Tamati Muturangi Reedy

Ngāti Porou

1936 -



Tamati Reedy grew up in the home of his maternal grandparents, Heneriata and Hirini Haig, up the Maraehara River Valley on the East Coast. He was educated at Hiruharama Native School and Manutahi Māori District High School, Ruatoria, and was Dux of the school in 1953. In 1956 Tamati was awarded the Most Outstanding Regimental Recruit D Rifle Company 23 in the Compulsory Military Training Intake. From 1956-1969 he was a secondary and primary school teacher. He was a member of the New Zealand Māori All Blacks who toured the Pacific Islands in 1960. Tamati studied at the University of Auckland and graduated with a B.A. in 1968 and an M.A. (Hons) in English in 1972. From 1970-1973 he was a Senior Lecturer at the Auckland Secondary Teachers’ College. In 1972 Tamati was awarded the Māori Man of the Year - Sir Jack Butland Award. From 1975-1978 he graduated with a PhD and an M.A. from the University of Hawaii and wrote a thesis entitled "Complex Sentence Formation in Māori". From 1982-83 Tamati was a Fulbright scholar at the University of Alabama and was an Associate Professor at the university. He taught an anthropology course entitled "Peoples of the Pacific" and courses in linguistics. From 1973-1982 he worked in the Department of Māori Affairs and Department of Education in programme developments and administration. From 1983-1989 he was Chief Executive and Secretary of Māori Affairs. During this time, he lectured on current and historical Māori developments in New Zealand and at the Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC, University of Alabama, Field Museum in Chicago, East West Centre in Hawaii and at the Institute of International Studies in Beijing. Tamati was a Māori Congress member who appealed to the UN Commission on Human Rights to investigate the legislation to formalise the Sealord agreement. He was a founding Board Member of Te Kohanga Reo Trust Incorporated from Tamati was a Board Member of Australia-New Zealand Centennial Oral History Awards Committee in 1990 and in the same year received the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Award. From 1990 to January 1996 he managed Reedy Holdings Limited which focuses on education and training. From 1990-92 Tamati conducted research and development work for the Ministry of Education on new Māori initiatives for education, Kura Kaupapa Māori and Te Kohanga Reo National Trust. He provided a Māori perspective to developing Te Whariki, the National Guidelines for Early Childhood Education from In 1996 he was appointed Dean of the School of Māori and Pacific Development at the University of Waikato. Tamati was government representative to the United Nations at the 1989 ILO conference, Geneva, on Indigenous Peoples Rights. From 1983-1989 he was a Board Member of the Māori Education Foundation. Tamati was chair of the Te Māori Art Exhibition in the USA and New Zealand from In October 1997 he chaired the Conference for Māori & Pacific Development at Waikato University’s "Strategies for the Next Decade."

Biographical sources

  • Correspondence with Tamati Reedy, 24 Feb. 1998.
  • Tu Tangata 13 (1983): 16.

