Gail Thompson appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in New Year Honours List for 2026

Respected Ngāi Tahu leader and director of Te Ohu Kaimoana, Gail Thompson (Ngāi Tahu, Kāti Mamoe, Waitaha) has been appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for her outstanding services to Māori and conservation in the New Year Honours List for 2026.

Mrs Thompson’s MNZM recognises a lifetime of service rooted in kaitiakitanga, rangatiratanga and manaakitanga through more than two decades to protecting taonga species, restoring ecosystems, and strengthening Ngāi Tahu rangatiratanga over whenua and moana, while mentoring generations of whānau engaged in environmental stewardship.

Mrs Thompson served as the Manager of Awarua Rūnanga since the early 2000s, where she provided leadership in fisheries management; particularly the customary fisheries area and restoration of mahinga kai and mātaitai takiwa around the Southland coastline. Her leadership has helped to ensure Ngāi Tahu rights and responsibilities as kaitiaki are upheld in coastal decision-making.

Mrs Thompson was the representative for her rūnanga to Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu from 2017-2023 and was a founding member of Guardians of Fiordland Fisheries in 1997; leading work that enabled the establishment of several marine protected areas.

Her wide-ranging governance and advisory group roles include more than 20 years on the Southland Conservation Board and long-standing membership on Kaitiaki Rōpū, providing mana whenua views to the Department of Conservation.

She has been instrumental in the Predator Free Rakiura and the South-East Marine Protection Forum projects, where her leadership helped enable the establishment of multiple marine protected areas, setting a collaborative model for marine conservation that is now recognised nationally.

She advocates for Ngāi Tahu access to taonga species and materials — for continued customary cultural use such as weaving korowai and has led Korowai Wānanga at Te Rau Aroha Marae since2010.

In 2018, she was a founding member and co-chair from 2021 of what is now Whakamana Te Waituna, and was instrumental to restoration of the Waituna Lagoon and surrounding wetland areas; working collaboratively with iwi, councils, farmers and environmental groups to protect a nationally significant ecosystem.

Her leadership has demonstrated how Māori environmental stewardship strengthens both ecological outcomes and community wellbeing, and affirms the central role of iwi in protecting the natural heritage of Aotearoa.

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