Wānanga Lecturer Appointed to Ngarimu Scholarship Board

Appointment to Scholarship Board

Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi Senior Lecturer Dr Kahurangi Waititi (Te Whānau a Apanui, Ngāti Porou, Ngāi Tahu), has been appointed to the Ngarimu VC and 28th Māori Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Board. The role acknowledges both her academic excellence and personal connection to the 28th Māori Battalion.  

Dr Waititi is a previous recipient of the Ngarimu Manakura Award (2010) and the Ngarimu Doctoral Scholarship (2019). Her appointment as the new C Company representative on the board, is more than professional. It’s a continuation of her whakapapa and a tribute to her late father, Major John Hone Hikitia Te Rangi Waititi, who served with distinction in C Company of the 28th Māori Battalion, and also held a seat on the same board. 

“Ae, ko taku Pāpā tēra Hone Hiki Waititi, he Major ia i roto i a Kamupene C, ko ōna whakapapa nō ngā iwi o Te Whānau a Apanui me Ngāti Porou. Nā ōna iwi ia i tapa i te ingoa ‘John the Major.’ 

"My brother and I were born long after the war, when our pāpā was in his 60s, so we knew him during his more reflective, kaumātua years, even though he never accepted being called a kaumātua! He led with humility, kindness and strength, which his communities admired and respected.”  

Her upbringing was shaped not only by her pāpā, but also by the way her iwi kept the memory of the 28th Māori Battalion alive.  

“He influenced me, but so did the way our iwi honour and embody the memory of the 28th Māori Battalion’s courage and sacrifice. Waiata, hui maumahara, and names are etched into our marae and carried by our mokopuna.  

“The stories and legacy of C Company were ever-present and a significant part of growing up in Te Whānau a Apanui. Even now, a rōpū from our iwi is in Italy re-tracing their footsteps. 

“Carrying their legacy means understanding the broader political context of being Māori in Aotearoa. There are many lessons we can carry forward from them including what we can achieve when we operate in kotahitanga.” 

Her appointment to the Board reflects not only her whakapapa but also the pivotal role the Ngarimu scholarships played in shaping her academic journey. 

“Tōku waimarie i riro i ahau ēnei pūtea tautoko, mei kore ko ēnei whiwhinga kua kore au i tutuki i tōku tohu kairangi.  

“The support I’ve had through the Ngarimu Scholarship Fund gave me the time and space needed to explore kaupapa important to me. 

“They are highly competitive, so I have always seen them as a privilege. They come with responsibility, but also a feeling of protection, an āhurumōwai.” 

She says her role on the Board is to enable a supportive educational journey.  

“He honore nui te whiwhi i tēnei tūnga, he hōnore ano hoki ki te whai wā ki te tiro haere ki ngā mahi o ngā rangatahi e whai mātauranga ana ki roto i o rātou ake ao. 

“Supporting Māori to pursue areas of study that matter to them also benefits their whānau and the communities they contribute to.  

“These scholarships are a living legacy of the 28th Māori Battalion, and what a beautiful way to acknowledge them by enabling their mokopuna to thrive, reach their potential, express their identity, and seek solutions through their mahi and rangahau.  

“My pāpā served for many years on this same board and he loved seeing the kaupapa rangatahi were engaged in. It was joyous mahi for him, as I'm sure it will be for me as well.” 

Dr Waititi believes the legacy of the 28th Māori Battalion continues to offer powerful lessons for rangatahi today.  

“This legacy gives rangatahi an opportunity to reflect on local values like sacrifice, commitment, community, and courage, while engaging with broader political conversations about war, justice, and inequality.  

“Today, rangatahi are well informed, politically aware, grounded in Te Ao Māori, and conscious of global issues. For me, understanding The Price of Citizenship and what it means for us today is a key part of the legacy the Battalion left us.  

“Therefore, in today’s current climate, it’s more important than ever to reflect on these ideas. This new generation is ready to take on that challenge. He reanga hou kei te haere.”