Ko wai mātou?
Te Ara Ki Hawaiki carries the names, the spirit, and the future of our mokopuna. Our name is drawn from four of them — Tūhawaiki, Te Waikāmihi, Te Aratāwhao, and Te Wairereahiahi — each one holding whakapapa, purpose, and the reminders of who we walk for. Bringing their names together formed a kaupapa that could not be ignored: a pathway for our people, guided by those who will inherit what we build today.
In te reo Māori, Te Ara means the pathway, the direction we choose and the journey we commit to. Hawaiki represents a new place, a place of origin, a place of return — the center of our identity and the spiritual homeland that anchors us.
Together, Te Ara Ki Hawaiki speaks to our mission: to guide kura, leaders, and communities toward places of cultural grounding, strength, and transformation.
We are a kaupapa-first education consultancy that supports principals, senior leadership teams, and school communities to create environments where identity, language, culture, and whakapapa are at the center. Our mahi focuses on culturally sustaining pedagogy, leadership development and culturally located behaviour practice, rooted in relationships, integrity, and community aspirations.
Every part of our work is guided by the belief that when leaders stand strong in culture — and when schools are aligned in kaupapa — our ākonga thrive. Te Ara Ki Hawaiki is our pathway forward, shaped by the lessons of our past, and inspired by the generations to come.
Ko Te Rau Aroha te marae
Ko Mōtupōhue te mauka
Ko Te Ara A Kiwa te moana
Ko Ruapuke te motu
Ko Kāi Tahu te iwi
Haley Milne
Haley has contributed nationally through roles with Ngā Tumuaki Māori o Aotearoa, NZPF, Te Akatea, and various Ministry of Education working groups, advocating for equity, cultural integrity, and Māori educational success. Her leadership is shaped by deep commitment to kaupapa, clarity of direction, and genuine care for the people she works alongside.
The name Te Ara Ki Hawaiki connects to her mokopuna and the pathway they represent — a reminder that leadership, culture, and education are journeys that begin with identity and lead us toward a stronger future.
Haley works alongside principals, SLTs, Boards, and kura across Aotearoa, supporting Primary, Secondary, Area Schools, Kura Kaupapa Māori, and mainstream settings to build cultures of excellence anchored in who they are as a community.
Haley Milne (Māori - Kai Tahu) / Samoan / Pākeha) is an experienced education leader whose career has been dedicated to strengthening kaupapa Māori practice, empowering school leadership, and transforming kura into places where ākonga can stand confidently in who they are. With over three decades in education — including years as a principal leading a kaupapa Māori school through significant cultural, structural and pedagogical change — Haley brings deep insight, practical expertise, and a calm, relational leadership style grounded firmly in identity and whānau.
Her mahi sits at the intersection of culturally sustaining pedagogy, leadership development, and systems design, ensuring that what happens in classrooms is supported by strong, coherent leadership and a school culture that truly reflects its community. Haley is especially passionate about culturally located behaviour practice, supporting schools to move beyond deficit or punitive models toward approaches rooted in whakapapa, mana, and authentic relationships.