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//048 Ema Tavola, artist-curator

Ema (Dravuni – Fiji, Pākehā) is an artist-curator which she says mostly involved her being an arts manager, advocate and hype woman of Moana Oceania arts and culture. She is the Director of Vunilagi Vou, an independent exhibitions gallery and consultancy in South Auckland. She is also a māmā to her daughter, Lanuola. Born in Fiji and raised in the UK and Europe as an ambassador’s daughter, she has lived through a civilian coup back in her homeland before finding a second k...

//047 Lizzie Dunn, creator of library app for Indigenous stories

Lizzie Dunn (Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Te Arawa) is on a mission to help people learn Indigenous languages through technology. The founder of Lingogo is doing so through her passion for storytelling, creating dual-language e-books. Having a background in publishing and, working with NZ Film Commission, Lizzie used her experience to create the digital start-up in a new industry. The business hustle isnt always easy, but when you are driven by kaupapa, it is always worth it. In thi...

//045 Rebecca Davis, change agent + //046 Stevie Davis-Tana, spoken word poet and youth worker

Rebecca Davis (Ngāti Hei, Ngāti Porou ki Harataunga, Ngāti Tamatera Te Arawa, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga) is a change agent, and Stevie Davis – Tana (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Porou, Te Arawa, Ngāti Raukawa) is a powerful spoken word poet and youth worker. The mother-daughter duo are creating impactful change right across Aotearoa. Through Rebecca’s impact strategy mahi transforming communities and organisations, to Stevie’s creative ventures empowering our rangatahi, the pair...

//044 Maruhaeremuri Nihoniho, game

Maruhaeremuri (known as Maru) Nihoniho (Ngāi Tahu, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Porou) spent much of her childhood beating high scores on the spacies machines at her local fish and chip shop. That childhood pass time turned into a passion, as Maru became the founding CEO Metia Interactive, developing and producing games for multiple platforms. She uses games to tell Indigenous stories, and her passion project Guardian Maia, is an action-adventure game that explores te ao Māori with a wahi...

//043 Kerensa Johnston, Wakatū Inc CEO

Kerensa Johnston (Ngāti Tama, Ngāruahine, Ngāti Whawhakia) is the CEO of Wakatū Incorporation, which has about 4,000 owners who descend from whānau and hapū of Whakatū, Motueka and Mōhua rohe. Kerensa has worked as as a solicitor in the private sector, a Barrister and, as a legal academic where she specialised in Māori legal development, public law, land law and international law. She was part of the Nelson Tenths Reserves and Occupation Reserves case against the NZ Government, whi...

//042 Rachel Taulelei, businesswoman + governance guru

Rachel Taulelei (Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Koata) is the CEO of Kono, a whānau-owned food and beverage company that boasts horticulture, seafood and of course, award-winning wine. Guided by Te Pae Tawhiti, a 500 year plan for success, Rachel is at the helm of a unique business model with kaitiakitanga at its core. With a career that has spanned law, international trade and enterprise, business and, governance, you can understand why she is highly sought after in rol...

//040 Hiria Cameron & //041 Kat Poi, racial equity educators

Hiria Cameron and Kat Poi are sisters. Of Tainui, Te Arawa and Tongan whakapapa, the pair both work in racial equity education, building people’s skill, capacity and knowledge to engage, sustain and deepen conversation about race. Their mahi contributes to humanity achieving liberation and equity, while also empowering people to be healthy and, to thrive in their identities. They do this through one courageous conversation at a time. In this episode we talk about black lives and whit...

//039 Donna Kerridge, rongoā Māori practitioner

Donna Kerridge (Ngāti Tahinga, Ngāti Mahuta) is a tohunga of Rongoā Māori, although she doesn’t describe herself as that. The humble practitioner, tutor and advocate is passionate about Indigenous practices that focus on healing and restoring our people and, our whenua. Rongoā is a practice she learnt from childhood, growing up in a whānau that would seek their medicine from the bush, and from each other.In this episode we talk about orangatanga and all that entails. We discuss the ...

