Oxford Awards Posthumous MPhil to Māori Pioneer Nearly Century Later

Mākereti 'Maggie' Papakura, believed to be the first indigenous woman to study at the University of Oxford, has been posthumously awarded an MPhil in Anthropology nearly 100 years after she matriculated. She began her studies in the 1920s, focusing on the customs and practices of her Māori Te Arawa iwi from a female perspective, but died in 1930 just weeks before submitting her thesis, which was later published posthumously. Over 100 descendants and community members traveled from New Zealand to Oxford to attend her graduation ceremony at the Sheldonian Theatre, where her family received the degree certificate from Vice Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey. The event included traditional Māori ceremonies such as a karanga and haka pōwhiri, honoring Papakura's legacy and her contributions as a guide, entrepreneur, entertainer, and scholar. Papakura’s work has been recognized as a pioneering ethnographic study and an important cultural and academic milestone for Māori scholarship. Her posthumous recognition has been the result of decades of advocacy by her descendants and community members, celebrating her influence and inspiration to Māori and beyond.