"Just look at what our ancestors did to navigate here -
Professor Rangi Matamua was awarded the top communication prize at the Prime Minister's Science Awards on Tuesday.
Matamua said his interest in celestial knowledge begun when he first went to university and was gifted a 400-page manuscript written by his ancestors, which included hundreds of Māori names for the stars, from his grandfather.
"Before he died he said, 'look that manuscript and what you've been doing - don't let the manuscript go, it's an heirloom - but the knowledge within, you need to find a way to share that with people'," Matamua said.
"His last words were, 'knowledge that isn't shared isn't knowledge' - that's what he said that to me, and I've used that as a mantra for trying to share openly, and with anyone that's interested in the knowledge base that I've been fortunate enough to have and to grow throughout the years."
He said it hasn't always been easy to navigate the western science space, which had only just started "to acknowledge some of the knowledge basis' that exist outside of their own parameters as being science.
Full article: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/420267/maori-astronomer-professor-rangi-matamua-wins-top-science-award
