Toni Torepe

Toni Torepe is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Social and Cultural Studies within the Faculty of Education at the University of Canterbury (Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha). A Māori academic with tribal affiliations across the Ngāi Tahu region, she identifies Arowhenua as her whānau home. Dr. Torepe has been with the University of Canterbury since January 2007, contributing significantly to Indigenous education and research.

Her educational background includes a PhD from the University of Queensland (2025), a Master of Education from the University of Canterbury (2012), and both a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Canterbury (1998 and 1995 respectively).

Toni's research centers on Indigenous research methodologies, with a focus on the experiences of Māori academics in Western tertiary institutions. She has worked closely with Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua to understand different perspectives on Aoraki (Mount Cook) and mountaineering. Her work consistently addresses cultural taxation, Indigenous knowledge systems, and culturally responsive pedagogies. Through her research, she aims to make positive contributions to Māori advancement and to challenge Eurocentric thinking in educational contexts.

• Faculty of Education Indigenous Research in Aotearoa and the Pacific Excellence Award (2023)
• Advancing Sustainability Research award (2023)

She is actively involved in advising graduate students and has supervised several Master's theses on topics related to Māori education. Her professional activities include serving on the Faculty of Education Research Committee as Vice Chair, the University of Canterbury Library Committee, and the Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua Education Committee. She frequently develops and facilitates wānanga (Māori educational gatherings) and has been interviewed by media outlets like Radio New Zealand regarding her research on Aoraki.

Her community engagement includes working on partnership approaches to address human waste on Aoraki, reflecting her commitment to environmental stewardship through an Indigenous lens.