This article was first published by Stuff.
Prominent Māori academics have taken aim at the Royal Society Te Apārangi about its proposed governance restructure which will remove dedicated Māori representation from its council while shoring up the power of its Academy of Fellows.
Signatories to the open letter addressed to the society president, Distinguished Professor Dame Jane Harding, include distinguished professors, Royal Society Fellows and members of the society’s Māori Electoral College.
The Royal Society Te Apārangi is a not-for-profit body providing funding and policy advice in the fields of sciences and the humanities.
The letter condemns the proposed governance restructure, which will halve the council’s size, from 12 to six, and remove its two existing Māori seats.
At the same time, three of the proposed six seats will be taken up by the president and two top executives of the society’s elite Academy of Fellows.
“We hope to work collaboratively to uphold the principles of partnership and inclusion and continue the progress that has been made towards a truly bicultural and future focused academy,” the letter reads.
“If there is no visible space for Māori decision-making in this reimagined structure, the creation of an independent Māori Academy may be the path forward.”
The letter is signed by 31 academics from across Aotearoa including Distinguished Professor Sir Hirini Moko Mead, Māori Language Commissioner Professor Rawinia Higgins, Dr Carwyn Jones, Professor Jacinta Ruru and Professor Rangi Matamua.
“The proposal raises significant concerns for many Māori who have worked hard over the years to support the Society to become a more inclusive, relevant and trusted place for Māori and indeed for Aotearoa generally,” signatory Professor Melinda Webber said.
“It feels like a major step backwards from the inclusive governance model we have been working towards and lacks any meaningful consideration of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.”
The academics say that the Royal Society’s proposal lacks a well-founded rationale and that the process has been rushed and is top-down in nature.
They are seeking a pause in the consultation process to allow for a more transparent and inclusive approach.
- Stuff