Keeli James-Murray, a student at Coromandel Area School, has been selected by Thames-Coromandel District Council as its first participant for a national rangatahi leadership programme. Photo / Tom Eley
Keeli James-Murray, a student at Coromandel Area School, has been selected by Thames-Coromandel District Council as its first participant for a national rangatahi leadership programme. Photo / Tom Eley
“When an iwi doesn’t have a voice, they’re not an iwi – they’re just people who come from a tīpuna.”
For 18-year-old Keeli James-Murray, ensuring the voice of his people continues is something he holds close to his heart.
The Coromandel Area School student has been selected as Thames-Coromandel DistrictCouncil’s first participant in the national Tuia Rangatahi Leadership Programme, an initiative aimed at developing leadership among young Māori across New Zealand.
James-Murray (Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Whanaunga, Waikato and Ngāti Porou) volunteers to tutor traditional disciplines, including mau rākau and kapa haka, while also practising the art forms himself.
Sharing that knowledge with younger generations was important, he said.
“Educating rangatahi Māori in their own mātauranga means providing a base for youth to thrive in the āhuru mowai of their own world, while still being able to walk in the modern day.”
Understanding the history of his iwi had shaped his view of identity and leadership.
He said some early Pākehā historians wrote about Ngāti Maru as though the iwi had faded away.
“But the fact that I’m sitting here proves otherwise.”
Born in Tauranga, James-Murray spent much of his childhood in Rotorua, where his connection to te ao Māori began early.
He attended a kindergarten run by his aunt, where Māori language and traditions were part of everyday learning.
“That’s where it really started for me.
“We learned stories about Māui slowing the sun, sang waiata and used poi. It wasn’t full kapa haka, but it was our first introduction to those traditions.”
He said the move had helped deepen his understanding of te reo Māori and whakapapa.
“This place has probably been the biggest learning centre for me when it comes to te reo and my whakapapa.
“Having teachers who are willing to spend time helping you learn those things makes a huge difference.”
His fascination with history has remained constant.
“I don’t really have many other interests. Most of it is just history.”
Milestones in the community also reinforced the importance of preserving the past.
“This April, we’ll be marking the 125th anniversary of our church.
“We’ll also be celebrating the anniversaries of our marae.”
As part of the Tuia Programme, James-Murray will be mentored one-on-one by Te Tara o Te Ika Māori ward councillor Michael Barlow.
Participants are expected to complete a 100-hour community service project in their community, providing opportunities to share experiences, practise new strategies and demonstrate leadership.
Barlow said he hoped the programme would strengthen James-Murray’s confidence, sense of identity and connection to his role as a young Māori contributing to his community.
“As our first TCDC rangatahi in the programme, Keeli helps open the door for others to follow, showing that rangatahi Māori belong in these spaces.
“I want him to come away feeling supported, valued and inspired to give back to his whānau and hapori in ways that matter to him.”
Barlow also saw real value in how the programme honoured Te Tiriti o Waitangi while nurturing confidence and connection for young Māori leaders.
For James-Murray, leadership is about what someone does rather than the position they hold.
“Leadership is what you do, what you think and what you say.
“You can have leaders who are out there to line their own pockets, or you can have leaders who are out there building papakāinga and māra kai, making things happen in their communities.
“Those are leaders to me.”
While the Tuia Programme offers insight into civic leadership, James-Murray said national politics was not where his focus lay.
“Home interests me. It’s knowing that my people are okay.”
For now, he was focused on learning and preparing for the future.
“For now, I’m just putting powder into my musket.
“I’ll shoot it later.”
The Tuia Programme has been running since 2011, and more than 40 councils across New Zealand now support rangatahi to take part in the leadership initiative.
Tom Eley is a multimedia journalist at the Waikato Herald. Before he joined the Hamilton-based team, he worked for the Weekend Sun and Sunlive. He previously worked as a journalist at Black Press Media in Canada and won a fellowship with the Vancouver Sun.
