The PIT of KNOWLEDGE

Te Koronga

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Sat, 04 Oct 2014 08:17:00 +0000

I have to admit that i love change! I am not always accepting of change - at least immediately, but i know change is good for me. So, I've been at the PE department for just over a year and a lot of things have occurred. Let me see, here are the things i am involved with:

I'm involved in the Geo-Spatial CoRE
I'm involved in the Nga Pae bid
I submitted a proposal to Te Putahitanga
I have just finished writing up Te Koronga article
I have a draft for a new paper: Ethno-Cartography

Been a great year so far

And now i need an income of around $8,000 by the middle of December so that i can take care of my expenses from Jan - March 2015. So i am looking at my options!

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS 2013

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 10:56:00 +0000

It has been a long time since i posted on my blog - 2010 was the date of the last post. So, this is going to be a quick catch up post!

So to cap off 2010, i handed in my PhD to the PhD office and then waited. . .
2011
Let me see:
I waited for 5 months for my dissertation to be returned marked to me - five months!

A really good friend of mine, Mark Laws passed away in December of 2010 - drowned. He and I were at University together at Otago - he was one smart Maori - he ended up at Awanuiarangi Wananga. So my wife and I went to his tangi in Maketu. Good catch up with old friends: Robin Martin, Inia Ashford, Toroa Pohatu, Karina Laws, Pip Pehi and many others.

One of the other things we did at the same time was visit Matakana Island - Hinewais family - not long after that, her mother passed away. Now that was a huge trip north!

2011 I graduated with my PhD and it was absolutely awesome! My Aunty Bubba came down, my cousins came up from Invercargill - Rose and Hineauri and we had a huge hangi!

I began working at the Casino - interesting work - passing time really!

Lets see: 2012
Still working at the Casino
Took leave to head over to the States to attend the NAISA conference in Connecticut - amazing! Also spent time in New York before heading to LA where i spent time with Carey and then i popped up to San Fran to catch up with Rosemarie

I also went to Sydney Australia to the Google Outreach Launch - spoke at the workshop and met a lot of interesting and smart people

I also did a couple of mapping contracts via CFRT for Aapakura and Te Rohe Potae

2013

Started the Mapping contract for Tuwharetoa - 153 maps! around 2000 waahi tapu sites
Started at the PE School as a Teaching Fellow
Set up Te Koronga research group for our Maori students at the PE school
Waahi tapu database - design/build
Hosted Google Outreach in Taupo Turangi (Raleigh Seamster)
Went to the Maori GIS conference
Accompanied Raleigh and Graeeme (Google) to Awanuiarangi in Whakatane
Attended the research workshops with Leonie Pihama and Sara-Jane Tiakiwai at Hopuhopu - awesome!

That's the catch up!

Hauiti

Discover Your Strengths

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 20:09:00 +0000

I was reading John Assaraf and Murray Smith's book "The Answer" last night (fascinating book by the way!) where they talk about discovering your unique strengths -because your strengths are what provide you with the tools to build your life in ways that take maximum advantage of those aspects of yourself. This when your goals come easily!

Discover your Strengths

"NOW, DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS" written by Buckingham and Clifton provide some of those answers. Based on a Gallup study of over two million people who have excelled in their careers, NOW, DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS uses a revolutionary programme to help readers discover their distinct talents and strengths. The product of a twenty-five year, multi-million pound effort to identify the most prevalent human talents, the StrengthsFinder programme introduces thirty-four talents or 'themes' and reveals how they can best be translated into personal and career success.

Each copy of the book contains a unique password that gives the reader access to the StrengthsFinder Profile, a Web-based interview that analyses people's instinctive reactions and immediately presents them with their five most dominant strengths. Once readers know which of the thirty-four talent themes dominates their personality, they can make practical applications at three levels: as an individual, as a manager and within an organisation. Readers learn what kind of environments will allow them to flourish; how managers can better cultivate their employers' talents; and how almost all organisations inhibit the talents of their people and need to change.

Indigenous Cartography: the mapping of New Spain

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:25:00 +0000

Although Cortés conquered the Aztec empire in 1521, imperial Spain knew little about the Mexican territory under its control when Philip II acceded to the throne in 1556. As part of a vast project to learn about its territories in the New World, Spain commissioned a survey--the Relaciones Geográficas--of Spanish officials in Mexico between 1578 and 1584, asking for local maps as well as descriptions of local resources, history, and geography. Offering the most complete contemporary record of what sixteenth-century Mexico looked like, the sixty-nine manuscript maps from this survey also highlight the gulf between colonial and indigenous conceptions of Mexico.

In Mapping New Spain, Barbara Mundy illuminates the complex cultural negotiations that colonists and indigenes undertook in mapping the colony. Her book explains both the Amerindian and the Spanish traditions represented in these early colonial maps, and traces the gradual reshaping of indigene world views in the wake of colonization.

The eight color plates and numerous other illustrations from the Relaciones Geográficas maps reproduced in this volume provide unique insights into how people from different cultural traditions--from Spanish officials to small-town indigenous artists--perceived the landscape of colonial Mexico. The first book to consider both indigenous and Spanish contributions to the mapping of Mexico, Mapping New Spain will interest not only historians of art and cartography, but also scholars and general readers interested in Mexican history.

The Paepae: Spatial technologies and the geography of narratives

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 03:55:00 +0000

Yesterday was a day to remember! I took my Doctoral Dissertation to my Department for printing and eventual submission for examination! I went to the 11th floor of the Commerce building on Clyde street, The University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand with my USB pen drive containing copies (PDF & docx) of my dissertation - and handed over to Heather for printing.

It was then that i noticed the view - been a long time since i have stopped to admire the 'views' - She let me take a photo from her balcony:

The view from the top!

The PhD

I am absolutely thrilled to be at this stage - I couldnt think of another place i would rather be right now! Lots of toil, struggle, sweat and tears as well a huge sacrifice of time and energy, missed holidays and family events - it is with the deepest respect that i thank my family for their infinite patience and tolerance!

