February 01, 2021
Unitec in crisis over denial of Maori voice
A research associate at Unitec says the Māori presence at Auckland’s largest polytechnic is in crisis because of the actions of its board and management.
Rihi Te Nana says Friday’s removal by whānau and iwi of a portrait of the late Sir John Turei from the boardroom was a powerful way to make the crisis visible to the wider public.
Tui Ah Loo, Sir John’s daughter, has resigned as chair of the Unitec Rūnanga over the failure to properly consult Māori about the impending merger between the financially troubled institution and the Manukau Institute of Technology.
Its Māori executive leader, Glenn Mckay, has also quit, along with rūanga deputy chair Megan Tunks and rūnanga member Hare Rua.
Ms Te Nana says Unitec is an example of the way the education system continues to colonise and oppress Māori.
"I think it's more than consultation. We are tangata whenua. We are the treaty partner. They are tangata tiriti and they have clear obligations to come and work with us through a process that whakamana Māori and everyone else, and they have not done that," she says.
Copyright © 2021, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com