Te kaupapa What we do
Mana Pounamu is a kaupapa Māori and Pacific-based consultancy, offering research, evaluation, and advisory services for public and private sector clients.
Bringing together skills and experience from academia, government, and business, we specialise in providing bespoke Māori and Pasifika research and evaluation solutions.
Whether for government clients, or in academic research, we revel in developing tailormade, Indigenous solutions to complex problems, kei tō waka, i tō taha – in the waka with you.
Ko wai ahau | Who am I
Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Wairere, Ngāti Apakura, Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Tarāwhai, Te Arawa, Ngāti Uenukukōpako
Dr Poumanu Jade Aikman
Tēnā koutou! I’m a kaupapa Māori scholar, researcher, and evaluator hailing from the Waikato King Country and Bay of Plenty, now calling Wellington home. As the director of Mana Pounamu, I’m passionate about improving the wellbeing of our Māori and Pasifika communities. My PhD focused on Police-Tūhoe relationships, and I’ve worked across both the private and public sectors, driven by the belief that a thriving Aotearoa is one where we all prosper together. Working extensively in the justice and education spaces, I hold a PhD from the Australian National University and was fortunate to receive a Fulbright scholarship to Harvard. With degrees in Anthropology, Pacific and Māori Studies, my mahi centres on people – how we manaaki, care for, and uplift each other – and how we tackle today’s challenges in ways that strengthen the mana of all our communities.
Kei tō waka, i tō taha | In the waka with you
Manaaki
As an ethic of generosity and hospitality, manaaki implores us to remember the sacrifices people make in participating in research and evaluation projects. For us, showing manaaki means offering kai and koha as much as it does being flexible and cognisant of their needs and busy schedules, and is equally the case in working with clients. In uplifting the mana of all who are involved, manaaki denotes a way of working that is strengths-based, nimble, and supportive.
Whanaungatanga
Whanaungatanga is about nurturing relationships between and amongst people, from the client-provider interface, through to working with whānau, hapū, iwi, and community, and is critical for research and evaluation.
Rangatira-rangatahi
We recognise that we are all rangatira (leaders) in some spaces, while rangatahi (youth) in others. This means taking an active role in some situations, while in others, stepping back and allowing ourselves to be guided by the expertise and knowledge of rangatira tuākana (elder leaders). In this manner, our broader vision and purpose is to nurture and grow Māori and Pasifika researchers and evaluators, and our projects are designed with this ethic in mind.
Mahi ngātahi
‘Working with and alongside.’ We work closely with clients and operate on a ‘no surprises’ basis, which helps ensure that our mahi and products are consistently aligned with expectations. Mahi ngātahi speaks also to our principle of collaboration, embodying the tuakana-teina dynamic.
