Māori Academics, Artists, Educators Awarded King's Birthday Honours (original) (raw)
After decades of dedication to Toi Māori, a Christchurch-based master carver is being recognised for services to Māori art.
Ngāti Porou artist Riki Manuel is to be a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
He is among leading Māori academics, artists, and educators awarded for their services in this year's King's Birthday Honours.
The master carver began his career in Rotorua in the late 1970s, before opening the Toi Mana Māori Gallery in Christchurch in 1984 - where he promoted artists and ran workshops for close to three decades.
Manuel's also credited with helping the renaissance of specialist tattoo art form, tā moko, and was a founding member of Te Uhi ā Mataora, a national collective of artists established in 2000.
He was also one of the first artists with the Toi Iho trademark that recognises and authenticates Māori artists and their works.
The kapahaka advocate was also recognised for his significant commissions over the years, including a waka for the Millennium celebrations, carvings for several marae, and pieces for Kaikōura's cultural art trail.
Honoured for bridging the gap between Te Ao Māori and western science is Rauru Kirikiri (Te Whānau ā Apanui) who has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
He is being recognised for his significant contributions as a mediator between iwi, such as Ngāi Tahu and Tūhoe, and scientists.
Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
Kirikiri told the King's Birthday Monday programme that his mission is to get as many Māori as possible interested in science.
"It started really, at high school. I had a Māori teacher who taught science and he would try to teach us in Māori. He believed that mātauranga Māori and science went hand-in-hand."
He said his only regret was not becoming a scientist himself.
Kirikiri's mediation work between the New Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre and East Coast iwi has led to local science projects and safe consumption of tuna (eel) and harvesting of wild food.
Māori disabilities advocate, Ronelle Baker (Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga a Hauiti, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Apakua, Ngāti Mahuta, Ngāpuhi, Ngātiwai) has also been appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to children and people living with disabilities.
Baker, who has muscular dystrophy, is recognised for her contribution to leadership and governance across the disability, health and child advocacy sectors.
She has been chief executive of the Muscular Dystrophy Association and helped establish Mana Mokopuna, the Children and Young People's Commission.
Baker currently serves on the board of Community Law Marlborough and is Chief Advisor Māori for the Ministry of Disabled People.
Also to be Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit are Emeritus Professor Pare Keiha and Dr Reuben Collier for services to Māori and education.
The appointment for Professor Keiha (Te Whānau o Taupara o Te Aitanga-a Māhaki, Rongowhakaata) follows a Companion of the Queen's Service Order in 2008 for his services to business, education, and Māori.
He is recognised as the country's longest-serving Dean of a Māori studies faculty, presiding at Auckland University of Technology's Te Ara Poutama from 1997 to 2024.
There, he introduced masters and doctoral programmes, established the first Māori Media degree, and set up a scholarship for Māori and Pacific students.
He sits on numerous boards, including as a director of the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra since 2018.
Dr Collier (Horouta, Mātaatua, Te Arawa, Tainui) is a renowned custodian of Māori war commemoration.
His award today follows an appointment as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2017 for his services to the television industry and Māori.
Collier regularly advises iwi, the New Zealand Defence Force and Crown institutions on taonga and treasures of national importance.
He has also advanced the global understanding of Māori contribution to New Zealand's wartime history and has made lasting contributions to academia - particularly around indigenous research in tertiary education.
RNZ
New Zealand's public broadcaster, providing comprehensive NZ news and current affairs, specialist audio features and documentaries.
Radio New Zealand is a Crown entity established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995. Radio New Zealand News are vital elements in our programming, providing impartial news and information to New Zealanders every day. Radio New Zealand (RNZ) provides listeners with exciting and independent radio programmes in accordance with the Radio New Zealand Charter.