I grew up in a family that had hidden their whakapapa out of shame. No one would tell us about our tupuna or what iwi we came from it was all very hush hush.
My cousins and I were determined to find our way back. We each enrolled at Te Wananga and started learning te reo. It helped us to read and understand our whakapapa charts. Slowly we started to reclaim this part of ourselves that had been hidden from us.
We did it so our kids would know who they are and where they come from. Now what was a struggle for us, comes so naturally for them.
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