Media Design School is focused on growing the pathways and outcomes for our Māori and Pacific students and is active in the local community to ensure the success of those choosing to study with us, before, and during and after their time at our school.
We ensure a strong presence of Māori and Pacific culture in our organisation, teaching and learning, with a safe environment for work study and creativity, aspirations and events. Our Māori and Pacific Steering Committee consists of key staff members and elected Māori and Pacific Student Representatives to help inform MDS’s decisions with a cultural lens.
Mai te mapura mōhio, te mahi pai. Excellent work comes from a bright spark.
Support for Māori and Pasifika Students
Tangata Whenua - Māori
The recognition and respect of Māori people and their customs are key to the way we run our school and we abide to law and policies, like Te Tiriti O Waitangi, and international agreements like the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Tangata Pasifika
Talofa lava, malo e lelei, kia orana, bula vinaka and warm Pacific greetings! Pacific peoples and culture make up over 7% of the total population of New Zealand. MDS recognizes this through initiatives aimed to help Pacific students excel in creative tech careers, aiming to make such pathways more accessible, and accepted.
Fale Māpura – Your Space
Our Fale Māpura is a dedicated space on our campus designed specifically with Māori and Pacific cultural practices in mind and was blessed by Dr Haare Williams (Ngāi Tūhoe and Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki). All students and their families are welcome to use this special space to talanoa (discuss), interact and learn in a cultural affirming and safe environment.
Adding to the room’s special character is a beautiful Tongan Tapa which proudly hangs on the wall and was gifted to MDS by student Lita Vatuvei and her family.
Māori & Pasifika Success Coach
Lita Vatuvei
Malo e lelei, Kia Ora, Ni sa bula and warm pacific greetings. As the Māori and Pasifika Success Coach, my role involves orchestrating initiatives aimed at aiding Māori and Pasifika students as they transition into tertiary education. Additionally, I provide ongoing support to ensure their success in both foundation and degree programs, with a secondary emphasis on assisting all students to thrive. This entails collaborating with campus services staff, faculty members, and external partners to craft and implement programs that foster equity, enhance student engagement, promote academic achievement, and facilitate personal growth.
To contact Lita about student support, send an email.
Māori and Pasifika student projects
Ethan James Hiku - Future Pasifika
Our current times have been met with a lot of uncertainty and change in recent years, with advancements in technology, the world affected by climate change and Covid-19. This has inspired thoughts of what the future may be like. Times seem rough right now, does life get better? Worse? What does the future look like for me? My family? My people?
Leigh Punivalu - Umu : A Taste of the Islands.
I grew up in Samoa up until the age of fourteen and have had struggled with an eating disorder for a good majority of my life. Food has had a huge impact in my life for the longest time I can remember, with my favorite foods being the traditional delicacies from my home country, Samoa. Growing up in a very large interactive family, food has been a part of our way of life and always been involved in any milestone events. Both my peers and acquaintances have all gone through their fair share of love for Samoan food and it has impacted their life in both positive and negative ways.
Ngā kaupapa me ngā hui | News & Events
Meet our Students | Ngā tauira
Cultural heritage:
Samoan and Māori
Programme:
Bachelor of Media Design (Majoring in Graphic Design)
When I design, it is always from the lens of my culture in terms of experience, principles and values – drawing on the passions and emotions of the past, and being able to create a visual presentation because the Pasifika are very good storytellers.
Cultural heritage:
Māori (Ngāi Te Rangi & Ngāti Hikairo)
Programme:
Bachelor of Creative Technologies (Game Art)
I’ve always played games and been drawn to the narrative, story-telling aspects of the games and the characters. For me, there is a definite lack of Māori representation in the media we consume, but I am seeing things start to evolve...being able to create stories about our people and our culture ourselves – through games, through film and other mediums – is something that is very important to me.
Cultural heritage:
Māori (Ngāti Awa, Te Arawa, Ngāi Tahu)
Programme:
Bachelor of Creative Technologies (Game Art)
MDS is a highly collaborative space where students exchange ideas constantly. My advice would be to build your skills in effective communication and team working, regardless of your chosen course. Also, don’t be afraid to explore your creative abilities to the fullest. While MDS will give you the tools to create and teach you how to use them, it is up to you to do the creating.
Cultural heritage:
Samoan (Villages of Leulumoega and Fagali'i)
Programme:
Bachelor of Art and Design (3D Animation and Visual Effects)
I would highly recommend the Digital Creativity Foundation programme because as a former student of the one-year course, I can say with confidence that it helped a lot with my transition into my degree programme. I would also say to new comers to open-up their minds to thinking imaginatively and creatively.
Ngā kaimahi | Staff
Programme Coordinator - Digital Creativity Foundation Programme
Bonnie is of Cook Island heritage and has been involved in the creative industries for over 25 years, beginning with Fashion Design. Bonnie is passionate about integrating cultural design and practice into her work and that of students, and has research interests in cultural identity. She is the Programme Leader for the Digital Creativity Foundation Programme.
Lecturer - Digital Creativity Foundation Programme
Juno is of Niuean heritage, and he has been working with local and world known influencers, focusing on commission work for a few years. Juno is passionate about creating design work that focuses on positive spiritual energies that connect people with one another. He is a Lecturer for the Digital Creativity Foundation Programme.
