Nuku

Dr Amber Aranui (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) has a special job. As a researcher for the Karanga Aotearoa Repatriation Programme at Te Papa Museum, she has spent the past 10 and a half years searching the world for our tūpuna, and working to bring them home.  The bones and body parts of some of our ancestors are in museums, universities and private collections. Old. Young. Tāne. Wāhine.  Amber’s mahi is to find them, learn about how they came to be there, investigate who they are, then try to reunite them with their descendants. It isn't an easy job, but it is an important one. And is one that gives her a lot of fulfilment.  In this episode we talk about the history of ‘scientific research’ on Māori and Moriori, Amber shares some of the emotional realities of her mahi and, she teaches us about the issues related to repatriation.  www.NUKUwomen.co.nz 

Lynell Tuffrey Huria is the only Māori patent attorney in Aotearoa. She is helping Māori navigate the intellectual property system, identify cultural property and develop protocols and processes for recognition and protection within Western structures.✊

Damaris Coulter (Ngāti Kahu) started her hospitality journey as a child, working at her uncle’s restaurant in Kaitaia. She grew up around hospo and spent her early adult life learning from some of the best chefs and restauranteurs in the business, both here, and in Italy and the UK.  When she returned to Aotearoa, she opened Coco’s Cantina with her sister, and ran the restaurant for almost 10 years before signing over her share to pursue a world-changing idea.  Her new project, The Realness, shines a light on small business. A space to highlight independent, owner-operated, artisan food spaces.  In this episode Damaris talks to us about her passion for hospitality and how she believes we can flip the economy by supporting small, and local. Sidenote, there’s a few F-bombs dropped through this podcast, Damaris is a passionate speaker, so if swearing hurts your ears, this one might not be for you. 

Donna Tamaariki and Moana Tamaariki-Pohe are twin sisters whose affinity for the Ocean was passed down to them from their tūpuna. Of Māori (Ngāti Whatua Orakei, Te Waiohua), Cook Islands, Tahitian and Tauiwi descent, the pair have spent their entire lives working to protect and preserve the ocean. Whether it be through waka ama, navigation, teaching, governance or policy change, they are working to have an everlasting positive effect on their tūpuna moana, the Waitematā.  The pair are also having great impact in the entrepreneurial space. Both are small business owners, with Donna currently in a role focussed on Māori economic outcomes. Moana wrote, and delivers, the HineBoss programme empowering indigenous women right across the country, into business.   In this episode we discuss ego vs eco, we talk about the true measure of success and, we find out which twin has paddled enough nautical miles to have circumnavigated the world three times! 

Chelsea Winstanley is a filmmaker. She directed the documentary Tame Iti: The man behind the moko, and co-directed Waru, the heart-wrenching film about child abuse, made by 8 Māori female directors. Her producer credits include What We do in the Shadows, and the short film Night Shift. And most recently, she helped Hepi Mita make a documentary about his mum, the pioneering Merata Mita – sharing the stories of how she decolonised the screen.  Now Based in Los Angeles with her husband and children, Chelsea is a world away from her home town of Mt Maunganui. And while there might be a few more red carpets in her life these days, this Te Puna girl has never forgotten how she got there.  Today, we talk about that journey. She shares what it was like being a 21 year old single māmā having to rely to on a benefit, through to the life changing car accident that forced her to have to learn to walk again.  She also talks about the realities of the film industry and the importance of indigenous representa

When you think of a librarian, what image pops into your head? Because for me, before I met Kim Tairi, I saw an old nanny wearing a cardigan, glasses with a beaded chain, and a long burgundy skirt. Damn all those television programmes that embed stereotypes into my brain! Our NUKU //015 couldn’t be further away from that picture. Kim manages a university library and works with 100 staff. She has been working in this field, in different roles, for more than 25 years.  Born in Otepoti, she has spent a lot of her life living across the ditch. She loves working in libraries because they help build social capacity, they are a safe space, a warm space, and provide access to knowledge to help people navigate their way through life.  In this episode Kim smashes all my preconceived ideas about this career pathway. The funky māma talks about indigenous knowledge systems, decolonising cultural institutions  and, feminism.  (This podcast is marked as explicit, but she only drops 1 impassioned f-bomb

Ninakaye Taane-Tinorau is of Ngati Maniapoto whakapapa. She was born and raised in Otautahi, Christchurch before moving to Auckland at age 19. There, she became a peep show dancer and stripper, working in the sex industry for 4 years. With that lifestyle, came an addiction to drugs and alcohol. She isn't one to shy away from this period in her life, in fact, she talks about it openly to help other wahine know the realities of this world.  Today, the māmā of three (and new nana)  is proudly 18 years sober. She is a managing director of a successful music production company and record label and, is one of only three people in Aotearoa who instructs Kemetic Yoga.  She is also a co-faciliator of women’s safety programmes.  In this episode we talk about her journey, the dark parts of her youth, through to her experience with domestic violence. And, the light parts of her adulthood, sharing with us her time with Lakota people as she, along with other Māori women, performed a haka in solidar

