Biography

Hannah is an interdisciplinary kaupapa Māori health researcher and clinical dietitian. Her areas of research expertise and interest include Māori data sovereignty, food sovereignties, kaupapa Māori theory and methodology and Māori infant nutrition. She also has experience in primary care clinical dietetics, food service and community research project management. 

Key Publications:

Rapata, H., Jones, R., Moller, D., & Renall, N. (2026). Marginalism, racism and tokenism: A composite narrative of Indigenous Māori dietitian experiences. Nutrition & Dietetics, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1111/1747-0080.70088

Rapata, H. (2026). Te Wharerau: Kaupapa Māori methodologies and a Kāi Tahu research paradigm. Te Manu Nui, 1(1), Article 6. https://doi.org/10.67466/temanunui.2026.1.1.6

Rapata, H. (2026). The politics of terminology: Māori food sovereignties, positionality and mana motuhake. First Nations Health and Wellbeing – The Lowitja Journal, 4, Article 100123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fnhli.2026.100123

Rapata, H. (2026). Food sectors and professions as contemporary mechanisms of food colonialism in Aotearoa New Zealand. Critical Public Health, 36(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/09581596.2026.2658275

Rapata, H. (2025). A Kaupapa Māori review of Māori food data within National Health Surveys in Aotearoa New Zealand. Journal of Global Indigeneity, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.54760/001c.146713

McAllister, T., Walker, L. A., Naepi, S., Pope, R-No-A-R., Reihana, K., Hawkins, P., … & Rapata, H. (2025). Needed but not alone: A navigation guide for Māori and Pacific postgraduates in STEM. MAI Journal, 14(2), 283–292. https://doi.org/10.20507/MAIJournal.2025.14.2.14

Rapata, H., Heath, A.-L. M., Wall, C., Taylor, R., & Te Morenga, L. (2021). Māori first foods: A Māori centred approach to understanding infant complementary feeding practices within Māori whānau. Kōtuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online. https://doi.org/10.1080/1177083X.2021.2002372

Richards, R., Camp, J., Kokaua, J., Raureti, T., Lucas, A., Karaka, D., Rapata, H., & Lameta, M. (2020). Setting sail and returning home: Research voyaging in Aotearoa. The Journal of Pacific Research, 21(6), 341–346. https://doi.org/10.26635/phd.2020.637

Rapata, H., Cutfield, W. S., Milne, B. J., Shackleton, N., Waetford, C., Richards, R., Taylor, R. W., Raureti, T., Derraik, J. G. B., & Camp, J. (2019). Stable prevalence of obesity among Ngāti Whātua 4-year-old children in 2010–2016. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. https://doi.org/10.1080/03036758.2019.1691613

Key Presentations:

Rapata, H. (2026). Food professions and food colonialism. Plenary oral presentation. International Nutrition and Dietetics Conference. Dietitians Australia. Melbourne, Australia, February 12th.

Rapata, H. (2025). Marginalism, racism and tokenism: The experiences of Māori dietitians. Oral presentation. Working to End Racism Oppression Conference. Hamilton, New Zealand, February 12th.

Rapata, H. (2025). Kai Ora, Piki Ora: Intersections of kai, race, data and identity. Oral presentation. Working to End Racism Oppression Conference. Hamilton, New Zealand, February 11th.

Rapata, H. (2024). A Kaupapa Māori Critique of Māori Food and Nutrition Data in Aotearoa. Oral presentation. International Indigenous Research Conference (IIRC), Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga. Auckland, New Zealand, November 15th.

Rapata, H. (2024). Te Kai Ora A Kai Tahu: Conceptualising kai to support wellbeing among Kāi Tahu rakatahi. Oral presentation. Pacific Region Indigenous Doctors Congress (PRIDoC), Adelaide, Australia, December 6th.

Rapata, H. (2023). The Importance of Allyship in Dietetics. Keynote Address. Dietitians New Zealand Conference. Auckland, September 5th. 

Rapata, H. (2023). Food and Nutrition Professions as Contemporary Mechanisms of Food Colonisation. Oral presentation. Dietitians New Zealand Conference. Auckland, September 5th.