Nau mai, haere mai ki tā mātou raupapa hou, ko 'Rangahau Māori Profiles'. Welcome to the first instalment of our new series, ‘Rangahau Māori Profiles’, featuring PhD researcher Mona-Lisa Wareka.
Ingoa/Name:
Mona-Lisa Wareka
Nō hea koe?/Where are you from?
I whānau mai au i Whangārei Terenga Paraoa, ko Whangaruru tōku kāinga hoki. Kei Tauranga Moana ahau e noho ana ināianei.
Iwi/Tribal affiliation:
I te taha o tōku Pāpā, he uri ahau nō Ngātiwai, Rereahu, Ngāi te Rangi me Ngāti Whātua ki Ōrākei hoki, I te taha o tōku Māmā, nō Ateria (Austria) ahau.
Degree:
PhD in Anthropology
University:
The University of Waikato
Tell us about yourself
I have been in, at and around the University of Waikato for the past ten years as a student, tutor, research assistant, tuakana/mentor, and teaching fellow. Since my last Graduate Stories post, I completed my MSocSc and a Diploma in Te Tohu Paetahi during the time of the pandemic, then began my PhD journey from the end of 2021. In terms of research interests, I am still very much interested in Rongoā Māori and wairuatanga/spirituality, Indigeneity and Indigenous anthropology, but in particular – as my PhD research pertains to – I have garnered an interest for ‘illegalised plant medicines’. Outside of academia, I enjoy spending time with my darling, as well as gaming, beading, cooking, or scrolling TikTok after a long day’s writing.
What drew you to anthropology?
From my first anthropology lecture in ANTH101, I saw that anthropology recognised the beauty in cultural diversity as a holistic and open-minded discipline. Personally, anthropology has helped me contextualise my own cultural worlds to understand myself better, especially as I (re)strengthen my connection to my taha Māori. If I am to be completely transparent, I believe what subconsciously drew me to anthropology from an early age was playing the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider series (lol). Not so much the looting of tombs as much as it was seeing the cultures that surrounded these great tombs — myths, legends, and stories of older worlds were actualised in videogame format that further sparked my interest to learn more about different cultures from an early age.
What are you currently working on?
I am currently at the crux of writing to complete my PhD thesis by the end of the year. My doctoral research ‘Restor(y)ing Taru Rauhea: An Ethnographic Narrative to the Māori-Cannabis Relationship’ looks to contextualise Māori engagements with cannabis within Aotearoa New Zealand. In my thesis, I examine how aspects of Te Ao Māori influence how Māori peopleengage with cannabis at every level of the cannabis cultural-commodity-chain, including growers, sellers, Green Fairies, consumers, and activists. Here, I observe how cannabis has been, in a sense, indigenised among Māori communities, while also trying to get an understanding of the impacts of cannabis prohibition for Māori. At the root of this relationship, I argue that cannabis is a vehicle utilised by Māori to resist settler colonialism. I am looking to produce a monograph and several articles from my doctoral research, so please watch this space. Ultimately, I would like for this research to inform transformative policy change that considers the developed significance of cannabis for rural Māori communities in particular, and seeks to recognise and empower the growers, distributors and consumers that have built the local legacy/illicit market.
How does your mahi rangahau empower Māori peoples, Reo, culture and/or communities?
In regards to cannabis’ presence in Aotearoa New Zealand, Māori perspectives, voices, knowledge and insight have been largely excluded from the narrative and history. Māori peoples’ relationships with cannabis are often externally-defined by statistics, reports and media, accompanied with a thick layer of stigma that often does not encapsulate the true essence nor depth of these engagements. This research, therefore, aims to be a platform point for Māori to begin redefining the narrative surrounding cannabis that serves to be both transformational and restorative. In my thesis, I emphasise that the Māori-cannabis relationship is rooted in settler-colonial resistance, is heavily influenced by aspects such as koha, manaakitanga and whakawhanaungatanga, and has a deeply-embedded, multi-faceted presence in Aotearoa New Zealand.
