Mātauranga Māori Contestable Grants

Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga is excited to announce the launch of the Mātauranga Māori Contestable Grants program.

Twenty grants of up to $25,000 are available to iwi, hapū and hāpori Māori for projects supporting revitalisation of vulnerable mātauranga Māori.

Applications open: 12 July 2021 - 20 August 2021

10 ANCESTRAL LANDSCAPE grants will support retention and transmission of kōrero tuku iho as well as traditional practices within ancestral places in four broad areas of cultural mapping, maramataka, waka haerenga and kohatu.

Ancestral Landscapes can include:

• cultural mapping for iwi and hapū to gather their matauranga-a-rohe
• ancestral waka landing sites
• uruuru whenua and boundary markers
• ara tūpuna and ara wairua
• rua kōiwi
• mauri rocks and rua kōhatu
• Atua representations
• mahinga kai and mahinga toi
• wānanga and star-gazing sites and kōrero
• wāhi taniwha and places associated with tūpuna of the area (this also includes rituals such as tohi ahurewa, tuahu and wāhi whenua)
• waiata

10 MĀORI BUILT HERITAGE grants will support projects within four areas:

Traditional building projects including:

• whare Māori aspects such as pātaka, earth floor post and beam construction, raupō insulation
• many types of fibre lining such as toetoe
• temporary constructions such as whare nikau
• retention of traditional paints such as kōkōwai
• restorative arts practices relating to whakairo, tukutuku, whariki, kowhaiwhai
• traditional stone and metal tool making alongside management and propagation of natural cultural materials for repair and renewal.

Tārai waka projects will focus on preserving and building smaller waka such as mokihi, waka tētē and waka tīwai for mahinga kai practices.

Mahinga kai projects will focus on eel traps and weirs, coastal fishing traps, hooks and netting

Māra kai projects will focus around maramataka and specific mātauranga about rua structures, gardening sites and food preservation techniques.

For more information, please contact our Taituarā Sophia at SNewton2@heritage.org.nz