Otaki TodayThe celebration of Te Rā Whakapūmau 2025 – Graduation Day – last month held special significance for Te Wānanga o Raukawa.
Fifty years ago, in 1975, Whakatupuranga Rua Mano – the visionary kaupapa of Professor Emeritus Whatarangi Winiata and the Raukawa Marae Trustees – led to establishment of the Wānanga. Since those early days, it has become not only a leading force in Ōtaki’s social, cultural, and economic growth, but also a leader in New Zealand’s educational development.
Te Rā Whakapūmau 2025, on December 12, was also the first for new tumuaki Professor Meihana Durie.
More than 430 graduands gathered from throughout the country to receive their honours in 41 different qualifications at the Wānanga’s Ngā Purapura. More than 1500 guests flooded into Ōtaki on a brilliantly sunny day, making Te Rā Whakapūmau the largest celebration of its kind in Ōtaki.
A Wānanga media release reflected the spirit of the day – one it said was about intergenerational vision, Māori achievement, and the living legacy of Whakatupuranga Rua Mano.
Ōtaki Today editor Ian Carson took his camera to capture some of the graduates’ sense of pride.
