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Associate Professor Veronica Tawhai, Ngati Porou; Ngati Uepohatu, has been appointed to the newly established role of Pūkenga Tiriti and joins the Office of the DVC Māori from Te Pūtahi-a-Toi after 14 years lecturing in Māori policy and politics.  The Pūkenga Tiriti role and appointment at Associate Professor level recognises the importance of Te Tiriti education and Māori scholarly expertise as the university advances programmes of work to embed and apply Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Deputy Vice Chancellor Māori Professor Meihana Durie says it is an important appointment for the university.

"Veronica's appointment to the role of Pūkenga Tiriti acknowledges her outstanding level of scholarship and leadership in Te Tiriti education over many years.  She has worked tirelessly not only within the university, but across many communities and networks throughout Aotearoa where she has advanced Te Tiriti education in ways that have had a significant and enduring positive impact.  As Pūkenga Tiriti, she will help to lead work that contributes to fulfilment of the University's commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and we are tremendously excited to welcome her into this new role."

With 20 years of experience advancing Te Tiriti o Waitangi in tertiary, government and community spaces, Associate Professor Tawhai has held national roles in Te Mana Ākonga (National Māori Tertiary Student’s Association), the Ministry of Education’s Māori tertiary team, the Tertiary Education Commission’s External Māori Reference Group, UNESCO’s Education sub-Commission, and the Iwi Leaders Forum’s Matike Mai Aotearoa Rangatahi project, an initiative engaging youth and tertiary students on Te Tiriti and constitutional issues.  As recipient of the 2012 Fulbright-Nga Pae O Te Maramatanga Senior Scholar award, Associate Professor Tawhai conducted research on teaching and learning about Indigeneity and the implications for citizenship education in the US, Canada and Aotearoa.  She has also held research fellowships at the Centre for World Indigenous Studies based out of The Evergreen State College (Olympia, WA) and the National Centre for Indigenous Studies, Australian National University (Canberra, AU). 

In 2004 Dr Tawhai co-founded the tertiary-based political education collective Te Ata Kura (Society for Conscientisation) and since 2009 has delivered Tiriti o Waitangi workshops nationwide as a Te Ata Kura Educator. She has published widely and contributed as a keynote speaker, expert facilitator and media commentator on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Māori development, constitutional and citizenship issues.  Her current work encompasses a Marsden project that addresses pedagogies for the teaching of Aotearoa NZ histories in schools and a second edition of her 2011 co-edited book ‘Always Speaking: The Treaty of Waitangi and public policy’.

Her appointment represents an important part of the next phase of the university’s Te Tiriti planning, where, alongside other contributors, she will help lead work for development of a Te Tiriti education programme for staff and continuation of work towards a Te Tiriti Centre.