My family weren’t raised into the typical Māori lifestyle. This was a result of intergenerational trauma caused by the negative influences of colonisation. Till this day I know that the past cannot be changed, so I focused my attention towards what actions I could take in the present moment (2017) to create a future that could assist me in the restoration of Te Ao Māori back into our family.

I have always loved the aesthetic of our traditional art forms and thought that learning them through the New Zealand Māori Arts & Crafts Institute could lead me into a future where I could invigorate the culture through a medium that I genuinely enjoy. This has been my journey for the past three years.

For those who may not know, I’m currently in the final stages of completing my studies at the New Zealand Māori Arts & Crafts Institute as a tauira whakairo. I’ve spent the past three years learning and refining my knowledge of the Māori arts through traditional woodcarving as a means of immersing myself into the culture of my ancestors.

Through this journey, I’ve had the opportunity to learn so much in terms of how our ancestors operated. I grew to acknowledge them not only as warriors but as philosophers, poets, travellers and enlightened individuals who held a spiritual connection to everything around them.

The disconnect that was severed between my ancestors and I had been brought back together again. The taura is still mending itself everyday which I am very grateful for. The sense of identity within myself has grown and it is something that I wanted to share with you, whether you’re family, a friend or a stranger.

Where does this lead me to now? I still have a lot of growing in terms of learning about my whakapapa and where I come from. I eventually want to learn the language of my ancestors, and apply it so the generations after me can flourish in the beauty of a culture that was almost lost. but for the meantime I thought that I didn’t want to retain this idea of connecting with my ancestors.

For years I felt insecure for not knowing who I was or where I was from. Not knowing the customs and traditions of our people, the language, formalities or basic procedures on the Marae. With the pendulum of te Ao Māori swinging into our favour more than it has ever been for decades, I wanted to create something.

I would like to become an ambassador for those who are yet to establish a sense of identity and belonging. Being there myself, it’s scary I’m not going to lie, but I want to cultivate a family for those who may feel insecure as I once was. And this message isn’t only for Māori but for anybody that feels a disconnect from self identity. Hence the birth of indiGEN official, a brand that’s inspired by our indiGENous people and the interGENerational trauma we’ve faced and risen above.

I wanted to create a brand that showcases the strength of pursuing self identity.