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About Us
TE MANA WHAKAHAERE
The governing body of Te Wānanga o Raukawa is Te Mana Whakahaere. As specified in the Whakahau Mātauranga (Te Wānanga o Raukawa)/Education (Te Wānanga o Raukawa) Order 2023, Te Mana Whakahaere is made up of a minimum of seven and a maximum of ten members:
Composition
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Six iwi representatives (two from each of the three iwi of Te Kotahitanga: Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Raukawa and Ngāti Toarangatira)
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Te Tumuaki o Te Wānanga o Raukawa
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Up to three additional members appointed by Te Mana Whakahaere, one of whom will be appointed by Ngā Purutanga Mauri.
Ngā Purutanga Mauri
The term ‘He Purutanga Mauri’ and its use emerged during discussions in the late 1980s and early 1990 about honorary doctorates to recognise significant scholarship and/or contributions to understanding and progress, by certain kuia and koroua of the Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Raukawa and Ngāti Toa Rangatira Confederation.
Discussion was initiated by rangatahi as a best attempt to acknowledge kuia and koroua who had passed down their knowledge and expertise. This led to conferral of the title ‘Purutanga Mauri’ in 1990. It recognises contributions to wānanga but also recognition of the special knowledge and expertise held by each of them including their contributions to the rangatiratanga of the Confederation of Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Raukawa and Ngāti Toa Rangatira.
The title ‘He Purutanga Mauri’ is translated as ‘A Keeper of the Spiritual Life Principle’.
Ngā Purutanga Mauri o Te Wānanga o Raukawa are the guardians of tikanga and kawa at Te Wānanga o Raukawa; and act as senior scholars and advisers on a range of issues important to its ongoing development.
Ngā Purutanga Mauri meet monthly throughout the year; we are indebted to them for their contributions.
Meeting Dates 2026
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Te Wā: 4pm - 6pm
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Ki Whea: Te Moana o Raukawa, Ōtaki Campus
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Monday 23 Feb
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Tuesday 28 Apr
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Monday 29 June
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Monday 31 Aug
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Tuesday 27 Oct
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Monday 14 Dec
Other Kōmiti Hui
Audit, Risk and Investment Committee Meetings - TBA
The Paihere Tangata Committee meets as and when required.
Academic Board meets on the third Wednesday of each month Kohitātea - Whiringa-ā-rangi (January - November) on the Ōtaki campus.
Te Ōhākī
He kōrero, he tohutohu whakamutunga nā te tangata i mua i tōna matenga
Te Ōhākī represents the embodiment of the dying wish of Ngāpera Wi Kohika, a former staff member of Te Wānanga o Raukawa. Her request was that we should all learn from her experience in suffering from smoking related illnesses, which contributed directly to her loss of life.
Te Wānanga o Raukawa has committed to the goal of an entire student and staff population free from the irreversible effects of carcinogens, poisons and toxins contained within cigarettes and tobacco. Māori have suffered disproportionately from smoking related illnesses since tobacco first arrived in Aotearoa almost 200 years ago. As a tikanga and kaupapa based institution, we believe in the potential of Te Ōhākī to assume a greater level of rangatiratanga over our collective health and wellbeing.
We aim to provide those of our students who smoke with the support, tools and knowledge to be able to work towards a lifestyle that is totally free from smoking. Ultimately, our broader goal is that all Te Wānanga o Raukawa students and graduates will be in a strong position to positively influence whānau in making informed decisions around wellbeing and good health.
Theory and understanding of Wānanga
Read an adaption on the Theory and Understanding of Wānanga from the writings of Professor Whatarangi Winiata, 2001.
Te Kawa o Te Ako
Out of Whakatupuranga Rua Mano: Generation 2000 came the commitment expressed in the following principle:
The marae is our principal home, maintain and respect
This has many implications for the way in which tangata whenua and manuhiri will act on marae. In tikanga Māori, an accepted practice, procedure or protocol is known as a 'kawa'. Each marae or wāhi Māori has its own kawa. The maintenance and adherence to the kawa is important to the tangata whenua of that place. To infringe on the kawa of a particular place demeans the home people. The tangata whenua will take steps to reaffirm their kawa. It may lead to a rebuke of the offending party right there and then, or the reaction may be delayed for maximum effect.
All marae seek to uphold kawa and at Te Wānanga o Raukawa we enforce Te Kawa o te Ako. They are the practices, procedures and protocols which protect and maximise the learning and teaching potential of students and staff of Te Wānanga o Raukawa. In particular, it aims to curb activity reducing the capacity to learn and teach.
