Ngāi Tahu academic Hana O'Regan is on the 12 person panel set up to get the public's view on whether New Zealand should get a new flag - and also find out what it should look like.
The New Zealand and Tino Rangatiratanga flags flying in Wellington. Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson
Massey University researcher Malcolm Mulholland, of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, is also part of the group.
They join some well-known New Zealand names, such as Olympian Beatrice Faumuina and businessman Rod Drury.
The panel was appointed by a cross-party group of MPs, including Māori Party co-leader Marama Fox.
A new design for the nation's flag will go up against the existing ensign in a referendum next year.
The government said a change to the New Zealand flag would not affect the status of the national Māori flag - Tino Rangatiratanga.
Meanwhile, Maori sovereignty group Te Ata Tino Toa said if a new symbol was adopted, it wanted the country to have what it calls a 'two flag' policy.
It said the New Zealand flag should fly at all times alongside the Maori flag, as is done in Australia - indigenous alongside non-indigenous.
Members of the 12-person panel:
- Emeritus Professor John Burrows - an expert in media law (chair)
- Writer and reviewer Kate de Goldi (deputy chair)
- All Black great Sir Brian Lochore
- Commonwealth Games gold medallist Beatrice Faumuina
- Saatchi and Saatchi chief executive Nicky Bell
- TV supremo Julie Christie
- Xero chief executive Rod Drury
- Academic Malcom Mulholland - a flag historian
- Former Dunedin mayor Peter Chin
- Youth councillor Stephen Jones
- Maori studies academic Hana O'Regan
- Former head of defence Lieutenant-General Rhys Jones
