By Niki Partsch 

Recipients of the second round of Mātauranga Māori Contestable Grants have just been announced. Twelve grants of up to $25,000 each will support revitalisation of vulnerable mātauranga Māori in two key areas. 

Six Ancestral Landscape grants will support the retention and transmission of kōrero tuku iho, as well as traditional practices within ancestral places, in four broad areas: cultural mapping, maramataka, waka haerenga, and kōhatu.  

Six Māori Built Heritage grants will support projects focused on mātauranga Māori within four built heritage areas: traditional buildings, tārai waka, mahinga kai, and māra kai.  

The grants are funded through the Government’s Mātauranga Māori Te Awe Kōtuku program, which funds initiatives to safeguard at-risk mātauranga from the ongoing impacts of Covid-19.  

Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga has received a portion of this funding ($2.795 million) for a work program to support the revitalisation of vulnerable mātauranga Māori within the two areas. 

Ellen Andersen, Kaiwhakahaere Tautiaki Taonga and Kaupapa Māori, is pleased with the diverse range of projects across Aotearoa that are being supported by the funding. “We are excited to continue to support iwi-led heritage projects and we look forward to working with and supporting the iwi, hapū and hapori Māori to deliver their funded projects."  

Last year 20 grants of up to $25,000 were awarded to support the retention and transmission of knowledge and traditional practices. These ranged widely from hikoi (journeys) to significant sites, cultural mapping, publishing and wānanga (learning sessions).

This year twelve grants of up to $25,000 have been awarded. Click here to see a list of this year's grant recipients.

Read stories about some of last year’s recipients here.