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Te Akenehi Hei Memorial Award 2026 – Nominations open!
Te Akenehi Hei Award is the highest honour bestowed by Te Rūnanga o Aotearoa ki Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aoteaora NZNO, recognising a tāngata Māori whose leadership, service, and contribution have significantly advanced Māori health and wellbeing. This award is presented biennially at the Indigenous Nurses Aotearoa Conference and Hui-ā-Tau Hākari and acknowledges those whose work has strengthened Māori nursing, whānau, hapū, iwi and communities throughout Aotearoa.
Named in honour of Te Akenehi Hei, the award celebrates the legacy of one of Aotearoa’s most influential nursing pioneers. Born in Te Kaha and affiliated to Te Whānau a Apanui, Te Whakatohea, Ngāti Pukeko, Ngāi Tai, Tūhoe, Te Arawa, Ngāi Tawarere and Te Whānau a Manu, Te Akenehi became the first Māori nurse to register under her Māori name. Her determination to gain both nursing and midwifery qualifications reflected a deep commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of her people and addressing inequities experienced by Māori communities.
Working in some of the most isolated communities in Aotearoa during outbreaks of infectious disease, Te Akenehi embodied courage, innovation and service. She was known for integrating the values, knowledge and practices of both te ao Māori and te ao Pākehā into her nursing care, establishing a model of culturally grounded practice long before concepts such as cultural safety became widely recognised. Her dedication to Māori health continued until her untimely death from typhoid fever in 1910 while caring for others.
Her legacy remains a source of inspiration for generations of Māori nurses, midwives and health professionals.
Te Akenehi Hei Taonga
Commissioned by Te Rūnanga o Aotearoa in 2001 as an official NZNO award, the Te Akenehi Hei taonga is held under the kaitiakitanga of Te Rūnanga. The taonga was created by renowned Māori artists Paora Rangiuaia and James Webster, and fashioned from pounamu, Takaka stone, uriuri and pōhutukawa. An additional handcrafted pūriri mount has since been carved by Jason Moka to further protect and uphold the mana of this treasured taonga.
Te Akenehi Hei Medallion
As part of the award’s unique tradition, each recipient holds the taonga in trust until the next presentation. Upon returning the taonga for the next award cycle, the outgoing recipient is presented with the Te Akenehi Hei Medallion, acknowledging their ongoing leadership and contribution to Māori nursing and Māori health. Recipients are also recognised as Honorary Members and Life Members of Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO, joining a distinguished group of leaders whose collective contributions have shaped Māori nursing and health across generations.
The Te Akenehi Hei Award stands as a living expression of excellence, service and whakapapa. It honours those who walk in the footsteps of Te Akenehi Hei by uplifting the health, mana and aspirations of Māori communities and ensuring her legacy continues to inspire future generations of Māori nurses and health leaders.
Te Akenehi Hei award criteria
Te Akenehi Hei Award honours individuals who reflect the qualities she exemplified:
- Rangatiratanga
- Manaakitanga
- Whanaungatanga
- Kaitiakitanga
- Courage
- Advocacy, and
- An unwavering commitment to Māori health advancement.
Recipients are recognised not only for their professional achievements but also for their enduring contribution to whānau, hapū, iwi and Māori communities.
Nominate a Māori nurse now
We encourage nominations of Māori nurses and health leaders whose contributions have demonstrated outstanding leadership, advocacy, innovation and commitment to improving outcomes for Māori. Nominees should exemplify the values of Te Akenehi Hei and have made a significant and enduring contribution to Māori health, whānau, hapū and iwi.
Their mahi may be visible nationally or deeply rooted within their communities, but in all cases their impact reflects the enduring legacy of Te Akenehi Hei and her vision of health care that is by Māori, for Māori, with Māori.
To apply, please download and complete the application form, then email it to akenehihei@nzno.org.nz by 11:59pm on Sunday 26 July 2026.
