Isaac McIvor, Winner of the 2021 3MT Doctoral Final
Topic: Ancestral places at the interface of mātauranga Māori and archaeology
Summary of 3MT presentation: Research at the interface of mātauranga Māori and archaeology is critical to generating knowledge about Aotearoa New Zealand’s past. My research explores this interface to understand when and why ancestral Māori fortified spaces, or pā, were constructed across the Waikato landscape.
What school of studies are you in?
Te Pua Wānanga ki te Ao – Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies
Why did you choose your PhD topic?
It was part of an already established project led by University of Waikato Professor Alan Hogg, supported by a Marsden Fund grant.
I was working at Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga as an archaeologist at the time, and the opportunity aligned with my interest and career going forward. So I decided to take the plunge.
The project was set up as an archaeological radiocarbon dating project looking at old palisade posts, or pou tūwatawata, preserved in wetlands pā along lakes and rivers around the Waikato region.
Some of these pā are more than 400 years old. Not only are they archaeological sites, they are also wāhi tapu, or sacred places, where people have strong relationships through whakapapa (genealogy), whakataukī (proverbs) and through kōrero tuku iho (oral histories).
Mātauranga Māori is so rich in the Waikato, and by incorporating this with archaeology we can develop a more comprehensive understanding of how pā developed - they are not just the physical remains.
Who are your supervisors?
My principal supervisor is Associate Professor Tom Roa and my secondary supervisors are Dr Waikaremoana Waitoki and Professor Alan Hogg.
Why did you enter the 3MT competition?
When I was doing my masters at Auckland University six or seven years ago, I had friends who had entered into it for masters and PhDs. They had good experiences and said it’s a really good way, part way through your study, to mentally consolidate the main points of your research. I could see it as a tool to think through and clarify in my own mind what the hell I was doing.
I get nervous about public speaking, but I also like a challenge. It was also a good opportunity to get the word out about what I was doing.
What was the experience like for you?
I went into it thinking I’d be happy if I presented well.
The process of writing the speech, and meeting students from outside my little world, and presenting on stage has been a challenge, but worth it.
I would recommend it to others. It's definitely a challenge. It takes more time and mental space than I thought it would.
Speaking on stage in front of an audience was really scary. We had rehearsals during the day of the event. I completely blanked half way through my speech. Luckily that didn’t happen when I presented in the evening. I was still nervous, but when I looked out everyone was smiling and nodding their heads.
How did it feel to be on the stage, and to be the winner?
I didn’t expect to win. I was in disbelief. I still feel weird about it. Like many other grad students, I have a sense of imposter syndrome. I’m trying to acknowledge the work I’ve done to get where I am.
How have you combined mātauranga Māori and archaeological and western scientific approaches in your research?
Indigenous researchers across the world have been interfacing Indigenous and western sciences for decades. I am just adding my bit to these legacies.
To interface mātauranga Māori and western science I have tried to start by recognising how those bodies of knowledge are structured.
With archaeology, a big part of that is using tools such as radiocarbon dating to determine when events occurred in the past based on what is left behind today.
In mātauranga Māori, whakapapa connects tūpuna (ancestors) and kanohi ora (living descendants) to one another and to place. This same network of relationships connects people to pūrākau (narratives), whakataukī (proverbs) and pēpehā (tribal sayings). Whakapapa must therefore be central to how we look at the cultural heritage landscapes.
I recognise the structure of both systems and try to look at the space in between, that interface, that can be approached without compromising one or the other. It’s about placing them next to each other and looking at how both can inform the broader research and how that can help our understanding of pā and cultural landscapes in Aotearoa New Zealand.
What have been the highlights of your research?
Sitting down with people face-to-face at wānanga with knowledge holders, and hearing them recount their own life stories about how they relate to a place [has been a highlight]. I have come away incredibly humbled that they have been willing to share their thoughts and memories.
I have also enjoyed supporting the archaeology team, and doing surveys and excavations under the tikanga of local marae. We have worked on pā with known histories and to uncover amazingly well preserved wooden taonga (sacred objects) and other remains in the wetland environments. It has been very humbling.
What is your whakapapa (genealogy)?
I descend from ancestors from Tainui, England, Ireland, Scotland (and maybe Norway).
As a teenager I think my journey began in connecting to my taha Māori (Māori side). Studying and working in archaeology and spending time with whānau has also fostered this part of me.
It has been good to be able to share what experience I have in heritage management and support various kaupapa of Ngāti Patupō (at Aotea Harbour) to whom I affiliate. I owe a lot to my mentors who have supported me in this journey.
What is next for you?
I will be representing the University of Waikato in the semi-finals of the Asia-Pacific Virtual 3MT Competition on September 27. It is a virtual event, hosted by the University of Queensland.
My PhD is ongoing. Funding runs out at the end of May 2022, so hopefully I will be submitting in May.
Want to read about our other winners? Click here to find out about Runner up, Sana Oladi.