Tania McDonnell Ngati Hau
PhD Candidate
Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand
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Purpose
Ko te hunga 'Kura Urupare’ (grouping of people of gifts of Response/Sensories) is the correct and ancestral terminology for Autism/Autism Spectrum Disorders/Neurodivergence for Māori.

Approach
This research aims to provide insight into Mātauranga, ki te hunga Kura Urupare deriving from korero tuku iho of Te Awa tupua as handed down to me via my tupuna. I grew up on the Whanganui river, with the terminology of ‘Kura Urupare’ being applied to those of my whānau that ‘were different’ and being rather extraordinary. Rejuvenating Kura Urupare high-level ancestral knowledge and their potential information systems (kaiponu-tanga/tohungatanga), to achieve their rightful contribution(s) for well renown hapori/society acceptance. Indigenous ancestral Aotea waka knowledge around te hunga Kura Urupare and practices to allow Whanganui-specific findings surface.

Results
Ko te kupu ‘hunga’ simply means a group of a collection of people. (Te Aka Māori Dictionary 2024) Ko te kupu ‘Kura’ is a traditonal kupu meaning ‘gift’ or ‘treasure’ and ‘urupare’ meaning ‘responses’ being of ‘responses of the tinana’. In an english persepctive or visualisation of this terminology; ‘gifts of the sensories’/ ‘neurodivergence brillance’

Conclusions
My Doctorate research is structured to rejuvenate Whanganui/Aotea waka specific ancestral knowledge as the driver for change of societal attitudes towards te hunga Kura Urupare.