The Governor-General, Rt Hon Sir Anand Satyanand, will confer the honour of a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit on Emeritus Professor Sir Tamati Muturangi Reedy at Hiruhārama Pā, Ruatoria, tomorrow (Wednesday 25 May 2011), for services to education.
The investiture begins with a pōwhiri soon after the Governor-General arrives at the marae at 11.15am. Media attending must be on site no later than 10.45am and will be directed by marae staff. Please register with Public Affairs Manager Antony Paltridge (021 470 583) by 5pm on today (Tuesday 24 May).
For more information, please contact Public Affairs Manager, Antony Paltridge, on 021 243 7958. Media are reminded that a reasonable standard of dress is expected.
Emeritus Professor Sir Tamati Muturangi Reedy, for services to education
Professor Reedy is of Ngāti Porou descent. He is a noted linguist and educator and holds an MA from the University of Auckland and an MA and PhD from the University of Hawaii. He had an extensive career in secondary schooling, becoming a Fulbright scholar in 1983. He served as Secretary of the Department of Māori Affairs from 1983 to 1989 and was extensively involved in the kōhanga reo movement. In 1996 he was involved in developing the draft document, Te Whāriki, which was the basis for a bicultural curriculum that is now a statutory requirement for all licensed and chartered early childhood education centres. He was the foundation Dean and Professor of the School of Māori and Pacific Development at the University of Waikato in 1996. He was appointed as the University’s first Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori in 2001 and in 2005 he was appointed as Professor of Māori Sustainable Enterprise in the University’s Management School. In 2010 he became the University of Waikato’s first Māori Emeritus Professor, and in the same year, he was also appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal. He has also had a long involvement with the Aotearoa Māori Tennis Association, and in 2007 he donated funds to establish the Nga Purapura Trust to provide financial assistance to outstanding Māori tennis players. Professor Reedy is also a former New Zealand Māori Rugby representative.