Māori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta has appointed Dr Hinurewa Poutu (Ngāti Rangi, Te Āti Haunui a Pāpārangi, Ngāti Maniapoto) to the board of Te Mātāwai for a three year term.
Mahuta says Poutu brings a rangatahi voice to the board.
“She has led language revitalisation throughout her career including in the te reo Māori sector, particularly working as a producer and presenter for te reo Māori television productions.”
Te Mātāwai is an independent statutory body that provides leadership on behalf of iwi and Māori in their role as kaitiaki of the Māori language. The Crown, through Te Matawai, develops Māori language strategies to support the revitalisation of te reo.
Mahuta acknowledged the energy and generational perspective Poutu brings to the Te Mātāwai Board.
“She has governance experience including board membership on Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, her outstanding language proficiency having been a te reo teacher and translator, and her deep understanding of the machinery of government.
“Dr Poutu is the product of Māori language immersion education and will provide valuable strategic insight to the aspiration of language revitalisation for the next twenty years,” says Mahuta.
Her doctoral research, written entirely in her first language, te reo Māori, explored the role of youth in Māori language revival.
Poutu is currently a director of The Vodafone New Zealand Foundation Charitable Trust. She has also been a panel member of Te Ranga Kaupapa Ture- The Constitutional Advisory Panel and Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission) commissioner.