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Na Tā Apirana Ngata te kupu i whakatakoto ngā momo
mātauranga Māori i waenganui i ngā a whare wānanga a
Pākehā. I te timatanga ka āpiti atu ki ngā take mō te
reo me ngā tikanga tangata. Ahakoa e pōrori ana te
haere, ka taka mai i te tau 1994 e tū ana he Tari Māori
i ngā whare wānanga katoa o te motu, ā, e akotia ana
ngā take Māori i roto i ētahi atu tari.
He wā whakanekeneke tēnei. Kei te pūmau tonu te
reo Māori hei pūtake mo te mātauranga Māori, ōtirā
kua whakaroa atu ngā whainga kia rarawhitia ngā tini
take e pā ana ki te whakapakari Māori. Nō te mea e
kore i whakaaetia ētahi o ngā kaupapa whakaaro a te
Pākehā, e kimihia ana e ngā pūkenga Māori he anga
whakamana mō te mātauranga Māori, kia mārama ai
te whakangungu i ngā tauira i te hā o tā te iwi titiro.
Kei te tipu ake ngā kaupapa whakatau whakaaro mō
tā te Māori rangahau.
Ko ngā kaupapa Māori i ngā whare wānanga o
Aotearoa te take o tēnei tuhinga whakapae, arā ko ngā
mahi whakaakoranga, ngā mahi rangahau me ngā mahi
hāpai akoako. He rerekētanga ngā Tari Māori i ngā
kaupapa Māori o ngā tari whānui o ngā whare
wānanga; ā, he rerekē hoki mai i ngā whare wānanga
a iwi. I reira ko tē mātauranga a koro mā a kui mā, ā,
ka noho ngā tauira i waenganui i ngā tikanga-ā-iwi.
Otirā ko te tina take o ngā whare wānanga Pākehā, he
whakawhitiwhiti kaupapa, kei konā ka puta ngā
kaupapa Māori hei kaupapa anō. Ka tirohia ngā ariā o
ngā kaupapa Māori i runga i nga whare wānanga ā, ka
tau ai tēnā pepa, ki runga i tā te Māori tirohanga hei
whakawhānui i ngā pae o ngā mātauranga ō Aotearoa.

Largely at the instigation of the late Sir Apirana Ngata,
Maori studies emerged in New Zealand universities
based initially on the twin disciplines of linguistics
and social anthropology. Although developments were
slow, by 1994 all seven universities had established
departments of Maori Studies and offered Maori perspectives
in a range of other programmes.
A new climate is now apparent. While retaining
Māori language as a core component of Māori Studies,
the focus is more clearly centered on Māori cultural,
social and economic development. Comparisons
with western models and interests are less evident
as Māori academics search for models which
make sense to Māori learners and capture a Māori
idiom. As a result Māori studies programmes are rapidly
expanding within Māori theoretical paradigms and
research activities have shown corresponding growth
and innovation.
This paper describes the development of a range
of teaching, research and consultative activities relating
to Māori studies in New Zealand universities. It
distinguishes between Departments of Māori Studies.
and Māori studies as areas of inquiry across a range
of disciplines and recognises that Māori studies in
universities is not the same as studies in tribal whare
wānanga. There, access to tribal knowledge is more
likely and students may be taught within Māori
understandings of learning and teaching. On the other
hand, universities are able to offer a multi-disciplinary
environment within which Māori studies can
claim to be a distinct focus for academic inquiry. The
impact of Māori studies on university activities generally
is also analysed and it is concluded that a Māori-centred
approach will extend the nature of New Zealand's
academic endeavours.