Te Wānanga o Aotearoa will share the making of Te Rautaki Rangahau as part of an Indigenous Research Conference set to attract more than 100 tribal nations.

'Rangahau: Our word, our way,' will be presented by Rangahau Advisor Helena Winiata at the 7th Biennial International Indigenous Research Conference at Auckland University next week.

Helena says the inaugural rangahau strategy for Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, launched this year, rejects the term 'research' by putting mātauranga and tikanga at its heart instead.

"I'm privileged to be part of Te Tira Rangahau, and look forward to sharing the detail of how ‘rangahau’ is reclaimed as a truly Māori position," she says.

Te Tira Rangahau held the last of three successful takiwā symposium this month with more than 200 kaimahi involved.

For some, the conference experience was a first, however, Helena says with the reclamation of rangahau, the organisation's uara and takepū, are embraced.

"These values and principles guide and frame all rangahau activities so we move towards mauri ora, inspiring outcomes that are uplifting and transformative for our whānau, hapū, iwi and our tauira."

Te Rautaki Rangahau is delivered by advisors Morehu McDonald (Te Ihu), Shelley Hoani, Sophronia Smith, Pauline Adams (Te Waenga) and Helena Winiata and Dr Betty-Lou Iwikau (Te Kei) with the group led by Dr Shireen Maged.

Their goal is to have 70 percent of degree level academic staff and 50 percent of certificate and diploma kaiako, rangahau-active by 2018.

Shireen says presenting at this year's conference affirms a wānanga commitment to the kaupapa while providing an opportunity to share it on a world stage.

"This is the first year of the implementation of the strategy and already we have over 160 kaimahi across the three takiwa with Individual rangahau plans. This level of rangahau activity at TWoA is unprecedented and bodes well for the future of this important kaupapa."

Shireen says thanks to the conference a key goal of disseminating high-quality rangahau contributions locally, nationally and internationally, will be realised.

"We are thinking deeply about our context and our practice and through posing and seeking the answers to our questions, we are gaining new insights and producing high-quality rangahau contributions."

The week-long International Indigenous Research Conference will again be hosted by Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, New Zealand's Māori Centre of Research Excellence.

Seven kaimahi will be presenting their work; Te Ihu rangahau advisor Morehu McDonald, kāpuia national coordinator Pene Delaney, librarian Lidu Gong, kaitiaki taonga Hawira Karaitiana, te ara reo Māori kaiwhakahaere Dennis Ngāwhare and social services kaiako Pirini Edwards.

Other speakers include Professor Jacinta Ruru, New Zealand’s first Māori professor of law, Associate Professor of Sociology at Auckland University Tracey McIntosh, Leq:amel First Nation representative  Patrick Kelly, Justice Joe Williams,  Sir Mason Durie and Kyle Powys Whyte from the Potawatomi nation, who is Associate Professor Philosophy and Community Sustainability at Michigan State University.

Topics to be discussed at the conference include economic well-being, indigenous distinctiveness, knowledge creation, research capability and indigenous transformation, and addressing important issues and solutions that can ensure healthy and thriving families, communities and tribal nations.