Re-visioning Pacific research method/ologies in the new issue of Waka Kuaka (Journal of the Polynesian Society)
The beautiful lalava (lashings) created by Sopolemelama Filipe Tohi in the Fale Pasifika at the University of Auckland. (Picture by Julia Mageau Gray.) Click image to enlarge.
The Journal of the Polynesian Society has renewed its branding with the addition of its new name, Waka Kuaka. In the second issue, and first special issue under its new title, co-editors Dr Marcia Leenen-Young and Dr Lisa Uperesa of the University of Auckland gathered doctoral candidates and early career Pacific scholars from across Aotearoa, Te Waipounamu and Australia under the theme Re-Visioning Pacific Research Method/ologies. Three of our Te Tumu whānau were involved in the project. Dr Emma Powell and PhD candidate, Wanda Ieremia-Allan were both authors in the issue with their respective articles, “Tei te Akau Roa: An Ocean of Metaphor in Pacific Research Methodologies” and “Feiloa‘iga ma Talanoaga ma ‘āiga: Talanoa with Family in the Archives”. Professor Michael Reilly, a long-time member and supporter of the journal and society, also generously gave his feedback on Leenen-Young and Uperesa’s introduction.
In the words of the co-editors, the issue marks an “…historic shift in research practice and approaches for and by Pacific peoples and is intended to contribute new knowledge about how Pacific research methodologies and methods are being used (alone and in conjunction with other research approaches and methods). The contributions in [the] special issue help to illuminate the mutually constitutive relationship between theory and practice by sharing critical reflections and practical adaptations by early-career researchers who are raising considerations appropriate for the contemporary moment. In building on current knowledge, some deepen our understanding while others elaborate new approaches” (12).
The issue provided an opportunity for early career Pacific scholars to publish in an iconic journal of anthropology and related scholarly fields dedicated to Polynesia and the wider Pacific region. As a part of the issue’s production, the editors facilitated an innovative development and peer review process that was fully funded. The development of the special issue involved an online writing retreat, weekly 2.5 hour online writing sessions prior to draft submission, and a 1.5-day compulsory, in-person closed symposium for a double peer-review process. This was held at the Fale Pasifika in Auckland as was the launch of the issue which was held on 12 June 2023.
Journal News
Lyn Carter
Dr Lyn Carter is a Senior Lecturer in Te Tumu, and the Coordinator of our Indigenous Development programme.
Marginalisation occurs when a group of people are pushed to the periphery of a society. Many Māori reside at the margins of ‘mainstream’ society, while others are at the margins of Māori society. The present paper explores how ‘by Māori, for Māori’ research and evaluation can create spaces for voices from the margins to be heard. The paper arose out of a series of hui in which papers on the notion of marginalisation and Māori were presented and discussed, along with the broader topic of research ethics and protocols. Three themes that emerged from these hui are considered in this paper: relationships between researchers and participants/communities, researchers knowing themselves, and the safety aspects inherent within tikanga. The discussion of these themes draws upon the papers that were written for this project, the feedback from hui participants (researchers, students, health professionals, government workers, community providers), and local and international literature on research ‘by and with’ indigenous peoples. In making the ‘knowing’ we hold about these issues more explicit, this paper aims to generate more discussion as well as provide some small guidance for those who may be new to this thing called ‘research’.
The Journal of the Polynesian Society has been going for a little longer…
9 Reasons to Publish in the Journal of the Polynesian Society
- For nearly 125 years, an international forum for the dissemination and discussion of cross-disciplinary research of and by Pacific peoples (broadly defined), past, traditional, and contemporary.
- Submissions welcomed from anthropology, linguistics, history, politics, sociology, visual arts and material culture studies, archaeology, biological anthropology, indigenous studies, and cultural geography
- Issues published quarterly, peer-reviewed; full length research articles (up to 15,000 words) and shorter communications
- Member of CrossRef index service, articles DOI-supported, Journal of Citation Reports rated
- Rapid submission-to-print turn-around time
- Guest-edited Special Issues welcomed & available for one-off purchase
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