How I wish my Mum was alive to see this moment! Ngaa mihi atu ra ki a koe e te kui

Otiraa, ki te whaanau - Teenei taaku e mihi atu ki a koutou katoa

te manawanui o Ranginui ki a koutou!

Hauiti

PGIS

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 22:59:00 +0000

I just finished watching this video on PGIS participatory GIS - worth a watch

Localisation, Participation and Communication: an Introduction to Good PGIS Practice from CTA on Vimeo.

MAI 2010 - the Otago Group

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:25:00 +0000

Some of my colleagues who attended the MAI 2010 Doctoral Conference included Donna and Tia both in the Psychology Department at Otago University. Donna has just submitted and Tia is at the business end of her data collection. If you were to ask me what they are studying I couldn't really tell you but what i can tell is that they are both great students with good minds for seeing through the fog and getting on with the business.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Tia and Darnell, Pete, Ann-Marie, Fallin.

The Otago Group was up first and there were some very interesting and challenging presentations.

Lorna rom the Botany department spoke about her research above Norway - it's to do with flowers that grow at 78 degrees latitude - fascinating research! A flower that generates 22 degrees C at an air temperature of 8 degrees C.

MAI Doctoral Conference 2010 - te Herenga Waka Marae Victoria University

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 00:22:00 +0000

Three days last week I attended the MAI Doctoral Conference (MAI - Maori and Indigenous) with a bunch of other Doctoral students from all the Universities around our country Aotearoa - New Zealand. A group of us went up from Otago University (Dunedin) early Monday morning and met up with several others at the airport before heading over to the Marae at Victoria University. We began with the customary Pohiri/Powhiri (formal welcome) onto Te Herenga Waka before retiring into the whare where proceedings began.

Emeritus Professor Les Williams (from Nga Pae o te Maramatanga) was the keynote speaker for the first session. He said that the PhD was merely the beginning of a journey and not the end; he also said that the purpose of our current and future research was to solve problems. I had a feeling that he was right so I tracked him down for a korero (talk) about his remarks. He told me about the beginning of his journey and how he set out a 30 year plan for academic research. He encouraged me to do the same and so the journey for me is just beginning!

PhD Draft Update

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 09:58:00 +0000

Well, i took a few days respite from the editing stage of my PhD - to settle my mind down really.

Today, i had a good look through the entire draft - quite a bit of work to do!

Thats all good!

Strategy:

Monday -set out a plan of attack and begin - tack this on my wall so that i can see it with every breath i take!

Stick to the plan, dont deviate from the goal - change the approach - but stick to the goal

Review at the end of each day and reset the goals!

Go hard, all day, until you finish!

hei hona

Hauiti

The Indigenous Mapping Network and GOOGLE mapping 2010

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 01:25:00 +0000

Emerging mapping tools for Community Mapping

The reality for Māori in creating maps using GIS mapping tools is far from ideal. High and on-going costs for GIS software and associated hardware, the highly technical nature of training and operation plus the on-going costs of maintenance, put GIS mapping technologies out of reach for most Māori groups. However, Māori may well benefit from using the mapping tools provided by GOOGLE.

Māori could benefit immensely from the creation of maps especially given the availability and ease of access to modern mapping technologies such as Google Earth and Google Maps. As a highly mobile people, those Māori who live remotely from their ancestral homelands could find a way to connect and re-connect to their whenua, whakapapa and whanau using the global network and tools offered by Google mapping technologies

Google mapping technologies offers a way to connect Māori with the tools needed to protect, preserve, and enhance their way of life within their ancestral territories. It also offers Māori, who live remotely from their papa kāinga or whenua tipu, access to easy-to-use tools that would connect them to their homelands in a way that was heretofore impossible. Recognising the impact these tools could have it would be important that this type of endeavour would require an amalgamation of tikanga or traditional practices and protocols to guide the use and implementation of modern mapping technologies.

In February of 2010, the Indigenous Mapping Network in collaboration with Google hosted a geospatial and mobile technologies workshop entitled Indigenous Mapping Network-Google Tribal Geo Tech Workshop . Approximately seventy-five indigenous mapping community members, tribal leaders, technical developers, and mapping specialists attended from the U.S., British Columbia and Ontario, Canada, Peru; Ecuador and New Zealand for the two day training workshop. The training focussed on using android cell-phone-based geographic data collection, Google Maps and Google Earth.

Keeping the above concerns of indigenous communities before us, the Google workshop focussed on the technical aspects of using Google Earth, Google Maps, and Open Data Kit, among other technologies. Special emphasis was given to a number of key concerns including: privacy and security of and access to culturally sensitive data, mobile data collection, and data conversion from proprietary to open formats.

Training sessions for the first day were organised around two broad themes: the Community Track and the GIS and technical Track. The focus for the community tracked centred around creating maps with My Maps using a variety of media including photographs, videos and stories; embedding those maps into blogs or websites for publishing over the internet; converting to Google Maps and Earth from other formats; and issues surrounding security and confidentiality of data.

The GIS and technical track was more concerned with using and converting GIS data using third party tools to Google Map and Google Earth format. Security and confidentiality of data was also addressed.

The second day of training continued with the community track and the GIS track but adding a programming track. The community track continued with creating maps; this time creating content in Google Earth including adding points, lines and polygons plus other media including photos, slideshows and videos in pop-up balloons. In addition, creating a narrated tour of an Indigenous site; finally importing GPS data and GIS data into Google Earth.

The Programming track concentrated on coding and programming languages for building customised maps and included advanced KML, JavaScript programming, Google maps API and Google earth API.

