He hiringa hangarau, he oranga tangata
15 March 2021 | Read time: 4 minutes
Tā (Sir) Pou Temara - Ngāi Tūhoe (KNZM) renowned Māori orator, tikanga and te reo Māori expert and academic has gifted a whakatauākī to the Science for Technological Innovation National Science Challenge.
He hiringa hangarau, he oranga tangata
Innovation in technology for the benefit of people
The Challenge’s Kāhui Māori sought Tā Pou’s advice to represent the intent of the Challenge – to accurately reflect te ao Māori and the ambitions of its research community.
Our Kāhui’s Kaihautū, Associate Professor Te Taka Keegan (Waikato-Maniapoto, Ngāti Apakura, Te Whānau-ā-Karuai ki Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Whakaaue) and Associate Professor Hēmi Whaanga (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mamoe, Waitaha) approached fellow Waikato University academic, Professor Pou Temara, for his advice and guidance. Hēmi Whaanga says:
“Following many meetings over a few months, we sat with Professor Temara and discussed, to and fro, the true meaning and essence of the Challenge and what SfTI are aiming to achieve. After some consideration he offered the name ‘Te Hiringa’ and the whakatauākī, the foundation that gives the name its mana. The whakatauākī embodies the way technology will develop us as a people.”
Tā Pou Temara offers the whakatauākī as the lead Māori proposition for the Challenge. He explains:
“In the context of the whakatauākī, 'He hiringa hangarau, he oranga tangata', we conclude that the ongoing and progressive health of people is dependent on their ability to search, to be inspired and innovate, to rise to unknown and untested spaces in the quest for new technology. In poeticising the interpretation, we then have 'Innovation in technology for the benefit of people'.”
Te Taka Keegan says, “A primary goal of the Kāhui Māori of SfTI is to enable the growth of Māori capacity in technology, and the capacity of the technology system to deliver for Māori and we are honoured to receive this naming from our esteemed kaumātua - Pou.”
SfTI’s mission is to 'enhance Aotearoa New Zealand’s capacity to use physical sciences and engineering for economic growth', as well as ‘enhance Aotearoa’s prosperity’ in our endeavour to deliver environmental, social and cultural impact.
Challenge Director, Professor Sally Davenport says “Our research community is enhancing its capacity and awareness of technological entrepreneurship and te ao Māori, whilst creating productive collaborations with Māori and industry - we are humbled by this presentation of a whakatauākī from Tā Pou and we are so fortunate to be guided by our Kāhui Maōri.”
SfTI’s Kāhui Māori advisory group ensures te ao Māori principles are embedded across SfTI, whilst guiding SfTI researchers to do this in their work. The Kāhui Māori include leading Māori science experts from iwi across Aotearoa.