Te Kokonga o Te Kaiārahi - Kaiārahi Corner

"I was born into the South Island iwi of Te Āti Awa of the Marlborough Sounds. Home to me is Waikawa Pā, near Picton.

"I was educated at Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington; Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland; and the University of Waikato. I’m actually a business graduate myself – I majored in Management and Economics. I'm also a trained te reo Māori teacher; it's my great passion. Education is my life: I spent many years as a teacher of Economics, Accounting and Mathematics.

“I began work at the Business School as a Professional Teaching Fellow and subsequently became the manager of what was then the Education Development Unit, which helped students to develop their study skills.

“I left the Business School to pursue other projects for a few years. The work I did during that time was similar to what I do now as Kaiārahi – advising people about tikanga Māori, te reo Māori and Te Tiriti.

“When I was approached about the Kaiārahi role, I was very excited to return to the Business School - I had always found it a great place to work. My role as Kaiārahi gives me the opportunity to be the Māori person I am in my workplace, which hasn't always been the case."

“My role as Kaiārahi entails a mix of the operational and strategic. At the strategic level, I work in the executive team and ensure there is a Māori presence in our vision, in decision-making, and in the spaces we create. The University – and the Business School in particular – is very interested in bringing Māori knowledge into this space. I carry a huge responsibility for the Māori students who come here – we want to ensure that they feel valued and at home.

“I particularly enjoy being Director of the Tuākana programme, which provides support for first-year Māori and Pacific students. It’s a programme about achievement and excellence, and it really does make a difference – it’s a fantastic offering.

“Recently, I have facilitated the ‘My Tiriti Relationship’ series of workshops for Business School staff. These are a new initiative, designed for international and Kiwi staff seeking a deeper understanding of Māori culture. To date I have facilitated a 'Te Tiriti for Beginners' workshop, which covered Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its significance in Aotearoa, and a 'My Tiriti Relationship - Pepeha' workshop, which helped participants understand the cultural significance of pepeha and craft their own."

The story of He Manga Tauhokohoko

He Manga Tauhokohoko is an official name of the Business School and was gifted to the School by the late Dr Merimeri Penfold of Ngāti Kuri. She is thought to be the first te reo Māori teacher at university level in New Zealand.

He Manga Tauhokohoko is a metaphor that speaks of the many branches of trade, commerce and industry that the Business School is involved with. Hoko means to buy or sell, in other words to trade. Hokohoko means to trade repeatedly. Manga are the branches of a tree or river. The beautiful tree in the image speaks of the many intricacies of the business and organisational world.

Hone's insights:

“A nice way to welcome visitors to the Business School is to say ‘Nau mai, haere mai ki Te Kura Pakihi – He Manga Tauhokohoko.’ This translates as: ‘Welcome, welcome to the Business School – the Many Branches of Trade.’

"To celebrate Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, Māori Language Week 2025, I launched the Business School's first pepeha, Pepeha-Ā-Whare O Te Kura Pakihi. This weaves together the many unique elements which form our Business School and offers staff a powerful sense of connection and belonging with their place of work. Do share it:

Ko Pukekawa te maunga tata nei.
Ko Waipārūrū te awa tata nei.
Ko Toangaroa te one tata nei.
Ko ngā waka tauhokohoko i ū i taua one.
Ko Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei te tangata whenua.
Ko Waipapa te marae manaaki.
Ko te Fale Pasifika te hononga ki te Moana-nui-ā-Kiwa.
Ko te Toka Kamaka te kohatu mauri e tiaki ana.
Ko te Rerenga-ā-Toroa te whare ako, rangahau.
Ko ngā kaitiaki o taua whare, ko tātou.
Ko Te Tiriti o Waitangi te here o tātou.
Ko He Manga Tauhokohoko te kura pakihi.

Pukekawa is the nearby mountain.
Waipārūrū is the nearby stream.
Toangaroa is the nearby beach.
Trading canoes landed there in days of old.
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei are the people of local authority.
Waipapa is the meeting place that cares for us.
The Fale Pasifika joins us to the Pacific Ocean.
The Toka Kamaka is the life force that looks after us.
The building for teaching, learning and research is Te Rerenga-ā-Toroa.
We are the guardians of the building.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi binds us all together.
The Business School is He Manga Tauhokohoko.

“The Business School is a dynamic place – it’s a great place to work as it’s a place of thinking, it’s a place of intellect, it’s a place of research. The research that people are doing here is fascinating. Society needs research – it’s what enables us to move forward. And I believe we need more research in diverse areas. As an institution, we need to attract more Māori and Pacific students here and show them that there’s a future for them in academia. That’s something I’m passionate about: opening students’ eyes to pathways they hadn't considered."

The story of Te Rerenga-a-Tōroa

Te Rerenga-ā-Toroa is one of the official names of the building in which the Business School is located. The name is a metaphor that speaks of the flight of the albatross; it was gifted to the University by Associate Professor Mānuka Hēnare. The idea came to Tā Mānuka when he studied the shape of the building: he saw that it resembled an albatross in flight.

