Hutia te rito o te harakeke
Kei hea te kōmako e kō?
Kī mai ki ahau
He aha te mea nui o te ao?
Māku e kī atu
He tangata! He tangata! He tangata, hī!
If the heart of the harakeke was removed, where will the bellbird sing? Say to me. What is the greatest thing in this world? I will say. The people! The people! The people
Kerri Nuku is a globally recognised leader in Indigenous nursing, whose advocacy and leadership have placed Aotearoa on the international stage for decades. She brings a deep understanding of Indigenous health, grounded in her own experiences as a Māori woman growing up in Napier, and her work as a registered nurse and midwife, delivering hundreds of mokopuna Māori into the world.
This profound connection to her people and culture inspired Kerri to take on the role of Kaiwhakahaere of Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (New Zealand Nurses Organisation, NZNO), the country’s largest union for nurses, midwives, healthcare workers, and students. Since 2013, she has represented the union’s 62,000 members, including 4,000 Māori, driving transformative goals that go beyond pay equity to advocate for better health outcomes for all, particularly Māori.
Under her leadership, NZNO has become one of Aotearoa’s most proactive unions for Māori advocacy, earning praise from respected Māori activists. Kerri’s fight for workers’ rights, particularly pay parity within the Māori and iwi provider sector, was central to the Human Rights Commission report ‘A Fair Go for All.’ (20 July 2012). She has also led significant claims to the Waitangi Tribunal, including Wai 2575 (health services and outcomes), Mana Wahine, Oranga Tamariki, COVID-19, and the disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora. These claims revealed systemic failures in the health system for Māori.
On the global stage, Kerri has forged international networks through her involvement with the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives (CATSINaM). Her work connects Indigenous nurses from the South Pacific, North and South America, and the Sámi nations. At the United Nations, Kerri frequently presents on Indigenous workforce issues, social and cultural rights, and the elimination of racial discrimination.
Her expertise in Indigenous and labour rights advocacy has been recognised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), where she contributed to the establishment of international Just Transition standards.
Closer to home, Kerri is unwavering in her commitment to achieving equity for Māori in the health system. Among her people in Ngāti Kahungunu, she serves as the Chair of Tihei Takitimu IMPB, amplifying the voices of whānau within the health system.
Kerri’s tireless efforts have earned her international acclaim, including the Human Rights and Nursing Award (2021) from the International Care Ethics Observatory at the University of Surrey, UK. She has also been honoured with an Honorary Membership of New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) by her peers.
Despite her global achievements, it is Kerri’s love for her Māori people and culture that drives her enduring fight against racism in the health system and her commitment to inspiring a new generation of Māori nurses and midwives to lead.
Links:
New Zealand Nurses Organisation NZNO Joint Leadership Profiles
Platform Youtube: Kerri Nuku On Nurses At Waikato Hospital Being Told To Speak English Only
Manungahararu Trustee Profile: Kerri Nuku
Waatea News Audio: Kerri Nuku | Kaiwhakahaere for the NZ Nurses Organisation, 8 November 2024
Pirihira Toroa, Kaiawhina, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa, New Zealand Nurses Organisation, Ngai Tamanuhiri, Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti
Updated 27 January 2025
