ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AWANUI TE HUIA
Kaupapa Māori researcher, teacher of te reo Māori, Māori research methods, māmā and advocate for te reo Māori reclamation.
Ka takahia tēnei ara i runga i te mōhio kua whakaritea kētia te huarahi mā tātou e rātou mā. My diverse experiences allow me to share learnings with you and your hapori. My goal is to enable as many whānau as possible to know the beauty that comes with working through te reo reclamation, including rangatiratanga over our thoughts and hauora.
MY STORY
Growing up, my exposure to te reo Māori was limited. Outside of programmes like Te Karere, opportunities to hear and use the language were rare. I attended kōhanga reo in Waimārama and later a bilingual unit in Ahipara, but in many of the schools I attended, being Māori, and speaking te reo, was far from normal.
A number of shifts began when I attended Kapiti College in 1998. Senior students and our kaiako, Paora Trim, helped instil a different appreciation for te reo. By the end of college, only three of us remained in the class and I was determined to continue.
At Te Herenga Waka Vic Uni, where I majored in te reo Māori and psychology, I formed lifelong friendships and strengthened my commitment to the language. Later, living in Japan transformed my understanding of language learning. I learned Japanese through everyday interactions, from neighbours, shopkeepers, and train stations, and realised that language flourishes in communities. I understood then, that if te reo Māori was to grow in my life, I needed to be surrounded by it.
Returning home, I committed to attending full-immersion Kura Reo. These experiences strengthened both my language ability and my sense of belonging within a reo community. This path led me to Te Panekiretanga o te Reo, where our learning was rigorously tested, refined, and nurtured by kaiako and peers.
These experiences informed my doctoral research, which explored the psychological factors that support or inhibit te reo Māori use in our lives. Over nearly two decades of teaching, research, and working alongside whānau, educators, and organisations, I have seen how powerful it is when environments intentionally affirm the value of te reo Māori and our mātāpono.
Today, my work brings together research, community knowledge, and lived experience to support sustainable reo use across homes, education settings, and organisations. Ko tūmanako ia, ka rongo tātou katoa i te reka o te kai a te mātauranga kua whakaritea e ngā mātua tūpuna. I hope that we all come to experience the richness of the knowledge prepared for us by our tūpuna.
FEATURED MEDIA
FEATURED RESEARCH
AWARD WINNING EDUCATOR
Associate Professor Awanui Te Huia is a recipient of Ako Aotearoa Sustained Excellence in Tertiary Teaching Award (Kaupapa Māori Category), recognising her outstanding contribution to reo Māori education and kaupapa Māori research at Te Herenga Waka; Victoria University of Wellington.
Her teaching is known for creating enjoyable, creative, and safe spaces that empower learners. Her teaching approach weaves together psychology, kaupapa Māori methods, and innovative tools to make te reo Māori accessible and inspiring for current and future learners. This nationally recognised Award affirms not only her academic excellence but also her passion for guiding Māori on their journey through to te reo Māori reclamation. She also creates environments where Pākehā learners of te reo Māori can engage in ways that are responsive to their environments and conducive for ongoing relationship development.
READY TO WORK TOGETHER?
Whether you’re someone looking to progress through your own reo journey, you’re a whānau or an organisation, our first step in working together will happen through a conversation. Book a one-on-one kōrero with me so that we can explore how we might work together to support your goals. Tēnā rawa atu koe! Thank you for taking the time to visit this website.
