Gail Thompson Awarded MNZM for Leadership in Māori Conservation and Kaitiakitanga

Respected Ngāi Tahu leader, conservation advocate and mentor Mrs Gail Henrietta Maria Thompson has been appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for her outstanding services to Māori and conservation.

Mrs Thompson (Ngāi Tahu) has dedicated more than two decades to protecting taonga species, restoring ecosystems, and strengthening Ngāi Tahu rangatiratanga over whenua and moana, while mentoring generations of whānau engaged in environmental stewardship.

Since the early 2000s, Mrs Thompson has served as Manager of Awarua Rūnaka, providing strong leadership across governance, environmental management and cultural revitalisation.

A key focus of her work has been fisheries management, particularly within the customary fisheries area, and the restoration of mahinga kai and mātaitai takiwā along the Southland coastline. Her leadership has helped ensure Ngāi Tahu rights and responsibilities as kaitiaki are upheld in coastal decision-making.

From 2017 to 2023, she represented Te Rūnanga o Awarua on Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, contributing iwi perspectives to national-level governance and strategic decision-making.

Mrs Thompson was a founding member of Guardians of Fiordland Fisheries in 1997, an initiative that brought together mana whenua, commercial and recreational fishers, and government agencies to protect one of Aotearoa’s most significant marine environments.

Her leadership helped enable the establishment of multiple marine protected areas, setting a collaborative model for marine conservation that is now recognised nationally.

Mrs Thompson has played a significant role in conservation governance across Murihiku and beyond, including:

• More than 20 years on the Southland Conservation Board

• Long-standing membership on Kaitiaki Rōpū, advising the Department of Conservation on mana whenua perspectives

Through these roles, she has ensured Ngāi Tahu values, mātauranga Māori and tikanga are embedded in conservation policy and practice.

She has also contributed to major initiatives including:

• Predator Free Rakiura

• South-East Marine Protection Forum

Alongside environmental protection, Mrs Thompson has been a strong advocate for Ngāi Tahu access to taonga species and materials, particularly feathers and bone required for customary cultural practices such as weaving korowai.

Since 2010, she has led Korowai Wānanga at Te Rau Aroha Marae, ensuring cultural knowledge and skills are passed on and sustained within the iwi.

In 2018, Mrs Thompson became a founding member of what is now Whakamana Te Waituna, and from 2021 served as co-chair.

She was instrumental in advancing the restoration of Waituna Lagoon and surrounding wetlands, working collaboratively with iwi, councils, farmers and environmental groups to protect a nationally significant ecosystem.

Mrs Gail Thompson’s MNZM recognises a lifetime of service rooted in kaitiakitanga, rangatiratanga and manaakitanga.

Her leadership demonstrates how Māori environmental stewardship strengthens both ecological outcomes and community wellbeing, and affirms the central role of iwi in protecting Aotearoa’s natural heritage.

For Ngāi Tahu whānui and the wider conservation community, her honour reflects a legacy of dedication, collaboration and unwavering commitment to whenua, moana and mokopuna yet to come.

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