Six Māori scholars have been awarded Ngārimu VC and the 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial scholarships for 2021, Associate Education Minister and Ngārimu Board Chair, Kelvin Davis announced today.

The prestigious Manakura Award was also presented for the first time since 2018.

“These awards are a tribute to the heroes of the 28th (Māori) Battalion. They were established to assist outstanding Māori scholars to go on to influence future generations as those of the Battalion have done,” Kelvin Davis said.

“Our Government is committed to reducing inequalities in education and improving the outcomes and experience of ākonga Māori and their whānau. While we have made progress through a range of initiatives over the last three years, these scholarships have been supporting Māori achievers to succeed in education since 1948.

“The scholarships provide financial assistance to exceptional Māori who are undertaking tertiary study and who demonstrate leadership, a strong commitment to educational success and a desire to give back to their communities, whānau, hapū and iwi,” Kelvin Davis said.

Kelvin Davis said whānau is a strong theme for this year’s Ngārimu Awards with a father and daughter amongst the recipients. Sir Wira Gardiner is the winner of the Manakura Award and his daughter, Rakaitemania Parata Gardiner, is also a Ngārimu recipient.

“Tā Wira was recognised for his lifetime of achievements in Ngārimu mahi and his leadership, commitment and work over many years,” Kelvin Davis said.

The six Māori scholarship recipients are as follows:

· Kirihautu Durie-Ngata (Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Ngāti Porou, Rangitāne, Ngāti Kauwhata)

· Rakaitemania Parata-Gardiner (Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Awa, Ngai Tahu)

· Isaac Smiler (Ngāti Kahungunu, Waikato)

· Roimata-O-Te-Ora Claasen (Ngāti Porou)

· Traci Crawford (Ngāti Porou)

· Hanareia Ehau-Taumaunu (Ngāti Uepōhatu, Ngāti Porou, Te Ātiawa, Te Whānau-ā-Āpanui)

This year’s doctoral recipient is Hanareia Ehau-Taumaunu who is currently studying a PhD in Plant Pathology at the Pennsylvania State University in the United States.

The two Master’s recipients are Traci Crawford currently studying Masters in Specialist Teaching at Massey University and Roimata-O-Te-Ora Claasen taking up a Master of Business Administration at the University of Oxford in England.

The three undergraduate recipients are Isaac Smiler studying Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at the University of Otago, Rakaitemania Parata-Gardiner who is studying towards a Bachelor of Law at the University of Waikato and Kirihautu Durie-Ngata who is studying towards a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Accounting and Māori and Indigenous Studies at the University of Waikato.

One hundred and fifteen Ngārimu Scholarship applications were received for the 2021 funding round.

“The six successful recipients have shown strength and determination to succeed despite facing significant challenges in 2020. I congratulate them and their whānau and look forward to hearing about their future success,” Kelvin Davis said.

More information about the Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships, can be found here

Also being recognised at this year’s awards evening are the 2020 winners of the Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Video competition, Anahera Te Moana from Te Kura Mana Māori o Whangaparāoa in the te reo Māori category and Jess Jenkins from Tawa College in the bilingual category.

Further information about the video competition can be found here

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