The GIS track took a more in-depth look at tools for data conversion and manipulation.
Smart Phones and ODK

A special session was hosted introducing the use of android cell phones to facilitate community-based data collection. The android cell phones coupled with the Open Data Kit (ODK) software is an innovative approach to data collection. ODK is a suite of tools that allow users to collect their own data replacing paper forms of data collection. ODK Collect renders a form, survey or algorithm into a series of prompts that supports repeating questions and several languages. The forms are based on the JavaRosa Xforms which supports a variety of data types such as GPS location, text, photographs, audio, video and barcodes. Users work through the prompts to capture points and populate a database with coordinates, description of the site and images related to the site. The android platform is stacked with GPS and camera capabilities that allow the user to capture data via video, audio, and photographs. Once captured, data can be uploaded via a number of methods including GPRS, Wi-Fi, and by direct connection either by SD card or cable to a central server.

ODK streamlines data collection by replacing traditional paper survey, cameras, audio or tape recorders and GPS units with a single item; the android mobile cell-phone and a centralised web-based server.

In summary, the android cell phone coupled with ODK software allows users to collect data: users can take a photograph of a site, describe that site using text, obtain the GPS coordinates of the site, then upload that collection of data to a central server for off-line analysis at a later time or date. ODK aggregate provides a server repository which is currently implemented on Google’s App Engine, a free service where each user is responsible for their own data.

The Google Tech training provided a hands-on outdoor session using the Google android smart-phones loaded with ODK Collect to demonstrate the latest data collection methods available.

naaku noa
Hauiti

PhD Draft Update

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 19:37:00 +0000

June 1: seminal day - i handed in my PhD Draft to my primary supervisor!!

Title: The Paepae: spatial technologies and the geography of narratives.

Chapter 1: Taku Tapuwae
Chapter 2: Translating an oral tradition into a spatial tradition
Chapter 3: Indigenous Sense of Place
Chapter 4: Cultural Mapping: tools for interpreting the world
Chapter 5: Interpreting the Maori world using maps
Chapter 6: Cultural Mapping: Preserve what you value
Chapter 7: Mapping the mana of the land
Chapter 8: Hokai nuku: Leap forward

ABSTRACT:
Indigenous peoples around the world face similar challenges pertaining to their ancestral territories in planning, protection, policy, and advocacy. For Māori, of Aotearoa New Zealand, issues related to mana whenua, mana moana, demarcation and the protection of ancestral boundaries and associated cultural assets often require the creation of maps as proof of use and existence of tribal cultural footprints. Conceding this, GIS mapping technologies offers a unique suite of tools that can assist Indigenous peoples including Māori to demarcate their ancestral territories, tell their stories, map their biographies, protect their land and articulate their mana whenua and mana moana.

GIS technology has gained a world-wide reputation for its ability to manage and manipulate large amounts of geographical or spatially organised information. This technology has enormous implications and application for Indigenous peoples around the world looking at managing their own cultural information.

Indigenous cultures, including Māori, throughout the world are exploring the potential that GIS technology and techniques offers in managing and mapping their ancestral landscapes based on their unique view of their part of the world.

Indigenous peoples are traditionally oral based societies wherein their knowledge base was maintained and passed on using oral narratives such as songs, genealogies, chants, theatre and storytelling. Oral narratives such as mōteatea, karakia, tauparapara, and whakapapa and kōrero pūrākau unique to Māori were used to store their notions of the world and to pass that knowledge forward to each successive generation. Embedded in these oral narratives were their notions of place which informed their concept of a cultural landscape; a landscape informed by narratives; the geography of narratives.

The primary purpose of this thesis is to examine the potential for blending GIS technology with oral narratives without compromising the integrity or changing the nature of that landscape and culture that informs it or without those oral narratives losing any its cultural integrity or mana.

IMN 2010: Neskie Manual

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 19:31:00 +0000

IMN 2010: The Indigenous Mapping Network Annual Conference

Neksie Manual

The next T H R E E M O N T H S

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 03:56:00 +0000

Our greatest glory is not in never failing,

but in rising every time we fall - Confucious

Ano ra kia tatou nei

My C O M P L E T I O N S T R A T E G Y - PhD

Strategy for completing each chapter

Identify the main OBJECTIVE
Break the objective down into manageable TASKS
Set aside a sufficient block of TIME for each task
Express GRATITUDE
Ask for help from my ANCESTORS
Have FAITH in my ability and ANCIENT wisdom of the ANCESTORS
Work HARD and SMART
Keep GOING until you FINISH

Chapters at a glance

Moteatea 2 Map:---> Oral 2 Spatial

Check the First Draft with Nga
Make changes & alterations
Add sketches
Add Cartographic maps
Populate & Refine the Database

Experience

Record actual Field Experience

Positional Chapter

Introductory Chapter
Read Kapa's thesis & analyse approach

Conclusion
Conference Report: What is going on around the Indigenous World?
Align all other chapters
Abstract etc

naaku noa
Hauiti

T H I N K I N G

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:39:00 +0000

I had a great time in Wisconsin at the Indigenous Mapping Conference last month in June

I am just gathering my thoughts & compiling a report - might throw some photos in as well

keep you all posted!!

hei kona

Indigenous Mapping Conference

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 09:26:00 +0000

Kia ora!!
I head off to the Indigenous Mapping Conference in Wisconsin, USA - Friday 12th June!!

Here's the link: http://www.indigenousmapping.net/conference-overview.html

Here's the agenda: http://www.indigenousmapping.net/conference-overview/agenda.html

I'm first up, Monday 15th at 9:00am!!

The Theme: http://www.indigenousmapping.net/conference-overview/proposal.html

In a nutshell: Plan – Preserve – Protect

The purpose of the gathering is threefold:
1. Share GIS/mapping stories and solutions
2. Strengthen and expand upon existing and upcoming Tribal GIS/mapping networks
3. Promote discussion and interaction between Tribal people interested in mapping/GIS technologies

Our goal is to assemble Indigenous/Tribal speakers and others working with Indigenous communities who want to bring these discussions to the table:

PLAN
- Successful integration of mapping/GIS/planning infrastructure
- Mapping strategies for communicating importance of cultural landscapes
- Building/Strengthening regional/federal/international mapping networks

PRESERVE
- Cultural cartographic practices including storytelling, singing, and dancing
- Using geospatial technologies to identify/evaluate the vulnerability of environmental resources

PROTECT
- Cultural knowledge systems including medicine
- Cultural sites including sacred sites of rituals and profane sites of cultural significance
- Land rights

naaku noa
H24

Journeys of Discovery: PhD Hints

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 07:19:00 +0000

A couple of days ago i received a booklet from the University entitled: Journeys of Discovery. It features insights from successful PhD graduates from Otago University - absolutely inspiring! So, i decided to grab a few quotes from them and present them in this blog; i wanted to look at the things that helped them along this journey of completing a PhD!

