Governance grounded in te ao Māori for future generations

Governance is often seen as technical, distant, or intimidating, but kaiako, Neville King and Olly Jonas, are committed to connecting it with the everyday practice of kaitiaki shaping the futures of their people.

This year they taught Manu Taiko - Toro Parirau: NZ Certificate in Māori Governance at the Waiwhero campus of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa in Rotorua, and in 2026, they will deliver the programme at the Kawerau campus.

“This is not Western governance or a typical governance programme. It’s founded in te ao Māori views, ensuring our resources, decisions, and monitoring are managed so we can grow for generations to come,” says Olly.

Having witnessed first-hand the challenges that came with colonial systems of governance that often didn’t reflect Māori values, Neville and Olly are passionate about teaching tauira how to lead with tikanga at the centre.

Olly and Neville believe people often know more about governance than they realise, and this year they were proud to teach tauira who carried that knowledge within them but were just waiting on the tools to unlock it.

“Governance isn’t technical, it’s everyday life. If you’re a parent, you’re already doing governance. The only thing that changes is the language. It’s about having the debate, sharing views and knowing how to engage in a way that allows for a collective approach,” says Neville.

When Olly talks about governance, she doesn’t start with trusts, boards and policies, she starts with mokopuna.

“For Māori, it’s really important for us and for our future, for our mokopuna, to make change, to be the decision makers and the steerers and drivers of our futures,” she says.

And Neville agrees, “Governance is really about future planning, about what we want to do now that impacts positively for our whānau and our tamariki and mokopuna in the future.”

When studying Manu Taiko, you’ll come out understanding financial statements and policies. But more importantly, you’ll come out with a strong practice of governance that is grounded in your relationship with the things you are looking after – your whenua, your reo, your marae, and your whānau.

“It’s not a transactional relationship,” Olly says. “It’s a transformational one.”

Find out more about our Leadership & Management programmes.