Dr Pasha Mahutoa Clothier is of Tahitian and New Zealand descent – diaspora – with forty-one generations of tūpuna (ancestors) from Tahiti. An artist-writer, educator, curator, and cultural events director, their work is deeply rooted in Moana or Polynesian heritage and has been presented in twenty-one countries. Mahutoa co-founded SCANZ with cultural partners Te Matahiapo in 2006. Occurring every two years until 2018, the event focused on cultural bridging, art-science and the environment. Under the guidance of Te Huirangi Waikerepuru, Maata Wharehoka, Kawaihululani and Tihoti, Pasha undertook a journey to the sacred navigator marae of Taputapuātea Ra’iātea near Tahiti, in 2023. A bound kōhatu (river stone) was placed on the marae, and Tihoti guided Mahutoa in selecting a kōhatu to be taken to Aotearoa New Zealand. Between 2020 and 2023 they were recipient of a Vice Chancellor Scholarship allowing three and a half years of full time PhD research.