All Access. All in one subscription. From $2 per week
Subscribe now

All Access Weekly

From $2 per week
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
Subscribe now
BEST VALUE

All Access Annual

Pay just
$449
$49
per year ongoing
Subscribe now
Learn more
30
Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Fake Matua Kahurangi AI profile that criticises Ngāpuhi draws the ire of iwi chair Mane Tahere

By Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira
RNZ·
11 Feb, 2025 05:43 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The post, which was taken from X and shared on Facebook, features an artificial image of a Māori man with a facial moko standing in front of a red ute and a visible rūnanga logo.
The post, which was taken from X and shared on Facebook, features an artificial image of a Māori man with a facial moko standing in front of a red ute and a visible rūnanga logo.

The post, which was taken from X and shared on Facebook, features an artificial image of a Māori man with a facial moko standing in front of a red ute and a visible rūnanga logo.

  • Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi O Ngāpuhi responded to a social media post criticising iwi leadership with AI imagery.
  • The post accused Ngāpuhi of neglecting their people while purchasing expensive vehicles, sparking widespread sharing.
  • Chair Mane Tahere called the post “outdated” and emphasised Ngāpuhi’s unity and strength.

The chairman of Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi O Ngāpuhi has hit back at a social media post featuring AI-generated imagery of the rūnanga logo “pitting brown against brown”.

The post, which was taken from X and shared on Facebook, features an artificial image of a Māori man with a facial moko standing in front of a red ute and a visible rūnanga logo.

“It’s 2025, another year, another multi-million-dollar payout to our beloved Iwi leaders-because nothing says ‘uplifting the tangata’ quite like a freshly imported Ford Raptor cruising through Moerewa while Auntie Hinemoa is boiling Maggi 2-Minute noodles on a butane stove outside her car,” the post read.

It goes on to criticise iwi – specifically Ngāpuhi – for failing to care for their own people and instead purchasing expensive utes while most Māori were “waiting in line at the liquor shop, wondering if anyone at the top actually gives a damn”.

All Access. All in one subscription. From $2 per week
Subscribe now

All Access Weekly

From $2 per week
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
Subscribe now
BEST VALUE

All Access Annual

Pay just
$449
$49
per year ongoing
Subscribe now
Learn more
30
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“Because while the Iwi can easily mobilise lawyers and consultants when it’s time to demand more cash from the Crown, when it comes to actually supporting their struggling people, suddenly the signal drops, and all you get is voicemail,” the post read.

At the time of publishing the post had been shared more than 2000 times and received hundreds of comments, with many agreeing with the material.

In response, Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi O Ngāpuhi said on Facebook some of the issues raised were real-life challenges for many.

“Many may have seen a post making its way around the motu this morning. After investigation we can confirm this is a fake account with fake AI generated pictures.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“As an iwi we acknowledge all who are doing their part across our communities to reconnect to our whakapapa, whenua, te reo me ōna tikanga to strengthen and support whānau to navigate and find their own solutions where possible.”

From left, Mane Tahere, Jodi Hayward, Moana Tuwhare, Huhana Lyndon and Hinerangi Himiona, at a welcome for Tuwhare at Okorihi Marae, near Kaikohe. Photo: Supplied / Huhana Lyndon
From left, Mane Tahere, Jodi Hayward, Moana Tuwhare, Huhana Lyndon and Hinerangi Himiona, at a welcome for Tuwhare at Okorihi Marae, near Kaikohe. Photo: Supplied / Huhana Lyndon

Speaking to RNZ, Ngāpuhi chair Mane Tahere said some whānau were confused as to who wrote the post, believing it was a genuine post from his rūnanga.

“It’s been widely shared and within our own networks. A lot of concerned emails and phone calls from some of our beneficiaries and whānau here because it has Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi O Ngāpuhi logo.

“After looking and watching the post over the last couple of hours and how it is being widely shared, the nature of the content... I’ve also been advised on the nature of the responses in comments ”

Tahere called the content of the post “outdated” and said it relied on stereotypes surrounding Māori “elitism” and Rūnanga mismanagement.

He said Ngāpuhi unity was on display at Waitangi this year.

“Ngāpuhi seem to only be getting stronger – that’s what I see – not just the Rūnanga but Ngāpuhi as an iwi.

“This is just more rhetoric pitting brown against brown.”

Another post by Matua Kahurangi said, after Taranaki Maunga had been given legal personhood, it was charged with cultivating cannabis.

Tahere said while some of the posts were meant to be satirical, he did not find them funny.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

Family's heartbreak as pet sheep killed by dogs; council called out for delayed action

Northern Advocate

FNDC funding for events sparks debate over infrastructure focus

Premium
OpinionKevin Page

Kevin Page: Why a T-shirt decision may have saved my wife's life


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Recommended for you

Italy cracks down on sweatshops supplying Armani and Dior
World

Italy cracks down on sweatshops supplying Armani and Dior

Geothermal greenhouses growing tomatoes through cold winters
World

Geothermal greenhouses growing tomatoes through cold winters

'Huge problems': Business owners upset over paid parking plan
Bay of Plenty Times

'Huge problems': Business owners upset over paid parking plan

From Antarctica to Disney: Your next holiday starts here
Travel news

From Antarctica to Disney: Your next holiday starts here

TAB could be asked to compensate greyhound trainers amid plans to ban the sport
New Zealand

TAB could be asked to compensate greyhound trainers amid plans to ban the sport

Work starts on landslide-prone stretch of SH1
Whanganui Chronicle

Work starts on landslide-prone stretch of SH1



Latest from Northern Advocate

Family's heartbreak as pet sheep killed by dogs; council called out for delayed action
Northern Advocate

Family's heartbreak as pet sheep killed by dogs; council called out for delayed action

The family was upset Animal Control didn't visit on the day.

21 Jul 05:00 PM
FNDC funding for events sparks debate over infrastructure focus
Northern Advocate

FNDC funding for events sparks debate over infrastructure focus

21 Jul 04:30 PM
Premium
Premium
Kevin Page: Why a T-shirt decision may have saved my wife's life
Kevin Page
OpinionKevin Page

Kevin Page: Why a T-shirt decision may have saved my wife's life

21 Jul 04:30 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
All Access. All in one subscription. From $2 per week
Subscribe now

All Access Weekly

From $2 per week
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
Subscribe now
BEST VALUE

All Access Annual

Pay just
$449
$49
per year ongoing
Subscribe now
Learn more
30
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search