Phd candidate

Awhina Ngatuere

Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington

Awhina, raised in Tauranga Moana, is a proud māmā, strategist, Māori business owner, and Chief Executive of Toi Kai Rawa. A product of Kōhanga Reo and Kura Kaupapa Māori, she is dedicated to Māori-led innovation and creating futures where her mokopuna can flourish and thrive. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Auckland and a Master’s in Māori and Indigenous Leadership from the University of Canterbury, where her research explored the deep relationship between her tribal community and the waterways near her marae. Awhina is currently undertaking her doctoral studies at Victoria University of Wellington, focusing on how ancestral knowledge and western science can support her marae’s future in the face of climate change.