To be a Companion of the King’s Service Order:
HARAWIRA, Mr Mark Joseph (Joe)
For services to Māori education, arts and conservation
Mr Joe Harawira (Ngāti Awa, Ngai Te Rangi, Ngāti Maniapoto, Tūhourangi) has advanced te ao Māori through education, performing arts, conservation and public service for more than 45 years.
Mr Harawira started teaching in Māori language immersion schools and later supported the development of bilingual and Kaupapa Māori education across the Waikato region. As kaumātua and organiser of Mataatua Mokopapa wānanga through Te Ahi Mānuka, he has been instrumental in the reclamation of tā moko as a tool for identity and intergenerational connection. He led Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato’s kapa haka from 1977 to 2008, was a Head Judge at Te Matatini, and chairs He Awhi Tikanga Committee for Toi Māori Aotearoa. He has chaired Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa through major events including the COVID-19 response, the Whakaari White Island eruption, and large-scale regional development projects. As Pou Tairangahau from 2000 to 2010, he was the interface between the Department of Conservation (DOC) and its Treaty partners. With the Kahui Kaupapa Atawhai team in Wellington since 2010, he has led the integration of mātauranga into DOC’s work and supported development of te reo Māori strategy, policy and practice. He was instrumental in the reopening of Māori boys’ boarding school St Stephen’s, and was the Kāhui Māori Pou Tikanga for Sustainable Seas. Mr Harawira has appeared in global storytelling festivals and Māori language media productions.
To be a Companion of the King’s Service Order:
NICKELS, Mrs Kerry Ann
For services to the Red Cross
Mrs Kerry Nickels has made a significant contribution to New Zealand Red Cross (NZRC) and the Movement internationally since 2013.
Mrs Nickels joined the New Zealand Red Cross as an Area Councillor, holding several local and national roles before being elected National President and Board Chair of NZRC in 2018. She retired in 2024 after her second term. She had nationwide governance responsibilities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, spanning across 600 employees and 9,000 members and volunteers. She is a champion of gender equality throughout the not-for-profit sector, actively looking for opportunities to increase women’s representation and diversity and is a member of the Global Network for Women leaders in the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. She participates in the Red Cross Pacific Presidents Network, Pacific Leaders meetings and mentors emerging leaders. She is a member of the New Zealand International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Committee and a strong advocate for the annual NZRC International Humanitarian Law Moot Court Competition, encouraging future generations to engage in and uphold IHL. She remains an Asia Pacific Representative on the International Federation of the Red Cross Red Crescent Governing Board. Mrs Nickels has volunteered as a delivery driver for Meals on Wheels since 2022.