Stewart, G2019-08-202019-08-2020192019MAI Journal 2019: volume 8, issue 11177-5904https://hdl.handle.net/10292/12752This article illuminates the embryonic academic practice of writing doctoral theses in te reo Mäori, storying the experiences of graduates, supervisors, examiners and senior managers involved in this pathway. In keeping with Indigenous sensibilities, a narrative research approach is adopted, whereby analysis proceeds by carefully curating interview data to tell a compelling insider story of the reo Mäori doctoral journey. This narrative research process respects the teaching power of stories, told in the voices of pioneers in this field, and brings forward a joyful counter-narrative to the dominant detrimental research stories about Mäori university education.MAI Journal is an open access journal that publishes multidisciplinary peer-reviewed articles that critically analyse and address indigenous and Pacific issues in the context of Aotearoa New Zealand.Indigenous doctoral studies; Kaupapa Māori; Narrative research; Te reo MāoriJournal ArticleOpenAccess10.20507/MAIJournal.2019.8.1.6