Bella Takiari-Brame
Qualifications: NZ Chartered Accountant, Associate member of Association of Corporate Treasurers UK, Masters in Management Studies with Distinction, Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting and Finance, Bachelor of Management Studies, Studying towards a Diploma in Te Reo M膩ori
Iwi: Ng膩ti Maniapoto
Subjects: Te Reo M膩ori, Te Tohu Paetahi
Occupation: Independent Director (Audit and Risk Committee, and Portfolio Investments) 鈥� Te Ohu Kai Moana, Mangapapa B2 Incorporation Management Committee member and Consultant
Ng膩ti Maniapoto t艒ku iwi me Ng膩ti Te Waha r膩ua ko Ng膩ti R艒ra 艒ku hap奴.
My husband and I and our 3 tamariki (under 5) braved the 24 hours non-stop flight from London early this year after 8 years away. It had taken us almost 3 years of planning to finally get home including deciding to take this year off to do Te Reo M膩ori. For me having studied the reo since 3rd form at school up until my final year in my Bachelors degree in the early 90鈥檚, this year was about refreshing my knowledge and regaining the confidence to k艒rero after being away for so long with the main goal of teaching our children to speak M膩ori at home.
We chose to do the Te Tohu Paetahi programme because of its reputation amongst our peers along with being "slightly" biased having done all my tertiary education at Te Whare W膩nanga o Waikato. As one of many in our class that had "been there and done that" in terms of already having a good foundation of Te Reo M膩ori, it shocked me early on to realise I had a lot of gaps in my understanding of constructions and going back to basics did me wonders.
In one of my last k艒rero-a-waha (oral presentations in M膩ori) I explained how when I started this year where my potiki (youngest child) was my piripoho (baby still being breastfed), and now he is my whaip墨hau (following me around like a bad smell). This is my analogy I attach to describing my learning of Te Reo. Hopefully soon I will be running in speaking M膩ori when he starts to run physically.
I know I can watch Te Kaea or Te Karere without English subtitles, and my latest achievement was to hold a 20 minute converstation in Te Reo with a Senior M膩ori MP during a conference in Wellington.
The key challenge for me with such young children is when they were sick I was unable to attend class, so at times I was constantly having to catch up as everyday alot of content was covered. My lecturers Matua 膾noka Murphy and Whaea Sophie Nock had very different, distinct teaching styles but really complemented each other and just made our learning experiences ever richer. My fellow classmates from Ng膩 hau e wh膩 and all different experiences and levels of Te Reo gave us a wider wh膩nau to share the load, when at times it was difficult. At the same time alot of laughs were had when times were lighter, and most of all we learnt from each other.
Finally having spent the last 8 years in London working as an Accountant for one of the largest companies in the world, returning home and choosing to do the TTP programme was the best decision my husband Lui and I could have done for us, and for our children. All I say you only live once; no regrets. Just do it!
What does the future hold for me? Who knows? But the dream is to go back to my own iwi with my international business experience and knowledge, and start to pay my debt I owe to them for their support for my education. Having my reo will just make my journey home easier.
Glenn Tootill
Qualifications: BSc, LLBK膩whia Moana, K膩whia Kai, K膩whia Tangata
I have a passion for the advancement of M膩ori, in particular my iwi Ng膩ti Maniapoto and Waikato. Having practiced in the law for a number of years in particular appearing before the Waitangi Tribunal I had a desire to learn to speak the reo. Whilst improving my reo will help with my mahi the main reason I wanted to learn to speak te reo so I could interact with my t奴puna in their reo, and so I could pass on the reo to my children. The reason I chose to study the reo at the 糖心Vlog was because of the excellent reputation of the Te Tohu Paetahi course and because of the format of the class; full immersion from 9am - 3pm.
Having made the decision to return to study I have no regrets. The course provides students of all abilities to extend the abilities. The course provides a challenge particularly for those like myself who only had a limited grasp of the reo before the class, however the support of kaiako and fellow classmates ensured I made it through the course.
For anyone who has a passion to learn te reo M膩ori and are weighing up whether to take the plunge I would thoroughly recommend this course.
I currently work for local law firm McCaw Lewis specialing in Waitangi Tribunal claims, M膩ori Land law, Treaty settlements and M膩ori commercial work. I am heavily involved in the Waitangi Tribunal鈥檚 Te Rohe P艒tae District Inquiry and also have experience in commercial work, particularly leasing M膩ori freehold land. The skills I learnt studying Te Tohu Paetahi have meant I am able to more easily able to engage with my clients and whanaunga.