How have you found your time as a Māori anthropology student/researcher? What are your current influences?
Particularly through the Anthropology Programme at Waikato, it has been a safe space for me to navigate my own cultural identity and be Māori proudly. It has been an awesome privilege to not only see Māori at the front of my classrooms, but also become one such representative for Māori and Indigenous students through tutoring and teaching anthro papers over the past several years. Anthropology and Māori have shared a strongly interwoven relationship and whakapapa (genealogy) in the context of Aotearoa — though historically at times, this exchange was not equal or just, contemporary anthropology in Aotearoa, I believe, seeks to be Te Tiriti-centric and culturally respectful towards Māori people and custom. Just as I am of mixed ethnic heritage, I like to think that my kete mātauranga (knowledge basket) that I utilise within my research and writing is influenced by my taha Māori, taha Austria, and learnings in cultural anthropology. My current influences include the great anthropologists in the Anthropology Department at Waikato that I am, and have been, surrounded by as I’ve come through university. My chief supervisor especially, Dr Fiona McCormack, has remained a significant role model for me in my pursuit of an academic career in anthropology. As I continue with my thesis, I am also continually inspired and motivated by the stories and insight from those people at the margins, even within our own communities.
What are your future aspirations?
I would like to possibly pursue some postdoctoral research opportunities once I have defended and graduated with my PhD. For a while, I would like to publish several papers and possibly a monograph based on my thesis, but I have a desire to have a short break from study/work, and do some travel within the next few years. Eventually, I will continue pursuing my academic career, researching and teaching (hopefully) with the University of Waikato – but I’m keeping my options open!
What is something you would pass on to a prospective tauira Māori or Indigenous student interested in taking anthropology?
Anthropology is a really good subject if you want to take a step out and understand your own culture (and other cultures) within the context of the wider, global world. We know that the roots of anthropology have caused harm or aided in the oppression of Indigenous peoples, however, there are significant moves within the discipline (from Indigenous and non-Indigenous) to work towards advocating for oppressed peoples’ rights and ways of life. Indigenous anthropology also encourages Indigenous tauira and scholars to employ their unique cultural insight within the discipline and in transdisciplinary research, and so there are many ways in which anthropology can support you if you are interested in research to do with your own cultural worlds.
What direction would you like to see anthropology take in the future?
Throughout my PhD journey, I found that there is a noticeable lack in contemporary anthropological engagement in psychoactive and mind-altering substances. As illicit substances are being increasingly subject to corporatisation and pharmaceuticalisation, there is a significant part of the sociocultural aspect of substances being overlooked and in some cases disregarded entirely. It would be great to see more grassroots and ethnographic research particularly surrounding consumption and trade of substances in marginalised communities.
List of publications (including theses, journal articles, conference papers etc.):
Wareka, M.-L. (2020). Te Mauri o te Kaitiaki - Exploring Te Ao Māori in environmental relations and kaitiakitanga in Aotearoa New Zealand (Thesis, Master of Social Sciences (MSocSc)). The University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10289/13776.
Wareka, M-L., McCormack, F., and Isaacs, B. (2025). ‘Alternative Anthropologies: Kete Aronui from the Waikato’ Focaalblog 23 January. https://www.focaalblog.com/2025/01/23/mona-lisa-wareka-fiona-mccormack-bronwyn-isaacs-alternative-anthropologies-kete-aronui-from-the-waikato/
Wareka, M-L. (2025, 27-30 November). Restor(y)ing Taru Rauhea - An Ethnographic Narrative of the Māori-Cannabis Relationship in Aotearoa New Zealand [Conference presentation]. MAI Hui-ā-Tau, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Wareka, M-L. (2025, 9-12 December). The (Not So) Hidden Leaf [Conference presentation]. ASAA/NZ Conference, Raglan, New Zealand.
