December 31, 2025

Northland tohunga Te Warihi Hetaraka recognised with New Year honour

Matthew Tukaki Posted On December 31, 2025

Northland kaumātua, carver and cultural leader Te Warihi Kokowai Hetaraka has been appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for his lifelong services to Māori and the arts.

Of Ngāti Wai, Ngāpuhi and Tainui descent, Mr Hetaraka has dedicated more than six decades to the protection, transmission and revitalisation of mātauranga Māori, with a particular focus on whakairo, kōrero tuku iho and the cultural integrity of marae and significant historical sites.

In 1963, he was selected to represent Te Tai Tokerau at the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute, marking the beginning of a career that would see him design, carve and serve as tohunga whakairo for wharenui across the country, including at Te Tii Waitangi. His work is recognised not only for its artistic excellence, but for its deep grounding in whakapapa, tikanga and tribal narrative.

Mr Hetaraka has also been a steadfast advocate for Ngāti Wai, providing cultural leadership and guidance through periods of significant change. His expertise has been sought in nationally important kaupapa, including as an expert witness before the Waitangi Tribunal, notably in the landmark WAI 262 claim, which addressed Māori rights to cultural knowledge, taonga species and intellectual property.

Beyond the marae, his work has restored and reasserted Māori histories in places of national and international significance. These include the Māori Select Committee Room in Parliament, Te Korowai o Papatūānuku at Parihaka, and Ruapekapeka Pā at Waharoa – sites that speak to resistance, resilience and the ongoing struggle for Māori self-determination.

His governance and leadership roles have been extensive. Mr Hetaraka is a founding trustee of the Hihiaua Cultural Centre Trust, has served as a board member and kaumātua of the Whangārei Art Museum, kaumātua to the University of Auckland and the Northland Rugby Union, and as a trustee of Te Au Marie Trust. In 2025, he was appointed an advisor to Te Atamira o Te Taiwhena within the Department of Internal Affairs, further recognising his standing as a cultural authority.

His contributions have previously been acknowledged with the Outstanding Individual Contribution to the Arts Award in 2007 and the Creative New Zealand Kingi Ihaka Award in 2014 for lifetime service to Māori culture.

For many in Te Tai Tokerau and across the motu, Te Warihi Hetaraka’s honour recognises not just one man’s achievements, but a lifetime spent safeguarding Māori knowledge, uplifting iwi narratives, and ensuring that the stories carved into timber, whenua and memory continue to speak to future generations.