The young leader won the Prime Minister鈥檚 Indigenous Exchange Scholarship and has been part of both the Tuia Leadership Programme through Waip膩 District Council and the University鈥檚 Te 膧hurutanga Leadership Programme during his time studying at Waikato.
The Prime Minister鈥檚 Scholarships are administered by Education New Zealand and support undergraduate or postgraduate students wanting to have a global experience in Asia or Latin America, and Taane traveled to Taiwan.
The Tuia Leadership Programme is part of the nationwide Mayor鈥檚 Taskforce for Jobs initiative and helps develop the leadership capacity of young 惭腻辞谤颈 in communities throughout New Zealand. It saw Taane mentored by Waip膩 Mayor Susan O鈥橰egan.
The University鈥檚 Te 膧hurutanga programme supports 惭腻辞谤颈 students to become leaders and role models in te ao 惭腻辞谤颈, te ao m膩tauranga and te ao wh膩nui.
鈥淚've been exposed to some great leaders during my time studying, and I think I鈥檝e learned you can be a leader in any realm. Everyone can be a leader in their own space, and how you do that is the way you act, the way you treat people, the way you treat your workspace, and remaining disciplined,鈥� says Taane.
He says for 惭腻辞谤颈, seeing other 惭腻辞谤颈 in leadership roles also helps pave the way for others.
鈥淲hen we see our culture, when we feel our culture, when we hear our language, it makes seeing yourself in that space a lot easier,鈥� says Taane.
鈥淢y hope is to work in spaces which prioritise, promote, and uplift te ao 惭腻辞谤颈. I want to work in areas where the 惭腻辞谤颈 culture is fostered so we can see it thrive.鈥�
Taane started out wanting to play rugby, but a shoulder injury put a stop to those plans, and he ended up in Te Wh膩nau-膩-Apanui with his father Willie Te Aho, who is chief executive of Te Aitanga a M膩haki (one of the three principal tribes of the Gisborne district).
鈥淢y father asked if I wanted to stay and work in Te Wh膩nau-膩-Apanui. So, there I stayed. A place with no wifi, no service, one shop, one church, one pub. I learned the importance of community, humility, whakapapa and connecting with our whenua.鈥�
It made him realise he wanted to connect to his heritage, so he enrolled in Te Tohu Paetahi, the University鈥檚 one-year total immersion te reo 惭腻辞谤颈 course. On completing that, Taane extended his studies into 惭腻辞谤颈 and Indigenous Studies.
Currently, Taane is engaged in several part-time roles, including establishing a youth consultancy to better connect rangatahi with Waip膩 District Council and on an environmental project with his iwi focused on tuna (eels).
He recently participated in a tuna trap transfer programme, which involved capturing and relocating juvenile eels to ensure their survival in local waters. "The tuna trap transfer programme trapped juveniles at Karapiro, and then released them into other areas to help grow and expand the population.鈥�
Taane also works as a tutor part time for te reo 惭腻辞谤颈 students doing Te Tohu Paetahi.
"Building connections with like-minded tauira and forming relationships with mentors at Waikato has been the highlight of my time studying here.鈥�
