Rangimarie Parata Takurua (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu)

Presiding Member

Rangimarie Parata Takurua is the founding Chair and current Presiding Member of Te Pā o Rākaihautū. A passionate advocate for whānau, hapū and iwi development, Rangimarie brings over 30 years of leadership in Māori education, governance, and economic development both in Aotearoa and internationally.

Together with her husband, whānau and hāpori she led the establishment of a number of award-winning initiatives including Nōku Te Ao Early Charitable Trust (2002) - which operates two Early Childhood Centres and a number of whānau ora initiatives, Te Pā o Rākaihautū (2014) - a learning village that is changing the educational landscape in Te Waipounamu and Te Ahikaaroa (1993) that has represented the Waitaha on the national and internaitonal stage multiple times for over 30 years. She has been appointed to a number of local and national boards and is a driving force behind many kaupapa that at their core aim to uplift whānau.

Married to Tauira and a proud māma of three Kāti Porou children, Hera Putiputi, Paratene and Anaru, Rangimarie remains deeply rooted in her communities. Moving regularly between Rāpaki and Tokomaru Bay where her husband is from. Driven by her love for her tamariki and mokopuna, Rangimarie is committed to creating spaces where Māori can thrive as Māori—strong in identity, grounded in culture, and equipped to shape their own futures.