Dr Te Ripowai Pauline Higgins, QSM (Ngāi Tūhoe), has been appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for her outstanding services to education and Māori.
For more than four decades, Dr Higgins has been a leading advocate for the revitalisation of te reo Māori and the advancement of indigenous education, helping shape language revitalisation initiatives both in Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally.
In 1982, she became a foundation board member of Te Ataarangi, the pioneering community-led Māori language revitalisation movement that transformed the teaching and learning of te reo Māori. Through her work with Te Ataarangi over 42 years, Dr Higgins played a significant role in developing and promoting innovative language-learning methodologies that have empowered generations of Māori speakers.
Her influence extended beyond New Zealand, as she established relationships with First Nations and Indigenous communities around the world, sharing the Te Ataarangi approach to support their own efforts to reclaim and revitalise indigenous languages.
Dr Higgins has also made a profound contribution to tertiary education through her long association with Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. She held several leadership positions within the School of Māori Studies, including Senior Lecturer and Head of School, and served as ruahine of Te Herenga Waka marae. She was instrumental in creating pathways that enabled community educators to progress into postgraduate study, strengthening Māori scholarship and leadership within academia.
A respected authority on tikanga Māori, Dr Higgins served for many years on the Law Commission’s Māori Liaison Committee and provided tikanga training to members of the judiciary, helping to deepen understanding of Māori perspectives within New Zealand’s legal system.
Her commitment to Māori language development is reflected in her service as a foundation board member of Te Ipukarea, the National Māori Language Institute, and through three consecutive terms on the Board of Te Māngai Pāho. She was also instrumental in the establishment of Te Upoko o te Ika, New Zealand’s first Māori radio station, a landmark achievement in Māori broadcasting.
Dr Higgins has further contributed to public life as a trusted cultural advisor and kuia, including serving as cultural advisor to former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy.
Throughout her distinguished career, Dr Higgins has demonstrated unwavering dedication to the revitalisation of te reo Māori, the preservation of mātauranga Māori, and the advancement of educational opportunities for Māori communities. Her appointment as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit recognises a lifetime of leadership, service, and commitment to strengthening Māori language, culture, and identity for future generations.
