Being Māori means carrying the breath of my tupuna within me – their stories, their struggles, their triumphs. It means knowing that my identity is woven from whenua, moana, rangi, and whānau. It is the heartbeat of te reo, the strength of our tikanga, and the guiding light of our wairua.

For my mokopuna, being Māori means walking into the future with the grounding of the past – knowing who they are and where they belong. It means having the courage to stand strong in their culture, the freedom to dream beyond limitations, and the responsibility to protect the taonga we have been given.

Being Māori is not just who I am – it is who we are, and who we will always be.