One dimension of Te Kawa o te Ako, is that those who feel they cannot abstain from using drugs and alcohol should stay away. Those who disregard Te Kawa o te Ako put themselves and their whānau at risk of being challenged by those who feel the need to uphold Te Kawa o te Ako. The timing of the challenge may be selected to achieve maximum impact on the person who has 'broken the kawa'.
It is important to understand that the defenders of Te Kawa o te Ako need not explain themselves. It is up to everyone to know the kawa of the place they are at. Ignorance of kawa is no excuse. Everyone is expected to respect the kawa of that place.
Mutual respect and pursuit of understanding enhance mana. The adequate and appropriate defence of kawa is expected and admired by others who will allow their behaviour to be influenced by it. Perceptions of weakness with respect to the maintenance of kawa will reduce the admiration felt by observers.
The use of drugs and the consumption of alcohol impede effective learning and teaching. Not only are users of drugs and consumers of alcohol reducing their own learning capacity, they are a risk to others. It is our view at Te Wānanga o Raukawa that alcohol reduces the capacity to act responsibly, and can lead to property damage and inappropriate behaviour.
For an explanatory resource introducing and explaining ‘Te Kawa o te Ako’ a set of customs, procedures and protocols that help maximise the learning potential of ākonga here at Te Wānanga o Raukawa click the link below
Ngā Mātāpono / Guiding Principles
Kaupapa and their expression.
Kaupapa guide all activity and development at Te Wānanga o Raukawa. Our kaupapa draw on our own understandings from the mātauranga Māori body of knowledge and the teachings of the Wānanga. Read more about our kaupapa.
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Te Reo Māori
Te Reo is a taonga that we have inherited from our tūpuna, an invaluable body of knowledge, enlightenment and innovation. Te Reo is intimately connected with mātauranga, conveying important messages about the way our tūpuna understood and experienced the world. The acquisition, maintenance, promotion and revival of Te Reo are priorities for Te Wānanga o Raukawa.
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Whakapapa
Whakapapa reinforces the connections between us, and to our tūpuna, atua and tūrangawaewae. Whakapapa guides our efforts to better understand and contribute to the mātauranga continuum that binds us to one another across the generations.
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Manaakitanga
Manaakitanga embodies behaviour that is mana-enhancing of those around us. Manaakitanga inspires us to demonstrate generosity, fairness, appreciation, respect and consideration for others in the way that we perform our roles and responsibilities. It encourages us to strive for continuous improvement in our facilities and services.
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Wairuatanga
Wairuatanga acknowledges the spiritual dimension in our lives and in mātauranga. It is embedded in the extensive web of relationships that weaves present, past and future generations together. Wairuatanga is expressed and nurtured as we strive to maximise our contribution to the resilience and prosperity of Māori as a people.
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Ūkaipōtanga
Ūkaipōtanga speaks to the significance of connection with land and place. Marae are acknowledged as places that sustain and inspire us, connecting us with mātauranga from our own whānau, hapū and iwi. We encourage active participation in our marae while working to create a welcoming environment at Te Wānanga o Raukawa, nurturing a sense of belonging and value among students and staff.
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Pūkengatanga
Pūkengatanga challenges us to be bold, imaginative and rigorous in our exploration and expansion of mātauranga. It requires the pursuit of excellence in all our activities, demanding the provision of distinctive, innovative and high-quality academic programmes; and the generation of meaningful contributions to the mātauranga continuum.
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Kotahitanga
Kotahitanga flourishes when commitment to a shared vision is built and sustained. It expresses strength in cooperation. Kotahitanga is evident when we pool our talents and energy, working together in order to realise common goals.
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Rangatiratanga
Rangatiratanga exemplifies the attributes commonly associated with a rangatira: responsibility, integrity, generosity and the ability to unite people. We are expected to demonstrate and foster these qualities as we determine our collective aspirations and design strategies for their achievement.
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Whanaungatanga
Whanaungatanga reminds us that our accomplishments are typically the result of collaborative effort, made possible by developing and maintaining strong relationships. Whanaungatanga creates opportunities for each of us to make our unique contribution to the communal enterprise, enabling shared objectives to be advanced and reinforcing our whānau, hapū and iwi associations.
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Kaitiakitanga
Kaitiakitanga urges Te Wānanga o Raukawa to nurture and protect its people and its place. It requires us to preserve and enrich those taonga that we have inherited, which have been created and tended by others. We must employ our resources wisely, ensuring our ongoing viability so that we can fulfil our purpose effectively.
