Many of you are asking what more you can do to assist. Researchers are generally optimistic and tenacious so I think there are always solutions to be found, or, perhaps it’s just that I am optimistic and tenacious! Your support to convince others to seek those solutions is essential. Here are a range of ideas for those who wish to show active support. 1. To our international scholars: We need both formal letters of support addressed to the relevant New Zealand Government Ministers of Tertiary Education, Education and Māori Affairs and open comment and postings on line including your reflections on the impact of Ngā Pae on your work and how you see Ngā Pae’s accomplishments and contribution to the wider International Indigenous community. 2. To Māori scholars: Letters of support addressed both to Ministers and to the Tertiary Education Commission is critical for your voice to be heard. You may also be involved as the Māori element in other CoREs which is fine so was I but have no doubt that Ngā Pae o Te Māramatanga is the tuakana, the ‘Mothership’ so to speak and has far more experience as an established CoRE. 3. To Social Media experts: Some of you are excellent in the on line environment so I encourage you to use your creative skills. I think the Jumbunna group in Sydney with Professor Larissa Berendt and Jason De Santolo may start some small video testimonies – they are working on something. 4. To our MAI participants, both former and current: Your voices really matter so it would help to talk about how you finished your studies and where your career is now. 5. To our Iwi and community colleagues who have engaged in collaborations: It would help to talk about the quality of those engagements and the outcomes of the research as you see it. 6. To our allies and supporters: Your influence matters as well and showing support would demonstrate that Ngā Pae has extended it’s reach and engaged many others in its programmes. What is important is that we work together to highlight the significant contribution towards Māori wellbeing and Māori Development made by Ngā Pae o Te Māramatanga to whānau, hapū, Iwi, Māori Development across all sectors of our society. The focus on research excellence, on transformative research, on making a difference within Aotearoa, on training and enhancing professional capacity are critical to the wellbeing of this country. Those are things that need to be communicated to those who are making these decisions, and to encourage and motivate them to not only revisit this decision but to reverse it in the best interests of ensuring that research development in this country continues to move in ways that ensure meaningful involvement of all communities, including tangata whenua. Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Porou) CNZM BA Dip Tch MA (Hons) PhD Auckland Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori Senior Advisor – Te Kotahi Research Institute Dean – School of Māori and Pacific Development Professor of Education and Māori Development tewhareporahou.wordpress/2014/03/12/taking-action-what-you-can-do-to-support-nga-pae-o-te-maramatanga/
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 11:31:35 +0000
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