Linguist and translator Te Haumihiata Mason ONZM was this week awarded the University of Waikato’s most prestigious award, in recognition of a career devoted to te reo Māori.
Ms Mason (Tūhoe, Te Arawa, Ngāti Pango) received an Honorary Doctorate for her outstanding work in and commitment to the revitalisation of te reo Māori through research, writing and translation.
Te Haumihiata Mason ONZM.
A former staff member and alumna of the University, it was while teaching and studying for a master’s that Ms Mason also achieved her Translators and Interpreters certificate from Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission).
Her career as a translator began soon after, first seeing her serve as the kaitiaki of Māori Language with Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, where she was responsible for translation work and supporting the Māori Language Commissioner.
Later, while working as a consultant, Ms Mason was involved in creating the first monolingual Māori dictionary for adults, a landmark Māori-only language resource containing almost 24,000 entries.
In addition to being one of the first writers on the project, her responsibilities included training other writers and meeting with iwi leaders to assist them with their role.
As well as translating numerous works including Shakespearean scripts and Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl, Ms Mason has contributed to Maori language television programmes such as Tumeke, Pūkana and Ihu Manea.
Known for her unique style of translation, Ms Mason says she draws on her lived experiences and insights from being raised and taught by her whānau kaumātua in the Eastern Bay of Plenty valley of Ruatoki.
Later returning to Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori as a Senior Manager, she overhauled the process by which Māori language interpreters are licensed, insisting on stronger standards, greater accountabilities and collaborative efforts amongst translators.
Te Haumihiata Mason ONZM (centre) is presented with her Honorary Doctorate by Chancellor Sir Anand Satyanand (left) and Vice-Chancellor Professor Neil Quigley (right).
She was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to Māori language education in 2023.
Ms Mason says she is proud to have become an honorary doctor of the University of Waikato.
“I feel honoured and I pay homage to those who mentored me in the years I was at the University and post those years,” she says.
“I also feel this acknowledges three generations of whānau who raised me in a monolingual Māori community and taught us to walk softly in the natural world, a cultural memory I will continue to try and preserve. E kore e mutu aku mihi ki a rātou, otirā ki Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato.”
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waikato Professor Neil Quigley says he is pleased to see Ms Mason awarded the honorary degree.
“It is my pleasure to present Te Haumihiata with her Honorary Doctorate and to recognise her many and significant contributions to the revival of te reo Māori,” he says.
Ms Mason received her Honorary Doctorate in a graduation ceremony in The Pā on campus at Waikato.
Awarded throughout the University of Waikato’s 60-year history, the Honorary Doctorate is the most prestigious award that the University can bestow.