The albatross is a highly regarded icon in the Māori world. Te Rerenga-a-Tōroa thus pairs well with the building's other official name, the Sir Owen G. Glenn Building, given Sir Owen's iconic status in Aotearoa New Zealand's business world.

Hone's view:

"When you look at the building, you can see how it resembles an albatross soaring and gliding along a wave face. It's almost as if it was waiting to be discovered by an esteemed person with the mana of Tā Mānuka - it’s a great vision.

"As part of my role as Kaiārahi, I developed the following karakia about the Toroa, which I think has helped bring people’s attention to Tā Mānuka’s beautiful metaphor.

"The opening section of the karakia, or karakia tīmatanga, sets the tone and purpose for a gathering:

"Tihei mauri ora!

Nau mai, haere mai ki tēnei wāhi:
HE MANGA TAUHOKOHOKO
Anei te karakia hei tīmata te hui nei:

TOROA TIHOI
Toroa ē, Toroa ē,
Tēnei te ara,
Tūtū waewae,
Neke atu ki te taitapa,
Toro atu ngā parirau,
Kia kaha ki te rere,
Rongohia te hau,
Uaki, uaki, uaki ē!
Topa ki runga!
Topa tonu, topa tonu ē!
Kia rere, kia rere ē!
Kia whakamaua! Kia tina! TĪNA!
Haumi ē! Hui ē! TĀIKI Ē!

Hark the breath of life! (Call to attention)
Welcome, welcome to this place:
THE BUSINESS SCHOOL
Here is the chant to start our gathering:WANDERING ALBATROSS
Albatross oh, Albatross oh,
This is your pathway,
Feet firmly on the ground,
Shuffle along to the cliff edge,
Stretch out your wings,
Be strong for your flight,
Feel the wind,
Launch, launch, launch oh!
Soar to the top!
Continue to soar, continue to soar oh,
Fly up, glide oh!
Hold fast! Secure it! IT IS DONE!
Join! Gather! ALL IS STRENGTHENED!

"The closing section of the karakia, or karakia whakamutunga, marks the end of a gathering and often includes elements of gratitude and reflection:

"Kia whakakapi tā tātou hui.
Anei rā tā tātou
karakia whakamutunga:
TE HOKINGA O TE TOROA
Kua hoki mai a Toroa,
Kua kōhia te kai,
Kua tau a Toroa ki te kōhanga,
Kua tatari ngā pī,
Kua whāngaia ngā pī,
Kua kaha ngā pī,
Kua tau te rangimārie.
Kia whakamaua! Kia tina! TĪNA!
Haumi ē! Hui ē! TĀIKI Ē!

Let us finish our meeting.
Here is our
closing wish tying together all ideas:
THE RETURN OF THE ALBATROSS
The albatross has returned,
The 'food' has been gathered,
The albatross has landed at the nest,
The chicks have been waiting,
The chicks have been fed,
The chicks are strong now,
Peace has “landed.”
Hold this! Be firm! Be steadfast! Join!
Gather! Be interwoven (in action)!"

Deepen your knowledge of mātauranga Māori

The University's website and the Staff Intranet offer several useful resources for staff wishing to explore mātauranga Māori, including:

• The Kuputaka, a helpful glossary of terms and a style guide for te Reo Māori
• Te Kūaha - The Doorway, an educational resource for University of Auckland staff, students and alumni to learn basic te reo Māori and protocol
• Te ao Māori - an overview of te ao Māori at Waipapa Taumata Rau.

Hone's advice:

"If you'd like to enhance your understanding of mātauranga Māori, I'd encourage you to come to anything that's offered in terms of professional development in this area - for example the 'My Tiriti Relationship' series of workshops that I facilitate through Executive and Professional Development (EPD). Watch this space (and your inbox) for information about future workshops - all are welcome, but please bear in mind that places in these workshops fill up fast!

"If you're keen to do some learning in your own time, I've written a number of blogs which cover content similar to that featured in the 'My Tiriti Relationship' workshops:

• My Tiriti Relationship: New Citizens
• Sample Pepeha Urutau for a Recent Immigrant
• Embracing Your Identity: A Guide to Crafting Your Pepeha Urutau.

"And if you're interested in some quick but thought-provoking reads, I've also written a series of articles designed to share a te ao Māori perspective on a range of topics, including leadership, emotional intelligence, and innovation. These articles are published on the EPD website:

• Kaihoko aro | Customer centricity – in action
• Māori Language Week and tikanga practices in the workplace
• Tihei mauri ora! Māori Leadership in a Changing World
• Emotional intelligence from a Te Ao Māori perspective
• Innovation in Te Ao Māori
• Business efficiency from a Te Ao Māori perspective.

“And please just come and chat with me! I love talking to people about Aotearoa New Zealand, the Business School and mātauranga Māori - helping them along in their journey in a way that’s comfortable for them.”

Reach out to Hone:
hone.thorpe@auckland.ac.nz