Bella Takiari-Brame
Qualifications: NZ Chartered Accountant, Associate member of Association of Corporate Treasurers UK, Masters in Management Studies with Distinction, Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting and Finance, Bachelor of Management Studies, Studying towards a Diploma in Te Reo Māori
Iwi: Ngāti Maniapoto
Subjects: Te Reo Māori, Te Tohu Paetahi
Occupation: Independent Director (Audit and Risk Committee, and Portfolio Investments) – Te Ohu Kai Moana, Mangapapa B2 Incorporation Management Committee member and Consultant
Ngāti Maniapoto tōku iwi me Ngāti Te Waha rāua ko Ngāti Rōra ōku hapū.
My husband and I and our 3 tamariki (under 5) braved the 24 hours non-stop flight from London early this year after 8 years away. It had taken us almost 3 years of planning to finally get home including deciding to take this year off to do Te Reo Māori. For me having studied the reo since 3rd form at school up until my final year in my Bachelors degree in the early 90’s, this year was about refreshing my knowledge and regaining the confidence to kōrero after being away for so long with the main goal of teaching our children to speak Māori at home.
We chose to do the Te Tohu Paetahi programme because of its reputation amongst our peers along with being "slightly" biased having done all my tertiary education at Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato. As one of many in our class that had "been there and done that" in terms of already having a good foundation of Te Reo Māori, it shocked me early on to realise I had a lot of gaps in my understanding of constructions and going back to basics did me wonders.
In one of my last kōrero-a-waha (oral presentations in Māori) I explained how when I started this year where my potiki (youngest child) was my piripoho (baby still being breastfed), and now he is my whaipīhau (following me around like a bad smell). This is my analogy I attach to describing my learning of Te Reo. Hopefully soon I will be running in speaking Māori when he starts to run physically.
I know I can watch Te Kaea or Te Karere without English subtitles, and my latest achievement was to hold a 20 minute converstation in Te Reo with a Senior Māori MP during a conference in Wellington.
The key challenge for me with such young children is when they were sick I was unable to attend class, so at times I was constantly having to catch up as everyday alot of content was covered. My lecturers Matua Ēnoka Murphy and Whaea Sophie Nock had very different, distinct teaching styles but really complemented each other and just made our learning experiences ever richer. My fellow classmates from Ngā hau e whā and all different experiences and levels of Te Reo gave us a wider whānau to share the load, when at times it was difficult. At the same time alot of laughs were had when times were lighter, and most of all we learnt from each other.
Finally having spent the last 8 years in London working as an Accountant for one of the largest companies in the world, returning home and choosing to do the TTP programme was the best decision my husband Lui and I could have done for us, and for our children. All I say you only live once; no regrets. Just do it!
What does the future hold for me? Who knows? But the dream is to go back to my own iwi with my international business experience and knowledge, and start to pay my debt I owe to them for their support for my education. Having my reo will just make my journey home easier.
Glenn Tootill
Qualifications: BSc, LLBKāwhia Moana, Kāwhia Kai, Kāwhia Tangata
I have a passion for the advancement of Māori, in particular my iwi Ngāti Maniapoto and Waikato. Having practiced in the law for a number of years in particular appearing before the Waitangi Tribunal I had a desire to learn to speak the reo. Whilst improving my reo will help with my mahi the main reason I wanted to learn to speak te reo so I could interact with my tūpuna in their reo, and so I could pass on the reo to my children. The reason I chose to study the reo at the University of Waikato was because of the excellent reputation of the Te Tohu Paetahi course and because of the format of the class; full immersion from 9am - 3pm.
Having made the decision to return to study I have no regrets. The course provides students of all abilities to extend the abilities. The course provides a challenge particularly for those like myself who only had a limited grasp of the reo before the class, however the support of kaiako and fellow classmates ensured I made it through the course.
For anyone who has a passion to learn te reo Māori and are weighing up whether to take the plunge I would thoroughly recommend this course.
I currently work for local law firm McCaw Lewis specialing in Waitangi Tribunal claims, Māori Land law, Treaty settlements and Māori commercial work. I am heavily involved in the Waitangi Tribunal’s Te Rohe Pōtae District Inquiry and also have experience in commercial work, particularly leasing Māori freehold land. The skills I learnt studying Te Tohu Paetahi have meant I am able to more easily able to engage with my clients and whanaunga.
