Te Aka Matua 2030 – Charting an ambitious path to embedding Te Tiriti

Ki te tuohu koe, me he mauka teitei, ko Aoraki anake.

If you must bow your head, let it be to the loftiest mountain, Aoraki.

The call to be more ambitious and courageous in Otago’s aspirations to be a Te Tiriti-led University echoes loudly through Te Aka Matua 2030.

The latest iteration of the Māori Strategic Framework (MSF) is focused tightly upon embedding Te Tiriti o Waitangi throughout Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, building on the foundation of its predecessors, the inaugural Māori Strategic Framework 2007 and the Māori Strategic Framework 2022.

The framework was launched at the end of August, starting with waiata sessions for staff showcasing mātauraka Māori teaching and learning methods. This was followed by a formal launch event organised by the Office of Māori Development (OMD) and the office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Māori), featuring a performance by Kaimahi Rōpū Waiata and a panel discussion with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT).

OMD Acting Interim Director Rhonda Bryant (Kāi Tahu, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine) says the launch was an opportunity for SLT to discuss the importance of and their accountability to Te Aka Matua 2030.

“Having a kōrero with SLT allowed us to talk through our strategic direction going forward, their plans for each goal and the key priorities that would be addressed in their divisions and offices.”

It was also an opportunity to acknowledge the mahi that went into making Te Aka Matua 2030 a reality, Rhonda says.

“The work was led by OMD staff, with contributions from a number of key stakeholders.

“Some of those key staff are no longer with OMD but we acknowledge their work over the last few years as this document was brought to fruition.”

Te Aka Matua 2030 aligns with Vision 2040, setting Otago firmly on a course to be more Te Tiriti-led in all it does, Rhonda says.

“It challenges the University to uphold true partnerships and builds on the work of previous iterations put in place to uphold the mana of Te Tiriti.

“To realise Māori aspirations, we need to be bold, acknowledge our colonial past and move into the next phase of recognising true partnership and honouring Te Tiriti.”

Te Aka Matua 2030 details how the University can concretely progress its Te Tiriti aspirations across four key whāika (goals) – Kāwanataka Strong Leadership, Rakapūtaka Partnership, Mana Taurite Equity and Tino Rakatirataka Sovereignty.

With this iteration, there is clearer understanding how Otago will reach its goal of being a Te Tiriti-led university, Rhonda says.

“Many of the themes from MSF 2022 are present in this iteration, the difference being the goals of Te Aka Matua 2030 are more directly aligned with Te Tiriti o Waitangi.”

These whāika were formulated out of a need to recognise what has been achieved to date and what needs to be achieved to 2030, Rhonda says.

“A lot of work has gone into achieving the goals of previous iterations of the MSF however, we still have work to do to fully realise aspirations of mana whenua and iwi Māori.”

Acknowledging this is a new priority in Te Aka Matua 2030 under goal four Sovereignty - Te Kaitiakitaka o kā Taoka Māori, Guardianship of Māori Treasures.

“This priority has a clear reference to Ko Te Tuarua (Article II) of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and speaks to recognising the rakatirataka of the mana whenua in the land upon which our campuses sit.

“This is further supported by creating a priority around institutional support for taoka Māori (Māori treasures), so te reo Māori, tikaka Māori and mātauraka Māori are celebrated and flourishing.”

Te Aka Matua 2030 also highlights the need to prepare our graduates for a changing world, particularly in light of the increasing diversity of Aotearoa.

Te Pou Koko Māori, Deputy-Vice-Chancellor (Māori) Professor Jacinta Ruru (Raukawa, Ngāti Ranginui) says it is important to understand the student cohort we have now and those coming to us in the years ahead.

“It’s an exciting time. We have more Māori tauira coming to Otago than ever before and many now coming with fluency in te reo Māori.

“We also have more students from diverse backgrounds wanting to learn about te ao Māori, seeing great value in having that knowledge as part of their skill set when graduating from Otākou Whakaihu Waka.”

As staff we need to make sure Otago has the papers, programmes, curriculum and campus experiences to ensure students are gaining relevant knowledge that is going to set them up to succeed in their chosen professions, Jacinta says.

“The more we can do to enable our students to learn about and study te ao Māori, the more we can help them enhance their cultural competency in understanding and working with Māori.

“The more cultural competency our students acquire to work with people with different perspectives and worldviews, the better. Our focus is Māori which makes sense here in Aotearoa New Zealand.”

Te Aka Matua 2030 will help Otago as a large organisation to advance its efforts towards being Te Tiriti-led. This includes increasing Māori staff and creating more opportunities for all staff to learn te reo Māori, she says.

“We know that within the Māori world and hundreds of years of knowledge, there are solutions that can help us.

“And so, it is really important that we work alongside Māori entities to develop transformative solutions not only for us as a University but more broadly for Aotearoa too.”

Te Aka Matua 2030 is deliberate in providing a clear roadmap to achieving Otago’s Pae Tata and Vision 2040 aspirations, Jacinta says.

“Just as the earlier frameworks were what we needed at the time, Te Aka Matua 2030 is the framework we need right now. It is time to put some concrete markers in the ground and Te Aka Matua 2030 shows us the way.

“There is a role for everyone to get behind the framework, to stand up and be involved. We need the boldness, the courage and the confidence of all our staff if we are to meet that Pae Tata moment in 2030 and beyond.”

~ Kōrero by Sandra French, Adviser, Internal Communications