H艒hepa Tuahine
Qualifications: BA (Te Reo M膩ori/Tikanga M膩ori), Diploma in Audio Engineering (SAE Parnell)
Iwi: Ng膩i T奴hoe; Ng膩ti Hinekura, H膩mua; Ng膩ti Whakaue; Ng膩ti P奴kaki; Ng膩ti Ranginui; Ng膩ti Pango
Subjects: Te Reo M膩ori, Te Tohu Paetahi
Occupation: Honours Student
In 2010 my journey here at the 糖心Vlog. I gained entry to the Te Tohu Paetahi specialised programme. If you are serious about learning te reo M膩ori then TTP is for YOU! The days were intense and full of eager students that were on the same waka as I was. You will definitely get your daily dose of te reo M膩ori in this programme. The lecturers were second to none and the mere thought of learning in the same classes as the Greats that came before us was inspiring to say the least! TTP was a good introduction to the way the university worked this forged a robust foundation for the years ahead. One of the big challenges for me was keeping on top of my assignments and study. Believe me there is no way around it you just have to work at it piece by piece. The 2 years after that flew by and I am now completing a Honours programme and seriously considering my Masters for 2014. In the near future I want to combine my audio skills with te taha M膩ori to aid in the revitalisation of our language through multi-media applications.
Jamie Rolleston
Qualifications: BA, PGDip, Master of Arts (Te Reo M膩ori)
Iwi: Ng膩ti Whakaue; Ng膩i Te Rangi
Subjects: Te Reo M膩ori, Te Tohu Paetahi
I was born and bred in Rotorua, and attended Western Heights High School. After high school I was an exchange student in Brazil, where I learned Portuguese. However, the experience of learning a foreign language made me realise that there was a huge gap in my life, and that was my complete lack of ability to speak te reo M膩ori. I remember thinking that no foreign language would ever matter if I couldn鈥檛 speak my own.
When I came back to Aotearoa, I went straight from the airport to Te Whare W膩nanga o Waikato to enrol in Te Tohu Paetahi, the one year full time M膩ori language immersion programme. Prior to entering Te Tohu Paetahi, I had no reo other than the basics like 鈥楰ia ora鈥�, 鈥榢ai鈥�, 鈥榳harepaku鈥�, etc. My time with Te Tohu Paetahi was life changing, and since learning te reo M膩ori with Te Whare W膩nanga o Waikato I have seen the world in a new light.
After Te Tohu Paetahi, as an undergraduate student I struggled to stay focused at university, which I believe is something many students, especially M膩ori students experience. Living away from your wh膩nau support systems can be challenging, and it was without a doubt a mighty effort for me to push through till the end. Although it took me longer than it should have, and I fell down more times than I care to remember, with perseverance and the right support I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, followed by a Post Graduate Diploma and I am currently in the process of writing my Master鈥檚 thesis entirely in te reo M膩ori from my home base in Rotorua. It just goes to show that persevering pays off. Kia Manawa t墨t墨.
This year I was the recipient of the Te Kotahi Research Institute鈥檚 research excellence scholarship as well as a member of Te 膧hurutanga- M膩ori student leadership programme. I am also working as a mentor and tutor in Te Pua W膩nanga ki te Ao (Faculty of M膩ori and Indigenous Development). However, the greatest gift that has come from my time at Waikato is my language, which I can now teach to my baby son. To me, that鈥檚 not just personal transformation, but wh膩nau transformation. What could be better than that?
My future aspiration is to establish more avenues for te reo M膩ori learning in my home town, Rotorua. I believe that in order for our language to survive, it has to be seen, heard and spoken everywhere, by as many people as possible. My goal is to make that happen, through entrepreneurship, creativity and collaboration. I would also love to one day achieve my PhD through Te Whare W膩nanga o Waikato, to continue my lifelong learning journey.
Jillian Tipene
Qualifications: Te Tohu Paetahi/BA (M膩ori); Te T墨tohu Whakam膩ori/PgDipInt&Trans; MA (M膩ori) (First Class Honours); PhD (Pending examination)
Iwi: Te Rarawa (Te Uri o Hina); Ng膩ti Kahu (Ng膩i Tohianga)
Subjects: Te Reo M膩ori, Te Tohu Paetahi
Occupation: Currently awaiting oral examination for my PhD thesis.
