Charles Stuart Te Manemoeroa Crofts (December 1943 – 26 February 2024) was a New Zealand Māori leader of the

Ngāi Tahu Ngāi Tahu, or Kāi Tahu, is the principal Māori people, Māori (tribe) of the South Island. Its (tribal area) is the largest in New Zealand, and extends from the White Bluffs / Te Parinui o Whiti (southeast of Blenheim, New Zealand, Blenhe ...

iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori, roughly means or , and is often translated as "tribe". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, and is typically pluralised as such in English. ...

Career

Charlie Crofts was born in December 1943 in Tuahiwi, as the youngest son of Edward and Metapere Ngawini Crofts (nee Barrett). He learned about the Ngāi Tahu Claim through his grandfather William Barrett. Crofts served for 20 years in the New Zealand army. He left the army in 1985 and worked as a taxi driver. It was during this time that he became involved with Koukourarata Rūnanga, to support the

whānau Whānau () is the Māori word for the basic extended family group. Within Māori society the ''whānau'' encompasses three or four generations and forms the political unit below the levels of hapū (subtribe), iwi (tribe or nation) and waka (mi ...

living at Port Levy. Crofts was elected the chairperson of Koukourarata Rūnanga, which involved him with the Ngaitahu Māori Trust Board. In 1990, he was appointed the Koukourarata Representative for Te Rūnanganui o Tahu, and was promoted to kaiwhakahaere soon afterwards. When Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu was established in 1996, Crofts was elected as its first kaiwhakahaere. Following Ngāi Tahu, Crofts was appointed to the

New Zealand Conservation Authority The New Zealand Conservation Authority / Te Pou Atawhai Taiao O Aotearoa is an independent statutory body that advises the Minister of Conservation and Director-General of Conservation on conservation issues of national importance. Role Its ...

. He was a member of the Canterbury Water Management Committee, Lyttelton Port Company, the director of the Canterbury Museum, and was a

kaumātua A kaumātua is a respected tribal elder in a Māori community who has been involved with their whānau for a number of years. They are appointed by their people who believe the chosen elders have the capacity to teach and guide both current a ...

for

Christchurch City Council The Christchurch City Council (CCC) is the local government authority for Christchurch in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority elected to represent the people of Christchurch. Since October 2022, the Mayor of Christchurch is Phil Ma ...

. He was appointed an

Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit () is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have r ...

(ONZM) for services to Māori in the

2016 Birthday Honours The 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as p ...

. He was nicknamed "Uncle Charlie".

Personal life and death

Crofts married Meri Te Aroha Wereta in 1962, and they had two children. Crofts died on 26 February 2024, at the age of 80.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crofts, Charlie 1943 births 2024 deaths 20th-century Māori tribal leaders Ngāi Tahu people Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit People from Tuahiwi 21st-century Māori tribal leaders 20th-century New Zealand military personnel New Zealand Army soldiers Military personnel from the Canterbury Region