Sir Tīmoti Kāretu
Government House
Sir Tīmoti Kāretu of Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāi Tūhoe is known throughout the world as an expert and a leader in language revitalisation. As the first Toihau of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (the Māori Language Commission) from 1987 to 1999, Tā Tīmoti oversaw the implementation of the Māori Language Act 1987, one of the first fruits of the success of the WAI11 claim.
A noted composer of waiata and haka, he is an expert in the language of Māori performing arts as well as in te reo Māori itself. He has published widely in both te reo Māori and English. Tā Tīmoti established the Māori Department at the University of Waikato in 1972 and remained its chair and professor until 1992.
With Wharehuia Milroy and Pou Temara, he established Te Panekiretanga o te Reo, the Institute of Excellence in the Māori Language, serving as its executive director.
Until 2017 he was the chair of the Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust Board, the Aotearoa Traditional Māori Performing Arts Festival (the predecessor of Te Matatini), and Te Māngai Pāho. Appointed to the Queen’s Service Order in 1993, he was made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2017.
His textbook for senior school students, Te Reo Rangatira, was published in 1984 and became a familiar part of the Māori language journey of many young people and adult learners.