University of Canterbury now New Zealand's first 'treaty university'
Saturday, 25 September 2021
The University of Canterbury has announced five new professor positions and the introduction of a new treaty partnership office, building on its commitment to strengthen Māori leadership and relationships.
Kā Waimaero (the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre) will be the foundation for the new office of treaty partnership, believed to be the first of its kind among Aotearoa universities to embed mana whenua – Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu – into the structure of Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha University of Canterbury.
Ngāi Tūāhuriri ūpoko and Associate Professor Te Maire Tau will hold the lead role of pou whakarae.
He will work alongside tumu whakarae (vice-chancellor) Professor Cheryl de la Rey to ensure the inclusion of te ao Māori (Māori world view), mātauranga (knowledge), and to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi at the university.
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Tau believed it was the “first treaty university” with a genuine partnership with mana whenua, and solid Māori academic leadership was needed.
He told Stuff he had spent his life trying to understand Pākehā, but there was an unwillingness to do the same for mātauranga Māori “in this country”.
“It’s not racism, it’s just complete unawareness of the situation that Māori come from. Also, the basic understanding of what mātauranga Māori is and walking away from it because it’s too tricky.”
It made retaining Māori students a big issue for all universities, he said, but they aimed to take more through to post-graduate studies.
“If we’re going to be attracting Māori students and driving them through with academic leadership, they need to see [themselves in] their professors.”
Filling the new professor positions was one of the first tasks ahead for Kā Waimaero, in such areas as science, law and economics.
One had already been appointed. Professor of ecology and the environment Shaun Ogilvie, Te Arawa (Ngāti Whakahemo), Ngāti Awa (Ngāti Pūkeko), was a co-appointment with the College of Science.
It is hoped the new professorships will attract tangata whenua academic talent back from positions all over the world.
While universities were closed communities making up their own rules about Māori partnership, Canterbury University had created strong ties with Ngāi Tahu, Tau said.
The partnership had increased post-earthquakes on campus, with simple changes like more signage, and the use of te reo Māori.
But the focus now was building quality pathways for academics. He hoped it would mean no more Māori academics would be lost to international universities where there were more supervisors and opportunities to learn.
“Underpinning that, our students need to know language and their own identities and cultural politics.
“The big test within the Māori academic world is to maintain academic integrity in blue-sky research but also apply it within tribal communities.”
The idea of a dedicated office was mooted in 2002 and turned down by the university. But, with recognition that every model used at Canterbury since to attract more Māori hadn’t worked, the university had got on board, Tau said.
He expected each college to continue increasing Māori staff levels.
“The Māori academic community simply won’t go into universities if they have to get into college bureaucracy, and tribal groups in Māori communities need deep thinking.”
The centre would enable the exploration and demonstration of academic achievement in all disciplines, as well as upholding the mana and aspirations of tangata whenua.
De la Rey said the university began the journey to develop a greater understanding of cultural inclusiveness and the principles of Te Tiriti a long time ago.
Building a strong relationship with Ngāi Tūāhuriri and Ngāi Tahu was “fundamental to continuing our bicultural journey and engaging our Māori community”. The new office was a practical manifestation of that, she said.
Ngāi Tūāhuriri and the university signed a partnership agreement in March 2019 at Tuahiwi Marae.
They agreed to work together to support the use of te reo and tikanga Māori, and students from the iwi and hapū (subtribe).
Tau and de la Rey had since met regularly to discuss academic strategy, investment opportunities, ceremonial activities, and the hosting of university guests.