This article provides insights into the ethnicity of academics employed by Aotearoa New Zealand’s eight universities, with a particular focus on Māori academics. We show that, despite values espoused by universities in terms of diversity and within their equity policies regarding Māori staff, there has been no progress in increasing the Māori academic workforce. Māori academics were severely under-represented at universities between 2012 and 2017, comprising approximately 5% of the total academic workforce. This raises questions about the will of universities to build a sustainable Māori academic workforce, their level of commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the notion of partnership, and the efficacy of academic equity and diversity policies. We highlight the immediate need for universities to move beyond diversity and equity statements and not only commit to, but also initiate, significant actions to recruit, retain, support and promote Māori scholars within the academy.

Ko te kaupapa o te tuhinga nei ko te aro ki te whakapapa o ngā tohunga mātauranga katoa e mahi ana ki ngā whare wānanga auraki e waru o Aotearoa, me ngā tatauranga e pā ana ki ngā tāngata Māori. Ahakoa ngā uara me ngā kaupapa here o ngā whare wānanga auraki e mea ana ka āta tiakina te hunga Māori, kāore anö kia piki ake te tokomaha o Ngāi Māori i te ao o te whare wānanga. I te tau 2012 tae noa ki te tau 2017, he tokoiti tonu ngā Māori e mahi ana ki ngā whare wānanga, waihoki he 5 örau noa iho tërā o ngā tohunga mātauranga katoa i ënei whare wānanga. I runga i tërā, e tika ana kia werohia ngā hiahia o ngā whare wānanga, e mea ana ka mihia ngā mātāpono o te Tiriti o Waitangi, me te tautoko i te hunga Māori kia whai türanga whare wānanga auraki, engari auare ake, kāore anö kia whai hua ngā tāngata Māori. Ko tā mātou, kāore i te whai mana ngā körero ka tuhia ki ngā kaupapa here, engari kia kaha ake, kia manawatïtï ake ngā mahi hei whakangungu, hei whakatairanga, hei tautoko ake i a Ngāi Māori kia taea ai e rātou ënei türanga te whai, i te ao o te whare wānanga.