A rangatira for Te Ao Māori

Prime Minister’s Educator of the Year

and Kaupapa Māori Award

Senior Lecturer , Te Pua Wānanga ki te Ao | Faculty of Maori and Indigenous Studies, Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato | University of Waikato. 

Watch Dr Ēnoka Murphy's Teaching profile video

Ēnoka Murphy has proud tribal links that extend from Ngāti Manawa, Ngāi Tūhoe and Ngāti Ruapani ki Waikaremoana in the Eastern Bay of Plenty.  Steeped in te ao Māori/ the Māori world, he was raised within a whānau who value education and where both his parents are highly acclaimed as Te Tiriti o Waitangi educators. As a result, Ēnoka has been an avid learner and speaker of the reo since his youth. He regards the Māori language as everything in his world, his refuge, and his whole identity, and has raised his children in the language in the same way.  

With over 30 years of teaching at all levels of education, from Kohanga Reo and Kura Kaupapa Māori, to adults within his tribal community, Ēnoka has brought a rich, wealth of experience in the performing and oral arts of theatre, radio work, judging Māori language competitions and kapa haka. He was a student of Rangakura/ Teacher Training in total Immersion te Reo Māori, with experience at Te Kura Matatini o Taranaki/ Western Institute of Technology. He is currently teaching te Reo Māori me ōna tikanga/ the Māori languages and associated cultural practices at Waikato University. 

Centered in the Māori worldview, Ēnoka has a teaching philosophy that originates from the spiritual elements and the natural forces of the environment; from the time when the world was created, including the stars, the oceans and waters, all kinds of life, and we as humans were formed as part of this world. This is his reference point, and he uses the cultural stories and narratives to underpin his teaching.   Ēnoka believes that teaching te reo is at the core of the reclamation of our language, our culture, and our rights.  

His chosen specialty is teaching language through total immersion, and making people who are new to the language happy and excited about immersion. Ēnoka actively teaches in a holistic way, addressing the social, the heart, the spiritual, as well as the thinking dimensions of his students.  He believes strongly that putting the student first and spending one’s time and energy on them is crucial, because the life of the language and Māori identity rests on their shoulders.

He believes that a language classroom should be learner-focussed, vibrant, noisy, and enjoyable. He thrives on the one-on-one interactions with students to actively listen, analyse, try again, encourage, and provide positive feedback in humble ways that value their attempts. He arrives early to class to help those who are behind or who have questions, listens to their personal stories, assist the student to seek preciseness in their thinking, checks their work, or provides extra challenges.  Of this approach, his learners say:

“His enthusiasm is infectious (as is his) sense of humour”.  

 “This kaiako had a knack for teaching te reo; it was lively, it was energetic, it was challenging, and at times humbling”.  

His approach to learning is empowering because he creates a safe environment for learning, his communication style is calm, collected and approachable.  

Embracing new technology is a hallmark of Enoka’s teaching style too. He acknowledges the support of his colleagues to assisting him to develop new ways of combining technology and oral forms of reo Māori assessment tasks. Recent evaluation data from the six classes Ēnoka teaches at Waikato University, reinforce the success of his teaching style, and 94% of the students are “highly- satisfied” with his classes taught in this way. 

Ēnoka has gained recognition for his dedication to teaching te Reo Māori. In 2013, he was recipient of a ‘Faculty Teaching Excellence Award’ from The University of Waikato. The following year in 2014, he received the ‘Sustained Excellence Award’ for teaching in a kaupapa Māori context at the Ako Aotearoa Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards. At the time he expressed that while happier not being in the limelight, he recognised the importance of the award, acknowledging that there are already excellent Māori teachers who continue to do this for many years. 

In 2020 Ēnoka was promoted for the ‘Divisional Teaching Excellence Award’, and ‘Nola Campbell Memorial eLearning Excellence Award’ from the university. Student feedback of his teaching style emphasise how Enoka has continued to develop his teaching style with: 

 “…patience, charisma, and his devotion to Te Reo Māori make for an outstanding and unique teacher”.  

“He creates opportunities for further explanations and is so passionate and enthusiastic about what he is teaching and wants every student to succeed.” 

“Matua Ēnoka wears his heart on his sleeve, believes wholeheartedly in what he teaches and believes in the ability of all his students. A very kind human being, who touches the lives of many, he is beyond a teacher.” 

Being a university educator carries some social responsibility too for Ēnoka. In his position he has done many things over the years for people, hospital and court visits, letters of support for students, various seminars and spiritual activities. He supports Māori within other parts of Waikato University, and has been working with the Ministry of Education, sponsoring their Māori language program ‘Poipoia te Reo’.

Ēnoka contributes to intellectual discussions in the Māori world by opening contemporary and contentious issues facing Māori right now.  In 2022, Ēnoka presented a keynote address on ‘19th century Ruahine (tohunga wahine)’, alongside some of the leading mātauranga tohunga/ experts in the Māori world. This presentation was part of the ‘Te Whare Makatea’ Symposium hosted by Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi in Whakatāne. The focus was on how mātauranga Māori and mātauranga o te ao are utilised to meet the many and varied needs of their communities.  

This is Ēnoka Murphy!