Elevating Governance Through Cultural Insight

Charlene Hinerangi Whatarau (Ngawaka) 42.

 is an experienced practitioner in culturally grounded project leadership, governance support, and organisational coordination. She specialises in restoring and operationalising traditional Māori practices within lawful, safe, and tikanga-aligned frameworks. Her work includes developing the first Cultural Materials Plan since 2017 and leading the inaugural cultural harvest of pūkeko for Indigenous Sovereign Practices. A milestone requiring strong cultural oversight, regulatory compliance, and coordinated stakeholder engagement.

Charlene’s governance and administrative experience spans iwi organisations, community trusts, and multi-agency environments. She has collaborated with Auckland Council teams across environmental planning, policy development, cultural engagement, and Cultural Values Assessments (CVAs), ensuring kaupapa Māori perspectives are meaningfully reflected in planning and statutory processes.

Her work on Aotea (Great Barrier Island) in emergency response and visitor management enhanced her capability in integrated health, safety, environmental, and community planning. She has also partnered with the Department of Conservation on specialised cultural initiatives not previously undertaken by any iwi, demonstrating her ability to navigate complex regulatory and cultural landscapes with confidence and care.

Charlene’s governance practice is defined by clarity, structured thinking, and a solutions-focused approach.

 She supports organisations to strengthen operational systems, improve communication, and implement practical frameworks aligned with cultural values, regulatory expectations, and strategic goals. Her work is grounded in tikanga Māori, cultural intelligence, and a commitment to upholding the mana of the people and kaupapa she serves.

Charlene supports individuals and organisations through structured pacing, routine development, and graded activity planning. Her work includes return-to-work coordination, workload planning, and the development of systems that reduce cognitive load and fatigue. She brings clarity to expectations, communication, and documentation, working in a culturally responsive, tikanga-aligned way that supports confidence and steady progression.

Her experience spans governance, cultural capability, emergency response, and resilience planning. She communicates effectively across multidisciplinary teams and excels at translating complex information into clear, practical steps that support safe and achievable outcomes

• Structured pacing, routine development, and graded activity plans
• Return-to-work coordination and communication
• Workload planning, scheduling, and task-management systems
• Support for cognitive load and fatigue management
• Clarity in workplace expectations, communication, and documentation
• Culturally responsive, tikanga-aligned engagement
• Governance, administration, and organisational support
• Cultural capability work with iwi, councils, and agencies
• Emergency response and resilience coordination
• Strong multidisciplinary communication
• Translating complex information into practical actions
• Clarity around workplace expectations, communication, and documentation
• Culturally responsive, tikanga-aligned engagement
• Governance, administration, and organisational support
• Cultural capability work with iwi, councils, and agencies
• Emergency response and resilience coordination
• Strong multidisciplinary communication
• Ability to translate complex information into practical actions

Te Ao Haurongo approach each person in a thoughtful and spiritual way, using Western medical herbalism, the distilled power of plants, tākutaku, and karakia. They are invested in helping their clients/patients realise healing from within, assisted by their chosen method or remedy. Charlene says she was so blessed to be a part of the very beginning stages to work alongside Fleur Winger and Phoebe Ngawaka who still uphold and carry the Te Ao Haurongo Legacy (The realm of the four listening winds) On Aotea. 

You can find their website link below:  

Te Ao Haurongo | Herbalist Fleur Winger | Great Barrier Island / Aotea, New Zealand 

Fleur Winger, Char and Phoebe Ngawaka discuss their faith-based upbringing as part of Orama Christian Community and The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints.  And how it has informed their practice of traditional rōngoā medicine. 

Island Stories Podcasts an interview on Aotea FM 

with their honourable legend and friend 

Tim Higham 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3UkhvW2NvDaSX5ZvyUs6RX?si=d5e2c220bc864936

Jul 2022 - Feb 2024

Charlene joined Aotea based mana whenua owned company under Motairehe Marae working in the ngāhere as a Bio Security Officer. She applied for this position to broaden her skill base and increase her fitness, both of which she achieved.

Charlene appreciated her time spent in this mahi learning the tikanga, kawa and mātauranga of conservation.

Charlene was responsible for being part of a varied team of kaimahi working in various responsibilities including team logistics and leadership, data collection on Auckland Council online systems including Ruru, utilising materials, time and equipment in the field performing pest plant removal, ensuring the tasks are carried out in the most effective and efficient manner. 

Management Control came hand in hand with Restoration and Regeneration.

She is involved in an iwi-led kaupapa Māori 5yr project that focuses on restoring the mauri of Tīkapa Moana and Te Moananui-ā-Toi through intergenerational, action-focused research guided by a Māori world view and an Indigenous lens. Through this kaupapa Charlene is now an honorary Qualified SSI Freediver. 

 Certified as an SSI Rescue Diver, trained to prevent and manage diving emergencies, support diver safety, and respond effectively in challenging underwater situations. Learning all these new skills gave Charlene the opportunity to participate in data analysis. Identify different species in the ocean and observe the environments they thrive and decline in. 

Charlene had the honour of being involved in an iwi-led kaupapa Māori 5yr project that focuses on restoring the mauri of Tīkapa Moana and Te Moananui-ā-Toi through intergenerational, action-focused research guided by a Māori world view and an Indigenous lens. Through this kaupapa she was also a part of the operations team that made this happen over 9 consecutive days, 17 participants herself included at Dive Zone Tauranga completed 19 consecutive dives and hours of theory to accomplish this. 

 Certified as an SSI Rescue Free Diver and PADI Rescue Scuba Diver, Oxygen Provider Charlene is trained to prevent and manage diving emergencies, support diver safety, and respond effectively in challenging underwater situations. Learning all these new skills give her the opportunity to participate and dive deeper in data analysis. Identify different species in the ocean and observe the environments they thrive and decline in.