Whakaata Māori gathered the shining lights of Aotearoa in Wellington on July 12 for the prestigious Ngā Tohu Matariki o Te Tau awards. Ten recipients were honoured for their contribution to communities, the nation and on the global stage. From Teresea Olsen QSM, who ensured thousands had kai on
Shining lights of Aotearoa: Trailblazers honoured at Ngā Tohu Matariki o Te Tau awards
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Whakaata Māori gathered the shining lights of Aotearoa for the prestigious Ngā Tohu Matariki o Te Tau awards. Photos / Damien Nikora
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With one of the most recognisable faces in Aotearoa, Tame Iti (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Wairere, Ngāti Hauā, Te Arawa) was the recipient of the Toi Māori Tupuārangi – Arts and Entertainment award. His commitment to his people, quest for justice, and passion for te reo Māori shook the political establishment and challenged attitudes. Tame has pushed through barriers to tell Māori stories across multiple disciplines – from stage to screen to art.
Teresea Olsen QSM (Ngāti Porou) received the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency Matariki – Community Award for her work on the front lines, supporting, counselling, and advocating for the health and safety of communities and whānau. Teresea’s vaccination programme in the Hutt Valley during the COVID pandemic, targeting vulnerable communities, was one of the most successful in the country. Following Cyclone Gabrielle, Teresea stepped up to organise trucks of kai and supplies that were sent to devastated whānau in Te Tairāwhiti.
The 2023 University of Canterbury Hiwaiterangi – Young Achievers award recipient, Maia Mariner (Ngāi Tai, Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Hāmoa), is the driving force behind the phenomenon that is Lazy Sneakers. Maia was inspired to take action when she saw kids at basketball training who couldn’t participate in the sport because they didn’t have suitable sports shoes. She blew the whistle and changed the game plan. Lazy Sneakers is now a nationwide movement that has provided over 10,000 pairs of sneakers to rangatahi.
Combining mātauranga Māori with Western science, the Te Arawa Lakes Trust was the recipient of the Mental Health Foundation Waitī – Health and Science award. Their groundbreaking initiative to protect the waters over which they are kaitiaki involved gathering traditional weavers to create harakeke mats, which were then spread across the water surface to block sunlight and prevent pest growth.
Kura kaupapa Māori, Te Wharekura o Ngāti Rongomai, was awarded the Te Wānanga o Raukawa Tupuānuku – Education award for spearheading a remarkable change to the teaching schedule, when they reset their school calendar to align with te maramataka. Te Wharekura o Ngāti Rongomai received the ultimate accolade of the night when they picked up the Te Puni Kōkiri Ngā Mata o te Ariki Tāwhirimātea – the Supreme Award. Renata and Tukiterangi Curtis received the tohu on behalf of the school.
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The recipient of the ANZ Waitā – Business and Innovation award was Arama Kukutai (Ngāti Tipa, Waikato, Ngāti Maniapoto, Te Aupōuri, Parihaka), a global mover, co-founder and partner of Finistere Ventures, which has built and backed companies to the tune of $5 billion. Arama is also the CEO of Plenty, a company that is transforming agriculture worldwide through vertical farming. He is also working to launch internships for Māori and business graduates to give them exposure to Silicon Valley and the wider global business community.
Dr Ruakere Hond (Taranaki, Te Āti Awa) was the recipient of the Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori Waipunarangi - Te Reo and Tikanga award for his dedication to the kaupapa of language revitalisation. Dr Hond has worked in Māori language immersion programmes for more than 30 years. His approach has been to enhance immersion learning with Te Ataarangi and in revitalising regional language with Te Reo o Taranaki and Kura Whakarauora. His views have helped influence New Zealand’s language revitalisation strategy as a past member of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori and Te Mātāwai. He is also a member of the Waitangi Tribunal.
- Also recognised at Ngā Tohu Matariki o te Tau 2023 was one of New Zealand’s most decorated Commonwealth Games athletes, women’s squash dynamo, Joelle King MNZM (Ngāti Porou), who was the recipient of the Accident Compensation Corporation Ururangi - Sports Award.
