Veronica Makere Hupane Tawhai is a New Zealand academic and an associate professor at Massey University.[1]

Veronica Tawhai
Academic work
InstitutionsMassey University

Early life and education

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Tawhai identifies her heritage as Māori, British and Irish. She affiliates to the Māori nations Ngāti Uepohatu and Ngāti Porou.[2][3] She grew up in Palmerston North and spent time also in Mahora near Ruatorea.[2]

Tawhai has a Bachelor of Arts from Massey University where she majored in social policy and Māori studies. Mason Durie was leading Māori studies at that time. She went on to complete a Master of Education (2007) and a Doctor of Philosophy (2020).[1] Tawhai's PhD included research on 'citizenship education in settler colonial societies'.[4]

Tawhai was the president of the Māori Student Union at university.[2] Tawhai was a founder of Te Ata Kura (Society for Conscientisation), a political education group where mentors included Moana Jackson and Mereana Pitman.[2][5]

Career

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Tawhai started at Massey University as a lecturer in 2008. She is now an associate professor and lectures in policy and politics at Te Pūtahi a Toi and is Pūkenga Tiriti (Tiriti Capability Lead).[1][5] In the role of Pūkenga Tiriti, Tawhai was appointed in 2022 and is leading a project in the university for new standards in 'Te Tiriti o Waitangi analysis, practice and implementation across all areas of the university'.[6][7]

Her fields of research include the Treaty of Waitangi, Māori and youth political engagement and constitutional change.[1] Research into the 2020 general election in New Zealand found that Māori voters experienced some negative issues at the polling booths.[8] Tawhai is also a Treaty educator outside of her university work.[9]

Between 2012 and 2017 she was a member of Matike Mai Aotearoa, coordinating the Rangatahi Youth for Constitutional Transformation education project, she authored the Rangatahi: Progress and Findings Report (2014).[1][5]

In 2024 Tawhai was one of the nine presenters at M9 at the Civic Theatre, Auckland in its 6th instalment, Ka Tohe Au, Ka Tohe Au! I AM THE SOVEREIGN.[10][9]  

Honours and awards

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Selected works

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  • Co-authored with M. Mulholland Weeping waters: The Treaty of Waitangi and constitutional change, (2010) Wellington, Huia Publishers[12]
  • Tawhai, VMH., & Cheyne, CM. (2009). “Like, if it’s really important, they should be saying!” Research with Rangatahi Māori about Local Political Participation.. He Pukenga Kōrero. 9(1), 52-63 [Journal article]
  • Tawhai, VMH. (2008). Teaching Diversity, Advancing Democracy: Challenges for Citizenship Education in Aotearoa New Zealand. The International Journal of Diversity in Organisations, Communities and Nations. 8(4), 153-160 [Journal article]
  • Warren, KTR., Forster, ME., & Tawhai, V. (2017). Tangata whenua: Māori identity and belonging. In T. Cain, E. Kahu, & RH. Shaw (Eds.) Tūrangawaewae: Identity and belonging in Aotearoa New Zealand. (pp. 53 – 69). 2017: Massey University Press [Chapter]
  • Tawhai, VMH. (2016). Indigenous peoples and indigeneity. In The Palgrave International Handbook of Education for Citizenship and Social Justice. (pp. 97 – 119). [Chapter]
  • Tawhai, VM.(2014). Matike Mai Aotearoa Rangatahi: Progress and Findings Report June 2014. [Technical Report]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Associate Professor Veronica Tawhai - Pukenga Tiriti". Massey University, New Zealand. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Husband, Dale (7 October 2017). "Veronica Tawhai: Building hope that there can be change". E-Tangata. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  3. ^ "Dr Veronica Tawhai". M9. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  4. ^ "ActionStation Tautoko | Veronica Tawhai". actionstation.org.nz. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "Dr Veronica Tawhai". Ngā Toki Whakarururanga. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Stuff". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  7. ^ "Associate Professor Veronica Tawhai appointed to new role of Pūkenga Tiriti". Massey University. 17 February 2022.
  8. ^ "Academic wants to ensure 2020 issues have been fixed for Māori this polling day". NZ Herald. 1 May 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  9. ^ a b Husband, Dale (15 February 2024). "Dr Veronica Tawhai | Te Kunenga ki Purehūroa Massey University". Waatea News: Māori Radio Station. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  10. ^ "M9 - Ka Tohe Au, Ka Tohe Au! I AM THE SOVEREIGN | Heart of the City". heartofthecity.co.nz. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  11. ^ "Veronica Tawhai – Fulbright-Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Scholar Award". fulbright.org.nz. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  12. ^ "Veronica Tawhai". Kōmako. Retrieved 30 April 2024.