51萝莉

As the korowai handmade by her sister sat around her shoulders, Tyler Te Kiri (罢奴丑辞别) stood tall and proud at her graduation encouraging her fellow graduates to create a positive change in the world.

Chosen as a student speaker for the ceremony at the 51萝莉鈥檚 Te Kohinga M膩rama Marae, Tyler, 29, said 鈥淚 hope we may all occupy spaces where we flourish, shake it up and create the positive change the world needs and our mokopuna need".

鈥淵ou are the wildest dreams of your t墨puna,鈥� she said to students, 鈥測ou are creating a legacy for your wh膩nau, demonstrating to the generations to come that anything is obtainable with a lot of late nights, blood, sweat and tears.鈥�

As a mother of two, a child of five, and a mokopuna of many, Tyler says she鈥檚 a survivor of some of the most challenging years of her life - being a student.

Tyler is an advocate for M膩ori students and works for the University鈥檚 Centres of Asia-Pacific Excellence, helping create spaces and experiences where rangatahi M膩ori thrive and opportunities are limitless.

鈥淲ith histories and a lot of systems that often don鈥檛 work for them, it鈥檚 important we start creating spaces where rangatahi M膩ori can see how awesome they truly are.

鈥淚 believe my tertiary education has helped me understand the effects of intergenerational trauma, the impact one鈥檚 environment can have on who they are and the power of reflection.鈥�

Graduating with a Master of Education, focusing on M膩ori voice in the Education Division, Tyler says she loves seeing other tauira (students) receive their tohu (degree), and seeing how proud their wh膩nau are.

鈥淚鈥檒l be celebrating the best way I know how, eating and revelling in the festivities with my wh膩nau and friends.

鈥淛ust knowing how challenging it was for me to finish my postgraduate makes this occasion that little bit sweeter. Studying and raising a wh膩nau isn鈥檛 free鈥� so make sure you have a good 鈥榳hy鈥� for your studies, because when times get tough or the temptation of quitting gets high, your 鈥榳hy鈥� will help shift things back into focus.

鈥淒on鈥檛 be bound by a set timeline or set journey. However it happens for you is exactly how it鈥檚 meant to.鈥�

Tyler was born and raised in Hamilton where she attended Hamilton Girls鈥� High School, but Waimana is called home.

It鈥檚 her third time graduating from the University. In 2017, Tyler received her Bachelor of Teaching and a Graduate Diploma in M膩ori and Pacific Development in 2019.

Raised in a family of teachers, Tyler says she didn鈥檛 want to be cliche and follow in the footsteps of her mum and sister, 鈥測et ironically, they're two of the many role models I now look to鈥�.

鈥淚 am grateful for the opportunities that I have had at Waikato, including the Te 膧hurutanga, a M膩ori Leadership Programme. If I hadn鈥檛 gone through this programme I definitely would not have been privy to the opportunities I鈥檝e been fortunate to land.鈥�

Tyler also had the opportunity to travel alongside a small contingent of tauira M膩ori to Arizona and British Columbia where they connected with other indigenous communities.

Her gratitude goes to her supervisor Donella Cobb, mentor Whaea Shirley Tuteao and whaea Linda Smith鈥檚 paper on decolonising theories.

鈥淭hese two are the type of mentors that go above and beyond for their tauira.

鈥淓 kore e mimiti aku mihi ki a r膩ua.鈥