Kawea Ake: Integrating Māori values for a more inclusive future
Hone Arohaina Thorpe
Te Āti Awa ki te Waipounamu
Kaiārahi
University of Auckland Business School
Kawea Ake is the University of Auckland’s indigenising strategy. Its name carries a powerful message: carry it forward with prestige, purpose, and integrity. This strategy guides how we, as a university, give life to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the founding document of our nation, and uplift te ao Māori in every part of our institution.
Beyond the classroom, Kawea Ake is forging strong partnerships with iwi, hapū, and Māori communities, driving innovative research and promoting sustainable business practices. By anchoring the university’s identity in Indigenous values, Kawea Ake enhances its reputation and appeal to businesses that value cultural competence and diversity. This initiative is not just about education; it’s about creating a more inclusive, culturally aware, and socially responsible environment for everyone involved. It serves as a model for many organisations as well as the university.
Kawea Ake also significantly impacts the learning journey of our students and learners at all levels. It encourages and supports them to learn about Māori culture, language, and history and fosters a more inclusive and supportive learning environment.
At its heart, Kawea Ake recognises that true partnership with Māori is not a checklist – it is a long-term, relational, and deeply cultural commitment. To bring this to life, Kawea Ake is organised around six guiding metaphors, known as the Toitū Waipapa pou. These pou (critical posts) are the foundation of our journey.
Hone Thorpe, Kaiārahi
Ngā Pou E Ono o Toitū Waipapa | The Six Pou of Toitū Waipapa
Each pou is a metaphor that expresses a vital dimension of our commitment to Māori advancement and Tiriti honouring:
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Waipapa Tāngata Rau – The Place of Great People
We aspire to grow a strong, confident Māori workforce. By embedding the values of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, and kaitiakitanga, we support Māori staff to thrive – as leaders, as experts, and as contributors to their communities and the world. This includes leadership development, reo and tikanga capability, and events that strengthen whanaungatanga and visibility.
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Waipapa Herenga Waka – The Mooring Post
We create safe spaces where iwi, hapū, and communities can connect with us, share knowledge, and find a place to anchor. This pou guides our engagement with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and other Māori partners. It helps us anchor our university’s identity in place-based relationships and Indigenous values.
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Waipapa Ngā Maunga Whakahī – Land of Proud Mountains
Mountains are symbols of ancient knowledge and pride. This pou strengthens our commitment to Indigenous research leadership, Māori research policy, and kaupapa Māori research practice. It also supports Māori data sovereignty and builds networks across Aotearoa and the Pacific.
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Waipapa Manawa Whenua – The Heartbeat
Students are the heartbeat of the university. This pou ensures that all learners, especially Māori tauira, are supported at every stage of their journey – from pre-university to postgraduate and beyond. It also includes transforming teaching and learning through mātauranga Māori, Te Tiriti education, and culturally grounded curricula.
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Waipapa Ki Uta – The Landing Place
This is where land and sea meet – a place of arrival, connection, and abundance. We care for our campuses and our people through services and spaces that reflect Māori priorities, upholding the values of manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga. This includes te reo revitalisation, sustainability, and tracking how well Kawea Ake is working across the university.
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Waipapa Tātai Hono – Ancestral Ties
This pou reminds us of our whakapapa links to our Pacific cousins. It strengthens Māori-Pacific relationships through shared initiatives, student success strategies, and joint research platforms. It also reminds us that our responsibilities as a Tiriti-led university include standing together in unity across Oceania.
Ko te pae tawhiti whāia kia tata, ko te pae tata whakamaua kia tīna.
Pursue the distant horizon so it draws near; embrace the near horizon and make it secure.build capacity to adapt and lead in complex, dynamic environments.
Tō Tātou Wāwata | Our Aspiration
Kawea Ake calls on all of us – Māori and non-Māori alike – to take part in the transformation of Waipapa Taumata Rau. It is about more than inclusion; it is about realising the university’s potential as a place where Māori knowledge, leadership, language, and community aspirations are respected and uplifted.
Through the six pou of Toitū Waipapa, we are building a university that honours Te Tiriti not only in principle, but in daily practice – by integrating Te Ao Māori across teaching, research, engagement, governance, and relationships. It is a living commitment, one that must be carried forward with humility, energy, and courage.
He Whakataukī | A Proverb
Ko te pae tawhiti whāia kia tata, ko te pae tata whakamaua kia tīna.
Pursue the distant horizon so it draws near; embrace the near horizon and make it secure.
Kawea Ake calls us to pursue the distant horizon of a university transformed by Te Tiriti and Te Ao Māori, while securing the gains we make each day. It teaches us to walk steadily toward bold futures, while anchoring ourselves in the values and relationships that give our journey meaning. Kawea Ake is like Te Toka Kamaka o Waipārūrū – the mauri stone at the entrance to Te Rerenga-ā-Toroa, placed with intention and aroha by Associate-Professor Mānuka Hēnare. It grounds us in the whenua, holds the wairua of our kaupapa, and reminds us that every step forward begins from a place of dignity, purpose, and presence.
