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

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

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

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

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

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:

1. The number of workshop-participants required to cover all aspects of the oral mapping
   
2. 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

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 - -

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 -

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 -