Kia Toitu Toku Mana Maori Toku Ngakau Ngatahi

(Mäori participation with authority and partnership)

Since 1998, nine iwi education partnerships have been established to improve education outcomes.

Each partnership is formalised through a memorandum of understanding that commits both parties - the Crown and an iwi or group of Mäori - to working together. It also establishes each party's role in achieving a set of agreed education objectives.

The partnerships create a greater opportunity for iwi to design and implement ways to address issues or make use of opportunities. They may involve identifying issues and opportunities, consultation, developing a formal relationship agreement, an education strategy and an annual work programme. Funding is applied for and allocated, and work programmes carried out, monitored and reviewed.

Work currently undertaken by iwi partnerships includes governance training for trustees, professional development of teachers and principals, literacy programmes and community-based language initiatives.

"This partnership for us is about participation," says Te Rünanga o Ngäti Whätua Chief Executive Officer, Allan Pivac.

Te Rünanga o Ngäti Whätua is based in Whangarei and represents over 10,000 people of Ngäti Whätua descent - though there are up to 90,000 Mäori resident within the tribal area. The rünanga's boundaries stretch from Auckland city (Tamaki river) in the south to Maunganui Bluff and Waipoua in the west, to Whangarei in the east.

The iwi and the Crown signed a memorandum of understanding in December last year.

Thinking about the aspirations Te Rünanga o Ngäti Whätua has for the partnership, Allan says: "Early intervention in the process means having a say. It's simple really. The relationship is about the Crown and Ngäti Whätua expressing good will and good faith in working together toward strategic goals at an iwi level."

Allan believes a key benefit of the partnership will be data gathering. He also sees that, from the iwi's perspective, having access to robust information will help decision making and clarify the focus of the partnership.

"It's a bit like a marriage, where everyone gets involved on any and every issue, big or small, where these have to be worked through."

This partnership should be about relating strategies to realities and getting expectations clear, he says.

Framing priorities and structure to bring the partnership to life is the aim of Te Rünanga o te Awa Tupua o Whanganui, one of the latest iwi to partner with the Crown.

The iwi and the Crown signed a memorandum of understanding in November last year. The iwi is currently setting up a seven-person education board to represent the Whanganui rohe.

Iwi leader John Maihi estimates the iwi takes in around 21,000 people located near the bottom of the river through to the Taumaranui area to Wanganui city and through to Ruapehu. To date the iwi is considering organising their education priorities into three main categories - hapu and tribal education; köhanga reo, early childhood, kura kaupapa Mäori and school education; and tertiary education.

"Thinking about the last category, and the work that might eventuate from there, it could mean setting up a collective wänanga, which is something we're working on with Te Wänanga o Raukawa right now," says John.

He says they've also looked at five broad objectives as part of their planning.

One is increasing Mäori involvement in education at all levels; two is increasing the proficiency of Mäori language speakers; three is strengthening whänau, hapu leadership on and beyond the marae; four is improving the quality of developing Mäori at all levels; and five offering tribal education opportunities at all levels.

"The stage we're at is scoping the framework in which the partnership can live and breathe - it's a lot of work."

Project manager, Ropata Taylor (Ngäti Rärua, Te Atiawa, Ngäti Tama, Ngäti Kuia)

"Economic development is crucial to self-determination for Mäori. In many ways it epitomises tino rangatiratanga guaranteed in the Treaty of Waitangi and Mäori people taking control of our destiny. New Zealand as a nation benefits immensely when Mäori achieve success in economic development - afterall we're 100 percent New Zealand-owned, big employers, big local economy investors, and we value resources and the environment."