Dame Iritana Te Rangi Tāwhiwhirangi DNZM MBE (born Irirangi Thatcher; 21 March 1929 – 1 February 2025) was a New Zealand advocate of Māori language education and the kōhanga reo movement.

She was educated at Hukarere Girls' School from 1943 to 1946, and then Wellington Teachers' College from 1947 to 1948.

She served on the Board of Trustees of the Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust.

[7] Tāwhiwhirangi was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal,[1] and in the 1992 New Year Honours, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, in recognition of her role as general manager of Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust.

[1] In the 2001 New Year Honours, Tāwhiwhirangi was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori education,[9] and in the 2009 Queen's Birthday Honours she was promoted to Dame Companion, also for services to Māori education.