Chaana | Raetihi, Whanganui-Manawatū

“One of my brave stories that I remember, where I knew I had to do something, was when my uncle made me do a pōwhiri, or a karanga they call it, for the first time.

I was able to perform that welcoming out of my comfort zone. No practice, no time to prep, and knowing that the people we were calling to come to us were standing right in front of me. Being a person that doesn’t like being out in the front, a person that doesn’t like talking as much, but a person who would get on and do the mahi, was actually put out of my comfort zone to be able to be brave and stand up. To be able to perform such a special thing that happens in te ao Māori. So, I found that quite exciting. I have to do that quite frequently now, as I’ve been able to gain that experience and some more knowledge around that gift that I suppose wahine have to be able to perform. Some of the things that I have learned from that is listening. Being able to listen better to be able to connect better with the teachings of our ancestors and probably to be able to then find who I am, and where I connect. It has been quite a journey that experience, and learning every day and making sure that if this is something that we want to know, and we have to connect, and practice makes perfect. So, the more opportunities that we get to do it, the more comfortable it becomes. I’m probably lucky that I’ve been given some of those opportunities even if I’ve been put in some awkward situations to do it, but we have a duty. We have some responsibility. Those sorts of teachings are something that I’ve been able to pick up and learn on the way.

So, some of the learnings that I picked up from that experience, is being able to connect to the teachings and find out all about the pathways that our old people were able to perform and connect with. 

So, I grew up in a small-town called Raetihi in the central plateau of the North Island. Most of my life I have grown up here. I went to school here at our local primary school, as well as our local college, and learned heaps. I love this place. I love the fact that we have an awesome view. Most days our maunga, Ruapehu, well just to be able to have him there and inspire us to be strong and bold, and out there. He’s been a bit of an inspiration for most of us that live in this community. My mahi is purely around whānau transformation and how we create opportunities for our people to connect and transform their health and wellbeing, their education opportunities, and having those at in the centre of their communities, and somewhere where they don’t have to leave, and know that we can connect anywhere we can.

He kākano ahau i ruia mai i Rangiātea.

A seed is always grown to then flourish to be whatever that person’s dreams and aspirations for their life become. So, the fruits of that become everything that grows from that one seed.”