Rate My Professor Rauhina Scott-Fyfe

Rauhina Scott-Fyfe (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Waitaha) is the Māori Archivist at Hocken Collections Te Uare Taoka o Hākena, University of Otago. They hold a Bachelor of Arts in Māori Studies from the University of Otago, where they previously served as a Māori language tutor. Appointed in 2023, Scott-Fyfe leads the Kāi Tahu Digitisation Project, working under Head Curator of Archives, Anna Blackman, to digitize and enhance the online accessibility of the Herries Beattie Papers. This collection comprises extensive 19th-century documentation of Māori and Pākehā knowledge, including interviews with Kāi Tahu tīpuna on traditional practices. Scott-Fyfe collaborates closely with local rūnaka—Ōtākou, Puketeraki, and Moeraki—and seeks input from mana whenua and the Kāi Tahu Archives Team to describe materials for improved findability, recognizing these as taoka central to iwi narratives and histories.

Scott-Fyfe's research specializes in mātauranga Māori, with a focus on the New Zealand sea lion, known as pakake. Raised in Ōtepoti observing pakake along the Otago coastline—with a family connection to marine science through their father's role as a Department of Conservation coastal ranger—they authored the Mātauranga Māori Project report on pakake for the New Zealand Sea Lion Threat Management Plan. Commissioned by the Department of Conservation in partnership with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, the 2024 revised report integrates historical accounts, place names, oral histories, and interviews with 18 Ngāi Tahu individuals. It recommends standardized nomenclature—pakake generally, whakahao for males, kake for females—and greater incorporation of indigenous knowledge into conservation strategies, governance, and kaitiakitanga. In 2024, Scott-Fyfe delivered the third annual Hoani Parata Lecture, 'Uncovering an extraordinary life: exploring the Hoani Parata papers.' Their contributions emphasize te ao Māori principles including tika, pono, and aroha, fostering iwi relationships and advancing cultural preservation within academic and environmental contexts.