Rawinia Higgins

Rawinia Ruth Higgins is a New Zealand academic whose research focuses on Māori language and culture.

Research
Higgins' Master's thesis at the University of Otago was on the nature of transmission of oral histories, while her 2004 PhD thesis – He tanga ngutu, he Tuhoetanga te Mana Motuhake o te ta moko wahine – was on the identity politics of female chin tattoos. She was the Head of School at Te Kawa a Māui, School of Maori Studies at Victoria University and was appointed Deputy Vice Chancellor Māori at Victoria University of Wellington in 2016.

Higgins has written Māori material for Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. She has been a member of the Waitangi Tribunal since 2013, and is on the board of Te Māngai Pāho, the Māori Broadcast Funding Agency. She is currently Chair of the Māori Language Commission. Higgins has also served on the following boards, Te Kotahi a Tūhoe and the Tūhoe Fisheries Charitable Trust Board. Higgins provided the translation for the Māori name of the New Zealand Veterinary Association – Te Pae Kīrehe – which the organization adopted on 29 May 2023.

Honours and awards
In November 2020, the Royal Society Te Apārangi awarded Higgins the Pou Aronui award for dedicated service to the humanities–aronui over a sustained period. In March 2021, Higgins was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi, recognising "her scholarly contributions have made a significant impact in sharing new discourse, insights and understanding of mātauranga Māori and challenging cultural norms".

Personal life
Higgins is of Tūhoe descent.