Kāore te kumara e kōrero ana mō tōna ake reka. The kūmara does not talk about its own sweetness. Professor Paul Tapsell is well acquainted with this whakataukī. Together with Professor Merata Kawharu are embarking on a journey to explore our nation’s stories about the mighty staple crop that cannot be done through Western, archaeological lenses. We can then uncover narratives about the settlement, histories, and kōrero of Aotearoa and reconsider the value of kūmara culturally and economically for our present and future.