Meet the People - 7

The Unveiling of Twelve Local Heroes - A Celebration. Christchurch. March 18. 2009 Ajr

Another in the Series Meet the People – Contemporary Maori Doing Ordinary and Extraordinary Things – Sir Tipene O’Regan – a man who needs little introduction – has been immortalised in bronze as part of the Twelve Local Heroes project in Christchurch. The Local Heroes Trust commissioned Lyttelton sculptor, Mark Whyte to create bronze busts of twelve significant Cantabrians, in recognition of their endeavour and achievements in the community. An academic and professional company director, Sir Tipene is best known for his role as Chairman of the Ngai Tahu Maori Trust Board, where he led the Ngai Tahu land and sea fisheries claims before the Waitangi Tribunal. In his role as Maori Fisheries Negotiator he was central to the historic Treaty fisheries settlements of 1989 and 1992. He led the ultimately successful Ngai Tahu Treaty Settlement negotiations from 1990-1998; and in 1993 he was awarded the National Business Review’s New Zealander of the Year. The achievements of this visionary leader are plentiful and his contributions to Maori leadership, business activities, Canterbury University, commercial enterprise, biculturalism and to New Zealand as a whole are widely recognised. In 2005 he received the Centennial Heritage Award of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust in recognition of his many years of service to the protection of Maori heritage; and in 2006 he became Chair of Nga Pae o Te Maramatanga, the Centre for Maori research Excellence, based at University of Auckland. www.ngaitahu.iwi.nz