute privilege to record...

Kia ora rā tātou. It's been three years (!) of hearing from awesome Māori in this awesome industry so I thought it was time I re-introduce the kaupapa. This episodes acts as a reset and goes in to the 'what', 'why', 'how', 'who' of this podcast kaupapa. This episode was made possible through the funding support from Engineering New Zealand Te Ao Rangahau 2023 Grant Programme.

Grant Kauri (Ngāti Raukawa, Rangitāne) works as the Owner Interface Manager for Waka Kotahi for Te Ahu a Turanga - Manawatū Tararua Highway project. It is the first construction project where iwi are partners at the governance level. In this episode, he speaks about his journey of engineering through the cadet pathway and some of the many intricacies of the massive project that is Te Ahu a Turanga...

Episode 27 we hear from Kate Walker (Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Te Arawa, Ngāi Tuhoe) who is tuning in from Ruatōria. Kate is an Environmental Consultant with Poipoia Ltd - Poipoia, founded by Tina Porou, creates spaces and opportunities for kaitiakitanga to lead the way in caring for our natural environment in Aotearoa.  She speaks on exactly what creating space and opportunities for kaitia...

In this episode, Dr Emily Afoa (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāpuhi) shares her values driven journey that’s seen her deep in the academia, consultancy and governance spaces within the engineering industry. Emily is a Chartered Environmental Engineer, Pou Whakarae | Director at Tektus Consultants Limited, Board Member of Association of Consulting and Engineering (ACE) New Zealand and so much more. Her heart...

Raharuhi Koia (Ngāti Porou) is a Pāpā based in Ō Tautahi with his whānau. Raharuhi holds a frank and open kōrero about his life as a Structural Engineer, one of that as a Māori Engineer and what it means to be a good mentor in this changing space. This episode is supported by Te Ao Rangahau Engineering NZ Grant Programme 2023. Enjoy e te iwi!

Paraone Luiten-Apirana (Ngāti Hikairo, Te Arawa, Ngāi Tūhoe) was a kaikōrero in Episode 12. A year and a half later, we recorded this episode ā-tinana and talked about where his life is at now. When we last spoke, Paraone was studying towards his hefty conjoint degree in Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) specialising in mechanical at Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckla...

Josiah Simmonds (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Ranginui) is doing amazing things the engineering industry. During the episode, he discusses his journey to his career in the stormwater space, what it's like and the 'why' behind working towards the spaces he is now in. Josiah received acknowledgement of his career to date through receiving the title of Young Stormwater Professional of the Year 2023, sponsore...

Bub Konia and Richard Templer are both amazing people in their own right. Their common place of mahi - Te Ao Rangahau | Engineering New Zealand - is one of the things that ties them together and the reason for this paired episode. Bub and Richard speak to the past and present journey the organisation has and is on in embedding te ao Māori in to the engineering industry. The kōrero is centred aroun...

Soltice Morrison (Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Maniapoto) is an amazing wahine Māori and a wonderful friend of mine since moving to Te Whanganui a Tara. Her mahi has been as a Geoenvironmental Consultant at Aurecon and she has shaped her career to now support the company’s He Rautaki Māori | Māori Strategy. Soltice is also learning te reo Māori on top of full-time mahi and has been involved in awesome kau...

Kia ora tātou! Episode 20 hears from Taane Taiepa (Tūhoe, Ngāti Whare). Taane's mahi is developing the digital space, he also gives to the kaupapa of Te Matarau, Māori Tech Association (more about Te Matarau here: https://www.tematarau.tech ). In this kōrero he shares: what he does at mahi and Te Matarau, his life as a graduate and theme throughout is backing yourself to go for opportunities. Enjo...

Awesome to catch up with Georgina Stokes (Ngāi Tahu) - someone who is an incredible thinker in the spatial design space and inspiration to those she lectures at Tai Rāuwharangi College of Creative Art at Massey University kei Te Whanganui a Tara. Georgina is an overall awesome wahine, pretty evident in the way she communicates so passionately with the work she has done in whakapapa plotting to bet...

In this episode we hear kōrero from Shannon Te Huia (Ngāti Maniapoto). His mahi today is Te Pou Tāhūhū of Pūnui River Care Inc. where the kaupapa is a Marae based initiative to restore Pūnui awa while providing employment and work experiences for local people in the rohe. He talks on bringing Māoridom out of the marae to other spaces, being a kaitiaki in a wairuia  as well as  physical s...

Lincoln Timoteo hails from Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Toa, Te Āti Awa, Ingarangi/England, Airani/Ireland, through the whakapapa from his Māmā and ngā motu o Tokelau through the whakapa from his Pāpā. Lincoln (among other things) is a Pāpā, husband, an engineer, a consultant and a student of te reo Māori where he attends kura at Te Wānanga o Raukawa in Ōtaki. We share kōrero on what his life is like at t...

Eremia Tapsell (Te Arawa, Ngāti Pukenga, Ngāti Porou) was born and raised in Maketū and now a Structural Engineer for Buro Happold in Hong Kong. We talk on Eremia’s life and journey he has been on to get to where he is today. Eremia takes a realistic approach to things and are many awesome and insightful asides to his kōrero. He really highlights the different opportunities available that come fro...

Great to share kōrero with Hari Smith (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hinerangi) who is a cadet civil engineer with GHD based out Taumarunui. He is passionate about figuring out ways we can “kick the stone that one bit further” to benefit all of us as people. His unique story provides so many gold nuggets, so I hope you enjoy e te iwi. Find Ngāti Hinerangi iwi Whare Kōrero Part 3 of 3, 2016 here: https://youtu.be...