Hōhepa Tuahine
Qualifications: BA (Te Reo Māori/Tikanga Māori), Diploma in Audio Engineering (SAE Parnell)
Iwi: Ngāi Tūhoe; Ngāti Hinekura, Hāmua; Ngāti Whakaue; Ngāti Pūkaki; Ngāti Ranginui; Ngāti Pango
Subjects: Te Reo Māori, Te Tohu Paetahi
Occupation: Honours Student
In 2010 my journey here at the University of Waikato. I gained entry to the Te Tohu Paetahi specialised programme. If you are serious about learning te reo Māori then TTP is for YOU! The days were intense and full of eager students that were on the same waka as I was. You will definitely get your daily dose of te reo Māori in this programme. The lecturers were second to none and the mere thought of learning in the same classes as the Greats that came before us was inspiring to say the least! TTP was a good introduction to the way the university worked this forged a robust foundation for the years ahead. One of the big challenges for me was keeping on top of my assignments and study. Believe me there is no way around it you just have to work at it piece by piece. The 2 years after that flew by and I am now completing a Honours programme and seriously considering my Masters for 2014. In the near future I want to combine my audio skills with te taha Māori to aid in the revitalisation of our language through multi-media applications.
Jamie Rolleston
Qualifications: BA, PGDip, Master of Arts (Te Reo Māori)
Iwi: Ngāti Whakaue; Ngāi Te Rangi
Subjects: Te Reo Māori, Te Tohu Paetahi
I was born and bred in Rotorua, and attended Western Heights High School. After high school I was an exchange student in Brazil, where I learned Portuguese. However, the experience of learning a foreign language made me realise that there was a huge gap in my life, and that was my complete lack of ability to speak te reo Māori. I remember thinking that no foreign language would ever matter if I couldn’t speak my own.
When I came back to Aotearoa, I went straight from the airport to Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato to enrol in Te Tohu Paetahi, the one year full time Māori language immersion programme. Prior to entering Te Tohu Paetahi, I had no reo other than the basics like ‘Kia ora’, ‘kai’, ‘wharepaku’, etc. My time with Te Tohu Paetahi was life changing, and since learning te reo Māori with Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato I have seen the world in a new light.
After Te Tohu Paetahi, as an undergraduate student I struggled to stay focused at university, which I believe is something many students, especially Māori students experience. Living away from your whānau support systems can be challenging, and it was without a doubt a mighty effort for me to push through till the end. Although it took me longer than it should have, and I fell down more times than I care to remember, with perseverance and the right support I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, followed by a Post Graduate Diploma and I am currently in the process of writing my Master’s thesis entirely in te reo Māori from my home base in Rotorua. It just goes to show that persevering pays off. Kia Manawa tītī.
This year I was the recipient of the Te Kotahi Research Institute’s research excellence scholarship as well as a member of Te Āhurutanga- Māori student leadership programme. I am also working as a mentor and tutor in Te Pua Wānanga ki te Ao (Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Development). However, the greatest gift that has come from my time at Waikato is my language, which I can now teach to my baby son. To me, that’s not just personal transformation, but whānau transformation. What could be better than that?
My future aspiration is to establish more avenues for te reo Māori learning in my home town, Rotorua. I believe that in order for our language to survive, it has to be seen, heard and spoken everywhere, by as many people as possible. My goal is to make that happen, through entrepreneurship, creativity and collaboration. I would also love to one day achieve my PhD through Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato, to continue my lifelong learning journey.
Jillian Tipene
Qualifications: Te Tohu Paetahi/BA (Māori); Te Tītohu Whakamāori/PgDipInt&Trans; MA (Māori) (First Class Honours); PhD (Pending examination)
Iwi: Te Rarawa (Te Uri o Hina); Ngāti Kahu (Ngāi Tohianga)
Subjects: Te Reo Māori, Te Tohu Paetahi
Occupation: Currently awaiting oral examination for my PhD thesis.
