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Indigenous 

"For all of us, becoming indigenous to a place means living as if your children's future mattered, to take care of the land as if our lives, both material and spiritual, depended on it." - Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass

Merata

5/19/2019

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Thanks Social Media

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/)

Merata & Mom

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.

SHEroes & HERstory

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.

"The revolution isn't just running out with a gun, it's the arts as well. And if a film I make causes Maori people to feel stronger about themselves, I'm achieving something worthwhile for the revolution."
-Merata Mita


My Review

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.
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Adrienne Whitewood: Maori Designer

8/2/2017

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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."
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-Adrienne Whitewood

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#inspiredNative

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Hinemoa

7/26/2017

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"Tutanekai lived on Mokoia Island, Lake Rotorua, where of an evening he and his friend Tiki used to play – the one on a “horn”, the other on a “pipe”. The sound of this music could be heard across Lake Rotorua at Owhata and it charmed the beautiful and noble-born Hinemoa who lived there. When Tutanekai visited the mainland with his people, he met Hinemoa and they fell in love. The young man had perforce to return to his village, but the lovers arranged that every night he would play and that Hinemoa would follow the sound of his music to join him."
-Te Ara
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​"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 
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Pokarekare Ana

Maori
Pōkarekare ana, ngā wai o Rotorua.
Whiti atu koe hine, marino ana e.


E hine e, hoki mai ra
Ka mate ahau i te aroha e.

Tuhituhi taku reta, tuku atu taku rīngi
Kia kite tō iwi, raru raru ana e.

E hine e, hoki mai ra
Ka mate ahau i te aroha e.

E kore te aroha, e maroke i te rā
Mākūkū tonu i aku roimata e.

E hine e, hoki mai ra
Ka mate ahau i te aroha e.

Whati whati taku pene, kua pau aku pepa
Ko taku aroha, mau tonu ana e.

E hine e, hoki mai ra
Ka mate ahau i te aroha e.
English
The waves are breaking, against the shores of Rotorua.
My heart is aching, for your return my love.


Oh my beloved girl, come back to me
I could die of love for you.

I have written you a letter, and enclosed with it my ring,
So your people could see it how much I'm troubled for you.

Oh my beloved girl, come back to me
I could die of love for you.

The sun's hot sheen, won't scorch my love,
Being kept evergreen, by the falling of my tears.

Oh my beloved girl, Come back to me
I could die of love for you.

My poor pen is broken, my paper is spent,
But my love for you endures, and remains forever more.

Oh my beloved girl, come back to me
I could die of love for you.
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Winnemem Wintu Salmon Restoration

7/10/2017

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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.”

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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.

​T
he 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. 
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.

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Kohatu Ataahua: Ralph Hamon

6/21/2017

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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.
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​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!

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#inspiredNative
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Ralph Hamon:
"Local Artist from Rotorua shares his impressive craftsmanship through one & many of natures beautiful stones, featured next is New Zealand Greenstone "Pounamu" the traditional Tiki.

Ralph comes from a family not short of many talents in the creative arts area and his shop is located at the well known Village of "Whakarewarewa" where you may even catch him in action sculpting his next master piece."

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by
KOHATU
​ATAAHUA
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Paikea

6/14/2017

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There once lived in Hawaiki a chief called Uenuku, who had seventy-one sons. Seventy of these sons were chiefs, for their mothers were of noble birth. But Uenuku had one wife who was a slave, and because of this, her son Ruatapu was of no importance.

One day Uenuku decided to build a great canoe. A tall tree was felled, and for a long time his men worked at hollowing and smoothing and carving it. When it was finished it was painted red and hung with strings of feathers.

Then Uenuku brought together all his sons, so that their hair might be combed and oiled and tied into top-knots. This was so that they would look well when they sailed for the first time in the great canoe. Uenuku himself combed and oiled and tied their hair, for this was tapu, a sacred thing.

Ruatapu became offended when his father Uenuku elevated his older half-brother

Kahutia-te-rangi (later known as Paikea) ahead of him. When Ruatapu was about to use a comb belonging to Kahutia-te-rangi, Uenuku rebuked him, pointing out that Kahutia-te-rangi was of high rank while Ruatapu was of low birth (because his mother was a slave wife).

