We are pleased to announce the recipients of the Māori Cancer Researcher Awards 2025.
Robbie Richardson
Read about Robbie Richardson, one of our Māori Cancer Research Award recipients.
Te Rongo ā Mangamāhoe - Whānau Flourishing as Whānau
Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Tukorehe, Ngāti Hauiti ki Rata, Te Whanau a Apanui, Ngāti Tuwharetoa
Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi
Māori Cancer Researcher Awards – PhD Scholarship (2 years)
This study uses a papakainga framework as a case study at Mangamāhoe, our whānau ancestral home, to ask: in what ways does papakāinga facilitate the expression of Rongoā at Mangamāhoe? Living together strengthens whānau through Rongoā and a deep connection to whenua and tupuna. However, our whenua sits in the red zone for PFAS contamination from the bordering Air Force Base - with PFOS found at the highest levels, alongside cancer causing PFOA and other PFAS (Ministry for the Environment, 2019). These man-made chemicals move with water and do not break down, lasting for more than 150 years in the whenua (EPA, 2023). Our korero tuku iho aims to reveal past and present impacts guiding how to keep whānau safe now and protecting mokopuna for the future. This kaupapa shows papakainga as a source of strength and collective action when facing long-term contamination and health risks.