Passionate about making a difference for his community

Nīkau Wineera (Ngāti Toa, Te Āti Awa) is the son of Te Ariki Wineera and Amanda Jones. He was raised between Wellington and Kāpiti, always keeping strong links to Hongoeka Marae, a place that has helped shape who he is today.

Nīkau went to Kapiti College, and in 2018, he followed his love for music all the way to Vienna, Austria. After a year of study, home was calling, so he returned and joined the New Zealand Army. It turned out to be a great fit, surrounded by others who shared his values of fitness, teamwork, and helping others.

Music has always been a big part of Nīkau’s life, especially Toanga Pūoro, which he uses to connect deeply with te ao Māori. But he’s also passionate about making a difference through civic engagement. For him, being involved in local government was one way to serve his community.

In 2022, Nīkau was elected to the Wellington City Council as the representative for the Māori Ward. Over the past three years, he’s been part of some important wins — including the District Plan to support housing development, and the Blue Network and Waterways Management Plans, which aim to strengthen our connection to te taiao and the moana. One of the kaupapa he’s most proud of is the Urban Papakāinga Plan, making it easier for iwi Māori to build and live collectively in the city.

His time on the council hasn’t been without its challenges, one of the toughest being the proposed sale of the airport, which sparked strong and sometimes heated debate. But through it all, Nīkau remained grounded and committed to the kaupapa.

As his term comes to an end, Nīkau has chosen not to stand for re-election. Instead, he’s heading overseas again — this time to Cornell University in New York. There, he’ll be working alongside the Cayuga people, studying archaeology. His research will focus on how the Cayuga responded to climate change during the Little Ice Age (1500–1800), and how they navigated colonisation during that same period.

Nīkau hopes to draw lessons from their experiences, insights that could help inform how Māori today respond to the challenges we face in Aotearoa.

Ka mau te wehi, e Nīkau, your whānau and hapori are proud of all you’ve done and all you’re yet to do. Haere pai, hoki pai.