Nga korero:
Read Quicker, be disciplined & write!!
When asked what she would do differently, Rawinia (2004 Maori Studies) said: "I'd have read quicker, disciplined myself more & written sooner! You have to get in the zone with a PhD. It's a marathon, not a sprint"

Furthermore she says that "it's wise to expect and allow your topic to change and evolve." as "it is part of the process; you need to embrace it"

Keep the experience of learning interesting!
Axel who completed in 2007 (Pharmacy) impresses the need to be "curious" to "keep your mind open, and be receptive to new information. Go to lots of seminars, even if they're not directly in your area, and don't be afraid to ask simple questions. Having a broad knowledge of your field and beyond can be useful in all sorts of unexpected ways. And it keeps the experience of learning interesting."

Good Supervision!!
There were a number of people who spoke about supervision and the need for a good supervisor.

For Matthew who completed in 2007 (Mathematics & Statistics): "You need a good supervisor who takes an interest in your work; not one who makes you do theirs."

He says to "choose your supervisor well. It will make or break the PhD."

For Helen who completed in 2007 (Accounting) she says that the "secret" is "great supervisors".

She goes on to describe the relationship with your supervisor as one of TRUST
"You put so much trust in this one relationships. They will tell you when you're ready to submit, and you rely on them not to embarrass you by letting you submit something which is not ready"

She goes on to say that if you are considering a PhD then "start thinking about your supervisor. Ask around, talk to other students. Make sure you are happy."

For Elisabeth who complete in 2006 (English) she recommends that you be "proactive about your supervisory relationship" and that you turn up to your meetings with them "prepared". Be prepared with questions to ask. Get out of your supervisors what you need. She knew the direction she wanted the meeting to take, and knew what questions she wanted to ask to help her with her thesis.

Again Paul who completed in 2007 (Biochemistry) stresses the need for "great supervisors." His supervisors were "well seasoned, established academics who had no interest in making the process more complicated than it needed to be."

Mele's (2006 Psychology) experience was different in that she was paired up with a new academic in her department "who turned out to be fantastic. But it was luck."

She did her homework on her supervisor reading his CV and his publications.

Robert, (2007 History) on the other hand, came to this University to work with a resident history guru whilst Paul (2006 Classics) recommends communicating with supervisors regularly especially at the beginning of the PhD process "even if its for five or ten minutes at a time" as it is "important to build a relationship with your supervisor, and to establish expectations."

Baastiaan (2008 Zoology) who had a marine biology background entered into a new field of mathematics and computer programming all of which he taught himself! He credits his success to a "supportive, approachable supervisor, like minded PhD colleagues, fascination with his subject and a good dose of grim determination.

They cant say enough about G O O D S U P E R V I S I O N

Other Hints

Family & community support!!
For Mele, (Psychology 2006) support from her family, friends & Pacific Island Centre was invaluable.

Fascination for your topic!!
Robert (2007 History), insists that your topic must be fascinating for you!

Make sure you choose something with enough juice to get you through to the end,as you have to live with your choice night & day – it needs to be your project – you are investing a lot into it & you need to feel free to pursue interesting lines of study should they arise
Sort your research questions out as soon as possible
Have a clear idea about what you want to achieve

Write, write & write!!
Rosanna (2006 Pharmacology) had a working day of 12 hours per day with very few weekends off!

Her advice for efficient completion is to write!!
Begin writing early & write often from the beginning!
This is a great way to manage your time & is a great boost to the quality of your PhD
Your understanding of your topic increases exponentially when you write. So if you write sooner, you become smarter sooner & you can apply that knowledge to the rest of your thesis
Join a research group & contribute to each other’s papers

Motivation!
Be motivated by the PhD for its own sake says Paul (2006 Classics) to maintain momentum throughout the entire process

It’s a good idea to know what the final version of what you want looks like
Come to understand what an acceptable level of scholarship is
Rule of thumb: when its more right than wrong, let it go!

Secret to completing:

Constant steady progress & set lots of goals
Write steadily & allow your thesis to grow incrementally
“You get much further critiquing something that’s written down in words, rather than an idea you’re thinking about”

Feedback improves your work!
Rebecca (2008 Marine Science) attended a particular conference where two of the leading academics in her field attended her presentation & provided feedback

You need to be passionate about it with a healthy dose of perspective
“The thesis is a working document. Its what you use to generate papers and further research. If you obsess about it being a perfect endpoint, you’ll never hand it in”

Relax, enjoy life & keep trying!
Bastiaan (2008 Zoology), advises: “make sure you take enough time off to relax, enjoy life and keep trying! Don’t be afraid of hard questions, or hard concepts. The best ideas often arise when you’re relaxed.”

For complex concepts: a case of mind over matter – the secret is - don’t become overwhelmed by how difficult ideas seem. Work your way through the ideas step by step and the logic should emerge.

When do you know that you have done enough to call it a PhD?
You have to know when to draw the line & present the PhD as a total project: Paul (2007 Biochemistry).

Paul’s advice: Have faith in your own thoughts and know that if you are diligent and carful and follow a process, your confidence in your field will grow – and you will get a PhD in the end!

