Rūātoki-raised broadcaster, academic and cultural historian Dr Reuben Tūwhakahekeao Collier has been appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours, for services to Māori and education.

Raised among the people, language and cultural richness of Rūātoki, Dr Collier has built a career dedicated to safeguarding Māori knowledge. His work across broadcasting, research, doctoral education and cultural history has helped preserve te reo Māori, kaumātua voices, iwi memory and the stories of communities throughout Aotearoa.

Dr Collier said the honour was a humbling recognition of work shaped by whānau, community, education and the teachings of elders.

“My beginnings in Rūātoki taught me values that have guided my whole life,” Dr Collier said.

Dr Collier was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2017 for services to the television industry and Māori. His latest honour recognises more than three decades of distinguished service across Māori broadcasting, education, Indigenous research, mātauranga Māori, war commemoration and the preservation of Māori histories.

Across his career, Dr Collier has recorded and preserved the voices of kaumātua, veterans, iwi leaders, native reo speakers, scholars, whānau and communities throughout Aotearoa. His work has contributed to national archives, academic practice, Māori education and the wider historical record of Aotearoa New Zealand.

“Education has shaped my journey in many ways, both inside formal institutions and through the teachings of iwi, marae, whānau, kuia and koroua,” he said.

“Each has helped me better understand the world we live in and the responsibilities we carry within it.”

Dr Collier said Rūātoki gave him an early understanding that knowledge belongs to people and must be treated with care.

“Growing up in Rūātoki taught us that knowledge was never separated from conduct,” he said.

“You were expected to listen, to work hard, to respect your elders and to remember that whatever you achieved should help others.”

The official citation recognises Dr Collier as a nationally respected custodian of Māori war commemoration. His service includes membership of the Ngārimu VC and 28th Māori Battalion Memorial Fund Board and his role as Deputy Chair of the 28th Māori Battalion B Company History Trust.

It also acknowledges his strategic guidance to the New Zealand Defence Force, Crown institutions, iwi and international partners on taonga, remembrance and legacies of national importance.

In education, Dr Collier has made enduring contributions to reo and tikanga, Indigenous research, creative scholarship and mātauranga Māori. His original theoretical frameworks have influenced research supervision and doctoral practice, helping sustain and strengthen Indigenous knowledge systems within tertiary education.

“I acknowledge the teachers, mentors, kuia and koroua who gave stern guidance when it was needed, and encouragement when it mattered,” Dr Collier said.

“They helped prepare us to carry knowledge with care and to share it with future generations.”

Dr Collier said the honour also recognises the ancient knowledge systems passed down across generations.

“I see myself as a kaitiaki of Indigenous knowledge systems handed down through the ages,” he said.

“Those teachings remind us to care, to share and to walk hand in hand with one another.”

Dr Collier was awarded the Pou Aronui Medal by Royal Society Te Apārangi in 2025 for his distinguished service and sustained contribution to the humanities.

He said the CNZM reflects collective service and the enduring importance of Māori language, Māori memory and Māori knowledge.

“For me, the greatest recognition sits with those whose stories have shaped the work,” Dr Collier said.

“This honour belongs to the people, to the wider communities, and to those who taught us that service must always reach beyond ourselves.”