Hinewirangi is one of those kuia that you want to sit with for hours. Her knowledge, her experience and her stories, are mesmerising.  She is a writer and poet. An activist and a tohunga of taonga puoro. She has worked in rape crisis centres and, in prison rehabilitation. In this episode we cover so many topics, as you do when you sit at the table with wahine full of wisdom. We talk about racism, Atua wahine and kaitiakitanga. Hinewirangi shares her personal story of sexual assault, how she faced her rapist years later and, the tools she used to help her forgive. We talk about art and Indigenous knowledge. About being strapped at school for speaking te reo Māori and how today, we need to decolonise our reo. And, we hear the fascinating story of her waka tūpāpaku, the vessel she is making to house her ashes, when she dies.  Content warning: This episode may be confronting for some, it shares details about sexual abuse. Hinewirangi’s story is raw, and uncut. We do not shy away from challenging topics

Dr Huhana Hickey (Ngāti Tahinga, Tainui, Ngai Tai) is a Crown Director and a passionate advocate for our disabled community, our whanau hauā. She has a long standing interest in human rights, particularly the rights of people who come from marginal backgrounds. She often comments on the consequences of discrimination and social oppression. Of Māori, Navajo, Aboriginal and Sami whakapapa, Huhana was raised in Stratford with a Pākeha adoptive whanau. At birth, her ethnicity was falsified, removing all connections to her indigenous heritage. In this episode we talk about indigenous disability and where human rights and tikanga Māori intersect. We share korero about Multiple Sclerosis and adress the notion that Māori don't get MS and, we discuss medical marijuana - its pros, its cons, and its misconceptions.

Reina Vaai is from Sataua, Savai'i. She lived in Samoa in her early years, until a cyclone destroyed her village and, her home. Her parents made the decision to move to New Zealand permanently. Here, she grew up in a humble home that housed their wider whānau. Her parents and siblings all shared one room.  Upon leaving school, Reina pursued a career in law, and decided to practice criminal law. Not one to be confined to a single career pathway, this ambitious young woman has also worked as a television reporter and director. Just recently, she directed her first web series, The Misadventures of a Pacific Professional, and has written her first children’s book, The Inventor, dedicated to the children of South Auckland.  In this episode we talk about Reina's upbringing and career pathway. We discuss the realities of defending some of our worst criminals and, we have a conversation about privilege, who has it, who doesn't, and how we recognise our own. Note: This podcast contains some adult themes

Angela Watene lives in the city that never sleeps, New York, New York, working as a management consultant with one of the world's largest accountancy firms.  Her current area of focus is financial crimes, working with organisations to help mitigate against the threat of fraud. Of Tainui whakapapa, Angela grew up in Māngere. Her career started at Price Chopper Otahuhu and KFC at the local town centre. She didn't go to university, didn't graduate with honours, instead her adventurous spirit took her on a trip to London for her big OE. Her work ethic carried her through a range of temp jobs, and her dedication and openness to all opportunities, set her up on a path that would take her around the world. At 40, she has already travelled to more than 50 countries, but home will always be where the heart is, Aotearoa. Today we kōrero to Angela about her International career, her passion for travel, and what its like living across the road from Jennifer Anniston. 

Hana Tapiata is a lifestyle blogger living by indigenous philosophies and mātauranga Māori. Her passion is promoting tūpuna mātauranga in as many different mediums, and on as many different platforms, as possible.  With a combined online following of more than 20,000, this self-published author believes that if you know yourself, and your whakapapa intimately, nothing will stop you living into your potential.  In this episode we talk about rugby, and rock lifting. About Tahiti’s ancestral games and, about becoming a self-published author. We learn how to adapt ancient knowledge into a modern context and, how to connect with tūpuna and atua, to interperet their pūrākau, their legends and stories, to help guide our lives. 

 In 2018 Aotearoa celebrated 125 years of suffrage. Of women winning the right to vote. One wahine who played an integral part in that history making moment was Meri Te Tai Mangakahia. Of Te Reinga, Ngati Manawa and Te Kaitutae of Te Rarawa, she was the first woman ever recorded to have addressed the Kotahitanga Parliament. In that time she requested Māori women not only be given the vote, but that they also be eligble to sit in the Māori Parliament.  In our only posthumous profile for the #NUKU100 we learn about this rangatira though her great granddaughter Challen Wilson, and great grand niece, Emma Frost. They share their stories of their kuia, her personality, her political influence, and how her journey has inspired their pathways today.

