Ngāti Hinemanu

Dr Joe Te Rito is of Ngāti Hinemanu descent from Ōmāhu out of Hastings. The community was devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle which flooded the whole community including over 100 houses, the marae, cemetery, school, and kohanga reo. Joe has actively assisted in the recovery efforts by his community since then to provide shelter for displaced families; water, food and stores to local whānau, the rural farming community and other marae; plan for future housing; gather up kōiwi from the cemetery and an ancient burial site unearthed by the flood; recover old carvings from an old pātaka; and revive local Māori history that had been forgotten. He was former head of Māori Studies at EIT (17 years), worked at Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga (11 years), currently works for Ako Aotearoa (7 years); and is the original and current head of Radio Kahungunu (35 years).

Meihana Watson is of Ngāti Hinemanu, Ngāi Te Upokoiri descent and lives in the small rural community of Omahu. He is the current chairperson of Omahu Marae and the Ngāti Hinemanu, Ngāi Te Upokoiri me ōna Piringa Hapū Authority Trust (Piringa Hapū). Meihana leads the charge in calling for Piringa Hapū to responded to the devastation left by Cyclone Gabrielle within the takiwā of the authority. The efforts of the UTAINA 10-year Recovery Plan has been informed by the whānau, the community and validated by Price Waterhouse Coopers. Meihana is from the generation of Kōhanga Reo, Kura Kaupapa Māori, Wharekura and is a graduate of the Bachelor of Arts Māori from EIT. He is the former communications manager of He Toa Takitini, operations manager for Heretaunga Tamatea Settlement Trust and is currently employed as a senior advisor for Te Puni Kōkiri.