I came to Te Pua Wānanga ki te Ao as a mature student with one specific goal – 'kia whakapakari, kia whakawhānui i tōku reo'. Five years working in Kōhanga Reo had laid the foundations; enrolling in Te Tohu Paetahi turned out to be the best possible next step in realising that goal, enabling me to expand and enrich my reo proficiency, both spoken and written. And so, a scholar was born! That passion for te reo introduced me to translation, and the specialised training offered within Te Pua Wānanga’s postgraduate diploma in interpreting and translating Māori, Te Tītohu Whakamāori. Going on to complete Masters and PhD degrees, under the guidance of top-class supervisors, was a natural extension of that training, equipping me to take a kaupapa I am passionate about – the translation of historical Māori manuscripts – and explore a range of the complex issues involved, from the local perspective, to the global perspective. In the process, my ability to think critically has been refined and my research skills consolidated. I feel confident in the value of my PhD research as contributing a unique, indigenous perspective to the international literature in my field, as well as here at home.
As the first person in my whānau to attend university, I have become a role model for my son, and my nieces and nephews, and normalised university study as a potential pathway for them. There have been challenges along the way: a major one being self-doubt, and also just feeling overwhelmed sometimes. Te Pua Wānanga ki te Ao and the various support and development initiatives that are provided for Māori students – the Tātai Aronui student mentoring service; Te Toi o Matariki graduate network and MAI ki Waikato postgraduate network – have been invaluable sources of whanaungatanga, mentoring and inspiration. Te Pua Wānanga has been such an integral part of my life over the last nine years. At this point, I feel really grateful; I feel like a pūrerehua, ready to spread my wings, well-equipped, culturally and academically, to take on the world.
Nō reira, e aku nui, e aku rahi, me mihi ka tika ki te kura nei, ki Te Pua Wānanga ki te Ao, ā, ki ngā kaiako, ngā pūkenga, ngā kaiārahi hoki, koutou katoa i atawhai mai, i kaha poipoi mai i tēnei uri nō Muriwhenua i roto i ngā tau maha. He mihi mutunga kore ki a koutou. Tēnā koutou!
Joeliee Seed-Pihama
Qualifications: BA (Hons), PGDipTrans&Inter, MA (Te Reo)
Iwi: Taranaki; Te Atiawa; Ngaruahine; Waikato
Subjects: Te Reo Māori, Te Tohu Paetahi
I tipu ake au i raro i te maru o te maunga titohea o Taranaki, ā, i tīmata taku whai i te reo Māori i reira engari kia whakaoti pai ai taku tohu BA i hūnuku mai au ki te riu o Waikato nei. Nō Ngāti Haua taku hoa rangatira, ā, tokotoru ā māua tamariki. I tōku ohinga kāore ōku taringa i tino rongo ki te hā o te reo, ko te take kāore ōku mātua i te matatau ki te reo. Ahakoa tēnā, me te tukituki o ngā waewae i ētehi wā, kua riro mai ngā hua o te rākau mātauranga ki a au, otirā, ki tōku whānau. Nā Te Pua Wānanga ki te Ao me ōna kaiako au tōku hinengaro, tōku ngākau me tōku arero i whāngai ki ngā āhuatanga o te ao Māori. Ko te tino hua pea ko āku tamariki; ko tā rātou kai i te ao i te pō ko ngā āhuatanga papai o te ao Māori me tōna reo whakamiharo. Ki a au nei, kāore he hua, kāore he painga i tua atu i tēnā, arā, ko te tū hei tōtara haemata i roto i te wao nui a Tāne me te ao whānui hoki.
Ko te kōingo o te ngākau mō ngā rā kei te heke tonu mai, kia tū au hei pou mō tōku whānau, ka mutu kia hikoi tonu au i runga i te ara o rangahau; he mea hiamo ki a au te rapu mātauranga hei painga mō te iwi. Nā reira, ko te tūmanako, mā tēnei ara rangahau au e tautoko i ōku hapū me ōku iwi ki te whakatinana i ō mātou ake wawata mō āpōpō.
Current employment: I tēnei wā kei te whai au i taku tohu kairangi. Ko ‘ngā ingoa Māori’ te kaupapa, me kī, kei te āta titiro au ki tēnei mea te tapatapa i ā tātou nei tamariki i roto i te reo Māori. Nā reira, kua uiuia e au ētahi o ōku whanaunga kia kite ai he aha tēnei mea te ingoa ki a mātou o Taranaki, o Waikato hoki. He nui te mana me te tapu o te ingoa ki a Ngāi Māori; mā te ingoa e whakatakoto te ara hei hikoinga mā te tamaiti, ā, i te mutunga iho me ara ake tātou ki te whakanui i ō tātou ingoa me tō tātou reo rangatira.
