Tupuna Wahine, Saina, Tupuna Vaine, Matua Tupuna Fifine, Mapiạg Hạni. Grandmothers in the Archives

Abstract

From various parts of Te Moana Nui a Kiwa, we have come together as Indigenous scholars to weave stories of our grandmothers in the archives. From our own sea, land and skyscapes to the diasporic realities of generations of movement, migration and contact with ourselves and outsiders, we trace some of the stories and lineage, emanating from our grandmothers, that have led us into the archives. In distinctive ways we acknowledge our grandmothers’ guidance, presence, and inspiration for the research that we do. But we also see that their presence in and beyond the archives can challenge the very notions of what an archive is and how it is imagined from Indigenous worlds. In this article, we navigate from the centre to the edges of our research, attending to the paths we follow and forge as Indigenous researchers inspired by our grandmothers.