I came to Te Pua W膩nanga ki te Ao as a mature student with one specific goal 鈥� 'kia whakapakari, kia whakawh膩nui i t艒ku reo'. Five years working in K艒hanga Reo had laid the foundations; enrolling in Te Tohu Paetahi turned out to be the best possible next step in realising that goal, enabling me to expand and enrich my reo proficiency, both spoken and written. And so, a scholar was born! That passion for te reo introduced me to translation, and the specialised training offered within Te Pua W膩nanga鈥檚 postgraduate diploma in interpreting and translating M膩ori, Te T墨tohu Whakam膩ori. Going on to complete Masters and PhD degrees, under the guidance of top-class supervisors, was a natural extension of that training, equipping me to take a kaupapa I am passionate about 鈥� the translation of historical M膩ori manuscripts 鈥� and explore a range of the complex issues involved, from the local perspective, to the global perspective. In the process, my ability to think critically has been refined and my research skills consolidated. I feel confident in the value of my PhD research as contributing a unique, indigenous perspective to the international literature in my field, as well as here at home.
As the first person in my wh膩nau to attend university, I have become a role model for my son, and my nieces and nephews, and normalised university study as a potential pathway for them. There have been challenges along the way: a major one being self-doubt, and also just feeling overwhelmed sometimes. Te Pua W膩nanga ki te Ao and the various support and development initiatives that are provided for M膩ori students 鈥� the T膩tai Aronui student mentoring service; Te Toi o Matariki graduate network and MAI ki Waikato postgraduate network 鈥� have been invaluable sources of whanaungatanga, mentoring and inspiration. Te Pua W膩nanga has been such an integral part of my life over the last nine years. At this point, I feel really grateful; I feel like a p奴rerehua, ready to spread my wings, well-equipped, culturally and academically, to take on the world.
N艒 reira, e aku nui, e aku rahi, me mihi ka tika ki te kura nei, ki Te Pua W膩nanga ki te Ao, 膩, ki ng膩 kaiako, ng膩 p奴kenga, ng膩 kai膩rahi hoki, koutou katoa i atawhai mai, i kaha poipoi mai i t膿nei uri n艒 Muriwhenua i roto i ng膩 tau maha. He mihi mutunga kore ki a koutou. T膿n膩 koutou!
Joeliee Seed-Pihama
Qualifications: BA (Hons), PGDipTrans&Inter, MA (Te Reo)
Iwi: Taranaki; Te Atiawa; Ngaruahine; Waikato
Subjects: Te Reo M膩ori, Te Tohu Paetahi
I tipu ake au i raro i te maru o te maunga titohea o Taranaki, 膩, i t墨mata taku whai i te reo M膩ori i reira engari kia whakaoti pai ai taku tohu BA i h奴nuku mai au ki te riu o Waikato nei. N艒 Ng膩ti Haua taku hoa rangatira, 膩, tokotoru 膩 m膩ua tamariki. I t艒ku ohinga k膩ore 艒ku taringa i tino rongo ki te h膩 o te reo, ko te take k膩ore 艒ku m膩tua i te matatau ki te reo. Ahakoa t膿n膩, me te tukituki o ng膩 waewae i 膿tehi w膩, kua riro mai ng膩 hua o te r膩kau m膩tauranga ki a au, otir膩, ki t艒ku wh膩nau. N膩 Te Pua W膩nanga ki te Ao me 艒na kaiako au t艒ku hinengaro, t艒ku ng膩kau me t艒ku arero i wh膩ngai ki ng膩 膩huatanga o te ao M膩ori. Ko te tino hua pea ko 膩ku tamariki; ko t膩 r膩tou kai i te ao i te p艒 ko ng膩 膩huatanga papai o te ao M膩ori me t艒na reo whakamiharo. Ki a au nei, k膩ore he hua, k膩ore he painga i tua atu i t膿n膩, ar膩, ko te t奴 hei t艒tara haemata i roto i te wao nui a T膩ne me te ao wh膩nui hoki.
Ko te k艒ingo o te ng膩kau m艒 ng膩 r膩 kei te heke tonu mai, kia t奴 au hei pou m艒 t艒ku wh膩nau, ka mutu kia hikoi tonu au i runga i te ara o rangahau; he mea hiamo ki a au te rapu m膩tauranga hei painga m艒 te iwi. N膩 reira, ko te t奴manako, m膩 t膿nei ara rangahau au e tautoko i 艒ku hap奴 me 艒ku iwi ki te whakatinana i 艒 m膩tou ake wawata m艒 膩p艒p艒.
