The Matihiko Awards celebrate Māori excellence in the digital and technology sector. These awards honour those who have made significant contributions to the industry, showcasing innovation, leadership and enterprise. We are very proud that Tewaiehu Savage was selected as a finalist for her leadership in Kōtui Ako.

Ngā mihi e hoa

Tewaiehu Savage is my colleague, and now friend. We have worked closely together since her appointment as Kaiārahi Mātauranga Māori for Kōtui Ako - Virtual Learning Network Aotearoa. As an organisation we work alongside tauira, schools and whānau to engage learners in weekly online learning sessions in a range of programme areas.

The organisation had been progressing in terms of increasing Māori learners, Māori kaiako, integrating reo in staff meetings and teaching programmes, but it was evident more progress needed to be faster and deeper. 

 A leap forward was made with Tewaiehu becoming our Kaiārahi Mātauranga Māori, part of the leadership and teaching team.

More from a mihi

Her first online professional development session was an introduction of herself to the team, as well as to her world of te ao Māori. She wove her whakapapa, important relationships, turangawaewae and local pūrākau into a digital presentation that gave us insight into her life, which for many of us, was starkly different to a life we had experienced. More importantly, it was a reflection of a life that may be familiar to many of our students. 

Tewaiehu's mihi allowed us insight into growing up in an environment where te ao Māori was everywhere, a thinking that positioned the past as critically important to the future, and whānau as centre. The way in which the presentation unfolded, not explicit in its order or purpose, alluded to a different way of sharing information - interlaced with metaphors, and demanding reflection. It was eye opening and necessary. 

...te ao Māori was everywhere, a thinking that positioned the past as critically important to the future, and whānau as centre...interlaced with metaphors, and demanding reflection.

Curriculum develop & digital tools

This same ease of delivery and understanding is being introduced into our Māori and kapa haka programmes - where Tewaiehu teaches on Zoom and develops digital resources. As the Curriculum Development Lead, Tewaiehu and myself work synchronously and asynchronously to share expertise, and learn from each other. We are in the process of designing two new Kōtui Ako pilot programmes for our tamariki - Aotearoa Histories and Te Puna o Te Kī, an exciting opportunity for ākonga to learn traditional Māori forms such as kīwaha and whakatauki, and develop their own creative expression. Both are exciting opportunities to link the curriculum refresh and online education, and both require an understanding and aptitude for online learning and knowledge of te ao Māori. 

Programme development also necessitates competency with the digital tools and pedagogical knowledge so that tauira engage with content in creative and interactive ways. These are skills that Tewaiehu brought to Kōtui Ako, and continues to develop.

Influencing the direction of the waka

Finally, I would like to recognise Tewaiehu’s position at the leadership level. Institutional change comes from the ground up, but it also needs to be supported and strengthened from the top. Tewaiehu’s impact in leadership meetings, directional documents, operations and procedures has begun to normalise the influence of te ao Māori in our organisation in a meaningful way. She has become an invaluable resource for integrating increasing elements of te ao Māori into all of our programmes, our staff meetings, professional development and the kaupapa of Kōtui Ako.

It is a privilege to share our mahi and grow together as kaiako in an organisation that endeavours to value knowledge in all its forms. Ngā mihi e hoa.

Mā tō rourou,  mā tōku rourou ka oti ai ngā mahi

Te Hapori Maihiko is a community for Māori working (or aspiring to work) in digital and technology roles. They have regular matauranga sessions with leaders in our hapori, opportunities to contribute digital skills back to your rohe and the Matihiko Awards. The Matihiko Awards will recognise excellent Māori contribution across a range of digital and technology kaupapa. The celebration and visibility of this success is an important step in creating leadership pathways for our rangatahi. Check them out here matihiko.nz