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Ngā Kaiwhakapūmau i Te Tiriti o Waitangi i Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa has been established to provide a high level of Te Tiriti o Waitangi expertise and Te Ao Māori leadership for the university’s Te Tiriti o Waitangi goals and commitments.

Ngā Kaiwhakapūmau comprises representatives from the university’s three mana whenua iwi, Ngāti Whātua, Rangitāne and Te Ātiawa, as well as a member representing Ngā Iwi nō Ngā Hau e Whā (iwi from throughout Aotearoa New Zealand) and a representative each for Māori staff and ākonga.

Ngā Kaiwhakapūmau met on the Pukeahu campus in Wellington for a pōwhiri at Te Rau Karamū Marae before taking part in their first official hui.

Te Kaiwhakapūmau Hāpai o Ngāi Māori i Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa (Māori staff representative) Dr Rangimārie Mahuika, Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Ngāti Whakaue, Te Rarawa, says the milestone is significant as Massey is the first university to establish a taumata level of representation at a level similar to that of the University Council.

“We’re really the first university to create an opportunity where there’s some real power sharing in terms of decision-making around the direction of our Te Tiriti commitments alongside our three mana whenua iwi, our kaimahi and ākonga, which is a significant part of our excitement about this initiative.”

Dr Mahuika says having such a group has been an initiative that has been years in the making.

“At the beginning, the university knew that being Te Tiriti-led was important, and had a lot of positive implications, not just for the university but for the country. We perhaps were not fully aware of what that might look like moving forward, but that commitment has created the opportunity for Ngā Kaiwhakapūmau to come about. It has encouraged people to think deeply about what we need to do to realise what we’d like long-term, not just for Massey but for the country, in terms of Te Tiriti. And amazing things have happened.”

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Māori Professor Meihana Durie, Rangitāne, Ngāti Kauwhata, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Porou, Rongo Whakaata, Ngāi Tahu, says the first meeting of Ngā Kaiwhakapūmau i Te Tiriti o Waitangi represents the next chapter of Massey’s Te Tiriti journey.

“In terms of our Te Tiriti trajectory, this gathered significant momentum back in 2018 when we reaffirmed our strong aspiration as a university, as a higher education institution, to be led by Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and we’ve certainly come a long way since then. With the strong support of the wider ������Դ community, we’ve been fortunate to lead out a number of major projects to give meaningful expression to both the principles and provisions of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The official launch of Ngā Kaiwhakapūmau certainly represents a watershed moment for our institution.

“Last year, ������Դ Council committed to undertake some significantly groundbreaking work to advance the constitution of the Council. That development also paved the way for establishment of this taumata group, Ngā Kaiwhakapūmau, each of whom are widely recognised as experts and leaders who continue to give their own time to ensure that Te Tiriti o Waitangi is honoured in the way that the signatories intended.

“Today is all about celebrating the wonderful group that has assembled at Te Rau Karamū Marae. It’s a momentous occasion for Massey and in some ways really just the beginning of the next chapter, whereby we now have an incredible array of leaders who will help guide us across the next phases of our Te Tiriti journey.”

Vice-Chancellor Professor Jan Thomas says the inaugural hui is a significant moment for Massey.

“It’s been a long time in the making. I’m always really careful about how Massey moves forward in the Te Tiriti o Waitangi space. Now, we’ll be able to have those discussions and take advice from Nga Kaiwhakapūmau, which will ensure that we are both reflecting our desire to be in partnership with our iwi Māori, and that we are sure that each footstep is going to be a strong one. That, for me, is something that is really important.

“It’s going to be a long journey and we need to make sure that every footstep is in partnership with our iwi and that the outcomes for our students and our staff are good ones, because at the end of the day, that means that it’s good for Aotearoa New Zealand.”