Inaugural Lecture of Professor Marama Muru-Lanning

The Faculty of Arts and Education invites you to join us in celebrating Professor Marama Muru-Lanning' achievements by attending her inaugural lecture.

Venue: University of Auckland Old Government House | 24 Princes Street, Auckland Central

Lecture hall: Lecture Theatre 102-G36

Time: Lecture 5.30- 6.30pm | Drinks Reception 6.30-7.30pm

Celebratory refreshments will be held after the inaugural lecture.

About the lecture :

Sowing the Seeds of Rongo: A time for relationships, reciprocity and peace-making.

Kotahi te kōhao o te ngira e kuhuna ai te miro mā, te miro pango, te miro whero.

Ā muri, kia mau ki te whakapono, kia mau ki ngā ture, kia mau ki te aroha.

Through the eye of the needle pass the white thread, the black thread, and the red thread.

After I am gone hold fast to faith, hold fast to the law and hold fast to love.

This whakatauākī by King Pootatau Te Wherowhero drives my commitment to scholarship, teaching, and my students. The proverb has implications for making connections and collaborating with others towards a shared and unifying vision. Over the past 25 years, with sound guidance from mentors, colleagues and whānau, I have developed a body of work dedicated to communities who prioritise tikanga in their daily lives while also striving for peace, equity and rights through relationships of inter-dependence and reciprocity. These bonds are critical at this time of heightened anxiety and economic austerity.

Working closely with kaumātua and kaitiaki groups I have co-created works that describe the vibrant places and irreplaceable worlds of remote and often vulnerable communities. Together we emphasise the need for marginalised Māori voices to be heard and for their stories, ideas, and aspirations to be told in a way that upholds tangata whenua place in Aotearoa - reflecting a commitment to future generations with the desire for our descendants and other life forms to not only survive but thrive in this country. In this personal reflection, I traverse my relationship with anthropology focussing on core aspects of the discipline that may help us to recognise, nurture and grow what we value most.

About the speaker:

As an environmental anthropologist I focus on the cultural specificity of tangata whenua communities and their unique sense of place and belonging in Aotearoa. My professional expertise includes co-designing projects with Māori communities especially coastal and river people, kaumātua hauora and wellbeing, and ecological consciousness. More recently a new-found passion for harvesting from fruit trees and gardening has driven my research interests in food security, kai sovereignty and food supply politics. My social science and anthropology practice is differentiated by prioritising: 1. Kaitiakitanga; 2. Human-environment relationships; 3. Reciprocity; and 4. Transdisciplinary methods.

I was raised at Tūrangawaewae Marae, a potent living memorial to the multitude of Māori ancestors who died from the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918. My whakapapa connects me to Waikato, Ngāti Maniapoto and Ngāti Whātua.

Think GREEN! - registration is for catering purposes only, no need to print out your ticket

Getting to the venue: The Faculty of Arts and Educations' buildings are conveniently located at the heart of the University's City Campus and are easily accessible via many forms of public transport. For further information on public transport schedules, visit the Auckland Transport website. For those driving in, further information on parking options can be found here.