Dame Anne SalmondDame Anne Salmond 

Dame Anne Salmond, a world-renowned anthropologist and Professor of Māori Studies at the University of Auckland, is a leading social scientist with global recognition. She has received many awards both in New Zealand and around the globe; including being the first social scientist to be awarded New Zealand’s top scientific prize, the Rutherford Medal, being elected a fellow of the US National Academy of Sciences, the British Academy and the American Philosophical Society.

She is also a prolific author, having written a series of prize-winning books about Māori life, European voyaging and cross-cultural encounters in the Pacific. Anne also has a a long-standing practical interest in environmental issues, she writes about climate change, the restoration of rivers, forests and the ocean, and has won an international reputation as an environmental thinker.

Her research and teaching draw inspiration and insights from engagements across 'worlds' and philosophical traditions in New Zealand, the Pacific and Europe. This work spans a range of disciplines - mainly anthropology, but also history, Māori Studies, Pacific Studies, linguistics, history and philosophy of science, and the environmental sciences. 

Did you know New Zealand gave legal personhood to the Whanganui River?  

In this inspiring interview, Anne shares how Māori traditions continue to shape the culture and future of Aotearoa (New Zealand). 

She explains how Māori ways of thinking connect people, nature, and community. From the role of the marae (traditional meeting grounds) to the recognition of rivers and oceans such as the Whanganui River, as living communities, Dame Anne explores how these ideas are changing how New Zealanders relate to the land and to each other. 

Anne explores the complex legacy of Captain James Cook’s Pacific voyages. Moving beyond the familiar image of Cook as a heroic explorer, she presents a more nuanced portrait of a man deeply transformed by his encounters with Indigenous peoples, especially in Polynesia and Aotearoa (New Zealand). 

From being treated as a high-ranking figure despite his humble origins, to relying on the wisdom of Polynesian navigators like Tupaia, Cook’s journey was shaped by both Enlightenment ideals and moments of deep cultural misunderstanding. Salmond explores the tensions that arose after violent incidents in New Zealand, the shift in Cook’s leadership style due to tensions, and the tragic breakdown of trust in Hawai‘i that played a key role in his death. 

Anne invites viewers to rethink Cook’s legacy through the lens of diplomacy, conflict, and the fragile relationships that ultimately led to his downfall.