Whatarangi Winiata is a New Zealand accountant, academic, and MÃÂori leader. From 1994 to 2007, he was Chief Executive of Te WÃÂnanga o Raukawa, a MÃÂori tertiary education institution. He had been Professor of Accountancy at the Victoria University of Wellington from 1974. He is a former President of the MÃÂori Party, serving from the party's creation in 2004 to 2009.
Wniata was born in 1935 at Hokio in Horowhenua. He is affiliated with the MÃÂori iwi NgÃÂti Raukawa. He was the second MÃÂori to graduate with a degree of Bachelor of Commerce from Victoria University of Wellington in 1957.
Winiata has an MBA and PhD from the University of Michigan. He lived also in Canada working at the University of British Columbia. In about 1975 he and his family returned to New Zealand.
His work establishing and revitalising Maori language for NgÃÂti Raukawa that saw there were no te reo MÃÂori speakers under the age of 30 in 1975 within the tribe. Dr. Winiata is recognised as the architect of the 25-year Whakatupuranga Rua Mano (Generation 2000) iwi development programme that birthed Te WÃÂnanga o Raukawa based in à Âtaki. à Âtaki is a bilingual town, with 'MÃÂori spoken in 50% of its homes'.<blockquote>Hirini Moko Mead said of Winiata he is "a leading thinker of the MÃÂori world, and of te ao PÃÂkehàas well."</blockquote>Winiata was founding President of the MÃÂori Party to support co-leaders Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples.
2018 â Lifetime Achievement Award, National MÃÂori Language Awards
2022 â Te Whare Pà «kenga Award, National Iwi Chairs Forum for being a 'living taonga'
Winiata married Francie Aratema in 1961 and they had four children.