Ngāti Kahungunu (Waimārama, Wairoa, Wairarapa)

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•   Chair Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Inc

•   Director Takitimu Ora       

    (Whānau Ora aliance)

•   Chair Maori Education Trust

•   Chair Transport Rebuild East

    Coast Alliance (TREC)

•   Director Te Ohu Kaimoana     

    Board

 

“Te Toka Tū Moana o Ngāti Kahungunu is, as the name says, an anchor stone that will endure.”

 

“It’s a reclamation of our right to design and deliver health solutions that reflect our tikanga, our whakapapa and our vision for thriving whānau.”

 

“We want a brighter health future for Ngāti Kahungunu and we see the establishment of this kaupapa (Kahungunu health authority) as a key first step.”

Ngāti Pahauwera, Ngāti Kahungunu, Kāi Tahu, Ngāti Pakeha

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•  Graduate of Te Panekiretanga o Te 

   Reo, Institute of Excellance in Māori

   language

•  Master of Science in Global Health

   Science and Epidemiology. Oxford

   University

•  Bachelor of Human Biology (BHB)

    and Bachelor of Medicine and

    Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB)

    University of Auckland

 

“Everyone loves talking about equity, but the burning question is in ‘the how’. I believe the answers lie with our people.”

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“I am the first Māori paediatrician in over 30 years in a region (Waikato) where more than a third of the children are Māori. My experience shows me that the healthcare system must invest in culturally appropriate care.”

Ngāti Kahungunu, 

 

73 yr old Kaumātua, Te Rangi Huata is a respected cultural leader, event director, and advocate for Māori arts and wellbeing. His work with Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated (NKII) and the wider Hawke’s Bay community reflects a deep commitment to kaupapa Māori, community empowerment, and cultural revitalisation.

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As a long-time collaborator with NKII, Te Rangi has played a pivotal role in promoting iwi-led initiatives that celebrate identity, unity, and wellbeing. He is best known for leading the revival of Matariki celebrations in the region, beginning with a modest gathering in Hastings in 2000. Under his guidance, these events have grown into major annual festivals across Wairoa, Napier, Hastings, Waipukurau, and Masterton, attracting thousands of participants and fostering a sense of belonging and pride among whānau and hapū. Te Rangi’s work is grounded in the values of Ngāti Kahungunu, manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, and kaitiakitanga. Through his leadership in arts and events, he has helped bring iwi aspirations to life, aligning with NKII’s mission to uplift the social, cultural, and spiritual wellbeing of its people. His contributions include: 

• Coordinating iwi and community events such as the Hastings Fiesta of Lights, Iron Māori, and the Hastings Blossom Parade.

• Serving as Board Chair of Ngā Toi – Creative Hawke’s Bay, where he champions Māori arts and supports emerging talent.

• Supporting youth and whānau engagement through cultural programming and storytelling, often using performance and visual arts as tools for healing and connection

 

Te Rangi Huata continues to inspire a new generation to stand tall in their identity and walk confidently into the future.

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Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Hawea, Ngāti Hori, Samoan

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Ngahiwi is a visionary leader and long-serving Chair of Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated, holding the role for 26 years. His leadership has been instrumental in advancing iwi development, particularly in the health sector, where he championed initiatives that addressed whānau wellbeing, equity, and Māori-led solutions. As Deputy Chair of the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board and Chair of its Māori Relationship Board, Ngahiwi advocated for culturally responsive healthcare and trauma-informed services. His work has bridged traditional knowledge with modern systems, empowering iwi to lead their own hauora journeys. Beyond health, Ngahiwi has held national and international roles in trade, education, and indigenous rights, including leading Te Aratini and serving on the Māori Extreme Weather Science Response Panel. Grounded in whakapapa and driven by aroha for his whānau and iwi, Ngahiwi continues to influence transformative change across Aotearoa and beyond.

Ngātiwai me Ngāti Hine

 

Morris Pita is the Chief Executive and Founder of Emergency Q – a platform that reduces overcrowding in hospital Emergency Departments by supporting the safe redirection of non-acute patients to primary care. Morris has a wide-ranging commercial background here and offshore at EY, Mercury and BG Group.

He is passionate about driving better outcomes for communities and contributing to the development of a more equitable health service, particularly for Maori. Morris holds an MBA from the University of Oxford and an LLM (Hons, 1st ) and BA from the University of Auckland.

Ngāti Kahungunu, Rangitane​

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Dr Jeremy Tātere MacLeod is a distinguished leader in Māori language revitalisation and cultural development .  Australia born, he moved to Hastings at age 17 to reconnect with his Māori heritage and immerse himself in te reo Māori. Despite being a second-language learner, he rapidly became a prominent advocate and strategist for the language.

