Pasifika make mark in New Zealand's royal awards

Prominent Pacific people in the arts, health, and education are among this year's King's Birthday Honours recipients.

Every year, hundreds of people in Aotearoa are acknowledged for their achievements or services to the community.

This year is no different. More than 170 men and women have been honoured for their contribution, with several from the Pacific community.

One of them is Watercare employee Maituteau Karora, of South Auckland. He has been recognised for his services to the Cook Islands community.

"I would like to give all glory and praise to God, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for His many blessings. I am deeply grateful for this incredible honour," he told PMN News.

"Receiving this award is truly humbling, and I am immensely thankful for the recognition. Words cannot express how grateful I am for this award and I wish to express my heartfelt thanks to those who nominated and supported me.

"My future goal is to keep on supporting our many youth with the art performance for the ongoing Te Maeva Nui Festival in Auckland, tutoring Cook Islands music, and giving my time voluntarily for the development of the community."

Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit

Reverend Taimoanaifakaofo Kaio. Photo/presbyterian.org.nz

Reverend Taimoanaifakaofo Kaio, of Onehunga, Auckland, for services to the Pacific community.

He has held prominent positions within the Presbyterian Church between 2001 and 2021. He became moderator for the church's North Shore Presbytery in 2001 and played a pivotal role in the inception of the Northern Presbytery in Epsom, where he also served as Moderator in 2011.

Kaio was moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in 2018, holding the position until 2021, the highest within the church’s hierarchy. He led the church through the Covid-19 pandemic with online pastoral messages and regular online sermons attended by thousands worldwide.

He has been a Minister with the Onehunga Cooperating Parish since 2005 and a multi-denominational, multicultural and cross-culture faith community, preaching in multiple languages including Tokelauan, Samoan, Niuean, Cook Islands Māori and English.

He has represented the Presbyterian Church at numerous assemblies and consultations across the Pacific, Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean regions. He is a member of the Book of Order Advisory Committee for the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand and has served on panels for the committee. Kaio has also been a trustee of Mataliki Tokelau Akoga Kamata since 2016.

Anapela Polataivao. Photo/supplied

Anapela Polataivao, of Manurewa, Auckland, for her contributions to the Pacific performing art

An actor, director, writer, and dramaturg, Polataivao's work has brought the voice of South Auckland women to stages and screens around the world.

She graduated from Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School in 2000 and received a Best Supporting Actress nomination in 2005 for her role in The Market. She won several best actress awards and international acclaim for her performance in the 2012 short film, Night Shift.

As co-founder of the Kila Kokonut Krew theatre collective in 2002, giving South Auckland performers a platform, Polataivao was named a New Generation Arts Laureate in 2014. She has directed multiple works, including Sole Mio’s original opera Alofagia: Le Opera and Tusiata Avia’s Wild Dogs Under My Skirt’, some of which have toured NZ, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

In 2019, she received Creative NZ’s Pacific Contemporary Artist Award. Polataivao taught at the Pacific Institute of Pacific Arts, inspiring a new generation of performers, who have gone on to make a significant impact in the entertainment industry. The Pacific winners include:

Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit

Bridget Piu Kauraka. Photo/RNZ Pacific

Bridget Piu Kauraka (Tawa, Wellington) for services to the Cook Islands community.

She has been instrumental in Te Punanga O Te Reo Kūki ‘Āirani Incorporated for more than 30 years, a pioneering institution founded in 1983 to address the decline of the Cook Islands Māori language and childcare accessibility.

Kauraka’s roles have varied from community engagement to Early Childhood Education (ECE), demonstrating enduring dedication and leadership. She has also participated in the Wellington Cook Islands Society, the Pacific Islands Presbyterian Church in Newtown, where she serves as a deacon, and the Wellington branch of the PACIFICA Women’s
Cultural Group, supporting various community initiatives.

Her commitment extends to preserving the Cook Islands' cultural heritage through the revitalisation of traditional crafts including tivaevae, a hand-stitched patchwork, and ei making, a traditional Pacific adornment worn for special occasions, typically made of flowers or leaves.

