Honorary Doctorates recognise contribution to community

Tuesday, October 4th, 2016

On Saturday 30th September three honorary Doctorates were conferred at Te Wānanga o Raukawa, Ōtaki.

They were presented by the World Indigenous Nations University (WINU).

For the people of Ōtaki, of particular interest was their own whānau member, Oriwia Raureti (Ngati Raukawa).

She is currently the Executive Director of Operations at Te Wānanga.

Oriwia has shown a passionate commitment to Māori people and education.

She follows a line of teachers from her late mother and sister. Oriwia is a leader in promoting te reo Māori and Māori excellence in research and education.

She is committed to her Catholic Church, her wider Community and to sports. Oriwia is a leader in Māori management.

The other recipients were Wiremu Kaa, Patricia Grace

Wiremu Kaa (Ngāti Porou) was recognised because of his contribution as a native Māori speaker and his teaching and influence on Māori studies.

He was instrumental in the establishment of kohanga reo.

Patricia Grace (Ngāti Toa) was recognised because of her literary accomplishments and her writing around Māori themes.

She was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters.

The awarding of the doctorates recognise a special contribution to community and education by various indigenous people in the world.

The graduation took place before family and friends and some indigenous people from around the world, from Alaska to Australia and the Pacific.

Te Wānanga o Raukawa is a Māori University or ‘wānanga’ situated at Ōtaki. Formally established in 1981 it caters for about 1300 students both on line and with actual presence at the University.

A coalition of three local Iwi (Ngāti Toa, Te Ati Awa and Ngāti Raukawa) te Wānanga o Raukawa has as its basic aim excellence in higher education delivered with respect for traditional Māori learning.

While embracing use of te reo Māori and development of the student’s home marae and tradition, the university utilises contemporary educational content.

Among Te Wananga o Raukawa’s current students are Marist priests Peter Healy and Phil Cody.

While their focus is on development of te reo Māori (Maori language), the wider purpose is the privilege of living alongside Māori and sharing their life journey.

Peter and Phil live in a community at Ōtaki in partnership with Māori at Pukekaraka Marae, Ōtaki.

They are preserving the link the Church has with Māori through the Marist family from the beginning of the Catholic Church history in Wellington.

WINU is a world network for Indigenous higher education. It is founded upon and operating within the sovereignty of indigenous peoples.

Through its networking and the leadership of the accredited WINHEC member institutions and associated Alliances it offers co-joint undergraduate and post graduate programmes.

These programmes incorporate both western and cultural knowledge.

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