10th anniversary of Te Kāhui Amokura
Maori DevelopmentToday we are here to celebrate the achievements of ten outstanding Māori academics of our time.
This year, appropriately, is also the 10th anniversary of Te Kāhui Amokura, which was established to lift Māori student participation and achievement rates across our eight universities.
Aotearoa New Zealand’s long and proud tradition of Māori academic achievement dates back to the late 1890s and early 1900s.
Sir Apirana Ngata, the famous son of Ngāti Porou, was the first Māori graduate in 1893, and the first New Zealander to obtain a double degree (he gained a BA majoring in political studies) and a LLB.
Sir Maui Pomare and Sir Peter Buck or Te Rangi Hīroa were the first Māori medical graduates in 1899 and 1904 respectively.
Dame Mira (Miraka) Szaszy from Te Tai Tokerau is recorded as being the first Māori woman to graduate from a university with a BA and Diploma in Social Science in 1945.
We owe a lot to these ground-breakers who, today, are credited with leading significant social, economic and cultural change in te ao Māori.
Importance of Māori research
We have long known and understood the benefits of kaupapa Māori research - by Māori, with Māori.
I believe kaupapa Māori research has underpinned our development and ongoing evolution – It has the power to spark positive change because it restores the power of traditional knowledge while also expanding in to new areas such as the use of information technology and genetics.
Talented people are building upon the work by earlier leaders.
One example is the work by the winner of the supreme Tertiary Teaching Award earlier this week Suznne Pitama.
Otago University’s Associate Professor, Suzanne Pitama’s research on the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in Māori communities will help develop better understanding of how it impacts upon Māori.
It will also lead to new ways to prevent it and ways to treat cardiovascular disease.
As you will be aware, the Māori Party fought hard to ensure that there was a dedicated Māori Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) in the latest budget. It is vital that we continue to push our thinking and explore new pathways.
The Importance of Universities New Zealand/ Te Pōkai Tara
Ten years ago, Sir Mason Durie, Professor Piri Sciascia, Sir Tamati Reedy, Professor Hirini Matunga, Professor Tania Ka’ai, Professor Pare Keiha, and Sir Tipene O’Regan, sat down together with the vice-chancellors of the eight universities for the inaugural meeting of Te Kāhui Amokura.
The goal, then and now, is to improve outcomes for Māori university students, staff, Māori research and scholarships.
Today, over 120 years since Ngata first graduated, thousands of Māori are entering our universities. [15,527 – Education Counts, 2013].
The challenge is to encourage them to go further with their tertiary studies and consider postgraduate study and academic leadership.
Statistics show that Māori account for 12% of all Masters students and just under 10% of PhD students, with 407 PhD students recorded last year.
Nurturing and growing the number of Māori academic and professional staff is also needed to help attract and retain Māori students.
The University has a role to play in developing research that makes a difference to iwi, hapū and whānau and, to develop our future leaders.
So it’s appropriate we are here to celebrate a huge milestone for Te Kāhui Amokura and its 10th birthday.
We mark the occasion with the launching the book, Fire That Kindles Hearts: Ten Māori Scholars, by renowned Māori scholars and leaders, a legacy of Manu Ao Academy, which was governed by Te Kāhui Amokura, you’ll hear more about that soon.
I have had the privilege of being taught, lectured too and inspired by a few of these fire-starters in my time.
Conclusion
Finally, I’d like to acknowledge the commitment of the eight Vice-Chancellors to Māori research and scholarship.
And for fostering and supporting the work of Te Kāhui Amokura.
To the Kāhui Amokura members – both past and present – thank you for being the visionaries and the pathfinders.
Congratulations on your 10th anniversary and I wish you well for the next ten years.