Not long after joining the University, Vice-Chancellor Nic Smith requested a Māori name for the senior leadership team to mark their new phase and direction. The chosen name, Te Hiwa, which is a steering paddle, was a logical name for the team and continues the canoe metaphor of Te Herenga Waka.

“Part of it is around leadership, and plotting out a journey, setting the strategic direction and making sure we’re on the right course,” says Professor Higgins. “It’s not just a decorative feature, it has a direct influence on how we move into the future.”

Every student, staff, and community member is on their own waka, on their journey through the University, and Te Hiwa is there to steer the collective.

"It clarifies the focus and purpose of our senior leaders—their job is to provide that strong direction, to keep the hand on the steering paddle, and make sure that in this next phase of development there’s a clear type of leadership and direction of travel,” says Dr Hall. “That’s tied up with the new strategic plan that we’ve just approved, and some of the really hard decisions that the leadership team has had to make in the last 18 months to set a course for the University, and to make us fit and healthy and ready for what lies ahead.”

There are other meanings of the word hiwa as well. It can also mean to be watchful, or focused. “So that’s another element of it,” says Dr Hall. “There’s steering the direction of the University, but doing so with a watchful gaze and a clear focus about what we’re trying to achieve.”

Another meaning is to be vigorous, active, and robust. “So there’s an energy, and a growth mindset to it as well,” Dr Hall says. “A hiwa is a steering paddle but if we think about the other elements of that word, it means steering in a way that is heading towards growth, with vigour, and being really focused on that development into the future.”

The outrigger of a canoe

Te Ama is the new name of the deans and directors committee, and it refers to the outrigger of a canoe. Te Ama helps with guidance and navigation but, more importantly, provides balance. While Te Hiwa does the steering of the waka, the outrigger provides the stability.

“So while Te Hiwa might be doing the main steering of the waka, we rely heavily on Te Ama’s leadership in the University,” says Professor Higgins. “It’s on brand with Te Herenga Waka, but it incorporates that distinct role that leadership team plays, and how they need to work together.

“You have to have both of them to smooth the journey and make it safe. In terms of how the two interact, they provide stability to the vehicle itself. If you don’t have an outrigger or a steering paddle, your waka is unstable. You’re vulnerable to the environment, to the weather and the waves. Te Hiwa and Te Ama help you cope in difficult situations, keep the boat stable, and moving in the direction that you want.”

Sometimes Professor Higgins and Dr Hall gift a specific reo Māori name to a department or system when requested, and sometimes they will offer a choice between two or three names. In the case of Te Ama, the committee was given options and chose that one. While giving a choice can mean more work for Professor Higgins and Dr Hall, they say it also helps with engagement in the process and helps the recipients to take ownership of the new name.

Next week we will look at the meanings behind Nuku and Tītoko.