NUKU

Angela Watene lives in the city that never sleeps, New York, New York, working as a management consultant with one of the world's largest accountancy firms.  Her current area of focus is financial crimes, working with organisations to help mitigate against the threat of fraud. Of Tainui whakapapa, Angela grew up in Māngere. Her career started at Price Chopper Otahuhu and KFC at the local town centre. She didn't go to university, didn't graduate with honours, instead her adventurous spirit took her on a trip to London for her big OE. Her work ethic carried her through a range of temp jobs, and her dedication and openness to all opportunities, set her up on a path that would take her around the world. At 40, she has already travelled to more than 50 countries, but home will always be where the heart is, Aotearoa. Today we kōrero to Angela about her International career, her passion for travel, and what its like living across the road from Jennifer Anniston. 

Hana Tapiata is a lifestyle blogger living by indigenous philosophies and mātauranga Māori. Her passion is promoting tūpuna mātauranga in as many different mediums, and on as many different platforms, as possible. 

With a combined online following of more than 20,000, this self-published author believes that if you know yourself, and your whakapapa intimately, nothing will stop you living into your potential. 

In this episode we talk about rugby, and rock lifting. About Tahiti’s ancestral games and, about becoming a self-published author. We learn how to adapt ancient knowledge into a modern context and, how to connect with tūpuna and atua, to interperet their pūrākau, their legends and stories, to help guide our lives. 

 In 2018 Aotearoa celebrated 125 years of suffrage. Of women winning the right to vote. One wahine who played an integral part in that history making moment was Meri Te Tai Mangakahia. Of Te Reinga, Ngati Manawa and Te Kaitutae of Te Rarawa, she was the first woman ever recorded to have addressed the Kotahitanga Parliament. In that time she requested Māori women not only be given the vote, but that they also be eligble to sit in the Māori Parliament. 

In our only posthumous profile for the #NUKU100 we learn about this rangatira though her great granddaughter Challen Wilson, and great grand niece, Emma Frost. They share their stories of their kuia, her personality, her political influence, and how her journey has inspired their pathways today.

Dr Lily Fraser is a GP with a special interest in low carb high/healthy fat nutrition. With a 15 year medical career she has seen the effects of chronic illness and, on the flip side, the positive effects a lifestyle change can have on individuals. She wants to show that low carb is a normal way of eating. You could even say, a traditional way of eating. 

In this episode we speak with the Turuki Healthcare Clinical Director about her Kai Tahu whakapapa and, being a Māori female in the medical industry. We learn about the low carb lifestyle and its effects on health and wellbeing and, we talk about healthy lifestyle options to help whānau realise we don't have to be resigned to a life of metabolic disease.

In this episode we talk about growing up outside of your culture and reclaiming our Indigenous practices and systems. We have a great conversation about ikura (menstruation),  going right back to Hine-nui-te-pō and the first period. We discuss the way our tūpuna would celebrate ikura and, how colonisation has changed those practices. We also discuss Michele’s determination to end period poverty in Aotearoa.

Of Tainui &Ngati Pāoa descent Michele grew up identifying as an ‘urban’ Māori. And although she didn’t learn te reo me ōna tikanga as a child, she always felt an incredible connection to her tūpuna and te ao Māori. After working (unhappily) as a corporate lawyer and then suffering with postnatal depression after the birth of her second child, she was led into the ngahere to begin her healing and her journey to reconnect with her culture. Now, the owner of Frankie Apothecary, a rongoa-based skincare company, is helping other women and their families heal through natural remedies.

Michele is also the CEO and creator of IamEva, New Zealand’s first period-proof underwear brand.

At only 25 Jacqueline Paul (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga) is already working in policy advocacy with a passion to have the youth and Indigenous voice included across governance boards. 

This landscape architect has a keen research interest focused in building better homes, towns and communities. She wants to improve Māori housing, mobilise rangatahi (youth) and Māori voices, and improve architecture and urban planning with transformative policies. The big goal? Help hapū become sustainable and, help eradicate homelessness. 

In this episode we talk about how Indigenous design principals and urban papakāinga can respond to the homeless crisis, the importance of co-design and community-led initiatives. We discuss the mulitiple uses of land as a key resource and, the importance of advocating for rangatahi Māori to get a seat at the table. 

Designer and weaver Kiri Nathan has spent the past 9 years building a fashion brand from competition-winning garments at Style Pasifika to a high-end label dressing some of the world’s most influential people, including Beyonce, Barack and Michelle Obama and, our Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern.

In this episode she shares her journey. We talk about her childhood in Scotland growing up on the motorcycle racing circuit, her time as a 19 year old solo mother studying Visual Arts and working as a flight attendant, right through to her venture into fashion design and business.There a some gems about how to find your inspiration, the power of a strong support system and, embracing your difference in a competitive industry. Kiri also talks about being challenged on her “Māoriness”, being influenced by the groundbreaking Pacific Sisters and, how she, supported by her husband and 5 children, is helping change the culture in the fashion space. 

Mojo Juju is from Te Whenua Moemoeā, the land of dreamtime, Australia. She is an ARIA nominated artist of mixed Filipino and Aboriginal heritage, from the Wiradjuri people of NSW. Her latest album Native Tongue is her most personal yet. It talks about being mixed race and, that feeling of straddling a line between where you belong and, questioning if you are enough. 

I sat down with the singer-songwriter in between sound check during a recent gig in Auckland to talk about identity, racism and what it feels like to be displaced and have lost connection to your Indigenous culture. We also discuss her views on being alienated by both the mainstream and, your own people. Mojo shares her journey of being a queer woman of colour, we talk Australian politics and, celebrate how she is proudly smashing stereotypes in the music industry.

In this episode we meet Veesh Patuwai (nee Armstrong) and talk about life in the Far North, the gentrification and regeneration of her Glen Innes community and, how she playing her part in raising the next generation of Indigenous female leaders.

Melissa Robinson-Cole is of Ngāti Hine and Ngāti Kahu descent.  She is a full-time artist and designer, and is also a staunch advocate for body positivity. Lissy, as she likes to be known, is also a walking bubble of joy. It's a feeling she is passionate about, going as far as covering her car in fluro/neon crochet for her latest art project #JoyRide - spreading joy, quite literally, around town. She is effervescent, vibrant and, makes a really yummy cheese dip!  In this episode of NUKU she talks about celebrating joy after experiencing heart-wrenching loss and sadness, her dream to crochet a wharenui and, the incredibly political act of loving your body, when the world says you shouldn't.