There is a prevailing narrative in Aotearoa New Zealand, one that perpetuates harmful stereotypes about the Māori single parent community. However, this narrative often overlooks the broader cultural and historical contexts resulting from colonisation and the suppression of cultural knowledge and practices. Historically, education has been a well-known site of struggle for Māori; however, recent data shows a gradual rise in the number of Māori single parents successfully attaining tertiary qualifications, particularly at the postgraduate level. This rangahau explores notions of success—such as academic achievement, personal growth, professional fulfilment, and whānau wellbeing—for Māori single parents pursuing postgraduate qualifications. Centred on the voices and lived experiences of nine Māori single parents (kaituku)—six mothers and three fathers—their pūkōrero, or personal narratives, effectively redefine single parenting as an expression of rangatiratanga or the right to self-determination. By highlighting their resilience and strength as leaders of their whānau, this rangahau reveals a more nuanced understanding of single parenting within the Māori community. The methodological approach for this study was grounded in Kaupapa Māori principles, a framework that ensures rangahau methods are respectful and beneficial to Māori communities. Hui, a process of gathering and discussion, and pātai, the act of questioning and inquiring, were both instrumental in capturing the rich pūkōrero of each kaituku, shedding light on their unique journeys of resilience and experiences of success as Māori single parents. Utilising Pūrākau as a tool for analysis, significant insights were gained. Notably, the ability for Māori single parents to live as Māori, to engage in education as Māori, to parent as Māori, to lead as Māori, and to aspire to rangatiratanga for their whānau, means asserting their identity as Māori, reclaiming spaces of engagement, and pushing back against the day to day influences and impacts of colonisation. Whether they are securely established within their tūrangawaewae, or seeking reconnection, rangatiratanga ensures that parents along with their whānau can weave their futures in ways that serve them best.