No Ngāti Kahumate, no Ngāti Hinekura ahau. He kaiawhiawhi ki Parihaka, ā, he kaiwhakaūkaipō i te reo o Taranaki. Inā tata nei i noho hei kaimahi ki PKW – he rau whakaihoiho te tūranga. I tua atu i tērā, he kaiwhakahī waiata, he tauira tākuta, ka mutu, he pūkenga ki roto i nga whare wānanga hoki. Ko ia tērā ko te Pou Tikanga o Tuiora.
As Pou Tikanga, Tonga Karena provides the cultural leadership and vision for our whole organisation. He ensures that the cultural resilience of Tui Ora kaimahi is the framework for our everyday activities and our engagement with our community.
Tonga has had a wide-ranging career in many fields before joining Tui Ora in April 2024. While primarily an academic, Tonga enjoyed his previous role as manager at PKW, and is also a community leader on various boards. He is a talented musician and keen composer of Māori music, and has been a passionate leader for local kapa haka group Te Moungaroa for a decade. He lives in his family homestead with his partner in Oaonui.