Then Ruatapu was very ashamed, and ran away and planned to revenge himself. He ate no food that night, but went down to the canoe and cut a hole in its bottom. Then he filled the hole in again with chips of wood.

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In the morning all the noble sons of Uenuku launched the canoe for the first time, and Ruatapu went with them. The canoe was a beautiful sight, with its feathers and tall carvings, and it went very fast over the waves. They paddled a long way out to sea, and Ruatapu kept his heel over the hole so it would not be seen. When they were out of sight of land, Ruatapu pushed away the chips from the hole and water rushed into the canoe.

‘Where is the bailer?’ his brothers shouted.

‘Quickly, bail out the water, or we are lost!’

But Ruatapu had hidden the bailer, and the canoe filled with water and sank. Then Ruatapu had his revenge, for all his noble brothers were drowned, excepting one. Ruatapu swam after his last brother, Kahutia-te-rangi,  but he could not catch him.


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Kahutia-te-rangi said, “I will not drown. I am descended from Tangaroa, the god of the sea, and he will help me.”

Tangaroa heard his descendant, and sent a paikea (whale) to take him to land.
Kahutia-te-rangi was the sole survivor of his brother's evildoings and assumed the name Paikea as a memorial of the assistance he received from the whales.​

Then Ruatapu recited a magic incantation, and sent five great waves rolling across the ocean after Paikea. But Paikea was too far away, and he came to land just before the waves reached him. The waves hit the shore and bounced off again, and went back across the ocean. They rushed over Ruatapu, who was still in the sea, and Ruatapu was drowned through his own magic.
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But Paikea was safe. It was the East Coast of the North Island to which the whale had brought him, and his children's children live there still. The whale became an island, and you can see it there today.
-Te Aho Hou
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Alternate Version

The Tribes of Ngati Porou and
Ngai Tahu are his descendants.
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Graduation Time

5/22/2017

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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.
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Read More about Maori Korowai
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Kia Kaha!

3/22/2017

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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.​
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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

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International Women's Day

3/8/2017

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"There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish"
- Michelle Obama
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"Women are the real architects of society."
-Cher

Happy International Women's Day!
TO all of the Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, Aunties, Nieces, Grandmothers, and Friends...you are beautiful in every way. Your calling of womanhood is divine and essential to life. Always remember that you are of infinite worth and have a great capacity for goodness.


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Soldiers Rd.

2/15/2017

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“Having had the opportunity to travel abroad with our original concept, we have definitely experienced first hand the uniqueness and beauty of our Maori culture on the world stage. We enjoy having a business that promotes and celebrates our culture.”
-Soldier Rd Portraits
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In 2014, my husband Greg, discovered this company called
Soldiers Rd Portraits on Instagram. He liked, how they took culturally inspired vintage looking portraits of different Maori people, but what really caught our eye was how they infused Maori culture and blended it other cultures to show a mixed-identity modern portrayal of what it means to be Maori today. Being Half-Maori and Half-Samoan, this blended cultural portrait that would pay homage to my Maori roots in a vintage portrait really appealed to me and when Greg discovered that Soldier Rd would be in L.A. over the Thanksgiving holiday he quickly went to work to contact them. 
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We had the pleasure of hosting them in our home and making some eternal friendships. We invited as much of our family as could come for Thanksgiving and in a very appropriate way reconnected with our indigenous roots and ancestors on that special day. 

Since then, Taaniko and Vienna Nordstrom have continued to grow Soldiers Rd and do amazing things to promote Maori culture both in New Zealand and internationally. We love them and champion the work they do and will always feel a connection to them. The art they produce appeals to the eye, but more importantly connects to the soul.  
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“The portraits we take are a beautiful and positive portrayal of people, specifically Maori, and we’ve seen, heard and felt people’s reactions. They feel a sense of pride in themselves and in some ways, they feel closer to their tupuna.”
-Soldier Rd Portraits 

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    "Behind every successful woman is a tribe of other successful women, who have her back."

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