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James Anderson
Chief Executive |
James Anderson is pakehā, descending from ancestors who emigrated from England in the 1850s and
later. John has a background in the Treaty sector, with a good understanding of New Zealand history and how government works. John graduated from the University of Auckland in 1995 with a Masters of Arts in Anthropology, having written a thesis under Anne Salmond on the relationship between the Crown and mana whenua of Hauraki in the 1860s (including Ngāti Paoa). From then John worked for various iwi, the Waitangi Tribunal, the Office of Treaty Settlements (now Te Arawhiti), and Auckland Council. John has a long standing relationship with the central North Island iwi Ngāti Whare, having lived in Minginui and worked for Ngāti Whare periodically through the 2000s. More recently, during his time with Auckland Council, John was instrumental in establishing the co- governed Kaipara Moana Remediation Programme, which receives $100 million from the Crown (and $20 million from councils) to address long-standing environmental issues in the Kaipara. This mahi reflects John’s interest in sustainable development and how Māori communities work with the natural environment. John lives in Onehunga with his partner and their son. |
Sarah Miller
Project Manager |
Blair has whakapapa to the Ngāti Pāoa hapū of Ngāti Hura and Ngāti Kapu. He was raised by his mother amongst their Ngā Rauru and Ngāti Ruānui people, following the passing of his father in the early 1970s, and worked 30 years with his Whanganui river people. He lives on Waiheke Island (Te Motu Arai Roa) with his wife Tania, together with their son Te Wehi and his whānau, and has come to the role with primarily a public service background. The majority of Blair's career has been with the Māori Land Court, as a senior operational manager. Immediately prior to his move to Te Motu Arai Roa, Blair was the General Manager for Te Awa Tupua, where he worked with his governance board to lead the implementation of the Whanganui River Settlement (Te Awa Tupua) Act.
Since moving full-time to Te Motu Arai Roa in 2019 he has become involved in the Waiheke Marine Project alongside the Ngāti Pāoa kī Waiheke rōpu, led karakia and facilitated at a whole host of events, and even sought appointment at the recent Waiheke Community Board elections. More recently, Blair has moved to support his son and his construction business on the motu, that has a focus on employing and developing local Māori staff. Blair enjoys watching all sports and is a keen golfer. |
Robert Thompson
Pou Mātauranga Education Lead |
Ka tū au ki te tihi o Kohukohunui
Ka anga atu ōku kanohi ki Rataroa Ka titiro whakararo Ki ngā whenua taunaha ā ōku mātua tūpuna Ko Makomako tērā Ko Waitakarūrū Ko Pūkorokoro Ko Kaiaua Ko Waitawa Kei waho rā ko Waiheke Ka tiro kekeho ki te moana o Tikapa E papaki mai rā Ko Tainui te waka Ko Ngāti Paoa te iwi Ko Te Uri Karaka te hapū Ko drinA paratenE tōku ingoa Mauri ora ki a tātou katoa. E te iti me te rahi, e rere atu rā āku mihi aroha ki a koutou katoa, ngā uri o Ngāti Paoa i ō koutou kāinga maha, huri noa i te motu. Ko tēnei te karanga atu ki a koutou e ngākau nui ana ki te ako i tō tātou reo rangatira, nau mai, piki mai ki runga i te kaupapa o Me He Kuaka Reo o te Kāinga. Ko tōna kaupapa matua ko te whāngai atu i te reo Māori ki ngā whānau, kia reo Māori ai te kāinga. Nō reira, nau mai, piki mai rā. I am humbled to be leading the Me He Kuaka Whānau Kura Reo programme in 2023. My experience in Māori education and teaching Te Reo Māori across all sectors including Kohanga Reo, Kura Kaupapa Māori, Secondary School and the Tertiary sector spans 25 years. My own tamariki/mokopuna also attended Kohanga Reo and Kura Kaupapa Māori I have held various leadership roles within the education sector, however the opportunity to lead this programme for Ngāti Paoa whānau is the fulfilment of my heartfelt goals and aspirations. My motivation to lead this initiative stems from my strong belief in whānau empowerment through language, culture and identity. If you are passionate about creating a Te Reo Māori speaking kāinga, be a part of the journey to learn our precious reo in a whānau atmosphere, within a programme specifically designed for Ngāti Paoa. Ko te reo te mauri o te mana Māori. Puritia, kia mau hei oranga ngākau, pikinga wairua. |
Emily Davis
Kaiako Reo Māori |
“ Ko tōku reo, tōku ohooho. Ko tōku reo, tōku māpihi maurea”
Tā Tīmoti Kāretū Mokau ki runga.Tāmaki ki raro. Ko Mangatoatoa ki waenganui. Pare Hauraki. Pare Waikato. Ko Te Kaokaoroa o Patetere ki te Nehenehenui. Tīhei mauri ora Ko Pūkorokoro, ko Kohukohunui, ko Taupiri ngā maunga e rū nei ki taku manawa. Ko Waikato te awa, he piko, he taniwha. Ko Tikapa te moana e mahea ake nei i aku māharahara. Ko Tainui te waka. Ko Ngāti Paoa, ko Waikato ōku iwi. Ko Jasmine Castle tōku ingoa. It is an honour and a privilege to be appointed as one of the kaiako into this new Ngāti Paoa kura whānau reo initiative. I was fortunate to cross paths with an inspiring tuākana in my college years, who opened my heart to te ao Māori. Over the past 35 years as a second language learner, I have learned the value of te reo Māori and have grown holistically from the successes, challenges and enlightenment throughout my journey. My career as a kaiako has been mostly in the early childhood sector and I look forward to utilising the knowledge and skills I have acquired to fulfill the purpose of the project. I aspire to work with our whānau to begin creating te reo Māori speaking kainga and a new found passion for our beautiful reo. Mauri ora e te whānau. |