Matetu Mihinui - Te Arawa
As the kōrero goes, ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. I am a child of my small Māori village in Rotorua, called Whakarewarewa. Tangata Whenua was not a word that I was familiar with until I got a bit older, but I now understand it through my experience of growing up in the steam, the river, our geothermal springs, my marae and as a host to many cultures of the world. My professional practice has been based on the responsibility my Village has on behalf of Māoridom, in Manaakitanga and Kaitiakitanga of people and culture.