Dr Leonie Pihama has a vision for our country. A vision of Tino Rangatiratanga that sees our reo, tikanga and mātauranga as the base in which our country operates and thrives.

A leading kaupapa Māori educator and researcher, Leonie has been working in the intersecting fields of education, health, whānau wellbeing and Maori immersion education for a number of decades.

Her work as an academic and activist is highly recognised and celebrated. Along with many other accolades, Leonie was a recipient of the Hohua Tūtengaehe Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship (Health Research Council) and the inaugural Ngā Pae o Te Mārama Senior Māori Fulbright Scholarship at the University of Washington.

Everything Leonie does is rooted in tino rangatiratinga and reclaiming Aotearoa as Māori. The impact and insight she brings to kaupapa Māori issues is invaluable and her continuous commitment to the betterment of te iwi Māori is inspiring.

This is her story. Indigenous 100 – Leonie Pihama.

Hone Harawira needs no introduction here in Aotearoa. The activist and former politician from Te Tai Tokerau has dedicated his life to fighting for Māori rights and uplifting te iwi Māori. Over the past 40 years he’s played a role in Te Tiriti o Waitangi issues, Māori language revitalisation, land occupations, and Māori broadcasting.

Since a young age Hone has been involved in activism and was a key participant in a number of important kaupapa over the last few decades including He Taua, the occupation at Bastion Point in 1978, the 1981 Springbok tour protests, and the 2004 foreshore and seabed hikoi, the last of which led to him entering Parliament.

In 2004, Hone joined forces with Tariana Turia to form the Māori Party. He was elected as the MP for Te Tai Tokerau for three consecutive terms (2005-2014), two under the Māori Party and the last term under the Mana Movement. Hone was never far from the action while in parliament and racked up a number of memorable moments.

Since leaving parliament in 2014, Hone has continued his community work and activism and is still prominent in headlines across the country. There’s no denying the impact that Hone Harawira has had on politics and in particular Maori rights. He’s a force to be reckoned with and shows no signs of slowing down.

This is his story. Indigenous 100 – Hone Harawira.

David Letele (Samoa, Ngāti Maniapoto), a former professional boxer turned motivational speaker and founder of Buttabean Motivation which is changing lives and improving the health outcomes of people across Tāmaki Makaurau through free Community Boot Camps and a range of other community programmes.
This is his story. Indigenous 100 – Dave Letele.

Associate Professor Ella Henry (Ngātikahu ki Whangaroa, Ngāti Kuri, Te Rārawa) is an academic renowned for her research into and advocacy of Māori culture, language and leadership. She’s highly respected by many and has had a great impact on Māori media over the past twenty years.
This is her story. Indigenous 100 – Ella Henry

Joseph Parker, is a New Zealand professional boxer of Samoan heritage.
Since becoming professional in 2012, Parker has a 27-2 record and in 2016, after defeating Andy Ruiz for the vacant WBO title, he became the first heavyweight boxer from either New Zealand or the Pacific Islands to win a major world championship – which he held until 2018.
This is Joseph Parker’s story – Indigenous 100