A teaching practice underpinned by Mana Māori

Associate Professor Kelli Te Maihāroa is Kaihautū, Te Kahui Whetu | Capable Māori at Otago Polytechnic

Waitaha, Ngāti Rārua Ātiawa, Taranaki, Ngāti Maniapoto

As a mokopuna of Te Maihāroa, the last tohuka and prophet of Te Waipounamu, Kelli is the first of her whānau to gain a university degree, a master’s qualification and a doctorate. Te Maihāroa stood for Mana Māori. Kelli is a product of tīpuna resilience and resistance, and as such, her educational practice is underpinned by Mana Māori.

Kelli’s work is about being an agent of change for Aotearoa New Zealand. At the polytechnic, she has contributed much to embedding Māori research through cultural advice and guidance on all research institution-wide, including ākonga research.

As shared by her colleagues: “Kelli is an excellent advocate for ensuring that Te Tiriti o Waitangi is embedded in Otago Polytechnic and beyond. She is a tireless and positive promoter of kaupapa Māori delivery to support Māori success.”

Her students appreciate the transformative nature of her work that reaches far beyond individual student learning. One learner explains her impact, “This would change the statistics of Māori learning in this country and turn the negative results into positive statistics for Māori. I always thought I would not be capable of fulfilling tertiary education, only to find through this process and tautoko that I can learn and succeed.”

He tikanga whakaako e hāpai ana i te mana Māori

Ahorangi Tūhono Kelli Te Maihāroa. Kaihautū: Te Kāhui Whetū / Capable Māori, Te Kura Matatini ki Otago.

Waitaha, Ngāti Rārua Ātiawa, Taranaki, Ngāti Maniapoto.

He mokopuna tēnei nō Te Maihāroa, arā, ko te tohunga, ko te poropiti whakamutunga o Te Waipounamu. Ko Kelli te tuatahi o tōna whānau ki te whiwhi i te tohu paetahi, i te tohu paerua me te tohu kairangi. He kaihāpai a Te Maihāroa o te mana Māori. Ko Kelli tonu te hua o te manawanui me te māia o ōna tīpuna, nō reira, ko te mana Māori anō te tūāpapa o āna mahi whakaako.

Ko te pūtake o ngā mahi a Kelli, ko te kōkiritanga o ngā huringa nui ki Aotearoa. He nui āna mahi ki te whakapūmau i ngā rangahau Māori ki Te Kura Matatini mā āna tāpaenga kōrero mō ngā rangahau o te kura whānui me ngā rangahau a ngā ākonga.

Hei tā ōna hoamahi: “He kaitaunaki whakahirahira a Kelli e whakaū ana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi ki roto i ngā mahi a Te Kura Matatini o Otago, ki hea anō hoki. Kei te whakapau ia i tōna kaha ki te whakatairanga i te kaupapa Māori ki roto i ngā mahi whakaako hei hāpai i te ekenga o te Māori ki ngā taumata tiketike.

Kei te whakanui āna ākonga i ngā huringa nui e hua mai ana i āna mahi, ki tua rā anō i ngā akoranga mā te ākonga kotahi. Anei ngā kōrero a tētahi ākonga e pā ana ki te hua o āna mahi, “Ka huri ngā tatauranga e pā ana ki te mahi ako a te Māori i tēnei whenua, arā, ka tahuri kē ngā otinga kino mō te Māori ki ngā tatauranga pai. Nōku anō te pōhēhē, e kore au e eke ki te taumata o te kura tuatoru, heoi, nā te pai o tēnei tukanga ako me te mahi tautoko, kei te ako au, kei te eke hoki ki ngā taumata tiketike.