Mātauranga Māori A question of faith

What does Mātauranga Māori mean to you and what is its place in Māori tertiary education? Ko te whakamāramatanga o ngā tikanga tuku iho e puta ai te titiro a te Māori ki tōna ao The explanation of Māori behaviour from which a Māori worldview can be derived.

Ko te mātauranga tuku iho o ō tātou tūpuna me te mātauranga hou i waihangatia e te hinengaro Māori o nāianei i whakatupuria i te tauira tawhito hei whakaahua i te whakaaro Māori. Te Wānanga o Raukawa takes the view that mātauranga Māori includes knowledge based on our worldview handed down from our tūpuna AND knowledge created by the contemporary Māori mind, grown from the traditional, that gives expression to Māori thought.

How do you practice it and what does it look like in your role / institution? What is the role of Mātauranga Māori in achieving better outcomes for Māori in tertiary education?

Finally, what is the ideal, and how do we get there? How do we ensure that Mātauranga Māori remains dynamic and meets the challenges of contemporary Māori society?

It is a matter of faith, of belief in ourselves and our mātauranga. New Mexico – WIPCE – Hopi Indian worldview delivered with passion and conviction Te Aurere - kia haere te atua ki te whakaū i tāu e hiahia ai When Bruce Biggs in the 1970s said the language was doomed, he was asked how the language might be revived. 5 generations programme

The Ultimate Belief Statement: E kore au e ngaro; he kākano i ruia mai i Rangiātea – belief that I will never be lost. This is why TWOR believes that this multi- million dollar institution can be managed and operated according to tikanga/mātauranga Māori.

TWOR BELIEVES in the Kia Māori 2040 prescription, that we will be thinking, speaking, behaving as Māori with fluency and fluidity and the prospects of our survival as a people will be enhanced beyond the threat of extinction.

Teaching te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori fundamentally requires that the deliverer BELIEVES in what is being taught. She or he demonstrates that belief through their enthusiasm and lifestyle. When we say Ranginui, Papatuānuku me ā rāua tamariki – do we believe in this as our children in Kōhanga believe?

I was encouraged by some of what I heard yesterday: We must not discard our knowledge, but rather have faith in it Our connection to our reo should be like our connections to our maunga and awa We need to believe in our reo and in our mātauranga Make your research and your teaching your heart The best teachers of te reo Māori are those that understand and live the culture

So, if we want to be exponents of mātauranga Māori, if we want to be champions for our reo, if we want to survive as a distinct culture and people forever......

WE NEED TO BELIEVE in mātauranga Māori and its power to inform us today in all of our endeavours

TŪROU HAWAIKI – May the ancient homeland of your forebears, Hawaiki, glimmer on in your mind’s eye for all eternity.