Rangitāne

Dr Lynne Russell works as a Senior Research Fellow - Maori Health with the Health Services Research Centre (HSRC) at Victoria University of Wellington. Much of her professional and academic work has centred around the Indigenous knowledge and healing practices used in recovery from trauma associated with mental distress, suicide loss and self-harm. She describes herself as an writer, activist and public speaker stirred by cultural resilience, social justice, Indigenous and LGBTI rights, and the amplification of voices more readily silenced in society.

Emeritus Professor Sir Mason Durie KNZM, FNZAH, FRSNZ is one of New Zealand’s most respected academics, and was knighted in 2010 for services to public and Māori health. 

For over 40 years, Sir Mason has been at the forefront of a transformational approach to Māori health, including chairing the Taskforce on Whānau-Centred Initiatives that produced the Whānau Ora report for the Government in 2010.  He is a past Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Massey University. 

Sir Mason previously served as NPM’s International Research Advisory Panel Chair and has been a valued past Principal Investigator leading research on the project Fostering te pā harakeke: Advancing Healthy and Prosperous Families of Mana.

Sir Mason was appointed NPM Ruānuku in October 2019.

Katharina is a Senior Research Analyst and Researcher at the University of Otago. She uses a kaupapa Māori framework to focus on the translation of policy into practice for Māori. Her research is broad-ranging and includes Māori small and medium enterprises, Māori business innovation, Māori language, and Māori ‘social licence’ in the oil, gas and mining industries.

Katharina has governance, research and leadership roles for Ngāi Tahu at the tribal and local levels, and has been consulted on or involved in a number of regional economic development projects. She joined the University of Otago in 2008 after working for Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu for five years as education manager and project consultant and worked with communities, local and central government agencies to implement Māori-focused initiatives throughout the South Island education sector. Prior to that, she had been in the teaching profession.

Dr Ruckstuhl completed her Honours degree and Ph.D. through the English Department at Otago. As well, she has post-graduate qualifications in Education through Massey University.