When Maakarita Paku was growing her family in the 1990s, it was a time of renaissance for Aotearoa's Maori people.

People like her were looking to their mothers and grandmothers to learn about the rituals that enabled women to endure the pain and risk of bringing new life into the world.

And she was one of many women who wanted to bring their children into a family that practiced those rituals.

Now, as more and more midwives are being trained to incorporate culture into safe birthing practices, Maakarita works as a Consumer Reviewer for the New Zealand College of Midwives – in other words, a traditional Maori Birth advocate.