Jonathan Wilson
Qualifications: Te Timatanga Hou, BSc (Earth Science), Diploma (Te Reo)
Iwi: Ngāti Haua (Ngāti Werewere)
Subjects: Te Reo Māori, Te Tohu Paetahi
I have 3 young boys; all of whom have Māori as their first language. When my eldest boy went to kura I knew I had to do something about improving my reo or I wouldn't be able to support him in the way he needs. Consequently my partner and I decided I would grow and develop my reo for a year in a total immersion programme called Te Tohu Paetahi at The University of Waikato. This programme is taught by some of the best lecturers in the country through Te Pua Wānanga ki te Ao/ The School of Māori and Pacific Development. In order for me to do this however I had to give up my position as Production Supervisor at a large pipelines company here in Hamilton. This turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. Improving my reo has been more just a year of study, it has been a journey; rich with discovery and personal growth. A journey my whānau and I have made together that will undoubtedly benefit us for many years to come.
Kiharoa Milroy
Qualifications: BTchg (Secondary) & a BA (Te Reo Māori and Tikanga Māori)
Iwi: Ngāi Tuhoe; Te Arawa
Subjects: Te Reo Māori
I have a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Teaching at the University of Waikato.
I am of Ngāi Tuhoe and Te Arawa descent. I was brought up by my grandparents in Hamilton and attended St Pauls Collegiate School where I made school prefect. Te Reo Māori is my first language and I have long stood with confidence in both te ao Māori and te ao Pākeha. I have a young son and both my partner and I are endeavouring to raise to raise him with Te Reo Māori as his first language.
My conjoint degree at the University of Waikato included achieving an invite to be a part of the International Golden Key Society for my academic achievements, and I received a number of scholarships and grants including the TeachNZ scholarship and the prestigious Ngarimu V.C 28th Māori Battalion Scholarship which saw me flown down to Wellington for a special awards ceremony in the Parliament House. I worked as a tuakana at the Ko Tuia wānanga, participated in Te Pua Wānanga o Te Arawa, and joined Mātike Mai Aotearoa - Independent Iwi Constitutional Working Group.
I kept active outside of the University to settle my body, mind and soul doing various activities such as basketball, ultimate frisbee, waka ama, volleyball, and parkour. I have a special interest in skydiving where I have completed an Accelerated Free Fall. I also enjoy dancing, the performing arts and above all else te reo and tikanga Māori.
I chose teaching as my profession because I love it. I wish to build student’s self-confidence, self-awareness and self-belief. I enjoy working with students to identify and pursue their passions, develop their talents and skillsets, and I enjoy helping them to develop strategies that they can put in place to build a better world for themselves.
My goal is to return to my rohe to teach. I plan to establish my own school which embeds tikanga, reo and mātauranga Māori. It will also focus on self-sustainable living and life-skills, outdoor education and survival skills, and outdoor adventure sports. The school will target rangatahi Māori who are disengaged from formal education and encourage them to find their own path, to succeed and achieve in whatever they do. Kia tū rangatira rātau.
Lui Brame
Qualifications: NZ Chartered Accountant, Graduate Diploma of Commerce, Bachelor of Commerce, currently studying towards Diploma in Te Reo Māori
Iwi: Te Rarawa
Subjects: Te Reo Māori, Te Tohu Paetahi
Kia hiwa ra, kia hiwa ra, kia tu, kia oho, kia matara!
Absolutely awesome year! I have been challenged, schooled and even though I have done this year learning te reo Māori I realise this is only the start of my journey in seeing the Ao Māori.
About Myself
Prior to the start of the year I spent the last 8 years in London working as a qualified charted accountant in the largest global banks which have gone through unprecedented change since the Global Financial Crisis. As part of this experience I got to see the sharp edge of banking culture where under performance can quickly see you out the door. During my time in London my wife, Bella and I did a lot of travel going to places like Egypt, Petra, Dubai, Romania, Spain, Cyprus and Sweden. In these places you really get to see other cultures and experience seeing how different people can look, they way the act, their predicament and the way they speak. This coupled with the banking culture experience you really appreciate that you are different and cultural identity is a key foundation of who you are.
