A World History of Bluff: Dr Michael Stevens
By RNZ | Posted:
Ngāi Tahu historian Dr Michael Stevens has just been recognised by the Royal Society Te Apārangi Te Kōpūnui with a Māori Research Award.
Stevens specialises in the history of Awarua (Bluff), a key Ngāi Tahu settlement, and his book A World History of Bluff will be released next year by Bridget Williams Books.
According to the Royal Society, Stevens is one of "...a small group of Māori scholars who have moved out of university appointments and into iwi-centred positions in order to develop fresh perspectives upon Indigenous histories".
In his case this meant moving from a teaching position at the University of Otago to working as a freelance historian at the Ngāi Tahu Archive. His work stresses the importance of seafaring, and the forces of international trade.