Ara ake he tētēkura, ara mai ra he tētēkura. Te Kahu o Taonui acknowledges the rangatiratanga of outgoing Chair, Harry Burkhardt and incoming Co-Chair, Katie Murray
- Merepaea Dunn
- Apr 22
- 3 min read
MEDIA RELEASE | TUESDAY 22 APERIRA 2025
Tirohia ngā tai e papaki tū ana,
Te Tai Tama Tāne,
Te Tai Tama Wahine,
Te Hiku Roa o te Ika a Māui e whiuwhiu ana i ngā tai o Te Tokerau e haruru nei!
He mihi tēnei nā ngā iwi o Te Tai Tokerau e hipokina ana ki Te Kahu o Taonui ki tā mātou karanga maha, te hoa Toihau, a Harry Burkhardt, kua heke nei i tana tūranga.
Kua roa a Harry e pīkauria ana i ngā manako a ngā iwi huri noa i Te Taitokerau.Kua whakapau kaha ia ki te hautū i te waka o Te Kahu o Taonui, nā ka mihi rā ki a ia, ki tana whānau, otirā ki tana nui o Ngāti Kuri i tuku i a Harry ki te kōkiri i ngā mahi nui whakahirahira kua tutuki nei e ia.
Ngā iwi o Te Tai Tokerau send our deepest acknowledgements to our esteemed rangatira and outgoing Chair, Harry Burkhardt. For the past five years years, Harry has carried the collective aspirations of Te Kahu o Taonui and Te Taitokerau with humility, integrity, and strategic foresight. His leadership has steered the Te Kahu o Taonui waka through some of our most defining moments — from COVID pandemic response and recovery to forging powerful iwi-led solutions in housing, health, economic development, and regional strategy.
Ngāti Kurī have long held the whakataukī: “Me he rākau māmore āu nei, tū ake.” Harry stood strong — as the rākau māmore of Ngāti Kurī and all of Te Taitokerau - and we honour his tireless contributions, and the sacrifices made by his whānau and iwi to support his leadership journey. His mantle of leadership within Ngāti Kurī has now been passed onto newly elected Iwi Co-Chairs Lance Norman and Tammy Tauroa.
“Harry brought wisdom, vision, and a consistent future focus to our mahi. He held the line with mana and always believed in our people. His impact is woven through the foundation we now stand on. In honour of his mahi rangatira, we remain grounded in our collective guiding principle "Me mahi tahi tātou mō te iwi te take – We must work together for the people." shares Te Kahu o Taonui Co-Chair Aperahama Edwards.
In light of Harry's departure, Te Kahu o Taonui are proud to welcome Katie Murray, Chair of Te Rūnanga o Te Rarawa, as the newly elected Co-Chair of Te Kahu o Taonui.
Katie brings a powerful blend of lived experience, grassroots leadership, and policy influence to our collective. With over 30 years of service through the Waitomo Papakāinga Development Trust in Kaitaia, Katie has dedicated her life to uplifting whānau across Te Hiku. She’s led transformative kaupapa such as Whiria te Muka, Te Kahu Oranga Whānau, and strategic partnerships with Oranga Tamariki and Police. Nationally recognised with both a Queen’s Service Medal and membership in the NZ Order of Merit, Katie’s guiding mission is clear: to change as many lives as possible for the better. Her leadership is grounded, mana-enhancing, and driven by a deep aroha for her people and we are excited to see her leadership continue to flourish alongside Aperahama and her fellow Iwi Chairs for the betterment of the collective whānau, hapū and iwi of Taitokerau.
ENDS
MEDIA CONTACT
Merepaea Dunn
P: 027 977 8086
Comments