5 September 2016
Whāriki recently hosted student Jackie Johnson, who is a member of the Makah Nation. She recently finished her Master’s degree in Communication at the University of Washington and was part of the Māhina International Indigenous Health Research Training Program through the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute at the University of Washington, University of Auckland, and University of Hawai’i’. It is funded through the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. At Whāriki, under the supervision of Belinda Borell and Auckland Art Gallery’s Nigel Borell, Jackie looked at Māori epistemologies and methodologies, white privilege, indigenous art, and indigenous identity. Ms. Johnson’s project here was to observe indigenous art with a Kaupapa Māori research framework to identify Indigenous Authority while incorporating her people’s art practices. Ms. Johnson hopes to return back to Aotearoa and Te Rōpū Whāriki to research Māori whaling.
Jackie Johnson with recent Whāriki visiting students Cameri Taylor and Shalene Yazzie.