Kaupapa
He aha te kaupapa?
About
Karuwhā seek to engage Aotearoa New Zealand in a conversation about identity
and history in order to help people know the story they are a part of. We do this by connecting communities through haerenga, story and service.
We also research important and less-well-known stories about our shared past. Take a read of these papers and theses by clicking the link below.
Karuwhā run workshops on the New Zealand story, and are available to speak by invitation at your conference, hui, school or church.
He aha te pūtake
HISTORY
Karuwhā Mission Trust (a registered charity) began in 2005. It was formed by a small group of young New Zealanders that began making journeys to Waitangi over Treaty commemorations in February.
This group wanted to understand the whys of our national past, and the ongoing impact on our current society. The Trust has continued to facilitate a group at the Waitangi commemorations each year and has recognised the need and desire within Aotearoa for haerenga to other significant places.
"Over the last few years our Marae has built a solid partnership with Karuwhā Trust who have been gracious in working side by side with us to serve our people and to host the nation as part of the Waitangi Day Commemorations. The main reason I value this partnership is because I personally feel that our Marae and Karuwhā Trust share common values."
Ngati Kawa Taituha
Waitangi Marae Chairman
Ko wai mātou
Who we are
KAIRANGI - PATRON
RT REV TE KITOHI WIREMU PIKAAHU
Karuwhā Trust is privileged to have the Bishop of Te Tai Tokerau (Northland-Auckland), The Right Reverend Te Kitohi Wiremu Pikaahu LTh, MTh (Oxon) as patron. Bishop Pikaahu was ordained Bishop in 2002. Bishop Pikaahu is of Ngāpuhi descent.
TARATĪ - TRUSTEE
DR. ALISTAIR REESE
Alistair lives with his wife Jeannie on a farm in Paengaroa, Bay of Plenty. He has postgraduate degrees in Theology, History and Tikanga Māori. His PhD in theology from the University of Auckland focused on reconciliation and Pākehā identity. Alistair is an adjunct Fellow at the University of Otago and his research and speaking interests include post-colonialism, reconciliation and prophetism. Alistair is involved in local and national efforts to promote reconciliation between Māori and Pākehā and exploring understandings of what an indigenous form of Christianity might look like.
TARATĪ - TRUSTEE
Rev. NEIHANA REIHANA
Neihana is from Ngāti Raukawa and Ngāti Ranginui. He was raised in Porirua in a whānau of four. He has a Bachelor of Business in Marketing and Management, and spent five years as a secondary school teacher in both kura Māori and mainstream schools. Now, he is focused on completing Postgraduate studies in Theology, while juggling clergy commitments for Te Pīhopatanga o Te Tai Tokerau, under the Māori Anglican Church in Tāmaki Makaurau. Neihana is passionate about Christian formation, mātauranga Māori, and encouraging others to be all they were meant to be in Christ.
TARATĪ - TRUSTEE
BLAIR FRANKLIN
Blair was born in Birkenhead, North Shore, and is of Scottish and English ancestry (but leans more fondly towards his Scottish ancestry!). He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Property from the University of Auckland in 2003. Since then he has worked in various areas of law, and currently practices property and commercial law. He has a keen interest in sport, and currently coaches rugby. He is interested in New Zealand culture and reconciliation.
TARATĪ - TRUSTEE, TE KŌRERO PROJECT LEAD
SAMUEL CARPENTER
Samuel grew up in Pukekohe, where his Cornish ancestors have lived since the early 1870s. Ko Waikato te awa, ko Pukekohe te maunga. He graduated from the University of Auckland with Law and Arts degrees in 2002 and practised law for several years. After completing an M.A. thesis (history) he worked for the Waitangi Tribunal, followed by the Office of Treaty Settlements (as a senior historian) and most recently Te Arawhiti (Office of Māori-Crown Relations). He has a PhD exploring early New Zealand political thought and culture and is currently Research and Professional Teaching Fellow at Laidlaw College and a resident scholar at St John's Theological College. (See his blog page at nzhistorian.com.)
