December 30, 2013
Arawa educationalist and iwi leader honoured
Te Arawa leader Toby Curtis has been made a knight of the New Zealand order of merit in the new year’s honours list.
Maori Party leader Te Ururoa Flavell welcomed the award, saying it acknowledges Sir Toby’s lifetime devotion to Maori education.
“Toby’s leadership – as Chair of Nga Kura a Iwi o Aotearoa; of the regional Whanau Ora leadership team for Te Arawa; Chair of Te Arawa Lakes trust and previously as Chair of Te Mangai Paho – is outstanding on many levels. But for many of us his brave courage in working with his whanau to address issues that confronted them has been inspirational, in taking a collective stand to safeguard their future,” Mr Flavell says.
Sir Toby started as a primary school teacher in 1963, and his career was in both mainstream and Maori education, including being principal of Hato Petera College, vice principal of Auckland Teachers College and dean of Auckland University of Technology’s school of Maori development.
Since stepping down from AUT he has been extremely active within his iwi.
Another new knight is Anglican Archbishop David Moxon, who is currently representing the Anglican Church at the Vatican.
Property developer Peter Cooper, of Ngati Kahu, Ngati Kuri and Te Aupouri, was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Waka builder Hekenukumai Busby of Tai Tokerau was made an Officer of the order.
Mr Busby has been closely involved with the Waitangi National Trust for more than 50 years, including restoring the waka NgAtokimatawhaorua, and has gone on to recover and promote traditional arts of waka and navigation.
Napier kuia Te Maari Joe of Napier received the ONZM for her services to Maori and the community, including her two decades of work with Te Kupenga Hauora-Ahuriri Trust and her advocacy of traditional Maori medicine.
Molly (Amoroa) Luke, the general manager of Te Hauora o Ngati Rarua in Blenheim, was made a member of the order.
Another MNZM went to Kathleen Jehly, who established the first bilingual early childhood centre in Rotorua.
Queens Service Medals went to Rotorua identity Kingi Biddle for services to Maori and mental health, and Michael Skerrett of Invercargill, the chair of the Kaitiaki Roopu Murihiku Advisory Committee and Waihopai Runaka.
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