Professor Massey University

Dr Huhana Smith (Ngāti Tukorehe, Raukawa ki te Tonga), is a researcher tackling pressing environmental issues from freshwater to marine health and climate change impacts on coastal ancestral lands and biodiversity in Kuku, Horowhenua, both in New Zealand and globally.

As a co-curator with Te Waituhi ā Nuku: Drawing Ecologies, Huhana spearheads large-scale projects blending Māori values and action-oriented art and design. Exhibitions like the Kuku Biochar Project showcased at the Govett Brewster Art Gallery, serve as platforms to present potential solutions to environmental challenges faced by Māori and broader communities.

Currently, Huhana is part of a team in Horowhenua-Kāpiti, using Māori knowledge alongside mapping technologies, landscape architecture and sciences to reduce climate change impacts on Ngāti Tukorehe's coastal Tahamata Incorporation farm. This latest mapping and photogrammetry drone-based project not only aids in emissions reduction planning, but also makes this information accessible to local Māori coastal landowners, with broader benefits for surrounding communities.