Māori at AUT

Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makau Rau – AUT plays a critical role in shaping Aotearoa New Zealand, and has undergone a transformational journey towards aligning with Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

In this section you can see stories of our staff and students at AUT, and discover the positive impact our work is making across Aotearoa.

News from AUT’s Māori whānau

Talk with trailblazers, a kōrero/talanoa

Business

Hosted by the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law, this year’s kōrero/talanoa highlighted the growth of Māori and Pacific entrepreneurs in New Zealand.

AUT releases 2023 Pay Gaps Report

Improvements but work still needed

Māori knowledge of animals

Education

Teachers now have new groundbreaking classroom resources on Māori knowledge of animals, and Māori concepts as they relate to animal ethics.

Law School academic advises on Whenua

Law

An AUT Law School academic played a key role in Whenua, a NZ Herald-led project that raises uncomfortable issues about Aotearoa’s colonial legacy.

Meet some of our Māori students

Joe Lolo

Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi, Tongan

Education has been a passion since school, says Joe Lolo who came to AUT to study a Bachelor of Arts in Education with a minor in English and New Media Studies.

Maia Hemara-Tylden

Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Rangi

She wanted to develop the skills to support her people, says Maia Hemara-Tylden who completed a Bachelor of Arts in Māori Development with a minor in Education.

Taania Williams

Ngāti Porōu, Rongowhakaata, Rereahu, Tainui, Te Atiawa, Taranaki

For Taania Williams, a career as a teacher was always a strong possibility, and she now loves teaching at the very school she once attended herself.

Rylee Sturm

Ngāti Kahungunu Ki te Wairoa

She knew she wanted a career in health, says Rylee Sturm who came to AUT to study physiotherapy and plans to become a musculoskeletal physiotherapist.

Bella Tearoha Lewis Ireland

New Zealand European & Māori (Ngāti Maniapoto)

Going on a student exchange to Denmark has been the highlight of her studies so far, says Bella Tearoha Lewis Ireland who studies journalism and public relations.

Taria Viliua

Ngāpuhi, Tainui

As a nurse she can create positive change, says nursing alumna Taria Viliua who now works with Māori cancer patients at Te Whatu Ora – Waitematā.

Rebecca Peri

Te Rarawa, Ngāti Porou

She has wanted to be a New Zealand Sign Language interpreter for as long as she can remember, says Rebecca Peri who is studying the Bachelor of Arts.

Bradley Smith

Kāi Tahu

Postgraduate study in education is stimulating, says Bradley Smith who came to AUT to study a Master of Education and is now enrolled in a Doctor of Education.

Taimane Katarina Hotere

Tainui, Ngāpuhi, Brazilian

Going on a student exchange to Tokyo, Japan, was an opportunity to study in a country she otherwise wouldn’t be able to experience, says Taimane Katarina.

Astrid Whiteside

Ngāi Tahu

Studying Māori media provides an opportunity to explore a variety of works from the Pacific, says Astrid Whitside who is currently studying a Bachelor of Arts.

Auriole Lynnette Ruka

Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Ngāti Maniapoto

She wants to make a difference for her whānau, hapū and iwi and represent her tupuna, says Auriole Lynnette Ruka who completed a Master of Business in Management.

Stevie Pure

Te Uri O Hua, Ngāpuhi

When Stevie Pure came home from her 9 to 5 job at a gym one day, she had a bit of an epiphany and decided to change her life, starting with university study.

Braityn Callaghan

Tainui, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou

What do youth basketball coaches know about common injuries? That’s the interesting topic Braityn Callaghan explored for her Master of Sport, Exercise and Health.

Manawaru Broughton

Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Te Aitanga a Mahaki

His dream is to start his own business one day, says Manawaru Broughton who is studying finance, international business, and entrepreneurship and innovation.

Norrissalee Ngatai-Harbour

Ngāruahine, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Hineuru

AUT is very supportive throughout your studies, says Norrissalee Ngatai-Harbour who is studying environmental science, biodiversity conservation and geospatial science.

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The gateway to AUT: our marae

Ngā Wai o Horotiu marae can be hired for community use. Located on the City Campus, it welcomes the diverse cultures at AUT.

Our marae: Ngā Wai o Horotiu

Tautoko: Support for Māori students

Pou Māori – Māori Centre is an iwi Māori-focused support service that partners with ākonga Māori to provide support.

Māori student support

Māori research and faculty groups at AUT

You can find Maori research projects and teaching across AUT, including the following research and faculty groups:

Eke Tangaroa: programme for Māori and Pacific early career academics

Eke Tangaroa is a unique programme designed to increase the number of Māori and Pacific academics at AUT by appointing early career academics and supporting them to establish research-active academic careers.

Ngā Wai o Horotiu marae is a whānau, cultural and spiritual centre, located on the City Campus

Inside AUT’s Ngā Wai o Horotiu marae

Our staff are passionate about seeing students succeed

Students outside Ngā Wai o Horotiu marae

Te Ara Poutama’s Professor Paul Moon is widely recognised as an expert on Treaty of Waitangi related issues

Te Ara Poutama’s Professor Paul Moon is widely recognised as an expert on Te Tiriti o Waitangi related issues

FIND YOUR GREATNESS

Office of Māori Advancement

The Office of Māori Advancement works closely with AUT Māori staff, students and the wider community in advising and implementing Mātauranga Māori kaupapa throughout AUT.

AUT’s commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makau Rau – AUT has undergone a transformational journey towards aligning with Te Tiriti o Waitangi. As a Crown entity, AUT has a duty to actively promote and protect Tiriti rights and develop education settings that reflect Māori-Crown relationships.

Download our Whānau Guide

Read more about what it’s like to study at AUT, get practical information about what to expect from university study and hear from other Māori students at AUT.

Download brochure

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