This paper is based on a keynote address presented at the 2017 annual Maori Research Colloquium at the University of Canterbury. The paper provides a snapshot of the history of education in New Zealand, and presents a story of success in the face of enormous social and psychological challenges brought about by historical events and government policies, over time. It is written from an insider’s perspective, and is peppered with personal reflections from its author, one of New Zealand’s pre-eminent educationalists, Sir Toby Curtis, who achieved at the highest levels of education in New Zealand and abroad, and was knighted for his services to Maori education. Sir Toby reflects on the apportioning of power between Maori and non-Maori within the education system, and seeks to determine how an imbalance may have contributed to inequitable educational outcomes for Maori in the last 180 years. The following questions emerge from these ruminations: 1. In what ways has power imbalance within the New Zealand education system impacted on educational experiences and outcomes for Maori?2. How have these educational experiences manifested within (and beyond) the system?3. What meanings and aspirations can be taken from the whakatauk ‘He moana pukekepuke, e ekengia/A choppy sea can be navigated’?In essence, this paper seeks to dig beneath the surface of past occurrences in order to shed some light on the questions posed above. Sir Toby commences by sifting through the history of colonial influences on education in this country, and sprinkles this with his own experiences going to school, many of which were plagued by challenges of various forms. Sir Toby makes bold and often astute observations about the impact of colonial policy on Maori (and how it affected him personally), and redirects the emphasis by proposing a pathway forward for the future of Maori education. At its core, this paper tells a personal storywithin a larger story of a determination to triumph over notions of inferiority and oppression - it is a story of resiliency and a story of hope.
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