Learn to write well!
Mathias (2003 Information Science): learn to write well and tell your stories in an intriguing way

Cement relationships within your research community by attending conferences & even studying at another university
Relax & enjoy the beach when you have a chance

Not a hobby!
Elisabeth (2006 English): start writing from day one and get your ideas down on paper

Get involved in an international community of scholars

It’s a long journey – celebrate along the way!
Helen (2007 Accounting): treat your PhD like a job – don’t get into the habit of not doing it

Celebrate your milestones: literature review, submitting first draft, receiving examiners report
“The PhD is a big deal, its something relatively few people ever attain and it is something to be truly proud of”

Feedback plugs the gaps!
For Daniela (2007 Marketing): she treated feedback as less about motivating changes to her thesis and more about plugging the ‘gaps’ ensuring her research was more robust against criticism

- Naaku noa -

Hauiti

MILESTONES FOR MAPPING

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 05:50:00 +0000

Mapping Milestones for Mapping Oral Traditions & Histories

Milestone One: Obtain list of Names
Milestone Two: Set out Methodology & Workshop with Facilitators
Milestone Three: Workshops & Creation of Map Biographies
Milestone Four: Replicate & Store Raw Data
Milestone Five: Review Transcripts and Map Biographies
Milestone Six: Enter Oral Data into Database
Milestone Seven: Digitise Data & Produce Map Composites
Milestone Eight: Verify Draft Maps
Milestone Nine: Production of Final Maps

Milestone One: Obtain list of Names
Aim: Obtain a working list of custodians from the cluster to workshop with

Organise list of workshop-participants
Prioritise list
Assess length of time required (estimate) for each person
Preview area of expertise
Schedule time, date & location

Milestone Two: Methodology & Workshop with Facilitators
Aim: To introduce the Mapping of oral traditions Methodology to the facilitators
Facilitators are required to lay the groundwork between the researchers and the custodians of knowledge

Topics:
- Overview of Mapping Methodology (refer to milestones)
- NZMS 260 Topographical Maps
- Oral Information (Use & Occupation)
- Workshop Method

Populate the NZMS 260 with the location of traditional information using labels (theme-by-theme or area-by-area)
Enter the names with each location identified on the 260 map
Record detail of the place/name in Minute book
Record workshop (map of place/name) using Video
Populate the ‘Database’ with oral information
Convert video to DVD
Scan the ‘final’ NZMS once all workshops concluded & Store

Milestone Three: Workshops & Creation of Map Biographies
Aim: To collect the Oral Histories & Traditions & create map biographies representing the oral information provided by each of the custodians

Resources:

NZMS 260 (x4) copies that cover the entire claim area (x3 hardcopies & x1 digital)
Any other supporting plans & maps of the claim area (Marine maps, Heritage maps, aerials etc)
Lamination facilities
Room with tables, sufficient lighting, power, wall space & storage space
Labeller & labels (black on white, black on transparent, white on transparent)
Minute book & other stationery (pencils, sharpies)
Video Recorder & tapes (miniDV)& tripod
Arc GIS

Method: Workshops
The oral information is captured in a workshop centered around a topographical map (NZMS 260 @ 1:50,000) of the ancestral territories. Workshops will focus primarily on collecting information about how the land was used and occupied. This information will be inserted directly onto the topographical map or onto a transparent overlay.

Land use activities involve harvesting traditional resources such as trapping of birds, hunting areas, taunga ika, and gathering plants, berries and other natural resources; this could also include any traveling routes to these places. We will record the location of where these activities occurred and any given names.

How the land was occupied refers to areas of continuous use, habitation, settlement, battles & sites of battles, naming of place, knowledge and control over such areas. It can also include stories and legends about places, ecological knowledge of the regions, and place names whilst habitation sites include kainga, wananga sites, battle sites, burial grounds, tauranga waka and so on.

Workshops will be conducted either: By ‘theme’, representing an area of expertise or block/region/hapu area/claim area

Themes: Battle sites, pa sites, wananga sites & other significant sites, ceremonial sites, ‘fishing’ grounds, harvesting areas, settlement areas, travelling routes, urupa, spiritual sites and so on

Summary of Workshop Methodology

Populate the NZMS 260 with the location of traditional information using labels (theme-by-theme or area-by-area)
Enter the names with each location identified on the 260 map
Record detail of the place/name in Minute book
Record workshop (map of place/name) using Video
Populate the ‘Database’ with oral information
[Convert video to DVD]

Milestone Four: Replicate & Store Raw Data

Aim: Backup all raw data.

How:
Scan the 260 maps that have been populated with information
Process & replicate the workshop recordings (video & minute book)

Milestone Five: Review Transcripts & Map Biographies

Aim: Review transcript and map biography data as required prior to
digitizing the raw data into an electronic format

Reason: To ensure consistency in data between the transcripts and the map biographies (260s)
Note any inconsistencies for later clarification and verification by the custodians.
All the ‘transcript’ data is coded in preparation for database entry

Milestone Six: Enter Oral Data into Database

Aim: Enter oral data from minute books & other recordings as required into database
Information:
Name, person submitting information, given English name, literal translation, meaning or story associated with place, feature type, distinctive features, activity type, primary source of information, other sources, NZMS ref, ref to oral map, CODE, layer, notes of explanation

Milestone Seven: Digitise Data & Produce Map Composites

Aim: Convert all oral data into an electronic format for inclusion into GIS

Liaise with researchers throughout the entire process & add data to map biographies as required

All the data collected from the custodians and placed on the 260s is converted via digitizing into an electronic format for manipulation using GIS software.

Once all the data from all the custodians is digitized into electronic form it is checked against the original 260s maps to ensure all the data is captured.

Data in electronic format can be stored, manipulated and combined in many ways to form a variety of maps from a composite of all the custodian information to separate maps that show the location of fishing grounds, food gathering sites, battle sites and so on.

A digital composite of all the data gathered from the custodians can be compiled.

New data can be added to GIS at any stage and combined with existing data to produce specific maps.

