Te Toki
Te Toki has been established to honour the aspirations of Māori nurses to ensure equitable representation at operational and governance levels of the Council.
Te Toki monitors the Council’s strategic programme of work and priorities to give effect to its Te Tiriti o Waitangi policy. With support and guidance from Te Toki the Council will continue to strengthen our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi across the breadth and depth of its work.
It will build trust and confidence by facilitating positive and effective relationships with and for Māori nurses, whānau, hapu, iwi, and Māori stakeholders.
Te Toki will work to strengthen the Council’s understanding of, and commitment to, the diverse needs and aspirations of Māori nurses in relation to the Council’s regulatory role and functions.
Members of Te Toki are appointed by the Nursing Council Māori Caucus, through an expression of interest process.
Current members of Te Toki:
Brenda Close (Chair; Ngā Puhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Maniapoto)
Raukahawai O’Connor (Deputy Chair; Raukawa, Ngāti Huri te Hapū)
Hemaima Reihana-Tait (Ngāti Hine, Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Kere, Rangitāne ki Wairau, Ngai Tahu, Tai Tokerau)
Hineroa Hakiaha (Tuhoe, RNZcmpN, MNSc, FNZCMHN)
Marguerite Marsh (Ngāti Whakaue Ngāti Rangiwaho, Rangiwehiwehi)
Sandra McDonald (Ngāti Whatua, Ngāti Wai)
Te Toki: A name of strength and purpose
The Nursing Council’s Komiti Māori has embraced a new name—Te Toki—a name gifted through karakia and deeply rooted in whakapapa. It carries the weight of responsibility, precision, and leadership required to shape the future of nursing in Aotearoa.
This name comes from a karakia gifted by Dr. Anaha Hiini (Ngāti Tarawhai) and translated by Hone Hurihanganui (Tūhourangi - Ngāti Wāhiao, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Porou, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri). The karakia acknowledges the forces of Rangi and Papa, calling upon the power of the toki (adze) as a tool of transformation, skill, and intent. It speaks to the sharpening of Te Toki—a symbol of knowledge, leadership, and the collective strength needed to carve new pathways:
Waerea i runga, ko Ranginui e tū nei
Waerea i raro, ko Papatūānuku e takoto nei
Waerea kia hāpai ake
- ko te toki nui
- ko te toki roa
- ko te toki tēnei a te tauira matamata
Kia koi te mata nui
Kia aneane te mata roa
Ko te toki tēnei a te Ika-ā-Whiro
E hahautia ai ngā rākau o te uru tapu nui a Tāne
Whano whano haramai te toki
Haumi e, hui e – tāiki e |
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We seek the protection of Ranginui above,
And the embrace of Papatūānuku below.
We call forth the right people, tools, and wisdom—
Sharpened for clarity, purpose, and action,
To carve new futures and honour our responsibilities.
Together, united, in strength and purpose. |
In Te Ao Māori, toki were revered tools, symbolising leadership, resilience, and mastery. Te Toki carries this legacy forward—guiding the Council in its commitment to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi, advance cultural safety, and strengthen Māori leadership in nursing regulation and practice.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Anaha Hiini and Hone Hurihanganui for gifting and translating this karakia. Their generosity grounds Te Toki in mātauranga Māori and the wisdom of our tūpuna, ensuring this work is carried forward with integrity and purpose.