Among the recipients of Victoria University's Distinguished Alumni Awards recognised today was Tamati Kruger of Ngāi Tūhoe.
Others are Olympian Ian Fergusson, Businessman and Sports Administrator Alan Isaac, the first woman Bishop of the Anglican Church Penny Jamieson, Curator and Artist Helen Kedgley and Technology Entrepreneur Derek Handley.
Māori leader and social and political analyst, Tamati Kruger has a BA (Hons) in Māori Studies.
He has dedicated his career to the development of his iwi, securing the largest Treaty of Waitangi settlement to date for the Central North Island Iwi Collective, and was chief negotiator of the Tūhoe-Te Urewera Treaty of Waitangi Settlement.
These recipients are role models for students all over the country and the world, as they aspire to achieve greatness among their people, within their chosen sports, business, religion, art and technology, or whatever their passion may be.