Sheridan Waitai has a heart for home, and loves being with our whanau, doing things that bring joy. She has been and avid supporter and enabler for Nga Tangata o Te Hopua Wai – Community Gardens and is thankful for the privilege of being able to serve our whanau, hapū and iwi.

Sheridan grew up in Te Hiku o te Ika. She has significant experience in legislation and the policy environment in relation to indigenous issues, she has contributed to environmental, social, education and health initiatives. She has participated in several boards and has experience in the management of forums, governance and strategy groups.

Sheridan has become a resource person to people and initiatives for biodiversity across the country and has inherited her late grandmother Saana Waitai-Murray’s passion for the welfare of Ngāti Kuri, Whenua and Whakapapa.  

She has been instrumental in the continuation of the WAI262 Fauna and Flora Claim for Ngāti Kuri. She has maintained the relationship with other claimant whanau and iwi over the many years that has resulted in a work programme nationally for Maori to Maori engagement.

Over the past few years Sheridan with others developed Ngāti Kuri’s Environmental Management Plan and has implemented a number actions, events and initiatives related to the environment, for protection and restoration.

Her passion is to build up and grow the future generation of Ngāti Kuri.  She coordinates a range of activities to bring our people home to help with Biological audits on our land that include our schools, whanau and hapū working together to reconnect with our natural world and taonga.

She has repatriated Taonga species and Taonga back to Ngāti Kuri. She has led Ngāti Kuri’s connections and work across our rohe including our Islands. She manages coordinates a range of relationships and partners, to achieve shared prosperity, community resilience and mana motuhake for Whanau, Hapu and Iwi.