Stop complaining about Māori scholarships

Māori scholarship slander has tight-roped the tongues of casual (and not so casual) racists since they were introduced into legislation nearly 50 years ago. In my history as a Māori university student, I have been exposed to a roundtable of conspiracy theories framing the indigenous scholarship schemes as unfair handouts or giveaways. In my greatest myth-bust yet, let’s talk about Māori scholarships, their importance, and why people should stop complaining. 

Stripped to its core, a scholarship is a lump sum of money that assists the pursuit of tertiary education. While many people view money as the gateway to success, for Māori recipients, money is often valued as an opportunity rather than a luxury. 

Picture this - you’re a straight A+ student, an academic freak who pulled teeth to finish at the top. Prizegiving rolls around and your name is called for a scholarship worth $10,000. You strut the assembly stage being paraded for your accomplishments, but turn to see a Māori student trailing behind you, hoisting the same award. 

What do you do next? 

a) Turn around, hurl your certificate like a ninja star in an attempt to severely injure…we’re talking bullseyes. 

b) Burst out in a spontaneous haka (preferably Ka Mate, as this is the only one you know the words too..ish) to assert your dominance. 

c) Write a scathing one-star review on the school’s Google page, using the full word count to express the obvious corruption and agenda pushing from the school’s managing body. 

d) Continue walking, snatch your $10,000 and have a successful university and post-study career. 

It’s easy to kick up a fuss when others seem to be enjoying advantages that you are not. This simple concept has ignited the Pākehā community to furl their brows, pull up their socks and kick the door down on our aspiring rangatahi in search of higher education. 

Māori scholarships give non-believers a quick’n’easy opportunity to convince whānau and friends that you don’t hate tangata whenua – it’s simple, all you have to do is not complain. 

Through Māori scholarships our rangatahi have an opportunity to grow their knowledge at a level that many of their peers cannot. 

Access to mātauranga has plagued our tamariki since universities were first created. A colonial pillar was built at the centre of the university structure, advancing the wealthy and excluding everyone else. We see this archaic model transpire today as our students venture into the working world, often with upwards of $50,000 in debt. As you can imagine, this lifestyle is not an option for many. 

In 2020, only 11.92 per cent of Massey students were Māori and according to a national average, half of the Māori cohort will be the first university students in their whānau. For many Māori, a scholarship is the only pathway to university education, and yet haters continue to nit-pick their fairness and equality - ironic right? 

A classic rebuttal in the war against Māori scholarships - and one I’ve heard more times than te reo spoken on Massey campuses - is the “I’m 1/64th Māori so I’ll ruin it for everyone” argument. 

Now, I’m no gatekeeper to university academic funding. If you have whakapapa you are eligible, if you have whakapapa you are Māori. This doesn’t mean you should automatically apply. For me, it comes down to a combination of intention, need, and connection. 

If you are applying because you disagree with the system and just want a slice of the pie, don’t. 

If a Māori scholarship will make no difference in your academic journey, don’t. 

If you are unwilling to form a connection and act with tikanga and te ao Māori in mind, don’t. 

In each case the individuals in question know whether they need a Māori scholarship or not – there is nothing to gain by spoiling other people’s success. 

As an alternative, feel free to apply for: 

Land theft 

Being accused of criminal behaviour while shopping at various New Worlds 

Having your language “simplified” because learning the difference between a and ā is too much effort 

To take a page from tikanga Māori, we can all adopt the spirit of kotahitanga. This means to unite in solidarity. As a student body, we need to raise our whanaungatanga upwards and stamp out the harmful rhetoric surrounding scholarships so our Māori peers can continue to flourish. 

“He waka eke noa.” 

A waka we are all in together.