Horowhenua iwi and council create 'first of its kind' initiative

Rangiora Williams, Tiaki Hirini, Amiria McGhie, Tikardan Tahiwi-Stowers, and Mariah Montagnani at Punahau/Lake Horowhenua. Photo / Aroha Pakau

lvn110322scholarships2: Surveying one of their taonga: Punahau/Lake Horowhenua.

"This is life-changing," said Tiaki Hirini, one of five young Māori from the 'Nua taking on the challenge of environmental studies in the next few years thanks to a scholarship initiated by both Muaūpoko Tribal Authority and Horowhenua District Council.

"It hasn't really sunk in yet how much," he said. He is studying away from home, at Waikato University, and has picked civil engineering.

He is in his first year and found the change a bit scary initially. "But I have great support both here and from home and have already met a lot of new people." Last year he was head boy at Waiopehu College and while there he wasn't sure what to do after high school.

"I really enjoyed maths, physics and design, so my teachers encouraged me to do civil engineering. When the scholarship popped it seemed I was destined to do this." Tiaki has a sister who went to UCOL and two brothers in the trades, leaving him to pioneering university study and life for his whanau and is still soaking it all in.

Five young people have received a scholarship from Matauranga Māori Scholarships, which were developed to encourage and foster rangatahi of the Horowhenua to study at tertiary level with the requirement they return home and give back to the Horowhenua.

With the changes that are happening with Three Waters reforms and the Resource Management Act over the coming years, it is vital to invest in our rangatahi to ensure a positive future for Horowhenua.

Horowhenua District Council has partnered with Muaūpoko Tribal Authority to create this Te Ao Māori initiative, using Three Waters reform stimulus funding.

The council has allocated some of the funding from the Three Waters stimulus package specifically to support students at a tertiary level to build capacity within iwi that will ultimately have long-term positive benefits for the district.

This year local iwi and hapū connected students will attend university with the aim of attaining qualifications in engineering and environmental areas. This will see an eventual return to the district where the students will contribute to the environmental wellbeing and future of the Horowhenua.

"We recognise the ever-increasing demand and pressure on our iwi partners to participate and contribute towards numerous projects and developments in our area.

"This is an excellent opportunity to support iwi and at the same time, create opportunities for rangatahi and support their studies," said Mayor Bernie Wanden.

Candidates and their whānau members met with a panel, which consisted of Mayor Wanden, Muaūpoko Tribal Authority board member Tracey White, and council water and waste services manager Asli Crawford.

Muaūpoko Tribal Authority board chairman Tim Tukapua said, "This is a great opportunity for our rangatahi and it is reflective of the hard mahi they and their whānau have put in during their schooling years."

"For our up-and-coming rangatahi who may not have considered this path, it opens up a whole new world of possibilities in terms of achieving scholarships and university actually being within their reach.

"To have them go away to university or wānanga and return being proficient in taiao (environmental) studies, will be a huge asset to our people and our community.

"Our partnership with Horowhenua District Council has enabled this to happen and we look forward to working together to provide our rangatahi with any support they may need".

For these young people there is a unique opportunity to begin a career with a future that can help improve our living environment locally.

When asked what this scholarship means, recipient Mariah Montagnani said, "The opportunity to have access to knowledge, people and support, which are all vital to achieving and succeeding through mainstream education.

"It means that I have the privilege of being able to focus on my studies without the looming thought of debt that most tauira have. I also know I have support from my iwi, the ability to foster matauranga Māori and the opportunity to contribute to a meaningful kaupapa - and creating potential pathways to long-term environmental change."

"I really like statistics and in my spare time did a fair bit of coding, though I never did technology while at Horowhenua College," said recipient Amiria McGhie, who is in her second her studying computer science and data science.

"Receiving the Matauranga Māori Scholarship has given me more time to focus on my goals within my education. For years I had worked during school in order to save for university, this scholarship has relieved an incredible amount of stress when it comes to juggling work and school life.

She is majoring in cybersecurity and would like to get a job at Statistics NZ when she graduates, though she does not yet have a clear direction for life after uni.

The grant criteria set by the panel included meeting the requirements for university or runanga entrance into the chosen course. Successful candidates had to whakapapa, affiliate, to a Horowhenua-based iwi and commit to returning to the district or region at some point, once their studies are complete, to work in this field.

The five successful recipients are: Rangiora Williams, Amiria McGhie, Tiaki Hirini, Mariah Montagnani, and Tikardan Tahiwi-Stowers.

Each will receive a $30,000 scholarship towards their studies. Throughout their studies, they will be provided with further opportunities by way of ongoing mentorship and project participation (where possible).

A roopu/working group will be created to enable and encourage contact between the students, iwi and the council, as a way of keeping connected and to enable the additional tautoko or support while on their journey.

A ceremony to acknowledge the achievements of these rangatahi as well as the partnership of this new scholarship was held on Sunday, February 27.