The only person appointed a dame in the Queen's Birthday Honours, June Jackson, says her award is also for the disproportionate number of Maori in the country's prisons.
Dame June, 70, has been honoured this year for her work with prisoners, urban Maori and the Waitangi Fisheries Commission.
She was instrumental in taking legal action to the Privy Council in 1996 on behalf of urban Maori to force a fairer share of the Crown's fisheries settlement for those with few if any tribal affiliations.
She retired last year as chief executive of the large Manukau Urban Maori Authority after 19 years but is still on the Parole Board, where she is the longest-serving member.
She is still chief executive of Nga Whare Waatea marae in Mangere and in 1995 was awarded a Queen's Service Medal, but becoming a dame was still a surprise.
"Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would receive this honour. Never. I am overwhelmed by it," she told NZPA.
Her honour was about the people, not the high fliers, and could be an inspiration for people, she said.
"These things happen and you never know who will benefit from it. I just see it as something for all our people, but my work carries on regardless."
Dame June said she never thought about the honours system as it was so far removed from her own life.
"For the average person that I work with, Maori and otherwise, some of them don't even know what a damehood is. But that's OK."
There was a disproportionate number of Maori in prisons - 50 percent of prisoners are Maori despite just making up about 14 percent of the population - and they were a part of her life, she said.
"I have spent the last 20 years in the jails on the Parole Board, you can believe this or not... but in a way they share in this honour too."
Dame June is named in this year's list as Temuranga Batley-Jackson.
She chose Batley-Jackson to honour both her husband and her "wonderful, humble parents".
She was christened Temuranga but when she started school her teachers could not pronounce it so they asked her mother if she had another name they could use.
Her mother said no but they should call her June. "I said `where did you get that from mum?' She said that it was the month June."
Dame June said she would continue to work with a lot of people, despite retirement.
"I work with a lot of families from the tough side of life, so it's very full. I have had a great life and it's been full of people and they have all made a difference."
Dame June's son is broadcaster and former Alliance MP Willie Jackson, an opponent of the honours system.
However, he would not diminish her achievement. "It's my mother's honour and I am very proud of her."
NZPA
source: newshub archive
