Te Mata o Te Tau provides a forum for Māori academic achievement and the creation of new knowledge in the nexus between indigenous knowledge and the sciences.
The Academy is interdisciplinary and intersectoral and unites Māori scholars from several disciplines, departments, and centres of research - strengthening links with other academic and research bodies at Massey University, with wider Māori research interests, and with indigenous communities.
Te Mata o Te Tau, the Academy for Māori Research and Scholarship, has been established to provide a forum for fostering Māori academic advancement and creating new knowledge in the nexus between indigenous knowledge and the sciences. It has strong links with other academic and research bodies in Massey, in New Zealand, and internationally.
To coincide with the appearance of the constellation of stars known as Matariki, the Academy was launched on the Palmerston North campus on 11 June 2003 , on the Wellington campus on 5 August 2003 , and Albany on 23 June 2004. The official name of the Academy, Te Mata o te Tau, relates to Matariki, the promise of a fruitful year, and is a symbol of the advancement of knowledge. A reference is contained in Professor Taiarahia Black’s doctoral thesis:
Matariki atua, ka eke mai i te rangi e roa, e whangai iho ki te mata o te tau, e roa e, hei tuku i ngā wānanga i ngā kai ki te ao mārama.