Huakina mai te tatau o tou whare: Opening university doors to indigenous students

Abstract

The massification of higher education continues to transform student cohorts worldwide and to challenge what it means to teach students effectively (Altbach et al. 2009). As part of this global trend, indigenous students are participating in university study at higher rates than ever before, often with mixed results (Frawley et al. 2015; Jones Brayboy et al. 2015; Theodore et al. 2015). Some universities offer programs that help indigenous students transition into higher learning. One such program is the Tohu Maoritanga (Tohu), the Diploma in Maoritanga, at Victoria University of Wellington. The Tohu prepares Maori students for the academic rigours of university study but also eases the acculturation process (Berry 1997; Ward 2006), creates Maori cultural enclaves and affirms their Maori identity (Hall et al. 2013). This chapter discusses research on acculturation theory, integration and cultural identity in the transition of Maori and other indigenous students into higher education. It outlines the student-centred Tohu program, and reflects on its academic, institutional and societal challenges. Ultimately, this chapter presents a way of 'opening the doors' to university study, and learning from as well as teaching indigenous students, in keeping with the Maori proverb, 'Huakina mai te tatau o tou whare kia kite atu ai i tou maunga matauranga' (Open the doors of your house and see the mountain of knowledge that is within).