Co-governance with a Te Tiriti o Waitangi lens

Tēnā tātou kātoa, he uri ahau o Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngā Rauru hoki. No Kōterana, Airani, Ingarangi ōku tipuna. I grow from my whakapapa and everything that comes from my tipuna.

My journey with Leadership Lab has ‘unofficially’ occurred for over three decades, officially over the last six years. I have known co-director, Chris Jansen since we were both volunteer youth workers in the 80s, and we are both still involved with the same youth organisation, Te Ora Hou Ōtautahi, today. In recent years, I opted into one of the Leadership Lab programmes and was later honoured to be invited to the facilitation team. This led to broader kōrero around the Leadership Lab inner workings and ongoing story.

As an organisation that engages with people in all facets of society, I was drawn to the potential connections and the intent and heart of those involved. The challenge for me was seeing others like myself, a wahine Māori, amongst the Leadership Lab community. As time went on, I found myself amid deep discussions around being Tangata Whenua in a space that didn’t fully understand the challenges that sometimes held for me and other iwi Māori in spaces similar to this. It is hugely important to me to hold space as Tangata Whenua wherever I am. Alongside others, these conversations have led to a commitment to giving effect to the articles of te Tiriti o Waitangi as an organisation. The most exciting thing about this has been learning, grappling with, and understanding what that means past words written on paper.

I bring a kete full of life experience and passion for the betterment of Aotearoa and our mokopuna. With a background in youth work, I have spent many years in the education realm, from Kohanga Reo to adult education. I still work in and amongst the youth sector at Te Ora Hou Ōtautahi, as I have for many years. As a lifelong learner of te reo me ona tikanga, I bring my life experience growing up, having navigated the ups and downs of life in two worlds. This journey led me to branch out and found my own consultancy business committed to personal and professional development.

At Leadership Lab, I find myself in a community of genuine, committed, innovative, and empowering people who constantly challenge, stretch, and grow themselves and others around them. The depth of knowledge and expertise gained through learning or life experience in the room is humbling. I feel privileged to be a part of Leadership Lab as a Director, facilitator, and as a learner.

Mauriora
Nā Danette Abraham – Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngā Rauru

Ko koe ki tēnā ko au ki tēnei kīwai o te kite, nā reira nei te mihi ki a koutou katoa. I te taha o tōku pāpā.  He uri ahau nō Ngāti Kawa, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Rāhiri. Ko Ngātokimatawhaorua te waka, ko Pouerua te maunga, ko Ōwhareiti te roto, ko Ngāti Kawa te whare tupuna. Ko Ngāpuhi te iwi. Nō reira e te iwi Ko Te Ao Marama Apiata tōku ingoa.

On my mother’s side, I come from Ireland, England and Germany. Mum was born and bred in Dunedin, where we moved as a whānau when I was three years old. My formative years were of sport and army life (dad did multiple tours in Vietnam), and some of my outstanding memories were of time spent as whānau at the beach gathering kaimoana, fishing, or driving around finding the best patches of watercress. Dad’s connection back to his whenua always draws us back up north. There were Christmases in the tent on Nana’s property; she was a tall, strong wāhine Māori who raised many children and looked after the whenua where she raised her tamariki. Dad would always kōrero Māori ki āna whānau. I took this as normal, but not what we did back in Dunedin. I saw the tough side of life in Northland when I visited my whānaunga, my uncles, and aunties. I didn’t understand at the time and had developed opinions about why things were like they were.

Fast track several years, I still held onto these opinions which were along the lines of, why don’t people just go and get a job? It was not until I started to work with rangatahi Māori that I began to be challenged and needed to challenge my perspective. I had light shed on my bias; I was open to people’s realities. At this time, I knew I needed to connect to my whakapapa and reo so I could understand better what privileges have been afforded to me and the impacts my whakapapa has endured.

Through learning my reo, I have sat with my father to speak with him in his first language, his native language. When I had my first genuine experience of being able to kōrero, I suddenly met my father; I got to hear his perspective on life through his own reo. I am only getting to know him now, considering that he turns 90 this year; time is short.

You might ask what this has to do with Leadership Lab and why I have actively engaged with all the fantastic people in this space. To put it simply, I want my son, my father’s moko, to have an opportunity to experience his reo, meet his whakapapa, and understand the beauty of being Ngāti Kawa, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Rāhiri.

The founders of Leadership Lab have woven their values into this space, which is why I have chosen to join them. From my first wānanga as a participant in the LinC Incubator Leadership programme to the present, this has challenged, stretched, and developed me. As tāngata whenua, who is a long way from home, they also invite me to bring my lived experience with me, and it’s not just my experience; my boy’s experience also helps inform us as we move forward.

Ko koe ki tēnā, ko au ki tēnei kīwai o te kete, You have that handle, and I have this handle of the kete. I value Chris, Peter, Danette, and all of the whānau of Leadership Lab because we all hold a handle of this kete. More than ever, we now need to hold tightly onto the kete. We also need to know that this kete is holding our uri of the future. This is my why, and I need people around me whom I trust and who I trust to challenge me and value my whakapapa.

Mauriora
Nā Te Ao Marama Apiata – Ngā Puhi