Keith Ikin appointed Pou Hautu to co-lead MIT and Unitec

T¨¥n¨¡ koutou katoa,

E tino manawareka nei ng¨¡ Poari o Unitec me MIT ki te p¨¡nui i te kopounga o Keith Ikin (Ng¨¡ti Maniapoto, Ng¨¡ti Apakura) ko ia hei Pou Hautu (M¨¡ori co-leader) m¨­ Te Whare W¨¡nanga o Wairaka me Te Whare Takiura o Manukau.

Ka noho a Keith hei kai¨¡rahi-takirua i te taha o te Kaiwhakahaere M¨¡t¨¡mua a Gus Gilmore, ¨¡, koia nei ia he taut¨­hito mai i ¨­na 20 tau e k¨­kiri ana ia i ng¨¡ kaupapa kia hikitia te M¨¡ori me t¨­na m¨¡tauranga hohonu ki te r¨¡ngai ahumahinga, m¨¡tauranga matua hoki.

K¨­ t¨­na tohungatanga an¨­ e h¨­kai ana i te r¨¡ngai t¨±matanui, te ao p¨¡p¨¡ho, te m¨¡tauranga, te p¨±taiao, me ng¨¡ whakahaere ¨¡-iwi, whakahaere whakangungu ahumahi hoki.

Ko te mea nui k¨¥ kua kitea i ¨¡na mahi katoa ko t¨­ Keith ng¨¡kaunui, ng¨¡kau titikaha hoki ki te k¨­kiri i ng¨¡ wawata o te M¨¡ori.

Tino hiamo nei m¨¡tou ki te kopou i a Keith ki t¨¥nei t¨±ranga ahurei. Kei a ia an¨­ te mana, ng¨¡ taut¨­hito e tika ana m¨­ m¨¡tou m¨­ t¨¥nei w¨¡, ka mutu he taringa areare, he ng¨¡kau whakaiti hoki ia.

E m¨­hio nei m¨¡tou he taonga nui hoki t¨­na wheakon¨­ n¨¡ tata nei i roto i te whakataunga Tiriti o Ng¨¡ti Maniapoto hei whiriwhiri i te taura here i waenga i MIT me Unitec me ng¨¡ mana whenua o T¨¡maki Makaurau.

Hei t¨¡ Keith “E kore e mutu aku mihi ki te Poari me te R¨±nanga me ng¨¡ Kaimahi M¨¡ori o Unitec me MIT, m¨­ te tuku i te t¨±ranga o te Pou Hautu m¨¡ku hei kawe. K¨¡tahi an¨­ t¨¥tahi t¨±ranga p¨¥nei i whakaritea i te roto i te m¨¡tauranga ahumahinga i Aotearoa. Kei reira tonu te wero nui, ar¨¡, kia mahi tahi me ng¨¡ whakahaere e rua i roto i t¨¥nei w¨¡ o te hurihanga nui. Hei kaupapanui, he mahi nui hei whakatutuki i roto i te w¨¡ poto, n¨¡ konei e anga atu ana kia mahi tahi me ng¨¡ t¨¡ngata katoa i T¨¡maki Makaurau ki te whakatakoto huarahi ahumahinga m¨¡ ¨­ t¨¡tou our whanau.”

Hei Pou Hautu, ka noho mana-takirua ai a Keith me te Kaiwhakahaere M¨¡t¨¡mua, ¨¡, ka riro m¨¡ r¨¡ua te Unitec me te MIT e arataki i te taha o te T¨©ma Kai¨¡rahi Matua.

“E ng¨¡kaunui ana ahau ki te whakamana i Te Tiriti i te taha o t¨­ m¨¡tou Pou Hautu, ¨¡, ka nui taku hiamo kua riro m¨¡ ¨­ t¨¡tou whare e rua i para i t¨¥nei huarahi, e whakatauira hoki he mea nui whakaharahara an¨­ te mana whakahaere ¨­rite. E m¨­hio ana au ka whai painga ¨¡ m¨¡tou ¨¡konga, kaimahi hoki i t¨¥nei hononga h¨¡pono kua whiria ¨­na kaha ki te mana tangata, mana ¨­rite hoki o ng¨¡ T¨¡ngata Tiriti,” te k¨© a Gilmore.

In¨¡ k¨¥ te kaha o te tukanga uiui i whai w¨¡hi atu ai a Keith me ng¨¡ Mana Whenua, ng¨¡ kaiwhaip¨¡nga M¨¡ori me ng¨¡ kaimahi M¨¡ori o ng¨¡ whare e rua.

