Bruce Wikitoa
Bruce Wikitoa, of Timaru, received the Insignia of a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori. Mr Wikitoa has been a Māori leader in Canterbury for more than 30 years and is kaumātua for many local organisations, including the Māori Mental Health Unit at Timaru Hospital, ‘Ka Toi Māori’, the Timaru Police, and the South Canterbury Māori Rugby Board. He was involved in the development of the construction of the wharenui, Whare Pou Tama, at Aoraki Polytechnic in Timaru, where he has been a tutor, Māori support officer and Kaumātua. He worked on the development and building of the Te Aitarakihi multicultural centre in Timaru is the chairman of the Timaru Māori Committee. Mr Wikitoa was a member of the board of Presbyterian Support in South Canterbury, as the Māori and cultural advisor.