Eliminate any redundant data
(Several sources of information for the same feature)
Eliminate redundant information from the composite rather than the custodian layer

Milestone Eight: Verify Draft Maps

Aim: To verify the overall quality, presentation and completeness of the mapped information before final printing

How:
Conduct a workshop to verify the draft maps
Print off draft hardcopies for the custodians to verify
Verify the quality & completeness of each map
Ensure cluster is completely satisfied with the way the information is presented
Keep a record of all comments, and any data added to the maps

Milestone Nine: Production of Final Maps

Aim: Produce final maps as directed to support the final report

NOTES:
The Mapping Budget
The mapping budget is largely constrained by two factors:

The number of workshop-participants required to cover all aspects of the oral mapping
The number of final maps

The original mapping budget suggested a fund for the workshops to be video-recorded. This would have served several purposes:

It would provide another level of quality control over the raw data during the checking process;
It would streamline the workshop process by allowing the workshop-participants to proceed without being interrupted by the mapping specialist who would need to record, in writing, the detail of each item of information;
It would then allow me to enter the information into a database directly from the video recording
It would also provide an electronic copy of the raw mapping data; this is effectively a another means for ensuring the protection of the raw data besides the maps themselves
Finally, it would provide valuable information that could form the basis of a cultural information database

Mapping budget should include:

A separate up-to-date list of workshop-participants for the mapping part of the project
An estimate of how 'long' they would require to workshop their information/knowledge/ korero
An idea of their area of expertise whether by theme or region/area/block/claim etc
Where they are located for logistical purposes
The time-estimate will more than likely be based on the amount of information they have to share; this in turn may have a bearing on how we present their information once we have gathered the bulk of the information & hence the number of potential 'final' maps required to support the report

This above information will help me to finalise certain key budgetary aspects of the mapping project in the following way:

Provide a dollar estimate on the time required to cover all workshop participants
Provide an estimate of the time required to process the initial raw data provided by each workshop-participant
Provide an estimate of the number of potential maps required for the final report (I stress estimate - the actual number of maps required will unfold as we gather the information and determine the best way to present the information. Density & volume of information will be the key components in determining this)
Provide an estimate of the time required to convert the raw data for inclusion into GIS & for initial draft maps required for checking
Other estimates can then be made on travel arrangements, accommodation, food, rental, space requirements, timing required for processing information and other relevant expenses

- Naaku noa -

T U R A N G A W A E W A E

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 03:49:00 +0000

Ka hui maua ko Steph

We spoke extensively about her trip to Taupo last month in Kohitatea (January). We both met up with Uncle Jim and Aunty Nola. She followed that up with a meeting with George Asher, Rangi Downs, Te Kanawa & Uncle Jim

What did we learn from Uncle?

Whakapapa: it boils down to whakapapa and how we connect to those who have passed on, those who are yet to come, those in the here and now AND it is about how we connect to our whenua, our land, our environment. It is how we draw from the environment, & how we reciprocate by looking after the mauri (the life force) of that entity – after all, to us it is Papatuanuku – SHE is Papatuanuku, the mother of all living!!

By way of explanation, whakapapa is what connects us all together. Whakapapa is about relationships with all living things & it is about frameworks for understanding the world we live in, the world we have inhabited, the world we will leave behind when we pass on!

But for today:

She is heading up to the Taupo region in mid-April where she will stay with her kids for three months odd; she will be staying in Motuoapa just north of Turangi.

The idea is to collect the narratives from kuia/koroua as well as the younger generation & canvass their ideas about indigenous values, making decisions based on those values, & align all that with the LTFT and how they drive their decisions.

She has set out her goals for what she wants to achieve from her Taupo-Hikoi – of course Hikoi is a word that has many connotations – in this respect it will be a journey wherein she is part of the waka (canoe) – in the middle not at the taurapa end. She will be ok

She has structure her approach quite well and her writing will probably take a similar approach. I refer to her use of the current trends in the literature, her analysis of that literature, the narratives and her analysis of those narratives.

Steph is also on her way to Darwin for a conference on Cultural Resilience! That should be good – you just need to relax, position yourself and where you come from, and weave the theme in with your own narrative!

Just to get back to those narratives: they, the narratives will represent a persons life experience with the land, their living memories; in this respect she is capturing something special, she is capturing not only their thoughts and korero, but also their feelings, their living memories and those that have been passed down from their ancestors. With this type of narrative (if there is such a thing as type of narrative) she will be collecting mauri or rather recording mauri or the life force imbued into the landscape from many generations of those who have occupied and used the region and its resources! Thus it has mana or a power-in-and-of-itself; these narratives or korero has mana; it has tapu or sacredness; it has wehi or respect; it is the well-spring of everything that makes us who we are! We are Tuwharetoa (24retoa),we are the people of the land, of that land of Taupo!

In saying this, she will need to interpret the narratives or korero in a way that will give the korero as it will be transcribed the mana and tapu it deserves.

She will need to position herself in the beginning of her PhD. What do I mean by that? She will need to describe her turangawaewae – where she stands, what her perspective. This will inform those who follow in her waewae or footsteps a sense for how she understood and presented her findings.

If you read her thesis, you will get out of it what you will

- Naaku noa -

- - History in the making - -

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:00:00 +0000

Couldn't go past this seminal occasion - got up at 5am to watch the proceedings! I thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing, especially the speech!!

Kia piki te ora!!

- H24 -

- Nau mai ra ki te TAU HOU 2009 -

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 21:51:00 +0000

Ano ra ki a tatou katoa.
kua heke ke te tau o 2008 ki te muri,
tahuri atu te kanohi ki te tau hou!
Tenei hoki taku e mihi atu ki a koutou katoa !!

New Year's Eve in Dunedin, Aotearoa New Zealand

I have plans for 2009 & those plans include graduating with my PhD
There is lots to do to achieve that result:

- Fieldwork next month (Feb) which entails 'mapping' oral traditions (3-5months)
- Write up my experience into a Chapter: - best practice / best techniques / methodology / the 'How to. . . '
- Complete all my maps
- Populate & Organise my DataBase
- Complete writing / editing my other chapters
- Organise all chapters into a cohesive unit
- Produce my FIRST DRAFT
- Attend the Indigenous Mapping Network Conference in June, Wisconsin
- Help organise a GIS conference for Maori Users (around April)

I think that's it in a nutshell!!

