Last week I was scrolling through my Facebook feed late Friday night. I came across a post from the New Zealand Consulate in Los Angeles promoting a new documentary film. Out of curiosity I clicked on it and saw they were having a special screening that Sunday in LA and that there would be a Q&A with the Directors and Producers of the film afterwards. I recognized 2 of the 4 names mentioned. Producers Clifford Curtis, a talented actor who’s played so many diverse characters in Hollywood, and Taika Watiti an accomplished film Director and voice of Corg from the Marvel movies. For my Mother’s Day gift, I asked if we could go. Of course my sweetie made it happen and got my sister Erana and brother Hagoth to come with us.

With only 24 hours before we would attend the screening I got my social media stalking on and followed the Directors of the film Heperi Mita and Chelsea Winstanley via Instagram. By doing so I found out that this was their big weekend release. They started there premiere journey in Aotearoa (New Zealand) on Mother’s Day and were continuing it here in California also on Mother’s Day. I enjoyed watching their IG stories of attending the different screenings and their adventures getting to and through the airports.

As a Maori woman, I wanted to watch the movie because I have a personal connection and desire to support other Maori. Aotearoa is my mother’s homeland and even though I was born and raised here in America I like to take any chance I can to learn about or be more connected to my Maori culture.

The film is an intimate look at Merata Mita's life as a mother, filmmaker, and activist. "Merata, was the first Māori woman, and first indigenous woman in the world, to write and direct a narrative feature film. She directed movies in Hollywood, interviewed Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe, and worked for various respected organisations around the world such as the BBC and National Geographic. Her independent political documentaries of the ‘70s and ‘80s highlighted the injustices for Māori people in New Zealand, and often divided the country". (https://streamingmoviesright.com/us/movie/merata-how-mom-decolonized-the-screen/)

The film is directed and narrated by Merata’s youngest son Hepi. I loved how through creating this film he learned through book interviews , film, and his older siblings more about his mother. He stated how it was good to hear her voice again on film. I definitely could relate to his experiences. Being number 9 of 10 kids I definitely saw my mother differently and experienced life differently with her than my older siblings. I find myself looking for pieces of my mom and wondering what she was doing at my age or what would she think of me now. Luckily, I have my older siblings I can ask.

​I think one of the reasons this film hit so close to home was that my eldest niece had just shared a clip of my own mother singing with my Aunty Linda. It had been the first time I had heard her voice in several years. Hearing my mother’s and Merata’s voice encouraged me as a Mother to be mindful of the legacy I leave for my own posterity. I’m grateful for this reminder.

So it’s been a week since I’ve watched this amazing film. I’ve fallen into the rabbit hole of the Indigenous Women Movement, and I love it. I’ve found some wonderful podcasts, Instagram stories, and films to educate myself. I’m definitely fangirling over Director Chelsea Winstanley. She is also a powerful Maori woman who inspires and continues to create space for other indigenous women to rise up and bring about change.  I look forward to watching more of her films and following her future in the film industry.

As I watched the film “Merata Mita: How Mum Decolonised the Screen”, I felt this deep kinship with this woman I’ve never met or heard of before. Even though the things she thought and said were taboo in her time, she was a pioneer in the film industry as the first Maori and indigenous filmmaker. She paved a way and created a place for other Maori, Indigenous, and Women in the film industry. She stood up for her people and not only documented injustices to Maori people but also fought to change them.

​This film stirred a desire to want to learn more about indigenous women around the world and be a part of sharing a continued message of remembering who we are and the power of change we are capable of creating. I’ve always been a supporter of native and indigenous artists but Merata has inspired me to want to connect back to my Maori roots. I’ve been reading up on my interest in taaniko which is Maori weaving. I’m learning the stories about the strong women in my own family. I’m grateful for all who were a part of making this film happen. I felt empowered to focus on what’s really important to me. Best Mother’s Day Ever.

While visiting my cousins in Rotorua, New Zealand, They tool me to Ahu Boutique by Adrienne Whitewood. It was there I discovered this beautiful Hinemoa tank top.  

​"Inspired by Maori art and culture, Adrienne Whitewood takes traditional concepts and with them invents unique silhouettes exploring fabric manipulation and technology, her ethos is all about creating wearable clothing for women who want an emotional connection to clothing."

​"Tutanekai kept up a nightly serenade but Hinemoa's people, suspecting something was afoot, had hidden all the canoes. The maiden, however, was not to be deterred and, selecting six large, dry, empty gourds as floats, she decided to swim to the island. Guided by the strains of her loved one's music, Hinemoa safely reached the other shore and landed near a hot spring, Waikimihia, in which she warmed and refreshed herself."
-Te Ara 

The Winnemem Wintu (Middle Water People) Tribe is indigenous to Northern California. They are intimately connected to the McCloud River, Bulyum Puyuk (Mount Shasta), and the surrounding meadows. The Winter-Run Chinook Salmon are sacred to the Winnemem Wintu people. They believe when the Creator put them on the Earth they had no voice, their Salmon relatives gave up their voices to the Winnemem Wintu people.

