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Whakapapa is a framework designed to explain the world and everything in it. The concept chronicles and explains evolutions, social and political structures, and natural and spiritual worlds. It’s a core component of being Maaori, so what happens when someone doesn’t know their whakapapa? The purpose of this event is to provide Maaori with the opportunity to learn from experts who have cultivated their unique set of skills that connect them to their whakapapa. Organised into workshops and a panel, these experts will share the toolkits and experiences they have developed to assist guests on their journey of discovering their own whakapapa. 
Ngaati Maniapoto, Waikato
Professor Roa is a Tainui leader and Ahonuku / Associate Professor in the University of Waikato’s Faculty of Maaori and Indigenous Studies. He is a familiar figure on marae throughout Tainui and the country. He is a member of the Waitangi Tribunal and Heritage New Zealand’s Māori Heritage Council and was chair of Ngaa Pae o Maumahara, helping to coordinate many of the activities commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Waikato invasion in 2013–14. Recently, he was a semi-finalist in the 2025 New Zealander of the Year awards.
He has held many prominent leadership roles within Waikato-Tainui and Ngaati Maniapoto. As a pre-eminent tribal historian and kaumātua of Ngaati Apakura, he has been heavily involved in efforts to commemorate the February 1864 attack on the settlement of Rangiaowhia. Professor Roa has also served for many years in Te Kauhanganui, the Waikato-Tainui parliament, including as its chairperson. He has also been a member and chairperson of Te Arataura, the Waikato-Tainui executive board, and is a Justice of the Peace.
He is an expert in translation between te reo Maaori and English and the oral and written history of Waikato-Tainui, Ngati Maniapoto, and the Kiingitanga. He has researched and contributed to a wide range of publications on the Maaori classificatory regime for flora and fauna and traditional ecological knowledge, the theory and practice of translating from and into te reo Maaori, Maaori men’s health, and Maaori military history. Tom’s PhD examined questions about the theory and practices of Maaori to English language translation and interpretation. Over the years, Tom has been a leading figure in bringing the Maaori language into the mainstream, and he was one of the founders of the Te Wiki o Te Reo Maaori movement in the 1970s.
Event Schedule:
9:00am – Mihi Whakatau, Karakia, Whanaungatanga
10:00am – Introductions
10:15am – Panel & Presentations
12:00pm – Closing karakia & Afternoon Tea