2012 Symposium Enhancing Māori Distinctiveness

Angus Hikairo Macfarlane is of the Te Arawa waka and its confederate tribes. He is an experienced educator and practitioner and has been an advisor and professional development provider for Special Education Services and the Ministry of Education on a number of national projects.

Dr Kepa Morgan's (BE, MBA, PhD, CPEng, FIPENZ ) bi-cultural background is rooted in his cultural identity as Ngāti Pikiao of Te Arawa. During his engineering career Kepa has strengthened his understanding of Pikiaoanga while also striving for excellence both professionally and academically.

Hiria McRae is the programme facilitator for Whakapiki i te Reo ki Ako Pai for the Ministry of Education. Her current research includes being project director for “Evaluation Research on the Development of Marautanga ā kura with Whānau, Iwi and Kura” for the Ministry of Education and "Māori student success – A Te Arawa Case Study”, for the Te Arawa Researchers group, ‘Te Ara a Ihenga’.

Professor Michael Walker (Whakatōhea) is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand and the Royal Institute of Navigation in London. He is best known for his research on the existence, capacities and use of the magnetic sense in navigation over long distances. Recently, he has developed research investigating the mechanisms of the lunar and tidal rhythms in marine organisms.