Whāinga (Objectives)

This collaboration is a Kaupapa Māori (utilizing Māori values and perspectives to obtain Māori goals) archaeological approach to Māori history in the Heretaunga area of the Hawke’s Bay region of New Zealand’s North Island. Our focus is on Māori leaders over the course of six centuries and places of power which embody the mana (power, spirituality) of the tangata whenua (the people of the land). It serves as a model of moving beyond indigenous archaeology towards a full research partnership that gives primacy to Māori perspectives and concerns. We also aim to make contributions to the anthropological study of social complexity and warfare. The accounts of leaders, places, and conflicts that we present are simply not obtainable in most research areas. We also examine the role of female leaders, a most understudied topic. Both issues are reviewed as is the potential of our approach to provide fresh insights and interpretations. As is appropriate in Māoritanga (Māori culture) and tikanga (custom, value, protocol) the four co-authors introduce ourselves in order to establish our identities and credentials and to pay respect to the people, places, and events discussed in the book.