- naaku noa -
- H24 -

Hui maua ko GLB

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 04:18:00 +0000

This sketch describes some of the significant places such as taunga ika (fishing spots),
harvesting areas for birds, permanent & temporary settlements, forestry areas.

Mauri ora koutou
I met with my supervisor earlier this afternoon

We discussed what i have coined as my 'cultural maps'

I talked about the procedure for developing the first set of cultural maps:
- identifying & defining the purpose of the maps
- selecting the oral works - i.e the narratives
- interrogating the narratives
- identifying the spatial components within the narratives
- sketching the information within the narrative in the order in which it unfolded
- developing an appropriate 'database' to store the data & metadata
- popuating the database with the narrative data

In the end, our korero identified the 3 stages of converting an oral asset into a spatial asset:
1. The Narrative
2. The Sketch of the narrative
3. The Cartographic Map of the narrative

The Narrative:
We looked at 4 moteatea with different themes & identified any reference to 'place'

Sketch
The sketch recorded any reference to place in the order in which the information unfolded from the narrative.
This 'format' would be easily understood by those who are familiar with the region & the narrative
The sketches did not record or attempt to display any spatial relationships between these places - it merely recorded the 'journey' described by the narrative

The Cartographic Map
The question that arose was: why would you need to convert the narrative into a conventional cartographic form?
If you want to communitcate with anyone outside the iwi, it would need to be in a format that they would be able to understand.
Some examples would be District or Regional Councils who are responsible for development in te area or even a Waitangi Claim over a rohe

What now?

- Design / Create a methodology for mapping oral assets

- Write the 'methodology' chapter

- Write the chapter re: translating an oral tradition into a spatial tradition - include the database

- See Charles re: fieldwork for PhD

- See Brian re: mapping of wahine

- Contract with CFRT [end of Nov]

- Re-draw the sketches to reflect the narrative

- Draw the old trails as per the taupara within MB Waiapu

- have a look for software for sketching to see if i can reproduce my original sketches in a format suitable for inclusion into the body of the cultural mapping chapter of my PhD

I am looking forward to heading to the North Island at the end of this month to look at some field work for reproducing some cultural / oral maps

- Naaku noa -
- H24 -

Te Kura Nui

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 04:00:00 +0000

-Nga mihi ki a koutou katoa -

A BONSAI called te kura nui!
Throughout the week just gone, the Otago Bonsai Society staged an exhibition at the community gallery - a BONSAI exhibition!! I went 3 times & i found the whole thing absolutely stunning! The shapes, sizes, colours, ages, arrangements were all just amazing!

From memory there were larch, spruce, maple, juniper, hornbeam?, & some native totara. I wish i had taken a camera! Ages ranged from 1949 - 2007; all shades of greens & some i have never seen before.

So, i registered for the workshop which finished just an hour or so ago.

We kicked off with a demonstration of wiring the tree by Jan - the expert in the Otago region
Then we chose our trees & went to a table to begin to make our first bonsai. I chose a totara which had no apex and tons of branches like the spokes of a wheel. Jan was the tutor at our table.

- I took off the old leaves and trimmed all the branches back by a third
- then i selected the branches to keep
- pruned all the branches that i did not need
- trimmed back the branches some more
- selected the branch for the apex and trimmed the other branches around it
- wiring: started from the bottom up - wired up all the branches & trunk with different sized branches depending on thickness of branch
- then selected the front
- bent the branches into shape
- trimmed some more
- 'created' the apex
- pulled the treee out of the plastic pot
- trimmed the root system
- selected a bonsai pot
- partly fille the pot with soil/gravel mix
- potted the tree slightly off centre & towards the back
- packed the pot with soil
- placed a rock & moss over the surface

When i got home i soaked the entire pot in water for about 15'
The i placed it outside in the shade near some trees

Thats my introduction to BONSAI
I also gave it name: te kura nui - because it is my first attempt, my first born so to speak

It is almost the end of spring here in Aotearoa - i need to water it quite frequently right through summer, give it some kai - BIOgold to help it grow!!

When i get my hands on a camera next week, i will put a picture up!!

Yesterday i grabbed some information from the internet and put together a PDF - great information!!

Whiringa-a-rangi FOCUS

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:37:00 +0000

REVISED PLANS: 14 WHIRINGA: FOCUS – CREATE MAPS + WRITE + DATABASE
1. Create a map
@Secure geographical maps / topo maps of the area
@Plot information
@Get data from NZGB & check names

- Tauparapara
@Get copies of MB information re: taupara
@Plot data
@dovetail into maps

2. Write about Cultural / Indigenous Mapping
@Framework – develop
@Process of interrogating moteatea & taupara
@Information management system
@Process of gathering oral information via interviews
@Describe what an Ancestral Landscape is
@What are the components that make up the Cultural Landscape?
@What is so different about these maps compared to conventional maps?

3. Finalise the Database
@Populate the Database with information from initial maps

4. Best practice FOR CULTURAL MAPPING

- naaku noa -
- H24 -

Cultural Mapping

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:30:00 +0000

He Mihi
Aku nui aku rahi, tena no koutou katoa
Ano ki a maua ko Ngarangi, ka timata te wetewete atu i nga pitopito korero e pa ana ki nga moteatea, oriori ranei i roto i nga pukapuka a Ta Apirana.

Katahi ka whakaarohia nga tauwhainga matua - ara, ka whakatu mai ra i te matu o ta maua nei tirohia whanui - ka tahi

Ka rua - ka whiriwhirihia nga momo moteatea kia tirohia rawatia - hei ta te mea tuatahi kei runga...

Ka toru - ka timata te wetewete korero!

Cultural Mapping
I headed up to Motueka a few weeks ago to meet up with Ngarangi. We began to wananga and piece together what we should do to produce some cultural maps!!

