George Flavell received The Queen's Service medal in recognition of his commitment of more than 20 years to the preservation and protection of Māori cultural sites and important locations within the rohe of Ngāti Te Ata.
Mr Flavell's work has consisted of identifying, recording, and documenting sites that are of special significance to the iwi manawhenua, protecting and ensuring the appropriate management of the cultural sites and taonga from any impact that compromises their integrity, and providing educational resources for the iwi and future generations.
When asked what his proudest achievement was, he said, "This award and climbing Taranaki when I was 76 years old.
“Applying tikanga to every mahi we engage in," he says.
Mr. Flavell has encountered many obstacles in his mission to raise public awareness for the value of cultural and land preservation.
One of the key aspects of his mahi over the years has been to educate councils, developers, farming community, general public, and kura about the tribe's relationship with waahi and how to protect these special sites to the iwi, he says.
"Creating relationships is important re: past loss of land and loss of livelihoods through the land wars.”
With the Franklin, Auckland, and Waikato District Councils, he has collaborated to offer direction and counsel on cultural significance. At the tip of the Awhitu Peninsula, he was involved in the Mahanihani restoration project. He bargained with the landowner to create a significant environmental restoration and historical storytelling through carved pou. In order to further local history, Mr. Flavell has documented important historical sites throughout the entire Awhitu Peninsula.
When asked his hopes for the future, he said, “educating our next generation of rangatahi to keep the fires burning.”
