Fulbright New Zealand and Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, New Zealand’s Māori Centre of Research Excellence, are delighted to announce that Dr Hona Black (Tūhoe, Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Te Whakatōhea, Tūwharetoa) is the 2024 recipient of the Fulbright-Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Scholar Award to undertake research in the US.
Hona is a Senior Lecturer at Te Pūtahi-a-Toi: The School of Māori Knowedge, at Massey University. He will travel to the University of Hawai’i, where he will explore language interference with te reo Māori and the Hawaiian language.
Hona Black says, “I have a love of te reo Māori, and I like to focus on ways to help make it more accessible to all. Language interference has always been an issue with te reo, and have always thought it would be interesting to explore it with similar languages, such as the Hawaiian language. I see this award as an opportunity to establish relationships with experts from Hawai’i as well as to share knowledge and experiences between our languages.”
Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Co-Director, Professor Linda Nikora (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Porou) says, “Fulbright and Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga are once again supporting a top Māori scholar to pursue further academic study in the USA. We wish Hona all the best in his academic adventures in the hope that his research will serve flourishing Māori futures.”
Fulbright New Zealand Executive Director Penelope Borland says, “We are so pleased to be supporting Hona’s research with this well-merited award. Hona’s project clearly demonstrates the power of international exchange, and I am sure that his experience in Hawai’i will be of considerable value to his research back home in Aotearoa.”
The Fulbright-Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Scholar Award is for a New Zealand academic, artist or professional to lecture and/or conduct research at a US institution in the field of Indigenous development. One award valued at up to US$37,500 is granted each year, towards three to five months of lecturing and/or research. Previous recipients include Dr Hinekura Smith (Te Rarawa, Ngā Puhi), Dr Will Flavell (Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Whatua, Tainui, Ngāti Maniapoto) and Dr Rangi Matamua (Ngai Tuhoe).
Applications for the award will open in Autumn 2024 and close on 1 October.
About Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga
Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga (NPM), New Zealand’s Māori Centre of Research Excellence, is hosted at the University of Auckland comprising 22 research partners and conducting research of relevance to Māori communities.
The NPM vision is Māori leading New Zealand into the future. NPM research realises Māori aspirations for positive engagement in national life, enhances our excellence in Indigenous scholarship and provides solutions to major challenges facing humanity in local and global settings. www.maramatanga.ac.nz