Ka titiro whakarunga ki te maunga tiketike, ko Whakapunake

Ka titiro whakararo, ko Te Reinga, te rerenga wai i rere mai i nga awa o Ruakituri raua ko Hangaroa.

Koromiomio ana ngā wai o Te Wairoa - Hōpupu - Hōngenengene - Matanga Rau, te awa whakahirahira kei roto i a ia nga ngaru o te tipua waka o Takitimu.

Nei he uri whakaheke o te tipuna taniwha a Hinekōrako o te iwi o Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa e mihi nei.

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Tiara has just completed her Bachelor of Environmental Planning in the te ara taiao Maori stream at the University of Waikato. While at Waikato University she was an active member of the student community. She worked as a director on the Waikato Student union, a board of elected individuals representing the interests of university students. Tiara was also involved in the establishment of Te Tini o Hakuturi a group and board established to support Māori Environmental Planning & Geography students. She served as both pou-tikanga and then as co-president. She also worked as a tutor and as Te Aka Matua Māori mentor during her final years of university.

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Tiara had a summer internship at the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) working in their Kaupapa Kura Taiao Team, the EPA's Māori Policy and Operations team. She facilitated their review process by conducting phone/zoom interviews with Te Herenga Network members to gather information on how the EPA can improve engagement with iwi and how the team can better inform iwi about how to engage and participate in the EPA's decision-making processes. Most recently Tiara had another summer internship at Waka Kotahi (NZTA), assisting with portfolio activities such as the delivery of projects and programmes for the purpose of embedding the Te Arawhiti Crown Engagement with Māori and Te Ara Kotahi NZTAs Māori Strategy into the ways of working at NZTA.

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Tiara is one of four rangatahi on the Te Kawai Toro a subcommittee of the J R McKenzie Trust a philanthropic family trust, they represent the voice of rangatahi Māori. Tiara really enjoys this work because she is learning about the world of Philanthropy from the amazing individuals on the board and individuals that also work for the board. It has also rewarded her with amazing opportunities such as travelling to Mexico to present at the International Funders for Indigenous Peoples global conference. The topic she spoke to at the conference was “Intergenerational succession planning and learning how to share power with indigenous youth in Aotearoa New Zealand philanthropy”.

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As a professional, Tiara’s goals are to learn as much as she can, from as many people as she can and return home with all that she has learned and work for her iwi.

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Tiara has been fortunate enough to grow up in a family of weavers and her nan passed that knowledge down. A personal goal of Tiara’s now that she has finished her degree and has free time on weekends, she plans to return to weaving since it is through harvesting flax and weaving her relationship with the taiao is nurtured.  Other things Tiara enjoys doing in her spare time are video calls with her family and friends. He manu pīrere tēnei o te Kohanga Reo o te Kura Kaupapa ano hoki.