Now the Chinook Salmon are on the verge of extinction. The Winnemem Wintu people have an ancient prophecy, “When there are no more salmon, there will be no more Winnemem Wintu people.”

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, salmon eggs were taken from the McCloud River to populate the rivers in other parts of the world.

​The Winnemem Wintu preformed a War Dance at the Shasta dam in 2004 and made news around the world. A New Zealand professor contacted them saying, “We have your fish, do you want them back?” The Chinook Salmon eggs had been taken to Aotearoa (New Zealand) back in late 1800s and early 1900s had survived in the glacier-fed rivers and exist there in healthy numbers. 
​
After meeting with the Maori people of the South Island, the Ngai Tahu Tribe, the Winnemem Wintu are raising money to travel back to New Zealand with their tribal youth to collect samples for DNA testing to prove to the U.S. government that the New Zealand salmon are indeed the McCloud river fish so they can restore the fish to their river.

Not only am I a descendant of the Ngai Tahu people but I also belong to their sister tribe Ngati Porou as both our tribes are descendants of Paikea. And as a resident of California, I want to help the Winnemem Wintu people with their salmon restoration project.

I want my son to know that indigenous people matter and that too often are our communities’ needs, ideas, and beliefs overlooked and disrespected. I want him to grow up not being afraid to stand up for what’s right.

This is why we made “Bring Our Salmon Home” signs together as a family and also why
I am going to donate 10% of all of my sales this week
​from my shop Lularoe Ana Aiono Dowden to the Winnemem Wintu Salmon Restoration Project.


You can also donate to the Salmon Restoration Project through their GoFundMe site.

On our last trip to New Zealand, we went to visit my Mom's cousins, Memory and Ralph Hamon in Rotorua. Uncle Ralph is a talented carver who works with both bone and pounamu (Maori Greenstone or Jade). It was our first time meeting them, but Uncle and Aunty were so gracious to us and gifted us each a beautiful taonga.
​
​My piece is a beautiful, pounamu piece with red coloring at the bottom and a fern koru carved into it. The red in the jade gets brighter in the sunlight and is said to be the blood of our Maori people inside the stone. Ronan's piece is a small pounamu pendant with three koru's or fern leaves carved into it to represent me, my husband, and Ronan. It was carved by my nephew Dion, Uncle Ralph's grandson. Last, Greg's piece is the powerful solid Koru (Spiral) carved from whale bone.

​Uncle walked over to his whale bone section, very rare and very special, and grabbed the Koru and placed it on Greg's neck and said, "This one is for you!"

We also purchased a beautiful Whale Tale Pounamu pendant because it reminded us of Paikea, and my Ngati Porou ancestry. 

​His work is amazing and we are so honored to wear his pieces all the time.
We love you Uncle Ralph and Aunty Memory!

Yesterday, I attended the graduation of my niece, Precious Meamoto TeMaari Manu, from Cal State Fullerton. I am so proud of all that she has accomplished and of the example that she is to my son, Ronan. She is a beautiful, strong, smart, and caring woman, who I know will go on to do many great things. She looked absolutely stunning covered in leis and wearing her korowai proudly.

​At the same time, my dear friend, Monica's, daughter Toya graduated from Chinle High School in Arizona. While my sister, Erana, and I couldn't be there in person, we sent Toya a korowai to wear at her graduation ceremony. We are grateful for friends that we can  have deep and meaningful cultural exchanges with and who support and inspire us daily.

​We are so proud of these beautiful young indigenous women. It is so important that all women, but especially indigenous women, seek to become strong and educated individuals to help uplift our communities.  These are our daughters, grand-daughters, nieces, sisters, and friends who will grow both in mind and spirit to be the our future leaders and children's examples. As a mother,  I am so grateful that my son has strong women in his life to look up to.

kia kaha!
1. be strong, get stuck in, keep going.

"Kia Kaha!" is a Maori phrase that means "Be Strong!"
In my family, we often say it to one another when someone is in need of strength or is having a hard time, or to encourage each other.
It is also the middle name of my nephew, 
Kingston Kia Kaha Aiono.​

Kingston was diagnosed with XLP and passed away in 2007, a few months before his third birthday.
Yesterday would have been his 13th birthday.

After his passing, I had Kingston's full name tattooed on my wrists and hands. They remind me of how blessed I was to be his Aunty. To never take life for granted. And to always cherish those close to you. Kingston will forever be in my heart. He was a gentle warrior who honored and changed our family for the better with his presence.

For more information about XLP or to Donate to others with XLP please visit:
FRIENDS OF KINGSTON

"There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish"
- Michelle Obama

"Women are the real architects of society."
-Cher