An academic with a lifetime of study of Māori women’s leadership believes the new Māori queen will be a powerful and effective leader.
University of Waikato emeritus professor Ngahuia Te Awekotuku says people will be watching Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po closely to see how she moves forward.
She says as well as being an electrifying and spectacular performer on the kapa haka stage, she has two degrees from the Waikato including a master’s with first-class honours, which shows an ethic of discipline and hard work.
“She has also shown through her thesis work that she is a critical thinker, that she stops, she pauses, she considers, she makes the decision, she moves on. So there are lots of different dimensions and elements to this personality which I think we will see grow more and more powerful and effective as time passes,” Professor Te Awekotuku says.
