Dr Heather Came is a seventh generation Pākehā New Zealander who grew up on Ngātiwai land. She has worked for 30 years in public health and has a long involvement in social justice activism. Heather is a founding member and co-chair of STIR: Stop Institutional Racism, the Radical Sewing Circle and affiliated to Tāmaki Tiriti Workers. She embraces life as an activist scholar and in 2023 set up Heather Came & Associates a consultancy specialising in pursuing racial justice. She has prepared expert evidence for the WAI 2575 health kaupapa Waitangi Tribunal claims and has led shadow reports to United Nations human rights committees around institutional racism. Her research focuses on critical policy analysis, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, anti-racism and institutional racism. In 2021 she was joint winner of Kāhui Hauora Tūmatanui Public Health Champion Award for her lifetime contribution to public health. In 2022 Heather was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to Māori, education and health.

Ngaire Rae is a 6th generation Pākehā New Zealander, with English and Scottish ancestry. Ngaire lives with her family in Whangārei and grew up in the seaside village of Waipu Cove. For the last 25 years Ngaire has worked in health promotion throughout Tai Tokerau with her mahi focusing on community development, housing, and child and youth health. She recently left full time work to do her PhD at AUT focusing on learning about Te Tiriti based anti-racism praxis from Pākehā allies during Aotearoa health system reforms. Ngaire is a member of STIR and Network Waitangi Whangārei.

Stephen is Pākeka New Zealand living in Kāpiti. Over the past 30 years he has developed a deep understanding of what it takes to get the message out. Stephen has worked as a writer, advisor, project manager, webmaster, trainer and communications professional for a wide range of good causes. After roles with Community Research and NZ Drug Foundation, Stephen is currently Principal Communications Advisor for Te Hiringa Mahara. As the volunteer tech lead, he is helping to run the third Tirtiti Based Futures + Anti-racism online conference for the third time 2024. When not at a keyboard you'll find Stephen gardening or imploring his family to go for a bush walk. More at: Pushing the Limits (https://pushingthelimits.substack.com/).

Tony has ancestors from Tokelau, Samoa, Tonga, and other parts of the ‘Sea of Islands’. I also have
Irish and Highland Scottish Clan Stewart heritage. According to a late uncle, who held our Moana
family genealogies, I also have one Māori ancestor. I spent my first years of life in Ponsonby before moving to live in Mangere, and later, West Auckland. I was a street kid as a youth, left school early, and worked as a factory worker and builder’s labourer for ten years before entering university as a young adult student. I
completed several university qualifications but valued the learnings from these degrees over degree titles. I have been engaged on and off, for more than thirty years, in student, socialist, anti-racist, environmental, Ma’ohi Nui, and West Papua activism- and as a supporter of Māori-led activist struggles. I support the Palestinian struggle for freedom in Aotearoa attending marches, rallies, and speaking tours for Palestine over the years. I work as a volunteer for a community trust feeding the community. I am presently engaged
working on a Moana activist, community, and scholarly project in my spare time.

Kate is a Pākehā New Zealander. She was born in Zimbabwe (post-independence) and moved as a child to Te Tairāwhiti where she was raised and nurtured by the people of Ngāti Porou. Kate now lives in Te Tai Tokerau and works for Northland's Public Health Unit. She is completing a Masters in Public Health focusing on “peace, justice and equity as prerequisites to health” as stated in the WHO Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion.

Ko Aoraki te Mauka, ko Waitaki te awa, ko Uenuku te ware tipuna, ko Kāti Hāteatea ko Ngāti Ruahikihiki te hapū, ko Kāi Tahu te iwi, Ko Eridani tōku ikoa.

I am passionate about decolonisation, with a focus on decolonisation within pedagogy and in relationship structure. I am studying at AUT towards being a psychotherapist. I am passionate about highlighting the value of a te ao Māori view and in making mental health more accessible to Māori.

Whakawhanaungatanga is important to me, I enjoy making connections with others.

Mikey is a Pākehā migrant from Treaty 3 land of the Wabigoon First Nation in Ontario, Canada. Mikey has been involved in grass roots activism for several decades, with a focus on anti-racism, anti-war, and climate change activism. Mikey currently works as a Matanga Tapuhi / Nurse Practitioner in Youth Health for Te Puna Manawa in Tāmaki Makaurau. Mikey is a member of STIR, and is a member of the executive committe for OraTaiao: the New Zealand Health and Climate Council.

He uri au o Ngāti Hine, i tupu au i raro i ngā rekereke o tōku maunga Motatau. Ko Ngāti Te Tarawa te hapū ririki. I te taha o tōku matua, nō Ngāti Kawa ia, ko Oromahoe me Waitangi ngā nohonga. I mīharo hoki nei i te tupu taha i ōku nei tūpuna, ko Paki rāua ko Pene Tipene. Like many of my generation my formal education was limited and impacted by being punished for speaking te reo Māori, my first language. I left school early working in a range of physical jobs, later turning my focus to outdoor education and youthwork. For the last 15 years I have worked in the field of mental health and well-being.