Mātauranga Māori Science Fair Applies Traditional Thinking To Modern-Day Problems

Scoop

05-07-2025

A Rotorua-based science fair engaging tamariki in mātauranga Māori is expanding its registrations to the entire country for the first time.
Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā Mātauranga Māori Science and Design Fair is run by Te Arawa Lakes Trust and, this year, it will be held from 23-25 July at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre.
Te Arawa Lakes Trust environment manager William Anaru (Te Arawa) said the fair began as an idea five years ago to engage more tamariki around Rotorua in science.
"The science fair wasn't just aimed at your traditional western science model, we also incorporated mātauranga Māori, sustainable design, we've got an art component and, this year, we are looking at climate resilience."
Since it began, the fair has grown significantly, with a huge variety of projects, from exhibits on rongoā Māori to a camera used to identify invasive catfish, he said.
"Last year, the winner of the science fair, their team actually put in an exhibition that looked at whether or not Hinemoa could hear the flute of Tutanekai, when the sound was going across the lake, so the level of things that kids are testing these days is pretty remarkable."
The team determined that, yes, Hinemoa could have heard Tutanekai's koauau] (flute) across the waters of Rotorua, although Anaru said, these days, there was a lot more background noise.
"It's not just baking soda volcanoes - there's quite a lot of variety," he said.
Anaru said Te Arawa Lakes Trust had always intended to expand the fair beyond Rotorua. This year, students as far afield as Fielding, Tokoroa, Auckland and Whangārei had entered.
"We just want to continue to grow it and grow it and grow it, because some of the ideas that these kids have, they are pretty awesome to hear.
"It's all about providing a platform for them to showcase their ideas and show it to an audience that is open to soaking up some of that stuff."
Mātauranga Māori has assisted larger projects in the Rotorua, such as uwhi - a large harakeke mat that was used to suppress invasive weeds on the lake beds, he said.
"There are definitely things that our ancestors - not just the ancestors of Māori, but from around the world - there's ideas that have been shared for thousands of years between different groups.
"There's elements of all those ideas that input into modern science, as well as mātauranga, so I do think there are solutions for everything that we've got facing us."
Anaru said people just had to be open and willing to adopt some of those ideas, and that was why they wanted to give children from around the North Island a platform to showcase their ideas.
Whangamarino School principal Rehua Mihaka (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Rongomai) said they have been involved with the fair for the last two years.
Last year, projects among the school students focussed on the water quality of Lake Rotoiti, which was right on the school's doorstep.
"This was really good for our tuākana [older class] to actually monitor the mauri - or the life of our waters - how clean it was, how polluted it was and gauge what can we do as kaitiaki to fix te mauri o te wai."
At this stage, Mihaka said having a hands-on experience might not mean a lot to the kids, but one day, they might look back, and realise the connection between water quality and health.
"Ko te kōrero ka hoatu au ki ngā tamariki, ki te ora te wai ka ora te whenua, ka pērā hoki ki te ora te whenua ka ora te wai, ki te ora te wai me te whenua ka ora te tangata.
"It's all about us giving back to our taiao [environment] and those are the sorts of teachings we want our tamariki to come away with."
The fair definitely improves the tamariki's understanding of the western sciences, as well as mātauranga Māori, he said.
When the kids see mātauranga Māori and western science being treated equally, they get very excited.
"Ka tino harikoa ngā tamariki ki te kite i te tauritetanga o ngā mātauranga Māori ki tō ngā mātauranga pūtaiao.