Kauraka’s crocheted masterpiece, ‘Kapu-tiare taviri’ia,’ is prominently
displayed at Te Papa Tongarewa, the Museum of New Zealand.

Frances Mary Latu Oakes. Photo/RNZ Pacific

Frances Mary Latu Oakes, JP (Oamaru North, South Island) for services to mental health and the Pacific community.

She has been contributing to mental health in the Waitaki District for more than 30 years, with a critical role in providing crisis intervention, grief support, triage and case management services in the region.

She helped establish the Counselling Centre (now Waitaki Community Mental Health Service) a key organisation providing essential mental health support to the region. She also founded the Oamaru Pacific Island Community group in 1998, a community-led Pacific provider, which has become a cornerstone for fostering unity and support for Pacific communities.

Oakes has led the Friday Cultural Programme for the Oamaru Pacific community, advocating the preservation of Pacific languages and cultures. She co-founded the Suicide Prevention group within the Waitaki Mental Health Service, supporting families.

As chair of the Oamaru Pacific Island Network, Oakes supported the delivery of the Talanoa Ako programme in 2018, a community engagement model which highlights the effectiveness of culturally responsive initiatives.

She has led the Le Va mental health training in the community, to provide valuable training to the professionals and community members. Oakes was a recipient of the Waitaki Citizens Award in 2023 for her contributions.

Leitualaalemalietoa Lynn Lolokini Pavihi. Photo/supplied

Leitualaalemalietoa Lynn Lolokini Pavihi (Te Atatu South, Auckland) for services to Pacific education.

Pavihi has been contributing to education for 19 years and was integral in the establishment of the first Niue language bilingual unit which opened in 2021 at Favona School in South Auckland.

She has been an Associate Principal of Favona School since 2020 and drove the Niue bilingual unit to ensure it continues its aim of revitalisation the language for the Niue community.

She also taught and facilitated Niue language classes run by the Centre for Pacific Languages and advocated for students with different learning journeys, encouraging them to reconnect with their cultural heritage.

Pavihi hosts a weekly Niue radio programme on the Pacific Media Network, providing the Niue community with education and informative tools. She has helped translate, peer review numerous documents and present important information for the Niue community, particularly
during the Covid-19 pandemic.

She has been the Niue representative Board member of The Fono
since 2022, and Niue Trustee for the Pasifika Festival Tataki Auckland. She is a member of the Pacific Island Presbyterian Church, helping establish the church’s social media to connect with those who are unable to make it to church via livestream.

Pavihi has been a committee member for Niue's Auckland Rugby Union for six years. Her awards include the SunPix Ministry of Education Pacific Education Award in 2020, the Vaka o Maui Pacific Media Network Award in 2021, and the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, Niue Language Women’s Champion of 2021.

Dr David Telfer Robie. Photo/supplied

David Telfer Robie, Ohariu, Wellington, for services to journalism and Asia-Pacific media education.

Robie has contributed to journalism in New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific region for more than 50 years. He began his career with The Dominion in 1965 and worked as an international journalist and correspondent for agencies from Johannesburg to Paris.

He has won several journalism awards including the 1985 Media Peace Prize for his coverage of the Rainbow Warrior bombing.

He was head of Journalism at the University of Papua New Guinea from 1993 to 1997 and at the University of the South Pacific in Suva from 1998 to 2002.

He founded the Pacific Media Centre in 2007 while a Professor of Journalism and Communications at Auckland University of Technology. He developed four award-winning community publications as student training outlets.

He also pioneered special internships for Pacific students in partnership with media and the University of the South Pacific. He has organised scholarships with the Asia New Zealand Foundation for student journalists to China, Indonesia and the Philippines.

He was the founding editor of the Pacific Journalism Review journal in 1994 and in 1996, he established the Pacific Media Watch, working as convenor with students to campaign for media freedom in the Pacific.