Art Confederation
Mai i Waitapu ki Rangataua, mai i Mīria-te-kakara ki Whitireia, whakawhitia Te Moana o Raukawa, ki Wairau, ki Whakatū.
The ART Confederation is the iwi of Te Āti Awa ki Whakarongotai, Ngāti Raukawa ki te tonga and Ngāti Toa Rangatira. The Confederation has a population of about 40,000. The iwi and hapū of ART are listed below by the towns and districts in which the residences and their marae are concentrated. Representatives of the ART iwi and hapū make up the Raukawa Marae Trustees.
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Ngāti Pikiahu
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Ngāti Pikiahu Waewae
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Ngāti Rangatahi Matakore
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Ngāti Manomano
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Ngāti Parewahawaha
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Ngāti Tahuriwakanui
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Ngāti Kauwhata
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Ngāti Te Au
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Ngāti Tūranga
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Ngāti Whakatere
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Ngāti Ngārongo
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Ngāti Takihiku
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Ngāti Huia ki Poroutāwhao
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Ngāti Huia ki Matau
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Ngāti Kikopiri
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Ngāti Tūkorehe
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Ngāti Wehiwehi
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Ngāti Korokī
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Ngāti Maiōtaki
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Ngāti Pare
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Ngāti Kapumanawawhiti
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Ngāti Huia ki Katihiku
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Ngāti Toa Rangatira
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The first of the major post-European intiatives of the ART Confederation involved the prominent church of the area, Rangiātea. Rangiātea was operational from 1850-1995 when it was consumed by fire and burnt to the ground. A programme of replication was undertaken and the new church building was opened in November 2003.
1850
Key joint venture for the three iwi in the establishment of the Ōtaki Māori Racing Club.
1860
At the turn of the century, the Confederation and the Anglican Church built the Ōtaki Māori College on land provided by the Confederation for education. Due to financial difficulties the Anglican leaders closed the school in 1938, after thirty years of operation. During that time the college provided education for many of the youth who were from the Confederation, including the baritone Inia te Wiata. Other youth from outside the Confederation included the Bishop Manuhuia Bennett and the Honourable Ben Couch.
1900s
ART built their "marae matua" (parent marae), named Raukawa, in Ōtaki. The Native Purposes Act (1936) allowed for the creation of the Raukawa Marae Trustees. This body of sixty-nine trustees represents the iwi and hapū of the Confederation. Accordingly and as a result of their representation the Trustees were tasked with administering Raukawa Marae.
1936
Another important venture of the Confederation was the creation of an educational trust board, called the Ōtaki and Porirua Trusts Board, to administer the land that was previously used by and for the Ōtaki Māori College.
1943
The Raukawa Marae Trustees began a 25-year tribal development experiment, known as Whakatupuranga Rua Mano - Generation 2000. Te Wānanga o Raukawa was born out of this revival to assist ART to achieve its educational aspirations. The Raukawa Marae Trustees resolved to establish Te Wānanga o Raukawa in April 1981 for the advancement of knowledge and for the dissemination and maintenance of knowledge through teaching and research. The Raukawa Marae Trustees saw Te Wānanga o Raukawa as a natural and necessary extension of Whakatupuranga Rua Mano.
1975
Repeated proposals were presented to the Crown in the late seventies and early eighties and only attracted lukewarm responses. Despite this, the development of a wānanga was given top priority by the Raukawa Marae Trustees. Te Wānanga o Raukawa became an incorporated body in 1984.
1984
In 1993 Te Wānanga o Raukawa was recognised by the Crown as a "wānanga" under their new legislation known as the Education Amendment Act 1990. By this time Te Wānanga o Raukawa had been fully operational for over a decade.
1993
Tō mātou Hītori / Our History
Establishment of Te Wānanga o Raukawa
Whakatupuranga Rua Mano
Whakatupuranga Rua Mano captured the health and wellbeing aspirations of the ART Confederation of Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Te Āti Awa ki Whakarongotai and Ngāti Raukawa ki te tonga in the lower North Island of Aotearoa. These are the founding iwi of Te Wānanga o Raukawa.
Read more about Whakatupuranga Rua Mano
KO Wai Mātou
About Us
Te Wānanga o Raukawa is a tikanga Māori tertiary education provider based in Ōtaki, Aotearoa. Hailed at the time as the 'smallest university in the world' Te Wānanga o Raukawa was established by the Raukawa Marae Trustees in 1981 with only two students.
A special and unique place of learning, Te Wānanga o Raukawa has become recognised over the last 30 years as an opportunity for all to learn within a tikanga Māori community under the principles of the iwi development strategy, Whakatupuranga Rua Mano: Generation 2000.