Te Pātaka Whaioranga (PHARMAC) Tapuhi Kaitiaki Awards
Te Pātaka Whaioranga Pharmac has established the Tapuhi Kaitiaki awards in conjunction with Te Poari o Te Rūnanga o Aotearoa as an acknowledgment of the role nurses play as a key influencer, advocate and positive role model for whānau, and their knowledge, expertise and understanding of tikanga, kawa, Māori health needs and practice.
These awards have been created to support Māori nurses to continue their studies and develop their clinical practice. Each year the Tapuhi Kaitiaki recipients are announced at the Hui-ā-Tau Indigenous Nurses Aotearoa Conference.
Tapuhi Kaitiaki awards are offered in two categories.
Category One - Nurse Practitioner or Nurse Prescribing Award
This award acknowledges Tapuhi who are on a professional development journey to become a nurse prescriber or nurse practitioner. The award offers financial tautoko and manaaki to nurses who wish to complete additional study and clinical practice. There are up to four awards available in this category.
Category Two - Māori Nurse Mātauranga Award
This award is open to Tapuhi who wish to further their study in community focussed activities/development or would like to develop an innovative way to assist whānau, hapū and iwi to access and understand their medicines. There are up to four awards available in this category.
Application criteria
Applicants must:
- Provide reliable documentation and proof of whakapapa (a supporting letter from Kaumātua or Te Rūnanga regional representative).
- Be a current financial member of Te Rūnanga and have a commitment to Māori nursing excellence within their Te Rūnanga region.
- Include the reasons why they should be considered for an award and include a 500-word essay about strengthening their current practice for whānau, hapū and iwi.
- Complete and submit the application form, with a photo.
To apply, please download and complete the application form, then email it with your photo and supporting documents to hui@nzno.org.nz.
Nominations close at 11:59pm on Sunday 12 July 2026
Te Rūnanga Regional Awards: Services to Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa Te Rūnanga
He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tāngata he tāngata he tāngata.
What is the most important thing in the world? it is people it is people it is people.
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
As Indigenous Nursing, midwifery, Kaiāwhina professionals and Tauira we are committed to reaffirming our rights under the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Article 31 to self-determine, which underpins current and future Māori nursing strategy. Just as our early Māori nursing pioneers like Te Akenehi Hei realised, we have nothing to fear when moving forward. Our tīpuna made the sacrifice and we must ensure our future mokopuna, whānau, hapū and iwi receive the best health care available in Aotearoa, for generations to come.
Huraina Te Matarau speaks to the masks we maintain as we aspire to bring our entire selves to our lives and careers. The ability to walk and work in two worlds has long been reflected in our bicultural heritage, and documented as tensions between Pākehatanga ideologies regarding health, and te ao Māori models of wellbeing.
Te Poari and Te Rūnanga o Aotearoa recognise the value and difference that Māori nurses, midwives and Kaiāwhina make for the health and wellbeing of their patients, their whānau and communities across Aotearoa New Zealand. Te Rūnanga Regional Awards recognise this value, and the sacrifices our members make in its delivery.
Te Rūnanga Regional Awards will be presented at the Hui-ā-Tau Indigenous Nurses Aotearoa Conference Hakari on Saturday 15 August 2026.
Criteria
The Te Rūnanga Regional Awards are in recognition of regional members who have supported members within their rohe by contributing to the development of:
- Māori workforce development
- Poipoia kua Puawai – tuakana teina support
- Responsiveness to Māori members and whānau, hapū, Iwi initiatives.
Nominees will be able to demonstrate these qualities in their nursing practice and must be active NZNO Members.
Awards will be presented at Hui-ā-Tau Indigenous Nurses Aotearoa Conference Hakari on Saturday 15 August 2026.
How to nominate a Māori nurse
To make a nomination download the nomination form, fill it in and include a brief profile of the nominee. When you're ready, send it to the Te Poari representative from the nominees’ rohe.
Nominations close at 11:59pm on Sunday 26 July 2026