Te Wehi (Ngā Ruahine, Ngāti Rangitihi, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa, Ngāti Uenukukōpako, me Ngāti Whakaue), who will graduate with a conjoint Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts in Māori Studies and Māori Resource Management, is a first-language speaker of te reo Māori, and attended total immersion schooling until he was 16.
His upbringing immersed in Te Ao Māori gave him the confidence and sense of self he needed to succeed, he says, but when he left home for the first time to come to Victoria, it was the marae that sustained him.
“When I think about my success at University, I point to two things. One is my background and the key values and principles it gave me, and the other is the support I’ve had at Victoria, and the marae is one of the biggest drivers of that.
“My upbringing kept me grounded, but it didn’t feed me. It couldn’t sustain me every day. The marae is always there and the door is always open.”
The opportunity to give the graduate address at the marae is the realisation of a long-held aspiration, Te Wehi says.
“I’m quietly over the moon about it, because of how much I love the marae. I’ve been to so many graduation ceremonies and seen so many graduate speakers, and it’s something that I’ve always aspired to.”
“To be given the mandate to speak on behalf of the Māori graduates is one of the biggest privileges anyone can have. My partner was the graduate speaker at the marae two years ago, so it’s an awesome feeling to know this is something I can share with her. She’s been my biggest supporter, so that’s something I’m really proud of.”
In addition to his academic studies, Te Wehi has been involved in student politics as co-president of Ngāi Tauira, Victoria’s Māori students' association, and has recently completed his tenure as co-president of Te Mana Ākonga, the national Māori tertiary students' association. He says the value of these organisations, and the Māori student voice more generally, is not widely understood.
“When I look at Māori success within tertiary institutions, I would put a lot of it down to Māori student associations. When students team up with the association, that’s when they make their life-long mates. They get that feeling of being valued, being proud of their culture, and being part of a tight-knit whānau.”
“Being part of Ngāi Tauira and Te Mana Ākonga gave me a passion and a drive that kept me focused and balanced.”
Te Wehi is currently working as a transition and engagement advisor for Te Rōpū Āwhina, Victoria’s on-campus whānau support service for Māori and Pasifika students in the Faculties of Science, Engineering, and Architecture and Design. His plans for next year aren’t yet set in stone, but his long-term goals are clear.
“My biggest goal is to do something that contributes to the development of Māori, whether it’s in education, socially or economically. I think the obligation to give back comes from what I was given, and the opportunities I had, and the village that raised me.”
His graduate address will be heavily focused on the people who helped him succeed, he says.
“My speech will be focused on thanking those that have supported us as Māori students to achieve. Particularly to the University, the marae, my family, my partner’s family, my partner, and people like Moana Jackson, who have paved the way for all of us. To be able to speak after Moana is awarded his honorary doctorate is a massive privilege.”