Roll of Honour Former Trustees
Manaaki Energy was founded and developed by Rangatira of Te Ao Māori. We are grateful to them, and we remember their contribution to this important kaupapa. Sir Toby Curtis, Te Arawa was our Founding Chairman.
Dame Iritanga Tāwhiwhirangi, Ngāti Porou
Dame Iritana Te Rangi Tāwhiwhirangi was a revered Māori educator, community leader, and a pivotal figure in the revival of te reo Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand. Born Irirangi Thatcher at Wharekahika (Hicks Bay), she had whakapapa to Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu, and Ngāpuhi. She trained as a teacher at Hukarere Girls’ School and Wellington Teachers’ College, beginning her career in education and community welfare on the East Coast.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Dame Iritana became deeply concerned about the decline of the Māori language. Following national hui focused on language survival, she committed herself to revitalisation efforts and emerged as a leading advocate for Māori‑led education. Her work was instrumental in the establishment and nationwide spread of the kōhanga reo movement, which provides total‑immersion Māori‑language early childhood education guided by whānau and kaumātua. This movement became a cornerstone of Māori language regeneration and cultural renewal.
Dr Kenneth Kennedy, Te Arawa
Dr Keneti (Ken) Cameron Kennedy was a respected Te Arawa kaumātua, educator, and iwi leader whose life was dedicated to Māori language, culture, and community advancement. Raised in Rotorua, he was educated at Whangamarino School and Rotorua Boys’ High School. In recognition of his extensive contribution to Māori culture and education, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya University in India in 2012.
He played a major leadership role at Waiariki Institute of Technology, later Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, where he served for many years as kaumātua and senior adviser to the chief executive. His influence was central to strengthening the institute’s bicultural vision and expanding Māori participation in tertiary education.
Beyond education, Dr Kennedy served the wider community through numerous governance and advisory roles, including as kaumātua for the New Zealand Māori Council, member of Labour Party kaumātua councils, and trustee within Te Arawa fisheries and cultural organisations.
Tamati Cairns, Ngāi Tūhoe
Tamati Cairns was a highly respected Māori leader, kaumātua, educator, and advocate for tikanga‑based governance in Aotearoa New Zealand. Of Tūhoe descent, he devoted much of his life to advancing Māori aspirations through education, iwi leadership, and national advocacy roles.
Tamati held a pioneering role in private and tertiary education in Aotearoa. He was formerly a teacher and later a senior lecturer in Applied Social Sciences at Victoria University of Wellington.
His governance leadership included chairing the Pouakani Land Trust and the Wellington District Māori Council. Tamati was also a key negotiator for both the Tūhoe Treaty settlement and the Pouakani Trust settlement, where his knowledge of tikanga and land‑based governance was highly valued. He was a licensed Māori interpreter and was frequently sought for advice on tikanga within legal and policy contexts.
At a national level, Tamati was a long‑standing member and widely respected pou of the New Zealand Māori Council.
