Māori minded, University Thinking.

Words By Phoebe Sullivan (She/Her) Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Whātua ki Kaipara, Ngāti Whātua ki Ōrākei, Tainui-Waikato

As Māori, we are told that knowledge is power and education is the key to that power. We sit through thirteen years of education just to finish high school and be told that we must seek more and we must be more. If it’s not high school telling us to go to university, it’s our parents. And if it’s not our parents, it’s the world around us perpetuating this narrative that a tohu (degree) is the only way we can make it in this world. We find ourselves opening up dozens of university booklets on why we should study, what we should study, where we should live, and what we should expect. 

The narrative surrounding university is (sometimes) actually quite different. 

So what’s this piece about? 

I had the privilege of talking to three tauira who come from all walks of life. We had a kōrero about their journey navigating the very isolating and colonial spaces of university, especially when university sells itself as a place where you can find yourself. 

Lucy Scharder Manuera (Te Aupōuri) grew up in Ōtautahi her whole childhood until she moved to Pōneke when she was 17. 

What was it like growing up in Ōtautahi?

It was very hard growing up away from my iwi. I found it hard to connect to my Māoritanga in the South Island⁠—mainly because it was Pākehā dominated, but also most Māori I knew were connected with Kāi Tahu. I lost my koro in 2012, and he was the last of our immediate whānau who could kōrero Māori. So when we returned his body up North for his tangi, I vowed that I was going to learn the reo and realised how important it was for me to do so. 

Why did you decide to come to university and what do you study?

I decided to come to uni because I couldn't go overseas, which was my original plan. I always knew I wanted to seek higher education, but because I was 17 for nearly half of my first year, I wanted to take a gap year. I was also inspired by my cousins and grandparents who had studied at university and really enjoyed it.

Currently I’m in my second year of study doing a BA majoring in te reo Māori and Political Science.

Winiata Park (Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau Whakatōhea, Ngāti Raukawa) grew up in Kawerau until he was 12 and then moved to and Porirua.

What has your university experience been like so far?

I think one of the hardest things at uni is finding where you fit in⁠—especially being Māori (and because I'm white-passing). Sometimes you can't find balance between being authentically Māori and fitting into a Pākehā education system. I found this at Te Puni because it was predominantly a Pākehā hall. There was one experience in particular where previous Te Puni students dressed up as different races, with one boy dressing up as Pasifika. He wore a white singlet and jandals, drew tatau on himself, and drank codys. This experience really affected me, not only because of its blatant racism, but also living with people like that. It made me feel super excluded from Te Puni and the university system altogether. However, I have really enjoyed university, especially since getting involved in Ngāi Tauira (NT). I feel so much more comfortable and supported. 

Why did you decide to come to university and what do you study?

I didn’t have much of an idea on what to do when I finished school, and teachers pushed me to go to uni. I could have picked up a trade or gone into scaffolding in Aussie with my brothers. Or because our kura provided us with a degree in Mātauranga Māori through Te Whare Wānanga o Raukawa, I could’ve picked something up in that. But I was only 17 and thought I wasn’t ready for those types of roles. 

I currently study Māori Resource Management.

What has your university experience been like so far?

As a tauira that grew up in full immersion since Kohanga, university was a massive eye opener and a bit of a culture shock. I had never been exposed to so many different people and was a bit lost being thrown into mainstream education. I remember at the end of our first couple lectures, me and the bro from kura were looking around waiting for someone to get up and mihi to the lecturer for the class⁠—lol. Engari waimaria katoa au i a Āwhina me Ngāi Tauira⁠— they helped me understand the ins and outs of uni and providing me with the te ao Māori aspect that I had been missing since kura. 

Zephaniah Witoko (Ngāti Kahungungu) grew up in Flaxmere, Hawkes Bay and moved to Pōneke when he started uni.

What was it like growing up in Hawkes Bay?

Growing up in Flaxmere, Hawkes Bay with a single mother on welfare was common for most of the friends and family I grew up with. For most of us, it was normal to go to school with no lunch and no shoes. Looking back now, there were often times when my mother would have to go hungry for my sister and I to eat. Generational cycles like gangs, domestic violence, and alcoholism were also present in my life growing up. But despite all of this, me and my sister were both adventurous, outgoing, and happy kids. Most days, you’d catch me and my mates walking to the local river in red rags or getting up to mischief, making do with what we had. Now that I look back at these experiences, I’m grateful I grew up the way I did. It lets me be much more appreciative of the blessings I have today. 

Why did you decide to come to university and what do you study?

My grandparents sent me to Napier Boys’ High School to board in 2018. After my four years of high school, I knew I had a passion for helping people. This, paired with my interest in my culture, led me to considering taking Law and Māori at Vic once I left high school. But things have changed up since my time being here, and now I’m in my third year at Vic, studying Psychology and Māori.

What has your university experience been like so far?

As the first person in my family to go to university, I struggled with the initial admin procedures that come with it like StudyLink and expenses. Studying Law and going to the Old Government Buildings was also a big culture shock for me. Being exposed to so many people who came from completely different worlds was a big shift to adjust to at the time, which led me questioning whether I wanted to come back in second year. Since then, I’ve lived at Whānau House, and continue to be part of Ngāi Tauira. Ultimately, I’m grateful I didn’t give up after first year because it enabled me to come out of my shell and experience things the old me would have never attempted. 

Wherever you are reading this, I hope that you realise you are not alone and there are so many tauira going through the same journey you are. 

Remember that after all the overcrowded lectures in Maclaurin, the rush hour foot traffic of Kelburn hub, and all the last minutes hustles through those 3000 word assignment, we are here. Ngāi Tauira is here to help you find your place in this world.