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Professor Hirini Moko Mead is interviewed by Paul Diamond for Ngā Manu Tāiko, a series on Māori leadership.
Mead talks about his childhood, schooling and career.
His foster mother saw education as of utmost importance in helping to carve out a life for yourself. He first attended Native Schools, then received a scholarship to St Stephen's Anglican College in South Auckland. He did not enjoy life there as it was run like a military camp. There was a belief that the way to bring up Māori boys was to be tough on them and treat them like soldiers. He says he could not see any positive result from this method.
During the Second World War, the school was closed and he was transferred to Te Aute College in Hawkes Bay, which was a much more positive experience. He stayed at Te Aute until he received his school certificate, then went to teacher training college.
He chose teaching as there were not many career options open to Māori boys at the time, and he could not afford the fees to stay at school.
He was in a minority at teaching college as Māori were only just starting to enter higher education. He says there was a lecturer, Olga Adams, who was particularly supportive of Māori students.
He first taught in Native Schools in the East Cape region, then became headmaster at Ruatoki, where he met his wife, June Te Rina Walker. Together, they moved to the Ureweras to work at Minginui Māori School. It was a very isolated community, and they felt it was important to stay long enough to get to know the community. Following this, they went to Waimārama. They had built themselves a good reputation as teachers and he was selected to attend conferences. He realised at this point that he was the only one without university qualifications, and decided to study.
They moved to Auckland for the final year of his Bachelor's degree and then ran the Māori Studies department at Auckland University for a year. He credits his experience as a headmaster with his success running the department. From there, he began studying for a Master's degree and won a scholarship to the Southern Illinois University to pursue the arts.
He eventually became a Professor of Māori Studies at Victoria University, and used his position to bring tikanga Māori into public view. Prior to this, tikanga Māori had had no place in tertiary institutions.
Mead was then involved in curating the international exhibition of Māori art, Te Māori. The exhibition was an empowering event for Māori to take charge and feel pride in their culture.
He then discusses Ngāti Awa's Treaty claim, which is taking much longer than he expected. According to a judge, the process of going through the claim often leads to factionalisation of the iwi - he has been making an efford to ensure this does not happen to Ngāti Awa.
Diamond asks why he did not choose to become an artist or composer of waiata. Mead never considered himself a practising artist, rather that teaching seemed to be his calling. There is something satisfying about teaching and being a scholar, and he feels he has become more of a critic than a practising artist.