[2] In 2025 Higgins was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori language, education and governance.

Higgins' Master's thesis at the University of Otago was on the nature of transmission of oral histories,[3] while her 2004 PhD thesis – He tanga ngutu, he Tuhoetanga te Mana Motuhake o te ta moko wahine[needs translation] – was on the identity politics of female chin tattoos.

[6] Higgins provided the translation for the Māori name of the New Zealand Veterinary Association – Te Pae Kīrehe – which the organization adopted on 29 May 2023.

[14] In March 2021, Higgins was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi, recognising "her scholarly contributions have made a significant impact in sharing new discourse, insights and understanding of mātauranga Māori and challenging cultural norms".

[15] In the 2025 New Year Honours Higgins was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori language, education and governance.