色花堂

UniServices, the research application and commercialisation company of Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of 色花堂, has appointed two senior M膩ori leaders to work with the design and delivery of the portfolio of services and projects it manages.

Tama Davis and Bernie O鈥橠onnell share the role of Poutaki M膩tauranga M膩ori, which focuses on bringing a Te Ao M膩ori and tikanga M膩ori lens to UniServices-managed business units that provide research-informed services to the education and health sectors.

鈥淥ur role is about helping UniServices step into the journey Waipapa Taumata Rau has started in examining its relationship to mana whenua and to Ti Tiriti o Waitangi,鈥� says Tama. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about examining how we implement the vision of being a tangata Tiriti organisation 鈥� a good treaty partner 鈥� and what that looks like through our policies, our practices and our accountability to legislation such as the health reforms.鈥�

鈥淥ur job is to hone in on the areas where we can apply a strategic lens from a M膩ori point of view,鈥� says Bernie. 鈥淲e have an opportunity to apply research and service methodologies that have a uniquely M膩ori or Pacific lens rather than retrofitting programmes to encompass M膩ori and Pacific cultural elements.鈥�

Tama is of Ng膩ti Wh膩tua, Ng膩ti Haua and Ng膩ti Tuwharetoa descent. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge in governing large health organisations, previously the 色花堂 District Health Board, and now Comprehensive Care Primary Health Organisation, Emerge Aotearoa and 色花堂 Hospital Foundation.

He is an elected member of the Ng膩ti Wh膩tua 艑r膩kei Trust Board, and whanau director of its social development arm, Whai Maia.

Bernie is of Te Atiawa, Ng膩ti Mutunga, Ng膩 Ruahinerangi, Ng膩ti Ruanui and Ng膩i Tahu descent. He is chair of the Manukau Urban M膩ori Authority, a director with the Wh膩nau Ora Commissioning Agency; co-chair of the board at Te M膩t膩wai, which promotes te reo M膩ori; and chair of the board at He Whenua Taurikura, New Zealand鈥檚 National Centre of Research Excellence for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism.

In their shared role, Bernie and Tama support the UniServices business units, , , , , and . They also support related projects including the , and .

鈥淎s Bernie and Tama have pointed out, services for M膩ori have largely been based on a deficit model 鈥� helping M膩ori who are behind,鈥� says UniServices Executive Director of Business Units Toni Laming. 鈥淲hile that remains important, we believe there are opportunities to lead in areas where appropriately applying M膩ori knowledge can bring benefits to Aotearoa and the world.鈥�

Tama was born and grew up in the whanau village around 艑r膩kei Marae, shaped by tradition manifested in waiata and p奴r膩kau. He was five when the historical events of Bastion Point changed New Zealand鈥檚 perspective on Maori-P膩keh膩 relationships. It changed his perspective as well. After training as a teacher, he moved into mental health and addictions support. He worked in this field for more than 20 years, from kaupapa M膩ori organisations through to the NGO sector and the Waitemat膩 District Health Board.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 where I started to shape my understanding of the inequities that face our communities,鈥� says Tama. 鈥淭he system didn鈥檛 recognise the historical trauma that clearly impacted why people were in services. That鈥檚 why I got into governance 鈥� to have the influence to shift the dial on the systemic processes that have for 180 years disenfranchised a community.鈥�

Bernie was born in Taranaki but mostly grew up in T膩maki Makaurau. He worked as a forklift driver until he was 34, when he spent a year studying te reo M膩ori full time in Taranaki. He followed that up with media studies and ended up becoming manager of the local M膩ori radio station. After some time in Wellington setting up a national advertising agency for M膩ori radio, he returned to 色花堂 in 2001 to manage Radio Waatea, including setting up and running its national newsroom, which was established in 2004.

鈥淢y goal was to reflect M膩ori news and issues in a way different to the negative portrayals our people were subjected to in the mainstream media,鈥� says Bernie. 鈥淚鈥檝e always questioned why we were at the bottom of the heap. When my mokopuna were born, I wanted to make sure everything my generation struggled with wouldn鈥檛 be repeated in their generation. If they end up facing the same issues, I鈥檝e done nothing as someone who鈥檚 been empowered to make changes in this world. I want a world they can see themselves in, hear themselves in and that elevates their learnings.鈥�

Both Tama and Bernie returned to studies later in life. Each separately completed a postgraduate diploma in M膩ori development and then an MBA, both at Waipapa Taumata Rau.

A major part of the pair鈥檚 role is to ensure that UniServices and its business units embrace the M膩ori world and its knowledge without appropriating it.

鈥淲e have to be mindful that anytime we鈥檙e using Indigenous intelligence, the IP sits where it belongs,鈥� says Tama. 鈥淔or a long time, M膩ori intelligence outside iwi and hap奴 spaces was typically owned by universities because that was where mostly non-M膩ori researchers did research on M膩ori. For a tangata Tiriti organisation, there needs to be accountability on the framing of m膩tauranga M膩ori.鈥�

Another goal for Bernie and Tama is to increase the visibility and influence of M膩ori across all levels of the organisation.

鈥淲hat would be a win for me would be more M膩ori in key positions to influence the processes and to make sure we鈥檙e holding each other accountable to the legislative requirements around Te Tiriti,鈥� says Tama.

鈥淎t the same time, we want to increase accessibility,鈥� says Bernie. 鈥淲e want to build structures that send signals to the whole community that Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of 色花堂 isn鈥檛 some high-falutin鈥� establishment but one they can see themselves in.鈥