Nga Poari Kaitiaki/The Trustees

NGA MAIA O AOTEAROA ME TE WAIPOUNAMU BOARD OF TRUSTEES

CHAIRPERSON

Aroha Reriti-Crofts (Ngāi Tahu)
Taua Aroha was elected National President of the Māori Women’s Welfare League in 1990 and was awarded a CBE for her services to Māori and the community in 1993. Aroha remains an ardent spokeswoman for and member of Te Rōpū Wāhine Māori Toko I te Ora o Ōtautahi today and always makes sure that the voice of Maori is heard whenever she is present. She is a mother of three, grandmother of eight mokopuna and great grandmother. She is one of Nga Whaea o te Motu, Nga Perehitini for Hei Manaaki Te Mana Wahine Maori (MWDI) and kaumatua for Te Puawaitanga ki Otautahi Trust who provide a number of Kaupapa Maori services to Maori whanau among many other roles.

Christine Hawea (Ngati Manawa, Ngati Whare, Ngati Kahungungu, Ngati Apa )

Tena ra koutou katoa
I am married with my husband hailing from Ngati Awa and Ngati Porou, we have a daughter called Alisha Maraea who attends Kura Kaupapa, and I affliliate to Ngati Manawa and Ngati Whare on my mother's side and to Ngati Kahungungu and Ngati Apa on my fathers side. I trained as a Registered Nurse and worked as a Public Health Nurse, Practise Nurse and Tutor at Waiariki Polytechnic prior to leaving to study as a Midwife at Wyntech in 1996.

I returned to Rotorua to form a Midwifery Practise with a number of other Maori and Pacific Midwives called Te Roopu Whakawhanau and I started my career as a Lead maternity Carer until 2007. We later reinvented ourselves under the banner of Lakes Midwives, we had an antenatal contract delivering antenatal classes, and we had a special contract delivering Midwifery Services to Woman at Tokoroa. In 2008 I spent time working in Australia as a Midwife in Northern Queensland and I returned to work briefly in Whakatane as a Core Midwife. I now reside in Auckland and am working part time as an LMC and I am starting my Masters at AUT.

I have been involved in Iwi Projects as a member of Te Runanga o Ngati Manawa and I was a member of the Murupara Maori Woman's Welfare League for many years and transferred to Waiariki MWWLeague.

Horomona Horo (Nga Puhi, Taranaki, Ngati Porou)
Horomona is a young man of his mid twenties rooted in his culture but with a global vision. He is a practitioner of taonga puoro, a teacher in a Immersion Maori School/Kura Kaupapa Maori and a youth co-ordinator. Along with his wahine toa Regan Balzer he is a proud matua. Horomona hopes to inspire other mana tane to be actively involved in the birthing and raising of their pepe using he taonga tuku iho na nga tipuna.

	Crete Cherrington (Nga Puhi) Ko Hikurangi te Maunga Taumarere te Awa Ngati Hine te Hapu Ngapuhi te Iwi Ko Kiriti Keretene toku ingoa Crete is a mother of six children aged from twenty-four years, twenty-two years, a sixteen year old to a set of triplets who are fourteen years old. She is also a grandmother and an independent midwife case loading within the Tai Tokerau rohe and has been a midwife for approximately fifteen years. I have a passion for traditional birthing practices, and have found that due to the generosity of whanau I have been blessed with many gifts of learning and continue to have many challenges along the way. This passion is a lifelong process. no reira tena koutou, tena koutou, katoa

	Janet Taiatini Tena koutou Auckland Born and Bred, and I have been working in the South Auckland Community for many years as R. Comp. N and Midwife in many roles, including trust board for Te Kaha O Te Rangatahi Tamaki Makaurau trust, a provider of health services for Rangatahi. I have undertaken Research projects, most recently presenting a paper on Rongoa Maori in Haputanga. My other interests are Iwi Environmental Management, property portfolio, and Tu Maia I am currently in Rotorua where I continue to practice as homebirth midwife, and work at the Lakes DHB on a part time contract. I am a member of Oranga Tu Tonu on the HEHA Healthy Eating Healthy Action strategy for Lakes DHB. I have taken up a position as Assessor for NZ Breastfeeding Assoc. evaluating hospitals for BFHI standards of practice. On a personal level I am married, with 2 natural sons, and extended whanau, with strong connections in Te Arawa. My passion has been for whanau to reawaken our traditional Indigenous knowledge and connection with Papatuanuku.

	Judyth Hilton Ko Aotea te moutere rongonui Ko Hirakimata te Maunga tapu Ko Te Moananui o Toi te huatahi te Moana Ko Rehua raua ko Te Rangituangahuru nga tupuna Ko Ngati Rehua te Iwi Ko Te Tuatara, Te Mauri me Tukaiaia nga Kaitiaki Ko Tainui te Waka Ko Judyth Hilton toku ingoa Judyth is from the Great Barrier Island but Whananaki is home. She is a mother to 7 seven children and grandmother to 6 mokopuna. She comes from a family of 10 siblings and is married and living in Auckland. In 1994 Judyth entered into midwifery training at Auckland University of Technology and currently manages the coordination of a midwifery team at Turuki Health Care. Judyth has practiced as an Independent Midwife since 1997 in the South Auckland area. She is an avid supporter of home birthing and has a special interest in alternative therapies in child birth. Judyth currently serves on the Ngati Rehua Trust Board and has been a representative on a number of National Advisory Committees

	Jean Te Huia Jean is the CEO of 'Choices'/ Kahungunu Health Services and resides in Central Hawkes Bay. She has a multitude of skills within the Health arena and very much a grass roots person. Before her distinguished career started Jean worked at the Te Mona freezing works as a board walker for 15 years. In 1994 she relocated to Wellington and graduated as a midwife, has her masters in Nursing, completed her post graduate diploma in Public Health and is currently working towards completing a PhD. Her philosophies around birthing are passionate and believes Maori women are pillars for the life that starts within the womb as every birth depicts a past that is them.

	Amber Clarke Tuhia ki te Rangi Tuhia ki te whenua Tuhia ki te ngakau o ka tangata katoa he aha te mea o te Ao Aroha ki te Tangata Ko Aoraki te mauka Ko Takitimu te waka I hari mai i nga tupuna Ko Waipara te awa Kei te uri au ki te wahine tipuna Merehana Puwha o te Iwi o Ngai Tahu Ko Tuahuriri te hapu Mahaanui te marae Ko Te Whenua Potiki o Tautahi te Papatuuwhenua No Te Waipounamu ahau No reira Tena Koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa I am privileged to be absolutely passionate about Maori generally and Nga Maia specifically. From my perspective the reclamation and reconnection to whakapapa and the rites associated with Te Ao Maori are a pathway to hauora that is at once a birthright of Maori and also one that fits with my Midwifery and Mothering philosophy. Our tamariki and mokopuna deserve to be aware of and be given the capability and knowledge of their own unique potential. I am currently fortunate to be a kura kaupapa mama at home at Tuahiwi, a locum midwife and to be on staff as a kaiaako at Te Matapuna o te Matauraka (CPIT) within the school of Midwifery and at the Maori Indigenous Health Institute (MIHI) through the University of Otago. I am also extremely proud to be supported as the kairangahau for a Maori research project led by Te Ropu Wahine Maori Toko i te Ora exploring barriers and enablers to Maori accessing health care titled 'Te Mana o te Whanau' and a study on the outcomes and influences around place of birth, the Evaluation of Maternity Units (EMU) within Te Waipounamu.