All my life I have struggled with my identity. It was either not being Māori enough or being too Māori. Having grown up and spent most of my life in Australia, I never felt deserving of my identity as Māori especially because I could not speak Reo and did not have any understanding of our culture and beliefs but two months ago I took part in a kaupapa that I will forever cherish. I was blessed with my Moko Kauae. It was an exhausting process getting to the table having been dealt with a lot of judgement for my decision but it was my hapū that helped me through the process. By partaking the kaupapa from the pure to the final karakia, I was able to contradict all the mopinions about the kauae and once again restore it's true meaning in my hapu as a taonga and not something that is earn by how fluent you are or how old you are. Being blessed with the kauae at the beginning of my Te Ao Māori journey, has given me the mana to continue with my journey and push forward with my learning. I love being Māori, it is me and I am it!