    Non-fiction

  • "Kia U, Kia Mau Ki To Tatou Reo Māori." Rongo 1.1 (Summer 1973/74): 9.
  • "I hea tatou; E ahu ana ki hea?" Te Māori (1974). No details. Rpt. in Multi-Cultural School 11 (1979): 4-6.
  • Reedy argues that two pressing areas of Māori education need to be addressed: - the ‘education of the Māori in his own cultural heritage, and the education of the Pakeha in Māoritanga’. In order to raise the Māori child’s self esteem Reedy argues that the Māori culture and differences must be ‘understood, accepted and respected by all with whom he associates.’ Reedy stresses that contemporary curricula can incorporate a Māori perspective in every subject.
  • "A Mismatched Marriage: Human Resource Management in Public Administration, A Māori Dimension." Public Sector 8.4-5 (1985). No further details.
  • "Tribal Development." Report of the Department of Māori Affairs and the Board of Māori Affairs and the Māori Trust Office, 31 Mar. 1986.
  • "A Greater Need for Understanding." Future Times: Journal of the New Zealand Futures Trust Autumn (1988): 10-11.
  • In this speech given by Reedy to the Christchurch Rotary Club in February 1988, Reedy calls for understanding, contact and dialogue between Pakeha and Māori and looks at some issues under the headings of The Treaty of Waitangi, Māori Identity and Māori Economic Development.
  • Foreword. Māori Affairs. G. V. Butterworth and H. R. Young. Wellington, N.Z.: Iwi Transition Agency; GP, 1990. 1-3.
  • Reedy writes an overview of the history of the Government’s administering of Māori affairs through the Protectorate Department (1840-1846), the Native Department (1861-1893) and the reconstituted Native Department of 1906. He discusses the role of the Māori Land Court which he asserts was ‘very negative’ in the 19th century in breaking up Māori communal title. He briefly examines other programmes instituted by the Native Department and the movement toward iwi development and the ultimate demise of the Native Department.
  • An Analysis of Employment and Training Opportunities for Māori in The Wellington, N.Z. Region. Wellington, N.Z.: Te Runanganui o Te Upoko o Te Ika Association, 1990.
  • Overview Report of Kura Kaupapa Māori: Report 1, July 1990. [Wellington, N.Z.: Ministry of Education,] 1990.
  • This is the first of seven reports on visits to six Kura Kaupapa Māori (KKM) schools which were approved by the Government in 1990. The first survey visit was conducted on 8-15 June 1990 and Reedy writes that these reports ‘will constitute the Formative Research and Development Project of the six KKM.’ Reedy adds that this report ‘gives an overall picture of the KKM and attached are reports for each Kura detailing information pertinent to that one.’ Reedy asks each Kura a series of eleven questions, summarises their answers and lays out the response of each kura individually.
  • Overview Report for Kura Kaupapa Māori Report 2. [Wellington, N.Z.: Ministry of Education,] 1990.
  • This is a follow-up report to the one completed in July. Written in the form of a diary, it chronicles visits made in August 1990 to the following kura kaupapa Māori: Piripono Te Kura Whakahou Ki Otara, Te Kura o Hoani Waititi Marae, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Manawatu, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Maungawhau, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Mangere, and Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Waipareira. The publication includes an Appendix composed of the minutes of the Hui of Te Muka o Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Manawatu held on Sat. 11 Hereturikoka, 1990.
  • Overview Report for Kura Kaupapa Māori: Report 3: December 1990. [Wellington, N.Z.: Ministry of Education, 1990].
  • This publication contains an Overview Report with collated and summarised answers to the eleven questions presented to each of the six Kura Kaupapa Māori in November 1990 regarding roll numbers, components of curriculum, selection of teachers, distinct Māori features, advantages of using te reo Māori as language of instruction, progress of the students, resources used, and adequacy of facilities. The second section of the publication contains the individual answers of each of the Kura Kaupapa Māori and detailed progress reports.
  • Te Kura Kaupapa Māori: Report 4 May 1991. [Wellington, N.Z.: Ministry of Education], 1991.
  • In this fourth report for the Research and Development Project on Kura Kaupapa Māori Reedy states that unlike the previous reports this one addresses the particular issues of each kura along with responses to the Research and Development Questions. Reedy lists the ‘Main Features and Recommendation’ of his visits to the kura under the headings ‘Physical Environment’, ‘Learning Environment’, ‘Teachers and Teaching’, ‘Teacher Assistance’, ‘Administration’ and ‘Recommendations to the Ministry of Education.’
  • Te Kura Kaupapa Māori: Report 5. August 1991. [Wellington, N.Z.: Ministry of Education], 1991.
  • This report follows a similar format to the previous reports, with Reedy reporting on his visit to the six kura in August 1991.
  • Presentation. Māori Land Valuation Conf. Massey University, Palmerston North, N.Z. Nov. 1991.
  • Kura Kaupapa Māori: Research and Development Project: Final Report. June 1992/Kura Kaupapa Māori: He Mahinga Rangahau Me Te Whakapakari Te Purongo Whakamutunga. Pipiri 1992. [Wellington, N.Z.: Ministry of Education], 1992.
  • In this final report with Māori and English versions in the same publication, Reedy gives an overview of his project which began in June 1990 and was contracted to conclude in June 1992. The aim of the project was ‘to track and describe the progress of each [of six Government-approved] kura in terms of meeting their goals. Their guiding principles would be from the document Te Aho Matua.’ He provides six recommendations to the Ministry of Education, discusses the eleven Research and Development Questions, provides a diary of his visits to the kura, and a glossary. In the two appendices Reedy provides the text of Kura Kaupapa Māori Rangahau 1991 which was designed and supervised by Tuakana Mate Nepe and her Year Two Kura Kaupapa Māori Teacher Trainees at the Auckland College of Education. They observed through a ‘set of indicators ...what the children were achieving’ over a course of 12 months of the project. Reedy also includes "Kura Kaupapa Māori, A Discussion on English" by J. Bradley.
  • The Extinguishment of Treaty of Waitangi Rights to Fisheries by the New Zealand Government. Address to the United Nations General Assembly. Māori Congress, Wellington, N.Z., 1992.
  • Nga Tikanga O Te Ao Māori. He Pepa Mo Te Kohanga Reo Whakapakari Tino Rangātiratanga. Wellington, N.Z.: Te Kohanga Reo National Trust, 1992.
  • Matauranga Māori - Te Huringa Hou, New Direction for Māori Education. Wellington, N.Z.: Report for Te Puni Kokiri, 1992.
  • Barriers and Constraints That Affect Māori Education Outcomes. Wellington, N.Z.: Report for Te Puni Kokiri, 1992.
  • He Whariki Matauranga Mo Nga Mokopuna O Aotearoa. (Te Kohanga Reo National Curriculum Guidelines). Waikato University, 1992.
  • Te Kohanga Reo National Curriculum Guidelines Report (February). Wellington, N.Z.: Te Kohanga Reo National Trust, 1992.
  • "Tamati Muturangi Reedy." What I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Twenty-Two New Zealanders. Comp. Allan Thomson. Wellington, N.Z.: GP, 1993. 180-188.
  • Reedy writes of his personal belief system which encompasses the rational and power of the mind, traditional Māori spirituality and the values of the Ngāti Porou community and mentors who shaped his formative years.
  • Papers/Presentations

