He Waka Eke Noa: A Humble Thank You

I truly did not expect this nomination, and if I’m honest, I don’t feel like I deserve it. I know everyone will say I do, but in my heart, I believe there are so many others who are just as deserving, if not more. None of this mahi is ever done alone. We are all in this waka together, as our whakataukī reminds us.

There are countless people who have shaped my journey, lifted me, challenged me, and walked beside me. I could never thank them all, but every single one of them is part of why I stand where I do today.

To all of the beautiful whānau who trust me to support, guide, and walk alongside you, ngā mihi nui ki a koutou. You are the heartbeat of this mahi. Your courage, your honesty, your belief in me is what keeps me going every single day. I love this work with all my heart and would not want to be anywhere else.

I am proud to be Māori, proud to serve my people on my own whenua, and proud to uplift our whānau in the ways I can. It is a privilege I never take for granted.

At the same time, I wish we didn’t have to do so much of this heavy mahi, mahi borne from colonisation, discrimination, trauma, and inequity. I dream of the day when our time is spent fully immersed in our taonga: mau rākau, te reo, kapa haka, raranga, miri miri, waka ama etc, everything that nourishes us.

But I know that if we keep supporting each other, guiding each other, and holding tight to our collective vision, we will get there. Maybe not in my lifetime, but perhaps for my mokopuna. With dreams like our kura and kōhanga on our whenua close, we are paddling in the right direction.

And finally, to my tīpuna, thank you. You hold me steady when the mahi gets hard, you guide my steps, and you cleared the pathway long before I walked it. Everything I do is because of you and for those yet to come.

Ngā mihi aroha ki a koutou katoa. He waka eke noa.