Dr Huhana Smith
Professor | Masters of Fine Arts with Co-Coordinators
Co-Chair Climate Change Joint Action Committee – Horizons Regional Council, Palmerston North
(Ngāti Tukorehe, Raukawa ki te Tonga),
Dr Huhana is a researcher tackling pressing environmental issues from freshwater to marine health and climate change impacts on coastal ancestral lands and biodiversity in Kuku, Horowhenua, both in Aotearoa New Zealand and globally.
As a co-curator with Te Waituhi ā Nuku: Drawing Ecologies, Huhana spearheads large-scale projects blending Māori values and action-oriented art and design.
Exhibitions like the Kuku Biochar Project showcased at the Govett Brewster Art Gallery in 2023, serve as platforms to present potential solutions to environmental challenges faced by Māori and broader communities.
Currently, Huhana leads initiatives in Horowhenua-Kāpiti, using Māori knowledge alongside mapping technologies and sciences to address climate change impacts on Ngāti Tukorehe's coastal Tahamata farm.
This latest mapping and photogrammetry drone-based project not only aids in emissions reduction planning but also makes this information accessible to local Māori coastal landowners, with broader benefits for surrounding communities.
