For me, being a New Zealander means knowing, understanding and respecting our past. Now, more than ever, I feel that means growing my understanding of te ao Māori, te reo and tikanga Māori, as well as my other forebears. There is so much hidden richness and beauty that I didn’t acknowledge until starting this journey, but already when I see a pou, a tukutuku panel or a rangatira wahine with a Moko Kauae, I feel I’m better able to see all that it means, not just the surface.