Supporting tauira team effort for Tumuaki Takirua

Porourangi Templeton-Reedy and Ngātiki Taylor will bring their friendship, leadership skills and passion for seeing tauira Māori succeed to the role of Te Rōpū Māori Tumuaki Takirua this year. Laura Hewson finds out what they have planned for 2025.

We’re your whānau away from home.

That’s the message that the 2025 Te Rōpū Māori Students’ Association Co-presidents have for tauira Māori at Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka.

Tumuaki Takirua Porourangi Templeton-Reedy (Ngāti Porou, Tūhoe, Tainui) – aka Pou – and Ngātiki Taylor (Kāi Tahu, Ngāti Mūtunga) want tauira to know the door is always open at Te Rōpū Māori (TRM).

“At Te Rōpū Māori we’re the cuzzies you didn't know existed – but you kind of need – to help support you during your journey here at the University,” Pou says.

“Our whare is your whare. It's your new kāinga for the next three-plus years. Don't be shy. Come into the whare, have a kai and chat with us. Because we are, you know, your whānau away from home.”

Ngātiki – who’s in his fourth year of a Bachelor of Science majoring in anatomy and minoring in Māori health – says university can be a foreign space for many tauira Māori. TRM can serve as a bridge to those spaces.

“TRM is a place where tauira can feel safe, comfortable, at home, and heard. Whether you're just beginning your journey and understanding your taha Māori and entering te ao Māori or whether you've been through kōhanga reo or kura kaupapa, everyone's welcome, don’t be whakamā.

“Everyone's on this waka together and everyone needs help some time,” Ngātiki says.

“I feel like we’re supporting tauira through their journey because we all want to see them walk across that graduation stage. When they win, we all win.” – Pou

Pou, who has a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Indigenous development and communication studies (as well as a Shortland Street acting credit under his belt), is currently doing a PhD through Te Tumu focussing on the Māori student experience.

Sharing the co-president role takes some of the pressure off representing Otago’s 2000-plus Māori students, he says.

“I knew realistically that I wouldn’t be able to do the best job that I could on my own and the rōpū deserves the best that they can get.

“So, I was thinking about who I could realistically see myself working with and I couldn't imagine anyone except Ngātiki.”

Ngātiki and Pou got to know each other when they were presidents of different student associations last year: Pou for Ngā Tauira o te Kete Aronui (the Māori Humanities Student Association) and Ngātiki for Te Rōpū Pūtaiao (the Māori Science Student Association).

“We'd been speaking about policy and the direction we wanted to take Te Rōpū Māori even before we had any vision of going for the role,” Ngātiki says.

“We could see that we were able to work with each other because we think alike, we know when to jump in when needed,” Pou says.

“And we have a really good friendship outside of this role as well. We have really good clear communication and we're all for the kaupapa – we're all on the same waka.”

When it comes to dividing the workload, the two will play to their strengths, Ngātiki says.

“I'll be more of a face-forward Tumuaki. I'll be on the OUSA executive, I’ll be around here in the whare, interacting with our tauira at events, sitting on senate, and policy committee, that sort of kaupapa.”

Pou will focus more on external engagement relationships with key stakeholders and will look at governance and leadership training.

“I’ll probably be more behind the scenes, but also there to support in any kaupapa that I can, such as looking at our divisional Māori student rōpū and how we can better upskill them in terms of governance and leadership for their own respective executives,” Pou says.

“When it comes to anything at a national level, that's something that Ngātiki and I will do together. Between the two of us, I feel like we're covering all bases.”

This is only the second time TRM has had co-presidents, and Pou sees this year as a chance to reinforce the benefits of the model.

“Hopefully if people can see the relationship that we have, you know, how well we work together, then that will encourage other people to be like, ‘You know what, we should do this next year’ and they can then continue the mahi that we and our predecessors have done for this association.”

For Ngātiki, the Tumuaki role is a chance to give back but it also brings rewards.

“Mā mua ka kite a muri, mā muri ka ora a mua. Those who lead give sight to those who follow, those who follow give life to those who lead,” he says.

“So you work together and it’s reciprocated. And then obviously, once I move on, as those before me have, someone else will step in and pave that way for our Rangatahi once again. It's never just take – it's give, take, help out. It's never just a me. It's always everyone. We’re a collective.”

The role is an opportunity to serve as an advocate and champion for tauira Māori, Pou says.

“I always say that I’m a big cheerleader for anyone that wants to pursue anything they want to do. You have to be willing to speak up when no one else is going to and have those courageous conversations with different people across the University to ensure that the Māori student voice is heard.

“I feel like we’re supporting tauira through their journey because we all want to see them walk across that graduation stage. When they win, we all win.”

There are a lot of supports available at Otago, and it’s important that tauira aren’t afraid to ask for help, Pou says.

“We know that sometimes it may be a bit daunting talking to a support crew like that so we're happy to step in and be that person that connects them. As long as our Māori students know that the support is there, and they're not scared to ask.

“Like, we get it. We've all been through that struggle of settling in, getting used to this new environment.”

Ngātiki and Pou are keen to promote TRM’s whānau-orientated environment, making sure tauira know that it’s a “centre point on campus, where they can come relax, socialise with their mates, cook a kai or come in and work at one of the many available study spaces”.

“We provide lots of different services and lots of different events that cater to all aspects of University life. We have their best interests at heart at the end of the day,” Pou says.

“We've been calling ourselves the Māori Avengers because I see TRM not as a physical thing but as a world that we all live in. We’re breathing TRM by being part of this environment.

“And we basically come together to save the world for our Māori students. No pressure.”

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