Lady Tureiti Moxon and husband Archbishop Sir David Moxon at this mornings ceremony. Photo / Supplied
Lady Tureiti Moxon and husband Archbishop Sir David Moxon at this mornings ceremony. Photo / Supplied
For three decades, Lady Tureiti Moxon has fearlessly confronted a systemic bias and Māori health inequities forging a lasting legacy of change. Today, she’s been honoured by the University of Waikato.
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) receives the most prestigious award from chancellor and the former Governor-General of New Zealand, Sir Anand Satyanand.
“I’m very honoured to be conferred for the degree of honorary doctor from Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato University of Waikato,” Moxon 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 34 years ago, when as a young newlywed, she first studied for a Certificate in Māori Studies at the university with her husband, Sir David Moxon, the former Archbishop of the Anglican Church in New Zealand, special representative to the Holy See and director of the Anglican Centre in Rome.
Dr Te Aro Moxon with his parents Lady Tureiti Moxon and Sir David Moxon at the graduation at Oxford University.
“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 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. Moxon prepared submissions for that matter.
After becoming a barrister and solicitor at McCaw Lewis Chapman Lawyers in Hamilton, Moxon specialised in Māori land law, civil matters and Treaty jurisprudence.
She was appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal before stepping down in favour of pursuing claims or filing evidence as an interested party to proceedings personally.
Moxon has tirelessly championed Māori having mana motuhake and tino rangatiratanga over their own health, so they have the freedom to choose what path works best for them.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster and deputy Wally Haumaha meet with panel member Lady Tureiti Moxon.
She has been an absolute advocate for Māori – both her own iwi and urban Māori challenging those in power while building grassroots solutions.
These include Taakiri Tuu, health and wellness centre in Kirikiriroa, named by the late Kīngi Tūheiti Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII, that he opened in April.
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.
Te Kohao CEO Lady Tueriti Moxon.
Moxon’s ties to Waikato University extend into 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.
Moxon has consistently stood up to safeguard the wellbeing of vulnerable whānau in Kirikiriroa too.
In 2019 she successfully opposed Sky City’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 Hauora stars, Moxon 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.
Moxon is also a chartered fellow of the Institute of Directors New Zealand, the highest standard of governance set by the chartered designation.
She was recently 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 was 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.
