Te Roopū Māori (TRM), the Māori Students Association, has results for their Te Rito executive for 2020.
Karamea Pewhairangi was elected as Tumuaki, Miria Te Pou as Kaitiaki Pūtea, Maia Tipene as Kaituhi, Tutawake Dickel-Smith as Communications, Iritana Bennett-Fakahua as Social & Events, and Keiha Nicol as Cultural and Education.
Karamea is the new top dog as Tumuaki, and told Critic: “I tūrangahakoa te ngākau i taku rongo kua whiwhi au i tēnei tūranga. Ko tōku hiahia i roto i tēnei o ngā tūranga he noho hei pou whakawhirinaki mo koutou te hunga Māori e koke nei i tēnei waka ki te moana tāpokopoko ō waho. Ko aku whāinga matua kia noho tuatahi mai ko ngā tikanga Māori i roto i ngā kaupapa katoa.”
Keiha was excited at the news: “Gaining a position on Te Rito was like bringing your Nana freshly caught seafood and seeing the appreciation on her face” and plans to use her position to “run and facilitate the running of tutorial sessions, reo Māori sessions and workshops in a way that is Māori.”
Maia Tipene says she is “humbled” to received the role and intends to “reach out to members that may be a bit whakama to get amongst the association”.
Tutawake was shocked at the news but hopes to be “the voice for TRM” and “make the first years and even the people who are already TRM members to come and get involved”.
The seven executive members were elected after the deadline for nominations was extended. Almost no one nominated themselves for the initial deadline, so Te Roopū Māori elections couldn’t occur alongside OUSA elections using the OUSA online voting portal.