The governor-general has honoured Dame Georgina te Heuheu for services to the State and Māori with the Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit medal at Auckland's Government House this morning.
Te Heuheu was the first Māori woman to be admitted to the High Court as a barrister and solicitor in 1972.
She served 15 years as a National minister, she was a member of the Waitangi Tribunal for 10 years and was Associate Minister of Māori Affairs and Māori Broadcasting.
Te Heuheu is the current board chair at Māori Television and is deputy chair of the Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board.
Reporter Mania Clarke will have more on Te Kāea later today.