Hera Ngata-Gibson is of Te Aitanga a Hauiti people of Uawa (Tolaga Bay) on the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand, and lives with her family in Anaura. Community and environmental advocate, Hera led the charge in calling for an independent inquiry into land use in the region after the devastation wrought by recent weather events. She is a member of Mana Taiao Tairāwhiti, a group which represents farmers, landowners and conservation workers seeking to change outcomes when adverse weather events occur in the region.