معرفی
Dr. Patricia Wallace serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Canterbury's Aotahi School of Māori and Indigenous Studies within the Faculty of Arts, holding this appointment continuously since May 8, 2002. A late-comer to academia, she brings extensive practical experience in teaching and textile arts to her scholarly work.
Her research focuses on Traditional Māori Dress and Textile Archaeology, specializing in the recovery of pre-1820 Māori weaving techniques and material culture. Through experimental archaeology and community collaboration, she has revitalized knowledge of kiekie harvesting, korowai construction, and kahu kurī (dogskin cloaks). Her work bridges academic research with cultural practitioners, particularly through initiatives like the FRST-funded project 'Nga Tipu Raranga Mo Tua Ake'.
Wallace's publication trends reveal deep engagement with Māori material culture across three decades, examining featherwork, plant fibers, and historical garments. Her research combines museum studies, ethnobotany, and Indigenous knowledge systems to reconstruct cultural practices. Key themes include the intersection of materiality and identity, historical continuity in weaving traditions, and cross-Pacific cultural connections.
Award Highlights:
- Te Tohu Mātauranga Māori Award for National Academic Excellence
- Winston Churchill Fellowship for pre-1840 Māori cloak research
- Ngata Centenary Doctoral Scholarship
- Macmillan Brown Post-doctoral Scholarship
As an educator, Wallace pioneered the MAOR114/ARTH108 Summer School course 'Nga Mahi a Ringa' to engage Māori and Pacific Island students through material culture. She instigated the campus Pa Harakeke (flax garden) in 1998 and served as Honorary Editor of the Māori Weavers' national newsletter for 20 years. Her collaborative work with Te Roopu Raranga Whatu o Aotearoa and the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies demonstrates sustained commitment to community-based knowledge production. Current research continues at Hikuraki where she is hosted as an Adjunct Fellow.
