September 05, 2016
Minister for Maori Development Te Ururoa Flavell on Paakiwaha
Minister for Maori Development Te Ururoa Flavell on Paakiwaha
Te Mātāwai membership complete
Māori Development Minister Hon Te Ururoa Flavell has announced the final two members of Te Mātāwai and says the board is ready to lead te reo Māori to a new level.
Mr Flavell has appointed Professor Rawinia Higgins and Robin Hapi to Te Mātāwai – the new entity to lead the revitalisation of te reo Māori on behalf of iwi.
“Iwi and Māori have already selected 11 highly skilled and experienced members for Te Mātāwai and now that the board in complete I look forward to some dynamic and inspiring plans.”
Professor Higgins, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Māori) at Victoria University, is a widely acknowledged expert on the revitalisation of te reo Māori and has held many roles on boards, advisory groups and working parties. She is currently a board member of Te Māngai Pāho and a Commissioner for Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori but has indicated her intention to resign from those entities in order to focus on Te Mātāwai.
Mr Hapi has extensive governance and senior management experience across a range of government, private and community organisations and is currently Te Amokapua (Chair) of the Council of Te Wānanga-o-Raukawa, and a board member of Callaghan Innovation, Te Pou Matakana the North Island Commissioning Agency for Whānau Ora, and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.
Members already selected by iwi and Te Reo Tukutuku cluster groups are:
Iwi clusters
Te Tai Tokerau – Waihoroi Shortland
Tainui – Pānia Papa
Mātaatua – Bentham Ohia
Te Arawa – Dr Cathy Dewes
Te Tai Rāwhiti – Jeremy Tātere MacLeod
Te Tai Hauāuru – Dr Ruakere Hond
Te Waipounamu – Nuki Tākao
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Reo Tukutuku clusters
Education – Mereana Selby
Media – Scotty Morrison
Community – Dr Hiria Hape
Urban – Willie Jackson
“They will provide us with the leadership our language needs to flourish. My aspiration for Te Mātāwai is that it will be lead revitalisation initiatives so that more people are speaking te reo Māori, and there are more places throughout our society where they can speak Māori.”
The board will hold its inaugural meeting from 4-6 October.
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