Dr Lily Fraser is a GP with a special interest in low carb high/healthy fat nutrition. With a 15 year medical career she has seen the effects of chronic illness and, on the flip side, the positive effects a lifestyle change can have on individuals. She wants to show that low carb is a normal way of eating. You could even say, a traditional way of eating.  In this episode we speak with the Turuki Healthcare Clinical Director about her Kai Tahu whakapapa and, being a Māori female in the medical industry. We learn about the low carb lifestyle and its effects on health and wellbeing and, we talk about healthy lifestyle options to help whānau realise we don't have to be resigned to a life of metabolic disease.

In this episode we talk about growing up outside of your culture and reclaiming our Indigenous practices and systems. We have a great conversation about ikura (menstruation),  going right back to Hine-nui-te-pō and the first period. We discuss the way our tūpuna would celebrate ikura and, how colonisation has changed those practices. We also discuss Michele’s determination to end period poverty in Aotearoa. Of Tainui &Ngati Pāoa descent Michele grew up identifying as an ‘urban’ Māori. And although she didn’t learn te reo me ōna tikanga as a child, she always felt an incredible connection to her tūpuna and te ao Māori. After working (unhappily) as a corporate lawyer and then suffering with postnatal depression after the birth of her second child, she was led into the ngahere to begin her healing and her journey to reconnect with her culture. Now, the owner of Frankie Apothecary, a rongoa-based skincare company, is helping other women and their families heal through natural remedies. Michele is al

At only 25 Jacqueline Paul (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga) is already working in policy advocacy with a passion to have the youth and Indigenous voice included across governance boards.  This landscape architect has a keen research interest focused in building better homes, towns and communities. She wants to improve Māori housing, mobilise rangatahi (youth) and Māori voices, and improve architecture and urban planning with transformative policies. The big goal? Help hapū become sustainable and, help eradicate homelessness.  In this episode we talk about how Indigenous design principals and urban papakāinga can respond to the homeless crisis, the importance of co-design and community-led initiatives. We discuss the mulitiple uses of land as a key resource and, the importance of advocating for rangatahi Māori to get a seat at the table. 

Designer and weaver Kiri Nathan has spent the past 9 years building a fashion brand from competition-winning garments at Style Pasifika to a high-end label dressing some of the world’s most influential people, including Beyonce, Barack and Michelle Obama and, our Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. In this episode she shares her journey. We talk about her childhood in Scotland growing up on the motorcycle racing circuit, her time as a 19 year old solo mother studying Visual Arts and working as a flight attendant, right through to her venture into fashion design and business.There a some gems about how to find your inspiration, the power of a strong support system and, embracing your difference in a competitive industry. Kiri also talks about being challenged on her “Māoriness”, being influenced by the groundbreaking Pacific Sisters and, how she, supported by her husband and 5 children, is helping change the culture in the fashion space. 

Mojo Juju is from Te Whenua Moemoeā, the land of dreamtime, Australia. She is an ARIA nominated artist of mixed Filipino and Aboriginal heritage, from the Wiradjuri people of NSW. Her latest album Native Tongue is her most personal yet. It talks about being mixed race and, that feeling of straddling a line between where you belong and, questioning if you are enough.  I sat down with the singer-songwriter in between sound check during a recent gig in Auckland to talk about identity, racism and what it feels like to be displaced and have lost connection to your Indigenous culture. We also discuss her views on being alienated by both the mainstream and, your own people. Mojo shares her journey of being a queer woman of colour, we talk Australian politics and, celebrate how she is proudly smashing stereotypes in the music industry.

In this episode we meet Veesh Patuwai (nee Armstrong) and talk about life in the Far North, the gentrification and regeneration of her Glen Innes community and, how she playing her part in raising the next generation of Indigenous female leaders. Veeshayne is most recognised from her days in radio as a DJ for the urban Māori station Mai Fm. In the 90s, she moved to the big smoke of Auckland from small town Moerewa, quickly making her mark in the industry by becoming the first Māori female to ever win Best New Broadcaster at the Mobil Radio Awards. While she is known for her radio and acting career, it is her mahi supporting kōhine Māori that sits closest to her heart. As the creator and kaitiaki of Urutapu, a leadership programme for young Māori women, Veesh is championing indigenous women to transform our communities and recognise our potential and power. 

Melissa Robinson-Cole is of Ngāti Hine and Ngāti Kahu descent.  She is a full-time artist and designer, and is also a staunch advocate for body positivity. Lissy, as she likes to be known, is also a walking bubble of joy. It's a feeling she is passionate about, going as far as covering her car in fluro/neon crochet for her latest art project #JoyRide - spreading joy, quite literally, around town. She is effervescent, vibrant and, makes a really yummy cheese dip!  In this episode of NUKU she talks about celebrating joy after experiencing heart-wrenching loss and sadness, her dream to crochet a wharenui and, the incredibly political act of loving your body, when the world says you shouldn't.  (please note this podcast is marked explicit but it is very clean, there is only one F-bomb dropped towards the end, used in passion.)