Current employment: I t膿nei w膩 kei te whai au i taku tohu kairangi. Ko 鈥榥g膩 ingoa M膩ori鈥� te kaupapa, me k墨, kei te 膩ta titiro au ki t膿nei mea te tapatapa i 膩 t膩tou nei tamariki i roto i te reo M膩ori. N膩 reira, kua uiuia e au 膿tahi o 艒ku whanaunga kia kite ai he aha t膿nei mea te ingoa ki a m膩tou o Taranaki, o Waikato hoki. He nui te mana me te tapu o te ingoa ki a Ng膩i M膩ori; m膩 te ingoa e whakatakoto te ara hei hikoinga m膩 te tamaiti, 膩, i te mutunga iho me ara ake t膩tou ki te whakanui i 艒 t膩tou ingoa me t艒 t膩tou reo rangatira.
Jonathan Wilson
Qualifications: Te Timatanga Hou, BSc (Earth Science), Diploma (Te Reo)
Iwi: Ng膩ti Haua (Ng膩ti Werewere)
Subjects: Te Reo M膩ori, Te Tohu Paetahi
I have 3 young boys; all of whom have M膩ori as their first language. When my eldest boy went to kura I knew I had to do something about improving my reo or I wouldn't be able to support him in the way he needs. Consequently my partner and I decided I would grow and develop my reo for a year in a total immersion programme called Te Tohu Paetahi at The 糖心Vlog. This programme is taught by some of the best lecturers in the country through Te Pua W膩nanga ki te Ao/ The School of M膩ori and Pacific Development. In order for me to do this however I had to give up my position as Production Supervisor at a large pipelines company here in Hamilton. This turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. Improving my reo has been more just a year of study, it has been a journey; rich with discovery and personal growth. A journey my wh膩nau and I have made together that will undoubtedly benefit us for many years to come.
Kiharoa Milroy
Qualifications: BTchg (Secondary) & a BA (Te Reo M膩ori and Tikanga M膩ori)
Iwi: Ng膩i Tuhoe; Te Arawa
Subjects: Te Reo M膩ori
I have a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Teaching at the 糖心Vlog.
I am of Ng膩i Tuhoe and Te Arawa descent. I was brought up by my grandparents in Hamilton and attended St Pauls Collegiate School where I made school prefect. Te Reo M膩ori is my first language and I have long stood with confidence in both te ao M膩ori and te ao 笔腻keha. I have a young son and both my partner and I are endeavouring to raise to raise him with Te Reo M膩ori as his first language.
My conjoint degree at the 糖心Vlog included achieving an invite to be a part of the International Golden Key Society for my academic achievements, and I received a number of scholarships and grants including the TeachNZ scholarship and the prestigious Ngarimu V.C 28th M膩ori Battalion Scholarship which saw me flown down to Wellington for a special awards ceremony in the Parliament House. I worked as a tuakana at the Ko Tuia w膩nanga, participated in Te Pua W膩nanga o Te Arawa, and joined M膩tike Mai Aotearoa - Independent Iwi Constitutional Working Group.
I kept active outside of the University to settle my body, mind and soul doing various activities such as basketball, ultimate frisbee, waka ama, volleyball, and parkour. I have a special interest in skydiving where I have completed an Accelerated Free Fall. I also enjoy dancing, the performing arts and above all else te reo and tikanga M膩ori.
I chose teaching as my profession because I love it. I wish to build student鈥檚 self-confidence, self-awareness and self-belief. I enjoy working with students to identify and pursue their passions, develop their talents and skillsets, and I enjoy helping them to develop strategies that they can put in place to build a better world for themselves.
My goal is to return to my rohe to teach. I plan to establish my own school which embeds tikanga, reo and m膩tauranga M膩ori. It will also focus on self-sustainable living and life-skills, outdoor education and survival skills, and outdoor adventure sports. The school will target rangatahi M膩ori who are disengaged from formal education and encourage them to find their own path, to succeed and achieve in whatever they do. Kia t奴 rangatira r膩tau.
Lui Brame
Qualifications: NZ Chartered Accountant, Graduate Diploma of Commerce, Bachelor of Commerce, currently studying towards Diploma in Te Reo M膩ori
Iwi: Te Rarawa
Subjects: Te Reo M膩ori, Te Tohu Paetahi
Kia hiwa ra, kia hiwa ra, kia tu, kia oho, kia matara!
Absolutely awesome year! I have been challenged, schooled and even though I have done this year learning te reo M膩ori I realise this is only the start of my journey in seeing the Ao M膩ori.
About Myself
Prior to the start of the year I spent the last 8 years in London working as a qualified charted accountant in the largest global banks which have gone through unprecedented change since the Global Financial Crisis. As part of this experience I got to see the sharp edge of banking culture where under performance can quickly see you out the door. During my time in London my wife, Bella and I did a lot of travel going to places like Egypt, Petra, Dubai, Romania, Spain, Cyprus and Sweden. In these places you really get to see other cultures and experience seeing how different people can look, they way the act, their predicament and the way they speak. This coupled with the banking culture experience you really appreciate that you are different and cultural identity is a key foundation of who you are.
