Ms Heretaniwha Lee, of Takanini, MNZM, for services to prisoner support and Māori
Heretaniwha Lee has supported prisoners and their whānau through several roles with Te Pā Inc. She has worked to break down obstacles faced by prisoners on release and has built extensive networks and trust in the community. She has connected inmates back to their tribal area and re-connected them with whānau on release. She has made herself available after hours to offer support, particularly during difficult and traumatic times. She has supported the repatriation process for Māori remains buried at Mt Eden Prison to be returned to their respective iwi. Ms Lee contributed to the development of Te Pā’s Mana Ōrite constitution, setting the organisation’s future direction.