Ko Hikurangi te maunga
Ko Waiapu te awa
Ko Horouta te waka
Ko Ngati Porou te iwi
Ko Ngati Putaanga te hapu
Ko Putaanga me Rahui nga marae
Ko Joanne Waitoa ahau
An uri of the Tairāwhiti, Joanne was born and raised in Whakaoriori Masterton on the whenua of Rangitāne and Ngāti Kahungunu. Her formal education includes Mākoura College and Massey University, gaining strong sense of community from the former and a Bachelor of Communications and Master of Development Studies with Distinction from the latter. She has research interests and a few publications in the areas of indigenous social media activism, Māori politics, and diverse economies.
Joanne formerly worked at several tertiary institutions in academic support and has a strong belief in the value of education but also the need for accessible institutions, particularly for Māori students and others underserved by Western education systems. Currently, her focus is in the taiao space where she has worked for both the Department of Conservation and the Ministry for the Environment lifting cultural capability and supporting the implementation of treaty settlement commitments.