TARATĪ - TRUSTEE
LORRAINE TAOGAGA
Ko Tokatoka te maunga, Ko Wairoa te awa, Ko Te Kaipara ngā puna wai, Ko Mahuhukiterangi te waka, Ko Ngāti whatua ki Kaipara te Iwi, Ko Te Uri o Hau te hapū. Ko Parirau te marae. Ko Karioi te maunga, Ko Aotea te moana, Ko Tainui te waka, Ko Ngāti Mahanga me Ngāti Te Wehi ngā hapū. Ko Ōkapu te marae. I te taha o tōku pāpā, he uri ahau nō Hamoa hoki. Ko Lorraine Taogaga tōku ingoa. Lorraine is of Māori and Western Samoan descent. A primary trained secondary teacher for twenty-three years who whilst teacher training, read a Bachelor of Law degree at the University of Auckland started after leaving secondary school. At its completion in 2004, she decided to stay teaching. Lorraine has two adult children and currently has two mokopuna, Willow Woo and Aria Rose Te Rongopai. Lorraine is a Lecturer of te reo Māori and Māori Theology at Laidlaw College. Her desire is to see her mokopuna grow up in an Aotearoa where the word “reconciliation” is a well traversed concept with hands, feet, eyes, ears and heart between tangata whenua and tangata tiriti.
TARATĪ - TRUSTEE
Rev. Dr. NATHAN MCLELLAN
Rev. Dr. Nathan McLellan is the CEO and a Senior Teaching Fellow at Venn Foundation. After studying economics and finance, he worked as an economist at the New Zealand Treasury and as a private consultant, before going overseas for theological study (including a Ph.D., in Christian ethics at Southern Methodist University). He is passionate about supporting others to develop a sound and deep understanding of the Christian faith and the way it relates to all aspects of life. He serves on several not-for-profit and commercial advisory boards and is an ordained in Anglican minister in Te Pihopatanga o Tai Tokerau. Nathan now lives in Tāmaki Makaurau, is married to Bronwyn and they have two sons.
KAIWHAKAHAERE MATUA - CEO
Rev. MARK BARNARD
Mark was born in the Waikato and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau. He is married to Bridget and they have three tamariki and one kuri. Mark is a Priest in Māngere Bridge at St James church, serving under Bishop Te Kitohi Pikāhu. He has spent a number of years in tertiary education training in youth development, education and mission. Mark is passionate about helping people finding their place in the stories they are part of and in particular encouraging pākehā to embark on this journey. He is grateful to be a part of the Karuwhā whānau at this time in Aotearoa history.
Haerenga Lead - Hīkoi ki Waitangi
NAOMI REESE NICHOLAS
Naomi has been on part of the Karuwhā team since 2018, before that she was an eager participant of their haerenga. She has a Bachelor of Arts (History & Geography), Masters of Social Work. Naomi is passionate about place based education, creating spaces for the outworking of community and being an awesome Tāngata Tiriti. She lives in the rohe of Tauranga Moana.
KAIMAHI - Volunteer
LILLIAN MURRAY
Lillian is 5th generation Pākeha from Alba Scotland and England; raised in Te Puke, and now living in Tāmaki Makaurau. She spent four years at Te Wānanga Takiura studying te reo Māori and is now teaching at Te Kura o Ritimana.
Kaiwhakahaere Tautoko
Melody Cooper
Melody is of Scottish (3rd generation), English & Welsh (2nd generation) descent, and has been on part of the Karuwhā team since 2024. Before that she was an eager participant on a number of the Karuwhā haerenga. She has a Bachelor of Arts (Conflict Resolution & International Studies) & Post Graduate Diploma in Development. Melody is committed to the life long journey of learning & outworking what it looks like to be a faithful Tāngata Tiriti partner. She lives in the rohe of Tāmaki Makaurau.