He has authored 10 books on Asia-Pacific media and politics. Dr Robie co-founded and is Deputy Chair of the Asia Pacific Media Network/Te Koakoa NGO. His awards include the AMIC Asian Communication Award, 2015.

King's Service Medal

Mailigi Hetutū. Photo/supplied

Mailigi Hetutū (Karori, Wellington) for services to the Niuean community.

A community leader, Hetutū has contributed to the preservation
and revitalisation of the Niuean language, culture and heritage for 30 years.

She established and delivered Niue language classes in Porirua and the Hutt Valley in Wellington for young children and their families. She has been one of the voices of the Wellington Punaaga Vaghau Niue programme and host of the 531pi PMN radio station since 2014, providing the community with updates, education and entertainment.

She was the chair of the Wellington Niue Language and the committee since 2010, organising events, workshops, festivals and performances in Wellington, particularly during Niue Language Week and the Wellington Pasefika Festival.

She represented Wellington on the National Vagahau Niue Trust since 2013 and has been a member since 2010, serving as a language interpreter
for more than 20 years for government and non-government agencies.

Hetutū has also been involved with the Wellington Niue Presbyterian Church since 2008 and convenor of the Church Mission and Outreach Committee since.

Through the church, she has served as secretary of the Women’s Fellowship since 2011 and parish representative to the Central Regional
Presbytery Executive since 2019.

Tupuna Mataki Kaiaruna. Photo/supplied

Tupuna Mataki Kaiaruna (Papatoetoe, Auckland) for services to the Cook Islands community and performing arts

Kaiaruna is a musician and composer and has been involved in the teaching and preservation of Cook Islands language and performance arts in Tokoroa and Auckland since the 1980s.

He was the Youth Leader of the Enuamanu Atiu-nui Maruarua Society from 1997-2017. From 1989-1991, he led and tutored the Atiu Enua team that competed in the Cook Islands Constitution competition in New Zealand, leading in all categories.

Recently, he has led the Atiu Enua group to the 2014 Akirata Ou Festival Competition and the 2023 Te Maeva Nui competition. He also taught a
group of Cook Islands youth who performed for the 1990 Commonwealth Games opening and in 1996, he took a group to Atiu in the Cook Islands to learn about their heritage.

He has led the Atiu Cultural Group, which hosts a competition in Auckland with Cook Islands dancers competing from around NZ. He has helped compose and performed in Cook Islands musical productions including ‘Pipiri Ma’ and ‘Makenu’.

He has fundraised to help develop the Atiu Hall and has organised for several universities to hold information days at the hall to encourage youth to undertake tertiary study.

Kaiaruna has also composed and taught songs for the Atiu community for the annual Gospel Weekend event.

Maituteau Karora. Photo/supplied

Maituteau Karora (Papatoetoe, Auckland) for services to the Cook Islands community

Karora has provided leadership to the Enuamanu-Atiu Nui Maruarua Society as elected president between 2002 and 2017, which was set up to fundraise for a community hall in Māngere and provide a space for the Atiu Cook Islands community.

As a leader, he supported the Society through various programmes and events including weekly youth programmes, tivaivai exhibitions, health
information evenings, Realm of NZ community meetings, and hosting the first Cook Islands ANZAC Day service.

He has held MIT Leadership courses for the community and has supported
Te Wananga o Aotearoa to host tertiary courses. He was elected as one of the inaugural judges of the Cook Islands stage at Polyfest between 1992 and 1994 and has helped Otahuhu College compose a traditional Cook Islands hymn for students.

He has supported students across 20 years including Ngatapuwae College at the PolyFest, James Cook High School and Māngere College. He
coordinated leaders through the Atiu Hall to fundraise for the Red Cross in 2011 following the Christchurch earthquake.

Karora is a composer and musician and is supporting the Atiu Arts Group with their performance at the Te Maeva Nui Festival in Auckland in July.

A total of 176 people were awarded King's Birthday Honours this year.

For more on the King's Birthday Honours, visit http://www.dpmce.govt.nz/honours/lists