NUKU

Maia Mariner (Ngai Tai, Samoa) is the founder of Lazy Sneakers, a not-for-profit organisation that collects and redistributes reusable sneakers for free. Maia is 15. She came up with this idea at 12 and has enabled tamariki to participate in sports and other activities, right across Pōneke and around the country, with a simple pair of shoes.

From size 18-plus basketball kicks, to a styley pair of chucks, this kōhine is changing lives.

In this episode Maia gives us an insight into what it’s like being a young Indigneous woman in Aotearoa today. She shares with us the highlights of her mahi helping young and old and opens our eyes to the realities of running a charity, while still being in high school. And, (thanks to some encouragement from her whāngai NUKU aunties) she tells you how you can help her achieve her dreams.

Tiffany Witehira (Ngāpuhi) is reputedly the only Māori fragrance developer in the world. She runs the only Māori owned and operated perfumery in the world, Curionoir.

From making fragrances, to collaborating with like-minded artisans, she loves to curate experiences that tie in all our senses. From her hand-blown glass bottles, to the hand poured perfumes that evoke an array of memories, every element of her business and being is thoughtful and personal.

In this episode we talk about her journey, the challenges of growing up in a predominantly Pākeha upper class world after leaving her papakāinga-based childhood, and, she shares with me her unreleased native plant fragrance collection while I try my best to sound fancy while describing the smell and memories it evokes. We definitely tried some new things with this podcast.

Dr Kelly Tikao (Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe, Kāi Tahu) is a Māori researcher, Nurse, māmā, and self-described dabbler in the creative fields.

Based in Ōtautahi, she became interested in customary birthing practices following her cousin’s experience with home birth. She began implementing some of those practices into her own birth experiences with her children, and progressed into a Masters and then PhD on the kaupapa.

In this episode we talk about hapūtanga, birthing, story and liberation.

Today we celebrate the halfway mark of the NUKU 100 with a very special NUKU //050. Linda Aumua (Fijian) is a passionate advocate for educational equity for Pacific people’s in Aotearoa. She is also the māmā of our videographer, Taylor.

Linda has worked in community development and as a teacher, director and senior policy analyst, transforming lives through access and success in education from preschool to tertiary both here and in Fiji.

In this episode we talk about the power of education, Linda’s experiences working across the Pacific, Indigenous female leadership and, we talk about motherhood, from the lessons her own mother taught her, to the ones she is imparting on her own children.

Hana Tuwhare (Ngāpuhi) is a community activator and speech language therapist. She works alongside whānau, kaiako, iwi, early education centres and organisations to help create rich oral language environments for our pēpi in the first 1000 days.

She recognises the links between language, culture and identity, putting a focus on mātauranga Māori through her mahi to support young tamariki to thrive as thinkers, learners and readers who, are also grounded in who they are.

In this episode we talk about the importance of talk and oral language for our babies, we get tips for teaching and learning at home and Hana shares with us her experience touring with a big top travelling circus.

Ema Tavola (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 kāinga and settling in Aotearoa as a teen.

In this episode we talk about Moana Oceania arts and its importance to Aotearoa, we discuss her career and how her role as a mother has shaped her and her values in this creative space and, Ema speaks openly about miscarriage and baby loss, reminding wāhine with similar experiences, that we are not alone.

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 isn't always easy, but when you are driven by kaupapa, it is always worth it.

In this episode we talk about the power of language, the pursuit of success and, how the lived experience of Lizzie’s grandparents, particularly her grandfather facing racism, her grandmother escaping Hitler, have shaped her and the change she wants to make in this world.

NUKU //045 Rebecca Davis (No Ngāti Hei, Ngāti Porou ki Harataunga, Ngāti Tamatera Te Arawa, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga) is a change agent, and NUKU //046 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 are a force who want to see our people thrive.

In this episode we talk about single-parent experiences from the different perspectives of mother and daughter, we discuss the importance of system change and Indigenous systems return and Stevie shares her tips on how to write poetry and performs one of her compelling pieces about moko kauae.

Maruhaeremuri 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 wahine toa, lead character.

In this episode we talk about being an Indigenous woman in a male-dominated industry, she shares her transition from a career in hospitality to tech, tells us the realities of pitching for million dollar projects and, shares some memories of favourite old-school game, ghost and goblins.

We travelled to Te Tauihu to meet NUKU 43 Kerensa Johnston (Ngāti Tama, Ngāruahine, Ngāti Whawhakia). She 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, which was won in the Supreme Court.

Today, her role has a focus on leading her whānau through the sustainable use of their land and resources, including a focus in areas of food sovereignty, innovation, and Indigenous science.

In this episode we talk about that supreme court case and the legacy of Wakatū, about harnessing the strengths of different iwi and hapū, and her mahi with Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, the Māori Centre of Research Excellence.