AANZCA2023 conference special issue: introduction

The Māori whakataukī, ‘ka mura, ka muri’ loosely translates as ‘walk backward into the future’ (This whakataukī is derived from a longer version: ‘Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua’ which translates to ‘I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past’). It foregrounds a Māori perspective on time where the past is in front of us and can be observed and interpreted as we walk backwards into an unseen and uncertain future. This whakataukī was at the core of the 2023 AANZCA conference, ‘Ka mura, ka muri: Bridging communication pasts and futures’, held at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington. In the wake of catastrophes such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the failed Voice referendum, conflict in Ukraine and Palestine, and worsening ecological conditions, we look backward in order to look ahead, despite the uncertainty that lies there.