//038 Kristin Ross, producer + Pipi Mā creator

Kristin Ross (Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Tara) is an entrepreneur, a producer and a creative. If you have tamariki, you will likely know her best as the co-founder and co-creator (with her husband Hōhepa) of the first Māori speaking dolls, and associated cartoon, Pipi Mā. Kristin and her husband produce Māori language content for digital and television broadcast, and while te reo Māori is now the primary language in their home, it wasn’t something she grew up with. In this episode...

//037 Kiriwaitingi Rei, solicitor + CE of Māori Investments

Kiriwaitingi Rei (Te Arawa, Ngāti Awa ki Rangitaiki, Ngāti Toa Rangatira) has worked in governance for almost 10 years. Her mahi has seen her practice as a Solicitor and working for a post settlement iwi investment company before becoming the Chief Executive of Māori Investments. She recently became an independent director for the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union, the first wahine to be appointed to the board in its 108 year history. In this episode we talk about smashing stereotypes on th...

//036 Angela Swann-Cronin, pilot

Angela Swann-Cronin (Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata) is the first, and still the only, wahine Māori to become a pilot in the Royal NZ Airforce. A title she has held since 1999. Her career has gone from working in the military, to becoming a pilot with a regional commercial carrier, celebrating a few seaplane and skydive flying experiences in between. The māmā of two who has whakapapa to the East Coast, was born and raised in Rotorua, and although she spent much of her life travelling t...

//035 Terangi Roimata Kutia-Tataurangi, nail technician specialising in Māori nail art

Terangi Roimata Kutia-Tataurangi (Ngāti Konohi, Te Aitanga a Hauiti) is the only nail technician in the world that specialises in Māori nail art.She has coined the term Toimaikuku for her unique style that blends new beauty techniques with Indigenous design, offering both a nail salon experience and retail nail wraps. Born and raised in Te Tairāwhiti, the māmā of two is a graduate of Toihoukura, and is challenging the norms of Indigenous art practice. In this episode we talk about...

//034 Dr Diana Kopua, psychiatrist + co-founder of Mahi a Atua

Dr Diana Kopua (Ngāti Porou) is a psychiatrist that is changing the system by preferencing Indigenous approaches to orangatanga. As the developer of Mahi a Atua, she uses Māori creation stories and pūrākau to transform mental health frameworks, providing an affirmation of our amazing genealogy and validation for our resilience. Dr Di is teaching communities of practice an alternative to the Western model, using a culturally sensitive new therapy to address mental distress and ...

//033 Tina Ngata, researcher + advocate for Indigenous peoples

Tina Ngata (Ngāti Porou) has spent her life showing up for justice. Working in advocacy for Indigenous peoples and Papatūānuku, her passion led her to become an active researcher, mahi that works in research while also committing to being an active part of the solution. She believes that in order to achieve lasting social and environmental justice, we must first start with decolonisation and dismantling the doctrine of discovery. In this episode, we talk about imperialism ...

//032 Honey Hireme-Smiler, dual-code sportswoman

Honey Hireme-Smiler (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Haua, Waikato-Tainui) is a sporting icon. The current captain of the Kiwi Ferns is a dual-code sportswoman with a career that has spanned 18 years and counting. The semi-professional athlete is also a disability sports adviser and sports commentator, smashing stereotypes across the sector. Born and raised in Putāruru, Honey invites us back to her whānau homestead to share her story. From her childhood days playing every sport the rural...

//031 Courtney Jamieson, jeweller

Courtney Jamieson (Tainui, Ngāti Koroki Kahukura) is a jeweller, artist and a lapidist – someone who cuts and shapes precious stones.Through her business – Courtney Marama, she designs bespoke jewellery, handcrafted in precious metals and set with gemstones from Aotearoa mainly working with Pounamu. Her unique approach to Pounamu, marries tradition with innovative design, shaping delicate pieces not commonly made from this taonga.In this episode, we talk about her upbringing in Cambrid...

