Waikato University on track for Kīngitanga Day on September

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19 August 2016

Waikato University on track for Kīngitanga Day on September 8

Now in its eighth year, Kīngitanga Day is an annual event that recognises the University of Waikato’s unique identity, distinctive culture and special relationships with Waikato-Tainui, other iwi and especially the Kīngitanga.

The university has had strong connections with the Kīngitanga and Waikato-Tainui since it was founded in 1964 and it is this relationship that is honoured each year through Kīngitanga Day.

This year’s programme on September 8 features a guest panel with speakers from different iwi and backgrounds invited to give their perspectives on the concept of kotahitanga (unity). On the guest panel is Che Wilson, Dr Will Edwards, Tania Simpson and Veronica Tawhai.

Che Wilson works at the Ministry of the Environment. He has worked as an advisor to the governance and senior leadership of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, and his former roles include working with his own iwi Ngāti Rangi as its chief executive in areas such as environmental management, community cohesion, cultural revitalisation and whānau development. He also worked as a consultant focusing on community development and as an environmental commissioner. Through board and iwi negotiation roles, he has also had experience in agribusiness, iwi governance, language revitalisation, power generation and philanthropy.

Tania Simpson of Tainui, Ngāi Tahu and Ngā Puhi lineage is a director of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, Tainui Group Holdings, Ag Research and the Deep South National Science Challenge. Until her recent retirement, she was the longest serving director of Mighty River Power Ltd, having held that directorship for the past 13 years. She is a member of the Waitangi Tribunal, past Deputy Chair of Landcare Research New Zealand, a board member Global Women and an accredited fellow of the NZ Institute of Directors.

Dr Will Edwards is a director of Taumata Associates, a Māori public health and development consultancy based in South Taranaki. He was previously based with the Research Centre for Māori Health and Development, Massey University. Dr Edwards is chair of Te Korowai o Ngāruahine (the post-settlement governance entity for Ngāruahine iwi), a trustee for Tāngahoe Tribal Trust, and a trustee for Te Kupenga Mātauranga o Taranaki, a board member of Te Reo o Taranaki and a board member for Taranaki Futures.

Veronica Tawhai of Ngati Porou and Ngati Uepohatu descent works as a lecturer in the policy and politics stream at Te Pūtahi a Toi (School of Māori Art, Knowledge and Education) at Massey University as a community Tiriti o Watangi educator, as a volunteer academic mentor for Highbury tertiary students, and as a member of Aotearoa’s Independent Monitoring Mechanism for implementation of the UNDRIP. Between 2012 and 2016 she coordinated the national Matike Mai Aotearoa Rangatahi, Youth for Constitutional Transformation project for the Independent Working Group on Constitutional Transformation, on which she is a member. A recent recipient of the Fulbright-Nga Pae o te Maramatanga scholar award to assist with her doctoral research, she is completing her PhD research on teaching and learning about the politics of indigeneity and the implications for citizenship education.

Panel facilitator Wena Harawira (Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Tūhoe) is a bilingual broadcaster and communications specialist. She has worked for television as a reporter, presenter and programme maker and her experience also encompasses print, radio and projects for a range of government, corporate and independent companies.

Kīngitanga Day also features a range of talks and other panel discussions, including Haoura Māori with Professor Ross Lawrenson, Dr Tom Roa and Associate Professor Tahu Kukutai who will discuss key issues in Māori health. The library will be hosting life-size board games in Māori, and there will be an opportunity to learn words and actions to a traditional haka.

University Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori Professor Linda Smith says the university’s relationship with the Kīngitanga and Waikato-Tainui and many other iwi across the country has always been of significance to the university.

“Kīngitanga Day is a great opportunity to strengthen and build on these relationships. It’s our chance to engage with the wider community, and there are lively sessions on a range of relevant topics, not just about the Kīngitanga, but about Māori perspectives, innovations and ideas.”

Presentations are mostly in English but some are in Te Reo Māori. No classes are scheduled on the day, which gives staff and students a chance to get involved. Kīngitanga Day is on September 8, starts at 9am, all activities are free and the community is welcome to attend.

For more information, and to see the full programme and speaker list, visit www.waikato.ac.nz/events/kingitanga/

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