Ko te pae tawhiti whāia kia tata
ko te pae tata whakamaua kia tina
Seek out distant horizons, and cherish those you attain
Welcome. Nau mai, haere mai.
From windy mountain tops to still forests, from the chemistry lab to philosophy out walking the land, from whānau homes beside Kāwhia harbour, to marae on Rēkohu (the Chatham Islands) and throughout Aotearoa, and to Antarctica and back home again; I, and this research, have been supported by my family and communities across New Zealand for many years. He mihi nui ki a koutou.
I have two main research themes, that I write more about on the following pages. First, ecological knowledge; evolutionary ecology, and especially foraging behaviour, including isotope and nutrient analyses of diet; and secondly, socioecological relationships, including cultural environmental management. They represent some of my passions, and I hope you enjoy reading about this research too.
On these pages, I provide resources such as infographics, interviews and stories that are drawn from the research for you to read, listen to, and use. You can also access the academic papers directly from this site.
Latest news
I had a wonderful day with the graduands of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Canterbury in December 2020, after receiving a 2020 Inspirational Alumna Award.
I am honoured to be chosen as one of the 2020 nine stars of Matariki by the Government Women’s Network. GWN is is an employee-led network creating change that will enable all women in the public sector to achieve their potential.
MSc student Adele Parli had her work on wētā personality and baits featured in NZ Geographic. Read about it here
I spoke recently on Te Ao Tapatahi, Māori TV about the Māori Antarctica: Ka mua, ka muri research project, free film and seminar series that started online 27 July 2020. Join us!
The booklet Ka kawe nga kī i te Tonga – To carry the knowledge from the South introducing and framing the kaupapa about Māori and Antarctica is now available.
Upcoming publications:
- Wehi PM, Whaanga H, Watene K, Steeves TE. 2020. Mātauranga as knowledge, process and practice in Aotearoa New Zealand. In: Handbook of Indigenous Environmental Knowledge: Global themes and practice. Eds. T. Thornton and S. Bhagwat. Routledge. doi: 10.31235/osf.io/4ba6f
- Wehi PM & Roa T 2021. Reciprocal relationships: identity, tradition and food in the Kīngitanga poukai. Invited book chapter. In: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Participation and Food Justice. Ed. Clement Loos. University of Arkansas Press. doi: 10.31235/osf.io/tz746
- Wehi PM, Hetaraka TW, Robinson F, Hetaraka P, York J. 2021. Māori whakairo in Antarctica. In: Antarctic Resolution. Eds. Guilia Foscari / UNLESS. Lars Muller Publishers. (expected publication date May 2021).
