Dr Tess Moeke-Maxwell (she/her) has dedicated her life to helping Māori, especially through the end of life research she does with Māori whānau. This is a sacred time when the spirit prepares to transition to the heavenly realm. Whānau, as caregivers, have an important role in caring for their dying, and helping the dying person’s wairua to transition ‘well’. She believes that end of life and dying are important opportunities for us to release the past, forgive, be forgiven, and to love without conditions. Writing and speaking about these things from the perspectives of whānau are the greatest enjoyments of her academic career.

In the 1980s Tess worked voluntarily for Rape Crisis as a sexual abuse counsellor which led her to undertake degrees in psychology and gender studies at the University of Waikato. She has won numerous scholarships and grants to help her undertake her post graduate work and PhD. Māori ethnic diversity is another research passion and her PhD thesis is about Māori women’s bi/multi-racial post-colonial identity.