New head is standing on great shoulders
"There's an increasing diversity of Maori engagement, but it's cultural identity that lies at the heart of all endeavours." Meihana Durie
His appointment as head of the Maori studies unit at Massey University signals a coming home of sorts for Meihana Durie.
His father and mother, Sir Mason Durie and Lady Arohia Durie, both professors, were big influences on him. They were among the founders and early proponents of the Maori studies unit, Te Putahi a Toi, and its predecessor at the university. Later, Meihana Durie also studied through the unit
‘‘It’s some of my early memories and some great memories. Some of the people here now were there at the beginning.’’
He was formally welcomed into the role with a powhiri on Monday. The path back has included writing and directing an internationally-recognised short film, helping found Otaki’s Nga Purapura – a venue melding education, culture, community, sport and recreation, and a health council postdoctoral research fellowship investigating Maori health development. The university named him a professor on Monday, in recognition of his contribution to his field.
The circular nature of Meihana Durie’s appointment reflects the strength and the purpose of Te Putahi a Toi – developing people and communities through education. The key, he says, are the values or kaupapa embodied by its staff and students, past and present.
‘‘It has a longstanding proud record of real innovation, and making unique contributions to te ao Maori, and those have come in all sorts of ways – research, whanau development, pioneering approaches to te reo Maori and development of teachers.’’
While acknowledging the past as foundational, Durie is no less focused on ‘‘constant change’’ and the future. ‘‘How we adapt is important and education is essential to ensuring a flourishing future for our communities. I think the nature of education is going to change.
‘‘I think it’s important to ask questions of the place of Maori identity in Aotearoa and the work that’s done in Te Putahi a Toi is going to make a contribution to the discussion.’’
The changing terrain includes a second generation of te kura kaupapa-educated students, and the expansion of te reo and Maori kaupapa into wider areas of culture. And the world is smaller now, thanks to changes in technology and media.
‘‘What we’re seeing now, across Aotearoa and internationally with indigenous nations, is that there’s integration of a wider range of elements of indigenous identity threaded into aspects of sport, health, education.
‘‘There’s a great desire from sectors such as education, social services, health, to be open to cultivating a deeper understanding of the culture.’’
The concept of Maori career pathways was diversifying widely into many different professions and Meihana Durie hopes the unit will help forge new directions.
‘‘There’s an increasing diversity of Maori engagement, but it’s cultural identity that lies at the heart of all endeavours.’’
With a world changing so rapidly, academic research and wisdom is even more important as a guide to help tangata whenua flourish, he says, and the people will remain the core focus of the unit’s work.