Monty - This is Aotearoa

Monty | Avondale, Auckland

“Fakaalofa lahi atu kia mutolu oti, Ko e higoa haaku ko Monty lakatani. Hau au he tau maaga ko Hakupu mo Tuapa i Niue, Ka e nofo au i Avondale (Okalana, NZ).

Taha mena ne mitaki ke he haaku a loto, ko e taha mogo ne o a mautolu ke taute taha project – Koe “Three Star Nation”. Lahi e tau gahua ne taute. Hoko kehe mogo ke oti ai, kitia e tautolu e tau….kitia e tautolu e tau mailogaaga he tau matua – Ti tagi haaku loto. Lahi e haaku a Fakaalofa mo e haaku a ofania kehe tau mamatua ne kua mole atu. Taha e mena ne lagona kehe haaku a loto – Ko e ai iloa e tau magaaho to fano ai tau mamatua ha taua ha mautolu.

Translated

I am from the Villages of Hakupu and Tuapa on Niue Island, but I stay in Avondale. One moment that I am grateful for, recently we accomplished a film project for Hakupu Village called the “Three Star Nation”. I had contributed a lot of time and effort toward this. When we got to see the finished videos from the project – we saw a montage of all our parents and grandparents who are not with us today. My Heart Cried. I really love and miss my family who have passed away. One thing that I felt about this moment is – we will never know when our elders will leave us. We must cherish them now.”

What, if anything, have you done differently after visiting this site?

Hen

Hen

Hen | Hokitika, West Coast - "I’m the fifth generation. I wouldn’t say we own it, but we are like kaitiaki. Just having the river there and having all the stone there, it just kind of cemented us as people. It’s made us who we are."
Jay

Jay

Jay | Whanganui, Manawatū-Whanganui - "II’m really grateful to have been a part of that whole journey from a 14 year old where our people peacefully reclaimed that land. To now where the partnerships between local iwi, local government and Central Government are well enough that we can actually sit down in that space and kōrero, and share and be able to pass on some of the important knowledge about that place."
Karney

Karney

Karney | Aramoho, Manawatū-Whanganui - "II’m really grateful to have been a part of that whole journey from a 14 year old where our people peacefully reclaimed that land. To now where the partnerships between local iwi, local government and Central Government are well enough that we can actually sit down in that space and kōrero, and share and be able to pass on some of the important knowledge about that place."
Jecheala

Jecheala

Jecheala | Mt Roskill, Auckland - "I think being able to share the Māori culture, the indigenous culture of New Zealand and having people appreciate it, just as much as I do, was very enlightening and heart-warming for me. It teaches me that there is a willingness to share cultures here in New Zealand not just for people learning Māori, but for me, learning other cultures."
Tes

Tes

Tes | Tauhara, Waikato - "I know it sounds really funny, but I’m grateful for the time where I lost my home, I lost my children, I lost my family connections, and I’m grateful for the many experiences, the many painful experiences that brought me to a place where I had the opportunity to learn about myself."
Anaru

Anaru

Anaru | Māngere, Auckland - "For me, it was finding out what I really wanted to do with my life, and so when I returned back home, I didn’t know what I was going to do. I managed to enrol into an art and design course, in Manukau, and I realise that this is what I really wanted to do."
Brendon

Brendon

Brendon | Nukuhau, Waikato - "It was really encouraging to be able to see young people like these two men actually passing it forward, reflecting back the mahi, the work that we do out in the local community. For me, that was really encouraging to know that the fight’s worth fighting for."
Exodyss and Tez

Exodyss and Tez

Exodyss and Tez | Henderson, Auckland - "It’s good, because most friends, they leave you, and stuff like that. So, I’m grateful that we’re best friends, and so close."
Jamie

Jamie

Jamie | Hokitika, West Coast - "Tāua passed away, and it was a wee bit hard for me and my family and whānau, but I have a brother up in Auckland, and he’d always cheer me up, and I was just real grateful for him, for those couple of weeks"
Jas

Jas

Jas | Gonville, Manawatū-Whanganui - "I recently, just this year, lost my husband, and I’ve been really, really grateful for the support of friends and family but most particularly of his hapu, his extended family at Kaiwhaiki."

Monty | Avondale, Auckland

“Fakaalofa lahi atu kia mutolu oti, Ko e higoa haaku ko Monty lakatani. Hau au he tau maaga ko Hakupu mo Tuapa i Niue, Ka e nofo au i Avondale (Okalana, NZ).

What, if anything, have you done differently after visiting this site?

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