Ka whati te tai, ka pao te tōrea When the tide parts, the oyster catcher strikes.

I am named after my grandfather Paora Whaanga who passed away in 2019. At his tangihanga, Grandma asked me to lead the services. I was comfortable speaking at the Chapel in Nuhaka, but I was ashamed that I had to speak English in our wharenui at Kahungunu marae in Nuhaka. Grandpa was my hero and had been a kaikōrero or speaker at Kahungunu and other local marae in the region. Following this painful experience, I determined to learn my language no matter the cost. I quit my job without a stable financial plan and enrolled in Te Tohu Paetahi and later Te Pinaakitanga o te reo Kairangi. With five young children at home, this was no easy feat.

Ka pu te ruha, ka pao te rangatahi. The old net withers, the new net goes fishing.

When I joined Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, there was no creative team. All of the workbooks for 30,000 students were designed in Microsoft Word. It was wild. Several leaders trusted me to turn that into a creative team of 25 people, working on major projects of national significance. Working under the guidance of culture experts like Paraone Gloyne and other leaders, I found a passion for helping others, growing talent and creating pathways for the next generation.

Ki te kahore he kitenga, ka ngaro te iwi Without vision, the people are lost

The key is having a shared vision of the future that we want to work towards together. This allows us to do something difficult as a group that we couldn’t do alone. I’m inspired by Puniu River Care who have grown and planted over 1.4 million trees within the Waipā, King Country and Waikato regions. They are on track to supplying 1 million native trees to other community projects annually. Yet they started with a small

group of people and a watering hose at the back of Mangatoatoa marae. Working with a group of like-minded people gives energy to go through the creative process together, to overcome challenges and to stay on the journey for long term results.

Mahuru Māori is a challenge by Paraone Gloyne to encourage speakers of te reo Māori to do so during the marama or lunar month of Mahuru. This falls roughly around the Gregorian September. It has been a real privilege to support this movement grew to having 16,000 regist

Mahia I raro i te rangimarie me te ngākau māhaki. With a peaceful heart and respectful heart we get the best results.

The kaupapa that truly awakens people’s heart, mind and soul must speak to all three dimensions. It is the blend of these three that builds healthy families, communities and our nation of Aotearoa New Zealand. In other words, it is strategy for the head, creative for the eye and wairua/ spiritual for the heart and soul.

A major Māori movement I have been able to support is the celebration and acceptance of Matariki as part of our national identity. Working alongside Rangi Mātāmua to bring Te Iwa o Matariki to life helped create the first introduction of Matariki across the education, government and community spaces.

Ko te pae tawhiti whāia kia tata. Ko te pae tata, whakamaua kia tina. Pursue distant horizons and bring them closer. Secure near horizons so they are fastened.

I attended one of Ira’s workshops, where we discussed complex and important shifts happening in Aotearoa. But what struck me was the simplicity by which Johnson could articulate a vision of Aotearoa that connected spiritual, cultural and economic insights into actionable principles and priorities. The world is complex. But we need simple cultural intelligence to shape solutions from diverse cultural perspectives. I am inspired by the way Ira thinks deeply, strategically and culturally. But that its simple, creative and motivating means it has the power to spark a movement. I want to be a part of this movement and to contribute with my experience, networks and solutions.