Lady Tureiti Moxon Honoured With University Of Waikato’s Highest Award

For nearly 30 decades, Lady Tureiti Moxon has fearlessly confronted systemic bias and health inequities faced by Māori, forging a lasting legacy of change - she has now been honoured by the University of Waikato.

After making such a significant contribution to health in Aotearoa, the Managing Director of Te Kōhao Health and Chair of the National Urban Māori Authority becomes an Honorary Doctor of the University of Waikato.

Lady Tureiti, Ngāti Pāhaurewa, Ngāti Kahungunu, and Kāi Tahu received the most prestigious award from Chancellor and the former 19th Governor-General of New Zealand, Right Honourable Sir Anand Satyanand GNZM QSO KStJ.

“I very honoured to be conferred for the degree of Honorary Doctor from Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato University of Waikato,” she said.

“It is where I received my Bachelor of Laws back in 1998 – so it has a very special place in my heart.”

The connection with the Wānanga goes back even further to thirty-four years ago when as a young newly-wed, she first studied for a Certificate in Māori Studies at the University with her husband.

“I was very blessed, to have had to have been able to study the certificate together with David, it opened my eyes to the world of tikanga Māori.”

She studied law 8 years later there as an older student with tamariki after being encouraged to enter the profession by Dame Sian Elias.

At the time Dame Elias was the legal counsel of Ngāti Pāhauwera handling their 1992 Mohaka River claim Wai 119 in the Waitangi Tribunal. Lady Tureiti prepared submissions for that matter.

After becoming a barrister and solicitor at McCaw Lewis Chapman Lawyers in Hamilton, Lady Tureiti specialised in Māori Land law, civil matters and Treaty jurisprudence.

Following that she was appointed to serve as a member of the Waitangi Tribunal before stepping down in favour of pursuing claims or filing evidence as an interested party to proceedings personally.

Always tirelessly championing Māori having mana motuhake and tino rangatiratanga over their own health, so they have the freedom to choose what path works best for them.

Throughout the years, she has acted with impeccable example—challenging those in power while building grassroots solutions.

These include Taakiri Tuu, health and wellness centre in Kirikiriroa, named by the late Kiingi Tūheiti Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII that he opened in April this year.

She has also been a relentless force backing landmark applications in the Waitangi Tribunal dating back to the original 2003 lead claim that sparked the Wai 2575 Health Services and Outcomes Inquiry that produced the historic Hauora Report.

It led to the creation of new legislation, Pae Ora Act 2022 and Te Aka Whai Ora Māori Health Authority where she was appointed to the Interim Board.

Following on from the Tribunal recommendations, as lead co-claimant she engaged independent experts, Sapere to reveal a staggering $531 million funding shortfall for Māori primary health providers that remains outstanding.

Lady Tureiti ties with the University of Waikato have also extended into the area of rangahau after partnering with faculty researchers on He Pikinga Waiora.

The National Science Challenge project studied community health interventions seeking to address pre-diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease – morbidities suffered by the Māori population.

“Lady Tureiti has called for the elimination of State care of children, advocating for Māori self-determination in family matters and encouraging the Crown to consider compensating families affected by State intervention,” Vice-Chancellor Professor Neil Quigley said.

Her staunch advocacy holding the Crown to account ranges from opposing uplifts by Oranga Tamariki, inequitable homecare service provision by Accident Compensation Corporation, the government’s COVID response, challenging the Treaty Principles Bill through to being lead co-claimant in the current inquiry into the dis-establishment of Te Aka Whai Ora Māori Health Authority.

Lady Tureiti has consistently stood up to safeguard the wellbeing of vulnerable whānau in Kirikiriroa too.

In 2019 she successfully opposed SkyCity's application before the New Zealand Gambling Commission to add 60 more pokies at the Hamilton casino in the place of three Blackjack tables.

As one of our nation’s shining stars in Hauora, she won the Te Tupu-ā-Rangi Award in 2020 for Health and Science for her work in physical and mental wellbeing announced at the annual Māori Television Matariki Awards.

Lady Tureiti is also a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Directors Mew Zealand. The highest standard of governance set by the Chartered designation.

Recently she was presented with the “Woman of the Biennium Award” by Zonta International, a global organisation advocating for women's rights and equality worldwide.

The Honorary Conferral before invited whānau and guests was hosted by Chancellor Sir Anand Satyanand and Vice-Chancellor Professor Neil Quigley at The Pā, University of Waikato, Hamilton Campus.

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