Ko Pouerua tōku maunga

Ko Owhareiti tōku roto

Ko Ngātokimatawhaorua tōku waka

Ko Ngāti Rāhiri, ko Ngāti Hine, ko Ngāti Kawa ōku hāpū

Ko Ngāpuhi tōku iwi

Ko Te Ao Marama (Jodi) Apiata tōku ingoa

Ma te whakatu, ka mohio. Ma te mohio, ka marama. Ma te marama, ka matauranga. Ma te matau, ka ora. 

Te Ao Marama has a wealth of experience in the outdoor sector through his passion with the Taiao (natural world), he has worked in the youth development and therapy space which has lead to him connecting Taiao, Purakau Maori, and developmental therapies to support rangatahi on their journey. Following on from the completion of his bachelor of te reo Maori and Indigenous studies from Ara, Te Ao Marama worked for service called Purapura Whetu, a kaupapa Māori Mental Health provider.   Here he further developed his knowledge of Te Ao Māori and Tikanga, and how best to support whanau Māori on the journey of whaiora. In 2019 and early 2020 Te Ao Marama worked at the YMCA Christchurch overseeing the Youth Pathways team and Youth Employment team, where he introduced Tikanga and Matauranga Maori as a methodology of work to support the development of rangatahi to attain Mana Motuhake.

In early 2020, Te Ao Marama branched out to support other organisations who have a desire to become more culturally confident and responsive. Te Ao Marama worked alongside Burwood Academy of Independent living
supporting the team with research and embedding kaupapa Māori into their practice. Whanau Whanake is a Kaupapa Māori Hauora organisation that supports whanau to reach their hauora goals. As a Tūhono Hapori, Te Ao Marama supported new and diverse connections in community that would help the team who are supporting whanau to reach their wawata. Te Ao Marama also supports a range of programs at Ara rau, Taumata
rau. Ara Institute of Canterbury. Here works alongside the team of Ako me te tiaki i te taiao – Outdoor education and Sustainability. Here he supports kaimahi to embedded kaupapa Māori into each program so that tauira will gain an understanding of the importance of Matauranga Māori in their future careers. He also tutors the Allied Health Team educating them about how relevant kaupapa Māori is in their roles as future
practitioners and the importance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and their practice.

Since 2015, Te Ao Marama has been connected with the team at Leadership Lab initially as a participant on the LinC (Leadership in Communities) project, before joining the facilitation team as both a facilitator, as well as supporting and guiding the korero exploring Te Ao Maori in leadership development and communities.  Over the last 2 years he has also pioneered and facilitiated the Leadership Lab Puāwai programme with rangatahi.