Professor Rāwinia Higgins, Heke-Turoa Huata and Henare O’Keefe were among those recognised at Government House today, receiving New Year Honours for decades of dedication to their communities, the revitalisation of te reo Māori, and the nurturing of future generations of Māori speakers.
For Professor Higgins, the honour marked a personal milestone and a chance to inspire those in her whānau through her lifelong commitment to te reo Māori.
“Nāku i tō mai i āku tamariki, āku irāmutu, ki tēnei kaupapa. Kāre he pākeke i runga anō i taku hiahia kia kite mai rātou katoa, ka whakaaro ake, ka taea e mātou, nā te mea, ka taea tō mātou whaea,” she said.
Professor Rāwinia Higgins MNZM
Professor Rāwinia Higgins (Tūhoe) has served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor Māori at Victoria University of Wellington since 2016.
She also chairs Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori and is a commissioner on the Waitangi Tribunal.
Professor Higgins, a leading figure in language revitalisation, has spearheaded national strategies to increase Māori language participation and fluency across Aotearoa.
She acknowledged the long-term nature of the work but said progress is evident.
“He kaupapa toru reanga tēnei. Nō reira, ka kite ana ngā tamariki o naiānei, kāre he aha ki a rātou ki te kōrero Māori. Nō reira, ki a au nei kei te ora te reo. Ka mutu, ko tēnei momo pine, mō te reo tēnei pine.”
Heke-Turoa Huata ONZM
Heke-Turoa Huata received an ONZM for her services to Māori education. The daughter of Canon Wī Te Tau Huata, she played a pivotal role in founding Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Wānanga Whare Tapere o Takitimu in 1991.
She later helped establish Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Wānanga Whare Tapere o Tākitimu, the first kura kaupapa Māori in Hastings, Napier and Te Wairoa.
Huata has dedicated over three decades to the Kōhanga Reo National Trust, advocating for language and cultural education.
“Such an awesome movement, the revitalisation of the language has enabled many to attain self-determination, tino rangatiratanga,” she says.
Henare O’Keefe QSM
Henare O’Keefe, a long-serving Hastings councillor and community advocate, was recognised for his lifetime of service to the Flaxmere community.
Known affectionately as the Father of Flaxmere, O’Keefe has worked tirelessly to support local whānau and youth, particularly during hardship.
The suburb of Flaxmere has long faced challenges of poverty and violence, but O’Keefe has led initiatives aimed at uplifting the community.
Most recently, he has been involved in plans for a new housing development of 500 homes, expected to bring employment and opportunity to the region.
O’Keefe shared that his proudest achievements stem from helping raise the next generation.
“I can’t single out anyone, any particular thing. I just love everything I do, I’m so blessed. But, I suggest that the 200 foster children that has to go somewhere at the top of the list. At the end of the day, like you and I, they just want to be loved and feel important and valued.”
