Led by 20-year-old Te Whetu Kerekere (Te Aitanga a Mahaki, Te Aitanga a Hauiti) and 21-year-old Gemella Ana Hera Reynolds-Hatem (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāi Tahu Poutini, Ngāti Mamoe, Waitaha) this project translated and reconceptualised a University of Otago genetics resource for schools called ‘Who killed the Kiwi?’

The pair worked to redesign the resource in a way that ensures students and teachers can engage with science, without having to leave their Māoritanga at the door. Named, ‘Mā Wai te Kiwi i Matenga?’ The resource pack is a hands-on, fun, educational tool that uses real-world science lab techniques.

“I remember thinking about when I was at kura kaupapa and we had hardly any science,” Kerekere says. “Imagine a little pēpi somewhere in kura doing this task and it sparks their passion for science.”

Kerekere and Reynolds-Hatem hope to distribute the resource to kura kaupapa and wharekura around the country to help increase the capacity of students, teachers, and scientists in a way that upholds the integrity of dual knowledge systems.