He received a scholarship to a private boarding school in Auckland, which led to university and a teaching career.

[1] After a Diploma of Teaching and a PhD at the University of Auckland,[2] he was Pro Vice-Chancellor (Māori) there for five years.

[5] In the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours, Smith was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori and education.

[6] In March 2021, Smith was made a Fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi, recognising his "research and practice have been foundational to the development of Kaupapa Māori theorizing and 'transforming praxis'".

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