Aroha Reriti-Crofts

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Reriti-Crofts in 2020

Dame Aroha Hōhipera Reriti-Crofts DNZM CBE JP (née Crofts, born 28 August 1938) is a former national president of the Māori Women’s Welfare League and active community worker amongst Māori in New Zealand.[1][2]

Early life and family[]

Born Aroha Hōhipera Crofts at Tuahiwi on 28 August 1938, her parents were Metapere Ngawini Crofts (née Barrett) and Edward Teoreohua Crofts.[3] Of Māori descent, she affiliates to Ngāi Tahu, and she was educated at Te Waipounamu Maori Girls' College in Christchurch.[3] She married Peter Reriti, and the couple had four children.[3]

From 1978 to 1979, Reriti-Crofts returned to study as an adult student at Aranui High School in Christchurch, and she went on to complete a teaching diploma at Christchurch Teachers' College in 1983.[3]

Community activities[]

From the age of seven, Reriti-Crofts has been involved in kapa haka: she was co-tutor of the Māori cultural performance group at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games in Christchurch; and was head tutor of a similar group at the 1975 New Zealand Games, also held in Christchurch.[3] She set a world endurance record for a poi performance at 30 hours 19 minutes.[3]

Reriti-Crofts joined the Ōtautahi Māori Women’s Welfare League in 1968 and served as secretary of the branch in the 1970s. In 1990, she was elected national president.[3] Her involvement in other community organisations include serving as a trustee of Te Puawaitanga ki Ōtautahi Trust, the Māori Women’s Development Incorporated, Mana Waitaha Charitable Trust and Maori Reserve Lands: Tuahiwi/North Canterbury, She is a kaiwhakamana of the Department of Corrections and chairperson of Matapopore – Tūāhuriri Rūnanga.[4] She has been particularly involved with health initiatives in Māori communities, such as Tamariki Ora (well-child), Rapuora (mobile nursing service), outreach immunisation, flu vaccinations for older people and breastfeeding advocacy.[2]

At the 2014 and 2017 general elections, Reriti-Crofts unsuccessfully stood as a candidate in the Waimakariri electorate representing the Māori Party.[5][6]

Honours and awards[]

In 1972, Reriti-Crofts was named as Young Māori Woman of the Year.[3] In 1977, she was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal, and in 1993 she received the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal.[3][7]

In the 1993 New Year Honours, Reriti-Crofts was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, for services to Māori and the community.[1] In 2016, she was a runner-up for the Māori/Pacific Health Volunteer Award from the New Zealand Ministry of Health.[8] In the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours, she was appointed a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to Māori and the community.[9]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Māori Women's Welfare League". Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Canterbury DHB CEO Update" (PDF). 4 April 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 April 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Taylor, Alister; Coddington, Deborah (1994). Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa. p. 313. ISBN 0-908578-34-2.
  4. ^ "Trustees and Management – Matapopore Charitable Trust". www.matapopore.co.nz. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  5. ^ "National holds Waimakariri". Stuff. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  6. ^ "Official Count Results – Waimakariri (2017)". Electoral Commission. 7 October 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  7. ^ "The New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal 1993 – register of recipients". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 26 July 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  8. ^ "2016 Volunteer Awards recipients". Ministry of Health NZ. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  9. ^ "Queen's Birthday honours list 2020". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 1 June 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
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