Queen's Birthday Honours: Mauriora Kingi

Mauriora Kingi credits his tupuna (ancestors) for passing down their knowledge to allow him to do his work. Photo / Stephen Parker

Sharing Maori culture and his knowledge has been lifelong work for Mauriora Kingi.

He has held cultural support, advisory and interpreter roles with a range of parliamentary and ministerial services, serving governors-general, prime ministers and various ministers of the Crown.

The current kaupapa Maori director for the Rotorua Lakes Council has been appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen's Birthday Honours for his services to Maori.

"I've always been supportive of Maori initiatives and te reo Maori. It's important a Maori world and Pakeha world have an understanding of each other's cultures and for people to understand what we do and how we do it. To be recognised like this is an honour but it's the old people who have nurtured me I suppose and taught me what I know."

Mr Kingi is also a member of the advisory board of Te Puia - New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute and a member of the Maori Advisory Board for Intellectual Property Rights New Zealand and the Nga Kaituhono Advisory Board.

He has been involved with Maori performing arts and speech competitions as a tutor and a judge of kapa haka since the 1980s at local, regional and national secondary school and senior levels. He is the longest-serving judge at Te Matatini Whakataetae a Motu national kapa haka competitions.

Mr Kingi is the senior spokesman for Te Pakira Marae - Whakarewarewa - and a recognised spokesman for Te Arawa.

"I think a lot of people out there are more deserving then me. A lot of people should be acknowledged for the great work they do. For me, I do receive acknowledgement by our own people to be able to sit on the paepae at our marae and to be able to speak on behalf of Te Arawa."

Mr Kingi has also been involved with private training establishments as a founding member of He Kainga mo te Reo, a volunteer for Arahia Academy and the masters and diploma degree in social work based at the Waiariki Institute of Technology.

He has also been a member of the Ture Whenua Act review panel for Te Puni Kokiri.