November 06, 2015
Marsden funds korowai research
Working out where ancient cloaks were made could become possible through Marsden Fund research.
The Royal Society of New Zealand is giving $690,000 over three years to Dr Karyne Rogers of GNS Science and Te Papa curator Rangi Te Kanawa to find out where weavers traditionally sourced the iron-rich paru or mud to dye their muka or flax fibre.
Chemical analysis will allow the origins of cloaks held in the museum to be identified and connections made with iwi.
Other grants with a Maori focus include $685,000 for a team led by Auckland University Professor Dame Anne Salmond to explore the unique intellectual history of Maori from 1900-1950, where Maori and European ideas, institutions and technologies were interwoven.
Dr Phil Ross from the University of Waikato will look at historic farming of toheroa shellfish by Maori.
Marsden Fund Council chair, Professor Juliet Gerrard, says Maori are the principal investigators in 5.3 percent of in the successful proposals, which reflects the capacity building that has been under way for several years and, in particular, the emphasis on encouraging Maori to study right through to the PhD level.
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