Abstract:
Wāhine Māori have always been significant within te ao Māori. They held mana and rangatiratanga, the authority to act for themselves. Many wāhine Māori were instrumental to the wellbeing of their communities, played considerable roles in the building the identity of their whānau, hapū and iwi and were leaders in their own right. However the mana and significance of wāhine Māori was severely impacted and detrimentally transformed through the introduction of colonial patriachial systems. This thesis is located in Kāwhia and tracks the Māori perspective and histories of significant wāhine tūpuna by exploring the pūrakau within cosmology, ancestral landscapes and the roles of grandmothers. I then review these stories to understand how wāhine tūpuna actions influence the lives of wāhine Māori of Kāwhia today and the actions they take as kaitaiki of the area. These understandings are framed from interviews held with three wāhine Māori, who whakapapa to Kāwhia and are active kaitiaki within the area. I also draw upon Mātauranga Māori to illustrate the strength and resilience of wāhine Māori who continue to practice Māori ways of being and doing.
