TOKŌ
Ngā mihi mahana o te tau hou kia koutou katoa!
Warm and happy greetings to all readers out there from Te Oranga ki Ōtākou, TOKŌ for short!
We are the student- operated association for Māori Medical Students within Otago Medical School which operates underneath Te Oranga, our national Māori Medical Students’ Association.
Our role is largely to support and advocate for our Māori students while they progress through medical school, as well as providing platforms for the discovery and further development of identity and passion within both the medical world and te Ao Māori.
We look forward to meeting you all this year and hosting some amazing events!
Check us out on Facebook or contact toko.exec@gmail.com
2026 Te Oranga ki Ōtākou Executive Team
Quitara Naera (she/her)
Tumuaki
Ko Ngatokimatawhaorua me Te Arawa ngā waka,
Ko Maungaturoto me Ngongataha ngā maunga
Ko Wairoro te awa
Ko Rotorua nui a kahumatamomoe te roto
Ko Ngawha me Paratehoata ngā marae
Ko Ngāti rangi me Ngati tiki te kohu ruamano ngā hapū
Ko Ngāpuhi me Ngāti Whakaue ngā iwi
Ko Quitara Naera toku ingoa
Iwi: Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whakaue
I whakapapa to Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Whakaue but was born in Palmerston North and raised in Feilding. I am honoured to be serving as Tumuaki on the TOKŌ executive.
Arahina Kirifi (she/her)
Tumuaki Tuarua
Ko Hauraki te whenua
Ko Wharekawa te marae
Ko Ngaati Whanaunga tōku iwi
Ko Arahina Siniva Kirifi tōku ingoa
Tihei mauri ora!
Iwi: Ngaati Whanaunga
Tēnā koutou! I’m Arahina, I whakapapa to Ngaati Whanaunga in the Hauraki region and Fakaofo in Tokelau, however I grew up in West Auckland and now my whānau lives in Whangārei. I’m excited to be working amongst this awesome team as Tumuaki Tuarua in 2026. Mauri ora!
Kiwa McLachlan (he/him)
Kaituhi
Kia Ora,
Ko Tainui te waka
Ko Ngāti raukawa te iwi
Ko Maungatautari te maunga
Ko Manawatu te awa
Ko Tukorehe te marae
Ko Kiwa McLachlan tōku ingoa
Nō Papaioea ahau
Iwi: Ngāti Raukawa
Kia ora, I grew up in Palmerston North and am the kaituhi for TOKŌ this year which means I scribe all the notes.
Nadia McLeod-Sands (she/her)
Kaitiaki Pūtea
Ko Te Arawa me Tainui ngā waka
Ko Parawai me Hokio ngā awa
Ko Ngongotahā me Tararua ngā maunga
Ko Tārukenga me Ngātokowaru ngā marae
Ko Ngāti Tura me Pareraukawa ōku hapū
Ko Ngāti Whakaaue me Ngāti Raukawa ōku iwi
Ko Nadia McLeod-Sands tōku ingoa
Nō Papaioea ahau
Iwi: Ngāti Whakaaue, Ngāti Raukawa
Kia ora koutou! I whakapapa to Ngāti Whakaaue and Ngāti Raukawa, but I was born and raised in Palmerston North. I’m the TOKŌ Kaitiaki Pūtea, where I’ll be looking after our finances.
Ngā mihi!
Briar Engelbrecht (she/her)
Mataamua
Ko Tarakeha te maunga,
Ko Opepe te awa,
Ko Muriwai tōku tīpuna,
Ko Whakatōhea, Ngāi te Rangi me Tūhoe hoki iwi,
Ko te Mataatua te waka,
Ko Briar Engelbrecht tōku ingoa.
Iwi: Whākatohea, Ngāi te Rangi, Tūhoe
I was born and raised in the far south of Tāmaki Makaurau in a town called Waiuku, but whakapapa along the bay from Tauranga to Whakatāne. I am the ALM Māori Student Representative on the TOKŌ executive.
Maggie Preston (she/her)
Āpiha Oranga
Kia Ora!
Ko Kokai te maunga
Ko Hotohoto te awa
Ko te Aitanga-a-mate te hapu
Ko Whareponga te marae
Ko Ngāti Porou te iwi
Ko Maggie Preston tōku ingoa
Nō Te Tairāwhiti ahau
Iwi: Ngāti Porou
Kia Ora koutou! I am Maggie, raised in beautiful Tairāwhiti, home to the sunny East Coast and home to my whakapapa, Ngāti Porou. I’m thrilled to be your Āpiha Oranga (Wellbeing Officer) this year, where I’ll be supporting Māori tauira, facilitating the Tuakana–Teina programme, helping to build whakawhanaungatanga, and representing TOKŌ on the OUMSA welfare committee.
Ngā mihi!
Abbie Gibson (she/her)
Kaitakawaenga
Ko Abbie Gibson tōku ingoa
Ko Whitireia te maunga
Ko Raukawa te moana
Ko Tainui te waka
Ko Ngāti Toa Rangatira tōku iwi
Nō Kirikiriroa ahau
Iwi: Ngāti Toa Rangatira
Kia ora, I am from Kirikiriroa and I whakapapa to Ngāti Toa Rangatira. This year, I am the Kaitakawaenga (Support Officer), which means I am involved in many roles across the executive and support my fellow exec members.
Olive Tahau (she/her)
Māngai Tau Tuatoru
Ko Te Arawa te waka,
Ko Tongariro te maunga,
Ko Taupō te moana,
Ko Ngāti Tūwharetoa me Ngāi Tūhoe ngā iwi,
Ko Te Heuheu te Tangata,
Ko Olive Tahau tōku ingoa.
Iwi: Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāi Tūhoe
I grew up in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. I am the Māngai Tau Tuatoru this year where I’ll be providing academic support and guidance.
Milan Burch (he/him)
Te Ao Māori Officer
Tēnā koutou,
Ko wai au?
Ko Kopuwai me Tararua ngā maunga
Ko Waikare me Ōtaki ngā awa
Ko Mataatua me Tainui ngā waka
Ko Ngāpuhi me Ngāti Raukawa ngā iwi
Ko Kopotai me Ngāti Hīne ngā hapū
Ko Te Tūruki me Katihiku ngā marae
Nō Taupō/Tūrangi ahau
Ko Milan Burch tōku ingoa
Iwi: Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Raukawa
I tēnei tau, ko Jasmine rāua ko au ō koutou māngai mō Te Ao Māori
Ngā mihi nui 🙂
Jasmine Emile-Chhura (she/her)
Te Ao Māori Officer
Tēnā koutou,
Ko wai au?
Ko Whakapoungakau te maunga,
Ko Waingaehe te awa,
Ko Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe te moana,
Ko Ōwhata te marae,
Ko Te Roro o te Rangi te hapū,
Ko Ngāti Whakaue me Ngāpuhi ngā iwi,
Ko Te Arawa te waka.
Ko Jasmine Emile-Chhura tōku ingoa.
Ngā iwi: Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whakaue
Kia ora, I grew up in Rotorua, heoi kei te noho ki Ōtepoti ināianei. Ā tēnei tau, ko māua ko Milan ngā Te Ao Māori Officers, kei te tautoko i a koutou i runga i tō koutou huarahi.
Ngā mihi 🙂
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