First we discussed what it was i wanted to achieve - it looked something like this:

AIM: to describe the spatial extent of CULTURAL SPACE
by translating ORAL ASSETS into SPATIAL ASSETS

How were we going to achieve our over-all AIM of describing the spatial extent of cultural space?
Quite simply, our approach was to look at the oral traditions of our forefathers & create a cultural map from the oral assets contained within Moteatea!!

In a nutshell: we identify the spatial assets with in the oral korero (traditions) & then we re-locate these into space - a bit like this below:- - - >

Initial Cultural Map depicting parts of an Ancestral Journey
as described by the moteatea

Some Definitions
What is the purpose of a cultural map?
The purpose of cultural maps is to describe the spatial extent of cultural space. Equally as important is to discover what cultural space is & how it can be described! But what about spatial extent? How important is spatial extent to a cultural map?

What is cultural space?
Cultural space can be defined as that collection of significant historical events related to place & people that leave the hint of a shadow or footprint on the landscape. This essentially defines the cultural identity of that group of people that inhabit the region.

What is spatial extent?
This is the geographical landscape and how it would look on a conventional map.
But for Indigenous peoples, spatial extent (in terms of cultural mapping) would be the shape of an 'ancestral landscape'. How would that look on a cultural map?

What is an ancestral landscape?
An ancestral landscape can be defined by the relationship which a cultural group has with the land. In other words, by how the group clothed the land with the 'fullness of their lives'. This cold be described as the footprints left by the ancestors.

So, this is how we created our cultural maps:
- First, we selected/identified moteatea (type of song) to work with (x4)

- Then we interrogate the information contained in moteatea

- From this process, we identify the 'references' to geographical place - or whenua

- these could be through whakapapa (ancestors) who inhabited a certain district

- or significant activities (such as harvesting, hunting, battles etc) related to place

- or the location/fixing of harvesting areas using the natural features of the earth

- temporary settlements or permanent settlements

- or actual significant 'markers' or 'features' of the heavens & earth- wet or dry

- and so on

In essence, we draw-out the 'references' to place, whakapapa & korero (information) related to each 'place'

- Then we create a 'map' on our A3 pad

- our task is merely to plot/fix each 'reference' to place

- our canvas is 'blank' - no grid lines, no coordinates, no roads, no cadastre, no topography

- at this stage there is no shape to the space - we plot the 'references' almost in the 'order' in which they appear in the moteatea

- we created a 'polygon' within which to fix/plot each 'reference' to place

- Hence we 'plot' each reference to place & add the name

- We then add information about each place, such as:
#Type of feature
#Description of that feature
# Main Activity in that place
# Any relevant whakapapa
# and so on

- we then add this cultural data to the database!

Ponderings
Each moteatea was described or drawn spatially with its own series of 'cultural maps'. These maps really had no 'shape' what-so-ever, contrasted with conventional maps which use a grid or coordinate system to give ‘body’ to the map and to display the spatial relationships of the geographical information.

The outcome of the initial drawings or 'cultural maps' were governed (in the first instance) by ‘how’ the cultural information unfolded in the moteatea right from the beginning to the end. In other words, we plotted the cultural information ‘literally’ in the order in it came in the moteatea.

Maps of this nature can only be understood fully by those who have an intimate knowledge of the area, region, events & people. One must be able to recite the moteatea and call the landscape to their mind! To call the landscape to the mind, you must have put your feet on the ground – not only does your mind require memory of place, but so do all your other senses. Your feet must feel the ground beneath, you must smell the air and feel the wind blow through you; you must also see the footprints left behind by the ancestors & taste the food of the earth.

This concept is encapsulated by the notion of turangawaewae – literally, a ‘standing place for the feet’ which, can only be achieved by those who can claim a whakapapa alliance with the people & the region.

The ability to re-call by memory the intimate details of moteatea is merely a single component of the oral database of information of a cultural map. Other components that enrich the maps are whakapapa relevant to the moteatea which provide historical context, and historical events & stories that enrich understanding and place each event in chronological sequence.

What about the spatial relationships within Cultural Maps?
Whilst conventional maps display spatial relationships between geographical objects, cultural maps display relationships between a person/group and the land they inhabit. This type of relationship is captured by the concept of tangata-whenua or 'people of the land' - this is essentially the link between people & the land they inhabit/inherit.

What is important in cultural maps are the inherent relationships that are forged between people/groups and the very environment that sustained their existence. The ancestral landscapes are an enduring record of their korero / histories. Koina

What now?
# the next step is to plot the geographical location of each 'place' or oral asset onto a 'base map' such as a topographical map

# this will 'define' the spatial relationship between each cultural asset

# then populate the database with all the information relevant to that 'place' or asset

# then find a way to link the oral database with the oral map

Ka tika

-- Naku noa --
-- H24 --

Taupo-Moana Ka pupuke te mahara!

noreply@blogger.com (H24) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 02:20:00 +0000

Mauri ora e te whanau!
i am back in Taupo having arrived on Friday 31 October. I actually came up home to catch up with my father & spend some time with him - given that he is still recovering from the effects of an AORTIC BYPASS. About that - he is doing quite well!!

My Dad is involved with land trusts around the region & he has alot of information scattered around his whare (house) - as i was browsing through some of his documents, i came across a reference to a moteatea or rather a patere. This song contains references to places in the region stretching from Pohaturoa & Mokai (the northern boundary between Tuwharetoa & Raukawa) right down to Waitetoko (Te Rangiita) which is situated on the eastern side of lake Taupo!!

The song also contains whakapapa - genealogy of the region. To sum up, this patere is a typical method our ancestors used to store and preserve knowledge. The next thing for me is to track down an original copy of the patere and examine its contents, in much the same way i did when i was in Motueka a couple weeks ago.

I am thinking of creating a cultural map of the contents of that patere to show how our ancestors clothed the land with the sounds of their language & the colour of their culture!!

hei kona

- H24 -