Father advocating for whakapapa-driven citizenship pathways as whānau settles in Wellington

A Māori father who successfully secured citizenship for himself and his three children is continuing his campaign to establish a dedicated whakapapa-based pathway for others to return to Aotearoa. John Ruddock (Ngāpuhi) is currently settled in Wellington after a year-long struggle to gain legal status for his children, who were born overseas. Speaking on 24 July 2026, Ruddock shared that his family is finally flourishing in their homeland. The son of the late renowned singer Rhonda Bryers, Ruddock was born in Australia and raised in Hawaii. Upon returning to New Zealand, he discovered that citizenship by descent is limited to one generation, leaving his children without an automatic right to reside or attend school. Despite these challenges, Ruddock told RNZ Māori issues reporter Pokere Paewai that he chose to stay and fight for his children's right to be raised as tangata whenua. Last year, a Waitangi Tribunal claim filed by Ruddock was supported by actress Keisha Castle-Hughes. The Tribunal recommended amending the Citizenship Act 1977 to allow hapū and iwi to assess whakapapa evidence, effectively extending citizenship by descent to two generations for Māori. While Ruddock has since secured citizenship for his own family, he remains committed to a systemic change. He argues that a tikanga-based pathway is essential as more Māori are born abroad to parents who were themselves born in countries like Australia or the United States. Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden stated she respects the Tribunal's findings but has no plans to review the Act. Instead, her focus remains on shortening wait times for all citizenship by grant applicants. Despite this lack of legislative movement, Ruddock remains optimistic about the future of his children in Aotearoa, noting that they are finally finding their identities and feel a sense of freedom in their ancestral home.