Kōtuitanga

Waipapa Taumata Rau | The University of Auckland, and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust represent their unique, active relationship and association, with the Kōtuitanga.

The Kōtuitanga was signed in March 2022, and builds on the 2003 partnership established by the then Vice-Chancellor John Hood and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei rangatira Sir Hugh Kāwharu.

It is a living document reflective of the principle of partnership in Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The objectives of our Kōtuitanga are to:

• Provide a platform for guidance and advice to inform decision-making
• Provide a practical structure to enable our existing relationship to flourish and grow
• Record areas of ongoing cooperation and opportunity
• Provide a forum for identifying and supporting the aspirations of each partner

The Kōtuitanga embodies the idea of working collaboratively towards common goals. It emphasises the importance of cooperation, mutual support and shared responsibility within the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei hapori (community) and the central Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) area resided on by the University.

The Kōtuitanga supports the University’s commitment to Māori knowledge, particularly with the guidance of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. This includes supporting the enduring Waipapa Toitū framework, as well as contribution to cultural narratives, and Te Reo Māori, tikanga and kawa.

Waipapa Taumata Rau seeks the guidance of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust as a primary partner on all matters pertaining to:

• Mātauranga (Māori knowledge, culture, values and world view)
• Tikanga (Māori customary practices, which guide decisions and behaviours)
• Kawa, including karakia, pōwhiri, whakairo, mahi toi, rāranga, whakamānawa, and tuku ingoa (protocols for social situations, ceremonial occasions, and spaces)
  

More broadly, Waipapa Taumata Rau also partners with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei on other strategic plans, programmes and activities, such as the indigenising initiatives underlying Kawea Ake, and its commitment to Te Tiriti (the Treaty of Waitangi) outlined in the University’s Vision and Strategic Plan, Taumata Teitei.

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei are the tangata whenua of Te Kahu Tōpuni o Tuperiri, central Tāmaki Makaurau. Their social, cultural and economic activities are administered by a governing entity, the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust.

As Waipapa Taumata Rau sits in the heart of central Tāmaki Makaurau, the manaakitanga and relationship between the University and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei is regarded as crucial for a successful future for the University’s diverse kaimahi (staff), tauira (students), alumni and whānau.

For any enquiries, email the Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori.