For nearly 30 years, Lady Tureiti Moxon has confronted systemic bias and health inequities faced by Māori, forging a lasting legacy of change - she has now been honoured by the University of Waikato.
For her significant contribution to health in Aotearoa, the managing director of Hamilton’s Te Kōhao Health and chairperson of the National Urban Māori Authority has is an Honorary Doctor of the University.
Moxon (Ngāti Pāhauwera, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tahu) received the award from Chancellor and the former 19th Governor-General of New Zealand, Sir Anand Satyanand on Tuesday.
“I am very honoured to be conferred for the degree of Honorary Doctor from Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato - University of Waikato,” she said.
“It is where I received my Bachelor of Laws back in 1998 – so it has a very special place in my heart.”
Her connection with the university goes back even further to when, as a young newlywed 34 years ago, she first studied for a Certificate in Māori Studies at the University with her husband, Anglican bishop Sir David Moxon.
“I was very blessed, to have been able to study the certificate together with David, it opened my eyes to the world of tikanga Māori.”
She studied law there eight years later, as an older student with tamariki after being encouraged to enter the profession by Dame Sian Elias.
At the time, Elias was the legal counsel for Ngāti Pāhauwera, handling their 1992 Mohaka River claim Wai 119 in the Waitangi Tribunal. Moxon prepared submissions for the case.
After becoming a barrister and solicitor at McCaw Lewis Chapman Lawyers in Hamilton, Moxon specialised in Māori land law, civil matters and Treaty jurisprudence.
Following that, she was appointed to serve as a member of the Waitangi Tribunal before stepping down in favour of pursuing claims or filing evidence as an interested party to proceedings.
Moxon champions Māori having mana motuhake and tino rangatiratanga over their own health, so they have the freedom to choose what path works best for them.
Always leading by example, Moxon has continually challenged those in power while building grassroots solutions such as the $12 million diagnostic centre Taakiri Tuu, named and opened by the late Kiingi Tūheiti Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII in the heart of Hamilton this year.
She has also been a force backing landmark applications in the Waitangi Tribunal dating back to the original 2003 lead claim that sparked the Wai 2575 Health Services and Outcomes Inquiry that produced the historic Hauora Report.
It led to the creation of new legislation, Pae Ora Act 2022 and Te Aka Whai Ora Māori Health Authority where she was appointed to the interim board.
Following on from the Tribunal recommendations, as lead co-claimant she engaged independent experts, Sapere, to reveal a $531 million funding shortfall for Māori primary health providers that remains outstanding.
Moxon’s ties with the University of Waikato have also extended into the area of rangahau (research) after partnering with faculty researchers on He Pikinga Waiora.
The National Science Challenge project studied community health interventions seeking to address pre-diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease – morbidities suffered by the Māori population.
“Lady Tureiti has called for the elimination of state care of children, advocating for Māori self-determination in family matters and encouraging the Crown to consider compensating families affected by state intervention,” vice-chancellor Professor Neil Quigley said.
Her staunch advocacy holding the Crown to account ranges from opposing uplifts by Oranga Tamariki, inequitable homecare service provision by ACC, the government’s COVID response, challenging the Treaty Principles Bill through to being lead co-claimant in the current inquiry into the disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora Māori Health Authority.
Moxon has consistently stood up to safeguard the wellbeing of vulnerable whānau in Kirikiriroa too.
In 2019 she successfully opposed SkyCity’s application before the New Zealand Gambling Commission to add 60 more pokies at the Hamilton casino in the place of three blackjack tables.
Moxon won the Te Tupu-ā-Rangi Award in 2020 for Health and Science for her work in physical and mental wellbeing announced at the annual Whakaata Māori Matariki Awards.
Moxon is also a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Directors New Zealand. The highest standard of governance set by the Chartered designation.
Recently she was presented with the Woman of the Biennium Award by Zonta International, a global organisation advocating for women’s rights and equality worldwide.
- Stuff