The challenge for me is that I know I am Māori but I can’t speak Māori and you will see my side step when ever there is question on Tikanga e.g. karakia, mihimihi, powhiri etc. This hole in my identity led me the Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato.
My wife and I choose the Whare Wānanga o Waikato because of its reputation and the reputation of programme Te Tohu Paetahi as a leader in its offering.
The Study
During this course the things I have enjoyed most are the surprises. For example when I realise one day “damn I’m writing in Māori!” or “Oh yeah I just did my mihi in Māori with out sounding too fresh”. The other surprise has been that I am more enlightened of the challenges of our tūpuna by learning about the history of te reo Māori, understanding more about land confiscations and the emergence of the Kingitanga.
Challenges
The key challenge for me this year is getting my head right. To come in each day and say I am the only one that can make this happen. I am going to make the most of this opportunity. While this sounds simple enough there are plenty of distrations to take you off course. I often found my self not understanding what was being said in the class lesson and not motivated. The problem with this is I am the only one who can make it happen. This is where getting your head right is the biggest challenge. I can’t let myself get overwhelmed I need to step back and look at the big picture and break it down it to smaller bits I can manage. Now that I have done that its all about time and how I manage my time to learn those small bits so I can keep up with the rest of the class. Aue!
Aspirations
Now that I am at the begining of my journey I want to challenge myself to develop into a awesome speaker of te reo Māori and fully appreciate my Māori identity. I want to teach my children (Graham, Atiria-Grace and Atilini) to speak Māori so to can fill the whenua with our Tūpuna language!
My career aspirations is to work in a Māori business that supports te reo Māori where I can use my skills as an accountant to help realise the aspirations of that organisation and for the benefit of Māori.
Special acknowelgement to my lecturers Matua Ēnoka and Whaea Sophie they are great lecturers!
Lynda Green
Qualifications: BA(Hons) (First Class)
Iwi: Pākehā
Subjects:
I first came to study at FMIS in response to a desire to formalise some of the experiences and teachings I had been exposed too within te ao Māori over a timespan of 25 years or so. Little did I realise how all consuming academic life would become.
Indeed, it surprised me that (after leaving high school at 15 and leading a rather unconventional life) my brain was capable of reaching such heights. It just goes to show that with the right balance of passion, committment, hard work and supportive teachers, most things can be achieved.
Not that it has been plain sailing by any stretch of the imagination. Moving from my slice of heaven in the bush and leaving my ususal support systems and routines behind has, at times, left a huge gap that even the joys of academic discovery was hard pressed to fill. Not to meniton the associated stresses of living on the edge of the breadline! I am extremely grateful for the continued encouragement, on many levels, that both fellow students and staff have extended towards me thereby, ensuring the continuation of my studies.
Although it is not so usual for some one of Pākehā descent to choose to study within SMPD, for me it was the right place to be in order to gain a deeper understanding of te ao Māori. In turn this learning has led me to delve more into defining what it means to identify as Pākehā in our current time frame. Currently I am working on my Master’s Thesis and at this stage I am looking to undertake a PhD next year.
In terms of my future career, I have a desire to be of use in building an understanding (particularly with New Zealanders of Pākehā descent) of the unique opportunity we have in Aotearoa to appreciate the knowledge and wisdoms of Māori. My belief is that we can then redefine ourselves to create a more equitable environment in which all people may thrive.
Teresa Tepania
Qualifications: BA (Te Reo Māori, Māori Media and Communication)
Iwi: Ngāpuhi; Ngāti Kahu; Te Aupouri; Ngāti Hine
Subjects: Te Reo Māori
Studying in Te Pua Wānanga ki te Ao has inspired me to become a successful young Māori not only for myself, but for my son and wider whānau. It is reassuring to see so many qualified Māori coming out of The Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies.
Te ao Māori has many up and coming leaders and it is with thanks to the Faculty and world class lecturers that we are able to succeed.
At times, this journey was challenging especially being a full time mother. However, my lecturers were supportive and always encouraging me to continue with my work. Without the support of my family, the lecturers and staff at The Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies I would not have succeeded.