It's important to me and my whanau simply because it is us it also reminds me of what our tupuna fought and died for our rights to be who we are and our identity of where we come from and even today that fight still continues and because of that we have things like Maori TV Kura kaupapa Kohanga Maori entertainers translating their waiata into te reo maori Maori athletes being recognized through maori sports awards Now starting next public holiday in recognition of Matariki Maori rongoa clinic's recognized and implanted within our health system And as maori we continue to grow to better improve the well being of our maori culture and people