Kia ora whanau! Welcome to the first episode of this Moko Kauae series where I (Vanessa) will be interviewing women who have carry a moko kauae. I wanted to have a platform for these women's stories to be heard and as a collective we will be able to educate others on what this taonga means to us.

I am joined by 19yr old Maumahara from Gisborne. We discuss what is was like for her growing up, what is a colonised way of thinking, connecting back to our culture, shame around wanting to connect back with our roots, what carrying her moko kauae means to her and so much more.

A reminder that each individual that I interview is simply sharing their story and what they believe to be true to them. This is not about finding out what the right answer is as I feel the right answer is what each individual chooses to believe.

Nga mihi xx