Hei te Vince Hapi te kaum¨¡tua o MIT, “Pou Hautu. Kua tawhiti k¨¥ to haerenga mai, kia kore e haere tonu. He nui ¨­u mahi, kia kore e mahi nui tonu. Pou Hautu. As Sir James Henare stated, ‘We have come too far not to go further. We have done too much not to do more.’ The mana orite co-leadership “Pou Hautu” journey has come to fruition acknowledging both MIT and UNITEC aspirations of mana maaori motuhake. We salute and acknowledge “Pou Hautu” Keith Ikin and bestow upon our rangatira Keith a prestigious welcome to mahitahi with our Tumu Whakarae Gus Gilmore to forge a significant relationship of whanaungatanga and positive outcomes.

Ka p¨±rongo tika te Pou Hautu ki te Poari, ¨¡, ka aronui hoki ia ki te whakarite, te whakatinana hoki i ng¨¡ otinga ¨­rite m¨­ ng¨¡ tauira M¨¡ori, ka tautoko, ka whakakaha hoki i ng¨¡ hononga me ng¨¡ mana whenua me te whai kia whakaritea he taiao haumaru, hauora hoki m¨­ ng¨¡ tauira me kaimahi M¨¡ori.

M¨¡ te Pou Hautu me te Kaiwhakahaere M¨¡t¨¡mua te MIT me Unitec e arataki i a r¨¡ua e takat¨± ana kia uru ki Te P¨±kenga i t¨¥nei tau.

Ka t¨± te p¨­whiri ki te Pou Hautu a te 14 o Huitanguru2022.

N¨¡ku iti noa, n¨¡

Greetings to you all,

The Unitec and MIT Boards are extremely pleased to announce the appointment of Keith Ikin (Ng¨¡ti Maniapoto, Ng¨¡ti Apakura) as Pou Hautu (M¨¡ori co-leader) for Unitec and MIT.

Keith will co-lead both institutes alongside Chief Executive Gus Gilmore and contributes more than 20 years senior leadership experience in M¨¡ori advancement coupled with an in-depth knowledge of the vocational and tertiary education sector.

His professional expertise spans the public sector, broadcasting, education, science, industry training and iwi organisations.

Most importantly, throughout his career Keith has clearly demonstrated a fierce passion, dedication and commitment to advancing the aspirations of M¨¡ori.

We are hugely excited to be able to appoint Keith to this unique role. He is an outstanding candidate with the mana, experience, listening skills and humility that we need at this time.

We expect that his recent experience in the Ng¨¡ti Maniapoto Treaty settlement will greatly assist in forging deeper and more meaningful relationships between MIT and Unitec and mana whenua of T¨¡maki Makaurau.

Keith says “I am grateful to the Board and to the R¨±nanga and Kaimahi M¨¡ori at Unitec and MIT for the opportunity to take this role as Pou Hautu. This is a significant first for vocational education in New Zealand. To work with both organisations at a time of significant change is a great challenge. There is much to be done in a short time so I look forward to working with all within Auckland with a commitment to achieving vocational opportunities for our whanau.”

As Pou Hautu, Keith will share responsibility and authority with the Chief Executive and together they will guide Unitec and MIT alongside the Executive Leadership Team.

“I look forward to honouring our responsibility to Te Tiriti alongside our Pou Hautu and am excited our institutes have been given an opportunity to lead by example and clearly demonstrate the value of establishing a genuine balance of mana in leadership. I’m confident all our ¨¡konga and kaimahi will benefit from an authentic partnership approach underpinned by mutual recognition and respect of both Treaty Partners,” says Gilmore.

Keith participated in a rigorous interview process which included input and participation from Mana Whenua, M¨¡ori stakeholders and M¨¡ori staff from both institutes.

MIT kaumatua Vince Hapi says, “Pou Hautu. Kua tawhiti k¨¥ to haerenga mai, kia kore e haere tonu. He nui ¨­u mahi, kia kore e mahi nui tonu. Pou Hautu. As Sir James Henare stated, ‘We have come too far not to go further. We have done too much not to do more.’ The mana orite co-leadership “Pou Hautu” journey has come to fruition acknowledging both MIT and UNITEC aspirations of mana maaori motuhake. We salute and acknowledge “Pou Hautu” Keith Ikin and bestow upon our rangatira Keith a prestigious welcome to mahitahi with our Tumu Whakarae Gus Gilmore to forge a significant relationship of whanaungatanga and positive outcomes.

The Pou Hautu will have a direct reporting line to the Board and provide dedicated attention to driving equitable outcomes for tauira M¨¡ori, supporting and strengthening relationships with mana whenua and ensuring the provision of a healthy and safe environment for tauira and kaimahi M¨¡ori.

Pou Hautu and the Chief Executive will guide MIT and Unitec as it prepares to merge into Te P¨±kenga this year.

The Pou Hautu will be welcomed into the role on 14 February 2022.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Winder, MIT-Unitec Board Chair