Dr. Naomi Simmonds

PhD | Director, Taku Tapuwae Ltd | Research Fellow, Pou Rahui | Kaupapa Maori & Mana Wahine Researcher | Taiao & Whanau Wellbeing Specialist

Naomi Simmonds centres her research on a relationship that most Western frameworks struggle to see: the deep, inseparable connection between the wellbeing of land, environment, and whanau. That connection is not metaphorical in kaupapa Maori thinking; it is structural and consequential, shaping how health, healing, and community resilience are understood and supported. Her work takes that framework seriously rather than treating it as a supplementary perspective.

As Director of Taku Tapuwae Ltd and a Research Fellow for Pou Rahui, she works across kaupapa Maori, mana wahine, and taiao research and advisory, bringing Indigenous methodologies to the most pressing questions of ecological and community health in Aotearoa. Her contribution extends beyond individual projects: she advances the frameworks through which research in these areas is conceived, conducted, and interpreted.

At academyEX, she brings that depth of Indigenous research and environmental thinking to the MCE programme, helping educators develop the grounding to work responsibly and meaningfully with Indigenous knowledge in their own practice.