A landmark signing held on Monday 5 May between Te Wānanga o Raukawa and the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) has reaffirmed the new status of the Wānanga as a non-Crown entity, placing its governance and accountability firmly in the hands of its founding iwi, Te Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, and Ngāti Toa Rangatira (known as ‘The ART Confederation’). The joint statement is a commitment from the OAG (independent from the Crown) to work in partnership on accountability and reporting requirements.

This moment represents far more than an administrative change — it is a powerful step toward Māori educational sovereignty. For Māori communities across Aotearoa, this change signals a future where mātauranga Māori can be nurtured, protected and developed by Māori, for Māori, in a way that upholds tikanga and the aspirations of whānau, hapū and iwi.

The change builds upon decades-long struggle for recognition, which began with the initial claim lodged in 1998 by all three wānanga followed by the Te Wānanga o Raukawa WAI 2698 claim in 2017. These claims challenged Crown practices that limited Māori control over wānanga development and mātauranga. The resulting legislative change, passed in 2023 and taking affect from 1 January 2024, has now created a pathway for wānanga like Te Wānanga o Raukawa to operate with genuine tino rangatiratanga.

Under this new framework, Te Wānanga o Raukawa will still work with the Crown and Auditor-General around funding and quality assurance. However, its core accountability now rests with the ART Confederation, reflecting an equal partnership under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.



For Māori, this milestone reaffirms the right to determine how mātauranga is taught, preserved, and passed on. It is a bold affirmation that Māori knowledge systems have value, integrity, and a rightful place in shaping the future of education in Aotearoa.

ENDS