Taranaki, Te Āti Awa
Dr Ruakere Hond is a longstanding advocate of te reo Māori revitalisation and a key supporter of the Parihaka community. He was instrumental in working to achieve reconciliation between that community and the Crown, and he has held several leadership roles in Māori language organisations, including Te Reo o Taranaki, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, and Te Ataarangi. He has served two terms as a member of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori and is a past board member of Te Mātāwai, which leads the implementation of the Maihi Māori language strategy.
In 2013, Dr Hond completed a doctorate in public health, with a focus on Māori language revitalisation, community development approaches, and intergenerationally sustainable health outcomes. He is currently helping lead an Ataarangi approach within the Ministry of Education initiative Te Ahu o Te Reo Māori in Taranaki, Whanganui, and Manawatū, which supports teachers to use reo Māori with students in their education setting. Dr Ruakere Hond was appointed to the Tribunal in 2018.