 

Jeremy is heavily involved in his marae and hapū and iwi. He holds a PhD in Māori Language Revitalisation from the University of Waikato and has served in various influential roles, including:

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• Director of Te Reo, Tikanga, and Mātauranga at Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated

• Deputy Chairperson of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission)

 

Jeremy is the co founder and Director of Kauwaka Limited, delivering tailored Māori cultural and language programmes

 

His work has led to the creation of transformative initiatives such as the Kahungunu, Kia Eke! strategy and the hosting of the Language Revitalization Symposium, which earned Ngāti Kahungunu the Iwi Award at Ngā Tohu Reo Māori in 2019. 

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We’re delighted to welcome Dr Jeremy Tātere MacLeod as the MC for this Kahungunu Health Authority Wānanga. With his dynamic presence and wide-ranging talents, Jeremy brings a unique energy to the event. His quick wit and sharp responsiveness will keep the kōrero flowing, whether engaging with presenters or interacting with the audience. As a gifted musician, he’ll also uplift the wānanga with spontaneous waiata, creating moments of connection and celebration throughout the day.

Ngāti Pāhauwera, Ngāti Kahungunu, Kāi Tahu

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•   Managing Director Te Kohao Health,

    Hamilton 2002 to present

•   Chair of the National Urban Maori

    Authority

•   Member of the establishment of Te

    Aka Whai Ora (Māori Health

    Authority)

•   Member of the Waitangi Tribunal

•   Former Barrister and Solicitor

 

“When you’re the oldest of 12, you can’t help but be the boss. Someone has to tell everyone what to do!”

“We worked so hard for Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority. Truly, we did. To have it taken away is hard. But we can’t stop here.”

 

”It would be a great achievement to fulfil the whakatauki of Princess Te Puea Herangi of Tainui, who said: “Mehemea ka moemoeā tātou, ka taea e tātou.” If I am to dream, I dream alone. If we all dream together, then we shall achieve.”

Ngāti Kahungunu (Nuhaka), Ngāti Whare

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First wahine Maori Dean of a medical school. Dean of Otago Medical School, Head of Campus University of Otago, Christchurch.

“My parents (Rill and Larraine Meihana) raised more than 350 children over the years that they fostered. It was a fun place to grow up, heaps of kids to play with, always games and activities. It made me grateful to have two parents and a stable home.”

“I’ve come to realise that, just as the history curriculum in our schools has reflected a colonial agenda but can be changed and decolonised, so too can the health training curriculum become a method to advocate for Māori health equity.”

“If we (Māori health academics) really want to make a difference, we have to leave a legacy of cultural safety behind us, so that the young Māori health professionals who are coming up behind us can see themselves in our position in 10 to 20 years — and see themselves as having a right to be in these spaces.”

Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tūhoe, Tonga

 

Riki has over twenty years' experience in senior health leadership roles across the motu and is a well-known champion for Māori health and Māori health development. 

 

In 2023 Riki moved on from a dual leadership role with Health NZ and the Māori Health Authority to take up the Chief Executive role at Te Rau Ora. Where he is currently. 

 

Over the past 12 years Riki has led many study tours to the USA and Canada,  investigating various examples of tribal self- governance over health systems. (Including Anchorage, Seattle, Hawaii, Florida, Nashville, Cleveland, Phoenix, Albuquerque, New York, Window Rock, Niagara, Portland, Miami, and Vancouver). He has shared his findings widely and his kōrero today will focus on the key considerations for establishing a successful Iwi Health Authority. 

 

Riki is unable to be here in person as is currently in the USA completing a course at New York University before traveling to Washington DC to meet with various tribal leaders and to talk at this year's American Public Health Association Annual Meeting. 

Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou

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Zack Makoare is a nationally recognised leader in men’s health, rangatahi leadership, mental health, and suicide prevention. He is the visionary founder of Te Taitimu Trust, a kaupapa Māori organisation based in Hawke’s Bay that empowers youth and whānau through cultural reconnection, life skills, and healing.

Zack’s leadership based on his life experiences. After the tragic loss of his 15-year-old son in 2000, Zack embarked on a personal journey of grief, forgiveness, and transformation. This journey led him to establish Te Taitimu Trust in 2007, with a mission to turn the tide for vulnerable youth and their families. His work draws inspiration from Māori values and traditions, especially the healing power of water and the sea, reconnecting rangatahi with Tangaroa, through camps and wānanga that build resilience, leadership, and hope. 

From humble beginnings running small whānau wānanga, Zack has grown Te Taitimu Trust into a nationwide leader in youth development, hosting large-scale camps and initiatives that reach hundreds of rangatahi each year. His ability to connect with youth especially those on the margins of society is described as mesmerising. Through his powerful kōrero, Zack inspires rangatahi to see their own potential, often when others have written them off. 

Zack’s leadership is marked by compassion, empathy, and aroha. His background as a freezing worker for 25 years gave him a deep understanding of community struggles and the strength required to overcome them. Today, he continues to uplift communities across Aotearoa, fostering healing, unity, and cultural pride.