Sir Mason book benefits Te Aute | Hawkes Bay News | Local News in Hawkes Bay

Proceeds from a book launched in Central Hawke's Bay this week will be donated to Te Aute College and Hukarere College by its author - an old boy of Te Aute and now professor at Massey University.

Professor Sir Mason Durie has combined 25 of his written and presented papers from 2004-10 to create the book Nga Tini Whetu: Navigating Maori Futures which looks at balancing Maori perspective with western knowledge, with a strong focus on achieving the best outcomes for Maori people.

He is Massey's deputy vice-chancellor and assistant vice-chancellor (Maori and Pasifika) and the book is his fifth, with plans for more to come.

He elected to release his latest offering on Monday at Te Aute College, the school he attended as a pupil in the 1950s, and the place he believed still had the ability to produce people who could move Maori into a new era of development.

It went hand in hand with his 2010 appointment to the Te Aute Trust Board, with other senior Maori from around New Zealand, who were recruited to address problems at the two colleges.

And some of the board's work was revealed at the book launch yesterday when Professor Sir Mason presented details of its Vision 2035 programme for Te Aute and Hukarere.

"Our mission is to help Maori be well placed for the changes that the future might bring. How do we achieve that? We focus on areas people aren't doing well, or a lot in, and we do them better than anyone else.

"Maori aren't doing well in economics or science, so these are two areas Te Aute and Hukarere might lead the way in, whether it be agricultural science or agricultural business and economics.

"There's no reason why not, if we don't, someone else will pick it up."

The Vision 2035 also aimed to provide every pupil with a plan to help guide their growth and development throughout their years at the colleges. It included setting academic, cultural, social and sporting goals.

"Every student will be a competent speaker of te reo Maori, they will be encouraged to achieve in sport as well as achieve superior levels in academics. They will study in areas that will be useful to their development and that will be of value to Maori development," Professor Sir Mason said.

"They will have a path so they can move from school into tertiary education, that will be the norm and that is what we will expect from students of Hukarere and Te Aute as we move towards 2035."

The book launch was held inside the wharenui at Te Aute where Professor Sir Mason stood with his family and announced that all of the proceeds from the sale of Nga Tini Whetu: Navigating Maori Futures would be donated to the colleges.

Te Aute Trust Board also announced scholarship awards, worth $3500 each, to 17 pupils. The recipients included Keanu Moke, Te Aranga Hakiwai, Garion Walsh, Xavier Mete-Smith, Parekura Pewhairangi, Te Ua Rawiri, Wiremu Haerewa, Te Okiwa McLean-Mika, Jacob Greene, John Phillips, Neyshen Rameka, Te Ngauora Kerehoma-Hoerara, William Glynn, Whiti Harris, Ruaiti Everitt and Te Rauparaha Horomona.