Te rau matatoi o te tau 2024

Charles Bailey scholar Kody Ward

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) student Kody Ward experienced a flood of emotions when he learned he’d been awarded the 2024 Te Rau Matatoi Charles Bailey Scholarship earlier this year.

Not only did it reduce the financial pressures of studying fulltime for the next three years at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington, but it also opened the door much wider to the 23-year-old’s continuing efforts to build whakapapa connections in Taranaki

Kody, of Taranaki Iwi and Ngāti Maniapoto, is from the Iti whānau who whakapapa to the pā at Puniho and Ōakura. His koroheke’s parents and older siblings moved away from Taranaki in the years before his koroheke, Manu Iti, was born.

Born and raised in Hastings, Kody is keen to continue learning about his Taranaki connections. Which is one of the reasons he was so delighted with his Te Rau Manawaora / PKW Trust scholarship of $7,500 a year, for three years. He also benefitted from the longstanding partnership PKW has with the Māori Education Trust (see page 28).

“I was super stoked. Really, really happy when I got the phone call,” he said.

“The money is super helpful, because I was very worried about living costs and expenses in Wellington. It’s taken so much pressure off and I’m so grateful for that. But the coolest part of this are the connections and relationships, getting to meet more people from Taranaki, which makes it feel more and more like home.”

“We always knew where our marae was, but for a long time we didn’t go there unless there was a tangi or a reunion. My Mum, sister and I now try to go back for what we call ‘happy events’ too. If we start going back whenever we can, we hope our cousins will start coming with us as well, so it feels a bit more normal for our whānau.”

Not long after being awarded the scholarship, Kody attended a PKW roadshow hui in Wellington, meeting other uri who knew his whānau. He’s looking forward to making more connections as a guest speaker at the PKW annual general meeting in November at Te Upoko o te Whenua Marae.

After graduating from Te Herenga Waka with a BA majoring in Te Reo Māori and International Relations, Kody followed up with a Master of Indigenous Studies. A recipient of a Te Herenga Waka Wellington Doctoral Scholarship, Kody started his PhD research in July this year in the emerging area of rangatahi Māori entrepreneurship.

Still formulating his specific research question, he’s tapping into his passion for helping people in an area that broadly looks at how rangatahi Māori businesses can be better supported, with an ultimate goal of potentially bringing home whānau living away from their tūrangawaewae.

This builds on his Masters research, which investigated rangatahi Māori entrepreneurship and the influence of Māori cultural values and perspectives on success.

It also touches on Kody’s enthusiasm to continue visiting whanaunga at home in Taranaki as often as possible, with the intention of being available to help with whatever is needed.

Kody, who has been taking part in the Taranaki Mounga Reo 2 classes, loves te reo Māori.

He currently tutors for Te Herenga Waka subsidiary Kāpuhipuhi Wellington Uni Professional, which offers public and private beginner te reo Māori courses.

In 2021 he was awarded the Te Kawa a Māui Ruka Te Rangiāhuta Broughton Memorial Award for Excellence by Te Herenga Waka School of Māori studies in recognition of his commitment to te reo Māori, tikanga and achievement in te reo Māori courses.

Although he learned te reo Māori at high school, his real te reo journey started at Te Herenga Waka in 2019.

“It’s a huge part of my life. I love Te Herenga Waka, but there’s something different about learning my own reo, my own mita. Before, it was about learning Māori; now it’s about learning te reo o Taranaki.”

Liana Poutu, Te Rau Toi Tauira / Chair of Te Rau Manawaora / PKW Trust said it’s great to see PKW’s commitment to developing whānau is helping reconnect rangatahi Māori like Kody back to their Taranaki roots.

Over the years, many Te Rau Matatoi Charles Bailey scholars have been living outside Taranaki.

“The scholarship encourages their commitment to reconnect and their commitment to themselves and whānau,” she said.

“The board talks about succession all the time. But for me, succession is visible, encouraging pathways home – not just to PKW but to other parts of the Taranaki landscape. If engagement with PKW encourages our people to come home, that’s a big achievement for all of us.”

Liana says it’s important that people like Kody understand there are opportunities for them in Taranaki.

“It’s so different to 20 years ago – the iwi-hapori world has changed,” she adds.

“There are many more opportunities here back home to grow our people. Now you can get cultural reconnection, reo and tikanga and have a job tailored to your desired career pathway that will nuture your development.”

Kody isn’t sure what he’ll do at the end of his three-year PhD studies.

“The main thing for me is to keep an open mind and a hard-working attitude of trying to do the best I can – and whenever an opportunity comes up, just try to say ‘yes’,” he says.

He’s grateful to the many people and groups who have helped him pursue his love of learning, starting with his parents and the sacrifices they’ve made for him and his younger sister “to be ourselves and give things a go”. He also acknowledges the supportive whānau whānui of Te Herenga Waka, Te Kawa a Māui/School of Māori Studies and wider whānau and friends who have all played a role in guiding and supporting him.

To this pivotal support network, Kody can now add the PKW whānau whānui o Taranaki.