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The chair of Maori language body Te Matawai, Waihoroi Shortland, says the organisation's first chief executive will be a warrior for the reo.
She's Te Atarangi Whiu of Ngapuhi, Ngati Ranginui, and Ngati Maniapoto, who has worked in Te Puni Kokiri and the Ministry for Education as well as in parliament as a ministerial adviser.
Mr Shortland says she will have to build up the agency from scratch.
"This young lady's a warrior for te reo in many ways. She's also a warrior in walking the halls of government. We're lucky to have snatched her, probably at her prime, and it's on her shoulders that much of the hopes of Te Matawai will lie because she becomes the person we will depend on to wheel out the work Te Matawai will have ahead," he says.
From July 1 Te Matawai takes responsibility for $9 million a year in community language programme funding and $1 million in research funding.
FULL INTERVIEW WITH WAIHOROI SHORTLAND
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