  • Survey Conducted of Māori Voters on Political Issues. Wellington, N.Z.: Reedy Holdings. No details.
  • "Report and Evaluation of the Conference." World Indigenous Peoples Conference: Education. Wellington, N.Z.: Te Kohanga Reo National Trust. No further details.
  • Te Whariki. Te Wahanga II (July). Report to the Ministry of Education on ‘Te Whariki’. The Early Childhood Education Curriculum (Draft) Trailing Project.
  • E Ahu Ana Tatau Ki Hea? Wellington, N.Z.: School Publications Branch. Dept. of Education, 1975.
  • "He-Type Phrases in Māori." Working Papers in Linguistics 9.2 (1977).
  • "Language Revival." Office of Hawaiian Affairs Conf., 1982.
  • "Māori Developments to the Smithsonian Institute." Washington D.C., 1985. No details.
  • "Developing an Official Māori Language Policy for Government." 1985. No details.
  • "Māori Development Today." Unpublished paper, 1986.
  • Reo Māori Total Immersion Unit. Research Project for Lytton High School. Wellington, N.Z.: Reedy Holdings, 1993.
  • Te Whariki. He Tauira Matauranga. A Curriculum Model. Wellington, N.Z.: Reedy Holdings, 1993.
  • "A Global Perspective on Mana Motuhake of Indigenous People and How It Impacts On Commercial Activity." Today Tomorrow Conf. Wellington, N.Z., 1993.
  • Paper delivered at the Today Tomorrow Conference, 1993, in Wellington and organised by Ako Ltd, Auckland.
  • He Mate Huango To Pene. Translation for the Asthma Foundation of New Zealand, 1994. No details.
  • Te Kohanga Reo Policy Document. Wellington, N.Z.: Te Kohanga Reo National Trust, 1994.
  • "Sir Apirana Turupa Ngata." University of Canterbury Centenary Marking the Graduation of the First Māori University Graduate. U of Canterbury, Christchurch, N.Z., 1994.
  • Te Hiringa i Te Mahara. A Mind Power and Māori Language Development Programme. Wellington, N.Z.: Reedy Holdings, 1995.
  • Quality in Early Childhood Development. Report prepared for the Bernard van Leer Foundation, Holland. Wellington, N.Z.: Te Kohanga Reo National Trust, 1995.
  • Te Whariki. Te Wahanga 1 (March). Report to the Ministry of Education on ‘Te Whariki’. The Early Childhood Education Curriculum (Draft) Trailing Project, 1995.
  • "Issues in Māori Development in The Waikato" Macmillan Brown Lecture and Waikato University Inaugural Lecture. Waikato U, N.Z. 26 Feb. 1997.
  • "What Kind of University." International Conf. June 18-20 1997. No details.
  • Māori Education and Education of Māori. Address to the Second PPTA Curriculum Conf., 1997.
  • Te Papa Reo - Grammar of Māori 1998. University of Waikato, 1998. No details.
  • Theses

  • "Complex Sentence Formation In Māori." Unpublished Ph.D diss. U of Hawai’I, 1979.

    Other

  • "Tamati Reedy." Tu Tangata 12 (June/July 1983): 16.
  • Short article on Reedy’s activities in the United States as a Fullbright Scholar.
  • "The time for feedback has come." Tu Tangata 14 (Oct./Nov. 1983): 9.
  • On returning to New Zealand after completing his Fullbright Scholarship in the United States, Reedy argues strongly that research into Māori issues must be fed back into the Māori community and this is the basis for his Ngata Lectures delivered in August 1983.