The final two members of the Te Mātāwai team have been announced. On Friday the Minister of Māori development announced that Professor Rawinia Higgins and Robin Hapi will join the team.
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.
With the new addition of Professor Higgins and Mr. Hapi, the total number of Te Mātatwai members is 11.
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
Reo Tukutuku clusters
- Education - Mereana Selby
- Media - Scotty Morrison
- Community - Dr Hiria Hape
- Urban - Willie Jackson