//030 Kera Sherwood O’Regan, climate activist + founder of Fribromyalgia Aotearoa

Kera Sherwood-O’Regan (Kāi Tahu) is a young wahine who lives with Fibromyalgia. She started the organisation Fibromyalgia Aotearoa NZ  to help others living with the condition. Alongside this mahi, she also runs Activate, a social enterprise creative agency with a focus on bringing voice to social and environmental kaupapa. Since age 16, Kera has advocated for Indigenous rights. She is a staunch climate activist and has represented Indigenous Aotearoa a number of times at the U...

//029 Kanoa Lloyd, television presenter

Kanoa (Ngāti Porou, Tūhoe) started off as a kid’s tv presenter and is now one of very few (less than a handful on our count) wahine Māori to lead prime time television in Aotearoa.Born in Gisborne, she spent much of her childhood moving around Tokomaru Bay, East Cape and Coromandel, before moving to Cromwell. Recently reconnecting to Ruatoria has become a significant part of her adult life and was key in her journey to strengthen her hononga to all sides of her whakapapa.Using her platform ...

//028 Marama Davidson, politician

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//027 Tia Taurere-Clearsky, documentary-maker + activist

Tia Taurere-Clearsky lives in Vancouver. It is the tupuna whenua of her husband and where she is raising her tamariki for the time being. Of Ngā Puhi and Te Aupōuri whakapapa, she is a māmā of six and the director of Whaea Productions. She has spent many years working towards the protection of our taiao, and challenging decision-makers in their recognition of Indigenous peoples.Being so far from home she finds solace in the Indigenous communities around her, and has focussed much of her...

//026 Rangimarie Pomare, tumuaki

Rangimarie Pomare is the tumuaki of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Tututarakihi in the Far North. At only 29, she is transforming the education system by creating a unique kura embedded in tikanga Māori with a goal to actively exercise tino rangatiratanga. Tututarakihi aligns its school term with the maramataka. The curriculum caters to the interests of its tamariki, and the taiao as a core part of the classroom. Language, mathematics and science are learnt through diving, fishing, entrepre...

//025 Julia Mage’au Gray, dancer + mark maker

Julia Mage’au Gray is a dancer, mark maker, storyteller.Of Papua New Guinean and Australian heritage, she created the film Tep Tok : Reading Between Our Lines, sharing the journey to raise awareness for the dying art form that she is helping revive through her hand poke and hand tap method.She talks to us about her practice, about women’s traditional roles in mark making, and reviving the old, to new old....

//024 Nikau Hindin, reviver of Aute

Nikau Hindin is reviving the traditional artform of Aute.The full time artist is a bark cloth maker and currently living in Turanga (Gisborne). Her Aute pieces are adorned with celestial patterns, combining ancestral knowledge of Kapa and star navigation.In this episode we talk about how Hawaii helped Nikau find her calling, how art school almost turned her off being an artist and, that time she ran off to be in the circus....

//023 Aqui Thami, founder of Sister Library

Aqui is a Janajāti woman from the Himalayan regions of South Asia. She travelled to Aotearoa from India earlier this year for an exhibition we both participated in at ST PAUL st Gallery. It was in the middle of the Ihumātao reclamation and so we recorded her interview in a portacom, on the whenua.In this episode she shares the reality of being an indigenous Indian woman, of growing up in a militarised neighbourhood, the rules around when and how people can gather, and the truths of the te...

//022 Pualani Case, spiritual and cultural leader + kumu hula

Recently Pualani Case travelled to Aotearoa to bring us the stories of Hawaii and her fight to protect her maunga, Mauna Kea.Aunty Pua, as she is affectionately known, is a spiritual and cultural leader. She is a Kumu Hula, a teacher of traditional dance and chant, and is a passionate advocate for the Kanaka Maoli indigenous people of Hawaii.She holds multiple degrees, and was a public school teacher for more than 30 years, but today, she and her family work tirelessly to protect their ancestral...