Wairangi (Te Arawa, Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngāti Maniapoto), founded the cultural consultancy practice, Tira NZ (formerly known as Tūtira Mai NZ), on a 30 year background in education. A Trained Teachers Certificate of Primary School teaching and Bachelor of Arts in Māori Studies provided the academic background to a career of classroom teaching through to secondary school principalship. Wairangi holds duties on paepae kōrero (orators bench) as a kaumatua in Te Arawa, Tūwharetoa and Maniapoto. He provides a deep knowledge of te ao Māori which when combined with educational management practices, forms the base to coach, advise and guide organisations on their journey towards cultural leadership and capability.
Wairangi is a keen waka ama paddler which fulfils te taha tinana (physical wellbeing). Mātauranga Māori feeds te taha hinengaro (mental wellbeing). Finally, his whānau and whakapapa/heritage feed te taha wairua (spiritual wellbeing).
Wairangi lives and breathes te ao Māori and is on a mission to help people to ‘stand together – Tūtira Mai‘ in a quest for cultural understanding and togetherness as Te Tiriti o Waitangi aspired to.
