Lady Tureiti Moxon and Lieutenant General The Right Honourable Sir Jeremiah Mateparae, GNZM, QSO, KStJ received the University’s most prestigious award, an Honorary Doctorate, during graduation ceremonies held at The Pā on Tuesday.
Transforming Aotearoa’s Māori health system
Lady Tureiti Moxon (centre) is presented with her Honorary Doctorate by Chancellor Sir Anand Satyanand (left) and Vice-Chancellor Professor Neil Quigley (right)
Lady Tureiti (Ngāti Pāhauwera, Ngāti Kahungunu, Kāi Tahu) has dedicated 27 years to the transformation of Māori healthcare and advocacy in New Zealand, following a Certificate in Māori Studies in 1990 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1998 from the University of Waikato.
Lady Tureiti served as a barrister and solicitor at McCaw Lewis Chapman Lawyers in Hamilton, specialising in Māori land law, civil matters, and Treaty jurisprudence, and since 2002, has been Managing Director of Te Kōhao Health, overseeing its growth from 1,500 enrolled members to over 8,400.
University of Waikato Vice-Chancellor Professor Neil Quigley said Lady Tureiti partnered with the University on various project, including the He Pikinga Waiora project, which addresses pre-diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity through community-led initiatives.
“In 2021, she 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,” says Professor Quigley.
A staunch advocate for her iwi, Lady Tureiti settled the historical Treaty claims with the Crown and has been involved in numerous claims before the Waitangi Tribunal. She was a key informant in the Wai 2575 Health Services and Outcomes Inquiry, holding the Crown accountable for Māori health.
She chaired the National Māori Urban Authority, previously served on the Waitangi Tribunal, was a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Directors and until June 2024, and was board member for the Māori Health Authority – Te Aka Whai Ora.
In 2020, she received Te Tupu-ā-Rangi Award for Health and Science at the Matariki Awards.
Unparalleled service to his country
Sir Jerry Mateparae receives an Honorary Doctorate from Chancellor Sir Anand Satyanand (left) and Vice-Chancellor Professor Neil Quigley (right)
Enlisted as a soldier with the New Zealand Army in 1972, Lt Gen Sir Jerry Mateparae (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Kahungunu, Te Atihaunui a Pāpārangi, Ngāti Tamakopiri) served for 39 years in the New Zealand Army including service in both battalions of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment and the New Zealand Special Air Service.
He was Chief Observer in Southern Lebanon and the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation from 1994 to 1995, commanded the Bougainville peace monitoring group in 1998, and later served as Joint Commander for New Zealand forces in East Timor from 1999 to 2001.
Currently, Sir Jerry is the Colonel Commandant of the New Zealand Special Air Service. He is also a United Nations-supported Moderator, helping the National Government of Papua New Guinea and the Autonomous Bougainville Government address relevant issues to progress the Bougainville Peace Agreement. He is the chair of the Antarctic Heritage Trust and until August 2024 he was the chair of Healthier Lives - He Oranga Hauora National Science Challenge.
Professor Quigley says Sir Jerry has a distinguished educational background, having graduated from the British Army Staff College, the Australian Joint Service Staff College and the Royal College of Defence Studies between 1989 and 1999.
Sir Jerry completed a Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of Waikato in 1996 and received a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2008. He also has a Graduate Diploma in Strategic Studies from the Australian Joint Services Staff College, Canberra, and an Honorary Doctor of Literature from Massey University. He was appointed an Additional Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1999 for his service in Bougainville and served as Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force from 2006 to 2011.
Before becoming New Zealand’s 20th Governor-General in 2011, Sir Jerry received the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Tentera) Distinguished Service Order from the Singapore Government and was knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as a Grand Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. He is a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order (QSO), a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Tonga (KGCCT) and holds a Grande Colar de Timor Leste (GCdeTL).
Subsequently, Sir Jerry served as New Zealand’s 27th High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. He remains deeply involved in various patronage roles.