The challenge for me is that I know I am M膩ori but I can鈥檛 speak M膩ori and you will see my side step when ever there is question on Tikanga e.g. karakia, mihimihi, powhiri etc. This hole in my identity led me the Te Whare W膩nanga o Waikato.
My wife and I choose the Whare W膩nanga o Waikato because of its reputation and the reputation of programme Te Tohu Paetahi as a leader in its offering.
The Study
During this course the things I have enjoyed most are the surprises. For example when I realise one day 鈥渄amn I鈥檓 writing in M膩ori!鈥� or 鈥淥h yeah I just did my mihi in M膩ori with out sounding too fresh鈥�. The other surprise has been that I am more enlightened of the challenges of our t奴puna by learning about the history of te reo M膩ori, understanding more about land confiscations and the emergence of the Kingitanga.
Challenges
The key challenge for me this year is getting my head right. To come in each day and say I am the only one that can make this happen. I am going to make the most of this opportunity. While this sounds simple enough there are plenty of distrations to take you off course. I often found my self not understanding what was being said in the class lesson and not motivated. The problem with this is I am the only one who can make it happen. This is where getting your head right is the biggest challenge. I can鈥檛 let myself get overwhelmed I need to step back and look at the big picture and break it down it to smaller bits I can manage. Now that I have done that its all about time and how I manage my time to learn those small bits so I can keep up with the rest of the class. Aue!
Aspirations
Now that I am at the begining of my journey I want to challenge myself to develop into a awesome speaker of te reo M膩ori and fully appreciate my M膩ori identity. I want to teach my children (Graham, Atiria-Grace and Atilini) to speak M膩ori so to can fill the whenua with our T奴puna language!
My career aspirations is to work in a M膩ori business that supports te reo M膩ori where I can use my skills as an accountant to help realise the aspirations of that organisation and for the benefit of M膩ori.
Special acknowelgement to my lecturers Matua 膾noka and Whaea Sophie they are great lecturers!
Lynda Green
Qualifications: BA(Hons) (First Class)
Iwi: 笔腻keh膩
Subjects:
I first came to study at FMIS in response to a desire to formalise some of the experiences and teachings I had been exposed too within te ao M膩ori over a timespan of 25 years or so. Little did I realise how all consuming academic life would become.
Indeed, it surprised me that (after leaving high school at 15 and leading a rather unconventional life) my brain was capable of reaching such heights. It just goes to show that with the right balance of passion, committment, hard work and supportive teachers, most things can be achieved.
Not that it has been plain sailing by any stretch of the imagination. Moving from my slice of heaven in the bush and leaving my usual support systems and routines behind has, at times, left a huge gap that even the joys of academic discovery was hard pressed to fill. Not to mention the associated stresses of living on the edge of the breadline! I am extremely grateful for the continued encouragement, on many levels, that both fellow students and staff have extended towards me thereby, ensuring the continuation of my studies.
Although it is not so usual for some one of 笔腻keh膩 descent to choose to study within SMPD, for me it was the right place to be in order to gain a deeper understanding of te ao M膩ori. In turn this learning has led me to delve more into defining what it means to identify as 笔腻keh膩 in our current time frame. Currently I am working on my Master鈥檚 Thesis and at this stage I am looking to undertake a PhD next year.
In terms of my future career, I have a desire to be of use in building an understanding (particularly with New Zealanders of 笔腻keh膩 descent) of the unique opportunity we have in Aotearoa to appreciate the knowledge and wisdoms of M膩ori. My belief is that we can then redefine ourselves to create a more equitable environment in which all people may thrive.
Teresa Tepania
Qualifications: BA (Te Reo M膩ori, M膩ori Media and Communication)
Iwi: Ng膩puhi; Ng膩ti Kahu; Te Aupouri; Ng膩ti Hine
Subjects: Te Reo M膩ori
Studying in Te Pua W膩nanga ki te Ao has inspired me to become a successful young M膩ori not only for myself, but for my son and wider wh膩nau. It is reassuring to see so many qualified M膩ori coming out of The Faculty of M膩ori and Indigenous Studies.
Te ao M膩ori has many up and coming leaders and it is with thanks to the Faculty and world class lecturers that we are able to succeed.
At times, this journey was challenging especially being a full time mother. However, my lecturers were supportive and always encouraging me to continue with my work. Without the support of my family, the lecturers and staff at The Faculty of M膩ori and Indigenous Studies I would not have succeeded.