Julie Rose (she/her) has been a radio journalist in the States for 20 years. She also hosts a radio show and podcast called "Top of Mind", where she explores how to make difficult conversations productive. In this episode of Getting Reflective, Julie and I explore the power of curiosity, when navigating disagreements. The goal of our conversation was to identify ways to bridge the gap, in an increasingly polarized society.

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My music is written and recorded by the Kingston High All Stars, in Wellington New Zealand.

My graphics are done by MyMaggsyMayCo, in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. 

‘Ana Coffey (she/her) is a Māori and Tongan mother, public servant, and icon. In this episode, I ask Ana about her extensive career in the public service, both as an elected official and as a Principal Advisor in various central and local government departments. We discuss the difference between re-indigenising and decolonising, and Ana shares a decision-making framework that she uses on a daily basis, both inside and out of work: Tika, Pono, Aroha.

Te reo Māori words: 

Kia ora: a commonly used greeting 

Whakapapa: genealogy, a way of recounting one’s identity 

Kaupapa: a principle, policy, or topic

Mahi: work 

Te ao Maori: the Māori worldview

Mana wahine: a powerful indigenous woman

Tane: a man (Māori) 

Pakeha: white person

Tika: correct  

Pono: true

Aroha: love 

Whanau: family

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This episode was recorded in March 2024.

Music by the Kingston High All Stars in Wellington, New Zealand.

Graphics by Maggie Walch in Ontario, Canada.

Priya Patel (she/her) is a public servant who was born in Gujarat, a state in west India. During this interview, Priya generously shares about her upbringing, what it was like immigrating to Auckland, New Zealand at the age of nine, and the values that underpin her worldview. We discuss how she’s turned negative experiences in her childhood into a framework for supporting and uplifting women of colour.

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Our conversation was recorded in November 2023.

My music is written and recorded by the Kingston High All Stars in Wellington, New Zealand.

My graphics are done by MyMaggsyMayCo, in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. 

Benji Moorehouse (he/him) is an academic, public servant, and advocate for the importance of youth voices at decision-making tables. Benji is passionate about centering indigenous-led approaches, caring for our environment, and paving the way for the next generation of change-makers in Government. 

In this episode, Benji and I discussed what it means to be an ally as white immigrants to Aotearoa New Zealand. This included conversation about the ways in which we were “welcomed in” to learn about te ao Māori and te reo Māori. We spoke about privilege, times we’ve gotten things wrong, and influential teachings we’ve turned to along our journey to improve ourselves. We discussed the “colonizer mindset” and explored Benji’s perspective on allyship as an openly gay man from the UK, on a lifelong journey of learning and unlearning. 

Throughout the episode, we use some te reo Māori words, which are defined below: 

Kia ora: a commonly used greeting 

Pepeha: a way of introducing yourself in Māori that tells the story of people and places you’re connected to  

Mahi: work 

Whenua: land

Kaitiakitanga: guardianship of the sky, sea, and land (a Māori term)

Pakeha: White person, or white person in Aotearoa New Zealand

Mana whenua: People who are indigenous to the land  

Te Tiriti: Short for Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Treaty of Waitangi 

Te Reo: the Māori language

Te Ao Māori: the Māori worldview

Manaaki: to take care of, protect, give hospitality to

Mana-enhancing: approaching something or someone with respect and mutual understanding

Kaumatua: a respected tribal elder in a Māori community

Noho Marae: An overnight stay on a Marae

Mātauranga or Mātauranga Māori: Māori knowledge. It's a modern term that broadly includes traditions, values, concepts, philosophies, world views and understandings derived from uniquely Māori cultural points of view.

Kōrero: a talk, discussion, or meeting

Tōku Reo: is a language learning show created by Professor John Moorfield. It’s a fun and vibrant way of learning Te Reo Māori in the comfort of your own home.”

Benji lives in te-Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) with his partner, Devin. 

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This episode was recorded in March 2023.

My music is written and recorded by the Kingston High All Stars in Wellington, New Zealand.

My graphics are done by MyMaggsyMayCo, in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. 

Getting Reflective - a podcast about unlearning, with Lindsay Bindman (she/her)

A lot of what we’re taught growing up, either through our schooling, the media, or simply wider society, is harmful. 

We know that people aren’t born racist, sexist, or homophobic. They learn it. And so, we must unlearn. With this in mind, I have embarked on a lifelong journey of unlearning and relearning. And it’s not one I can go on alone. I am meeting, connecting with, and learning from activists, public servants, migrants, writers, artists, poets, and anyone who is dedicating time to leaving our fractured world better than we found it.

Sometimes during our quest to unlearn, and to be better allies out in the world, we get things wrong! I believe we should embrace that. No one is perfect, but together we can get better. I like to think of this podcast as not a calling out, but a calling in. I’d love you to join me on this journey. So listen, reflect, write to me, and let’s discuss! 

In this introductory episode, I’ve included some snippets of my interviews thus far, to give you a sense of what we’re discussing, and show you how much fun we can have along the way. 

I hope you enjoy.

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My music is written and recorded by the Kingston High All Stars in Wellington, New Zealand.

My graphics are done by MyMaggsyMayCo, in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.