Finding her place within toi Māori
Being able to connect multiple aspects of her personality has opened many doors for Ōtautahi raranga tauira, Ngaio Cowell.
Returning to Aotearoa after several years in the UK, Ngaio decided to dip her toes back into toi Māori studying Toi Maruata Level 3 at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, in 2021.
Under the guidance of raranga kaiako, Sue Tipene, Ngaio was able to reconnect with a practice she was involved in as a tamariki.
She was pleasantly surprised to find that raranga was the perfect place for her love of graphic design and taiao to meet.
“I wasn’t expecting to fall back in love with this part of me, to have my passions intersect so perfectly.”
Ngaio has continued her learning journey, completing Kāwai Raupapa Level 4 in 2022 and this year working towards Toi Paematua Level 5.
She describes the experience as overwhelmingly positive, and she is immensely grateful for the strong mana wāhine environment in her classes.
Being able to connect with her māoritanga while harvesting and preparing resources for weaving has grounded her and reminded her of the importance of who she is.
“I love the way you are encouraged to be Māori in your own way. You don’t have to always be on the marae, or speaking reo. You can do it in your own way, in the way that makes sense to you.”
Ngaio has been humbled to see how much her learning with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa has impacted her whānau.
Delving back into toi Māori has come with unexpected work opportunities. She is passionate about her role as Kaiwhakahaere for the newly opened Te Whare Tapere centre in the The Arts Centre, Ōtautahi.
Ngaio describes it as a place for Māori, by Māori, providing opportunities for change within toi Māori in Aotearoa. It is intended to be a collaborative space, where artists can create and learn from each other.
Ngaio has also been involved in teaching some beginner raranga in this facility, helping with Rekindle, a creative workshop that focusses on resourceful craft, connecting with kura kaupapa and bilingual units, and curating exhibitions of tauira toi mahi.
Ngaio is profoundly grateful for the way her life has been enriched by stepping back into toi Māori. She’d long wanted to connect, and give back to her iwi, and she is now by helping with the cultural design of train stations, a hospital, and park in a newly developing section of south Auckland.
“I’ve always wanted to do something for my iwi, do something in my way, that feels tau for me. Without Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, I wouldn’t be in that position. Now I feel like I can do it justice.”
Pūrongo whakahirahira
Featured stories
Finding a deeper sense of self through te ao Māori
Moving to Aotearoa from rural Australia as a teenager, Lily Warring found herself wanting to learn more about the culture and language of the place she now called home.
A journey shaped by whānau and a love of tamariki
Members of Tayla-Marie Takawe’s (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Maniapoto) whānau were among the first tauira to graduate from the Bachelor of Education (Primary Teaching) at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
Reconnecting to te ao Māori through raranga
Haylee Roussel (Ngāti Rārua, Rangitāne, Ngāti Maniapoto) was searching for a way to reconnect with te ao Māori when she enrolled in the Certificate in Māori and Indigenous Art, Raranga, at the Waiwhero campus of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
Creating the spark for business success
With plenty of experience as an electrician, Josh Verstraten was ready to branch out from employee to business owner, but he knew running a successful business would require a new set of skills.
From financial stress to financial freedom for Auckland whānau
For Augustine Kopa, studying the Certificate in Money Management at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa was about creating a better future for her whānau.
Two generations, one reo Māori journey
When Melody Francis (Ngāti Kahungunu) saw the positive impact that studying te reo Māori had on her mum, she decided to jump on the waka and begin the journey alongside her.
Tikanga study boosts whānau presence on marae
Patrick and Donna Tobin (Ngāti Kahu) are a brother-and-sister duo studying tikanga alongside their wider whānau at Te Paatu Marae in Kaitaia, all working towards the betterment of their whānau, iwi, and marae.
A teacher’s path to understanding tikanga
Originally from South Africa, Franda Zondagh has called Aotearoa home since 2003, but it was through studying He Papa Tikanga with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa that she began to feel a deeper connection to the place she lives and people she serves in her mahi.
Leading by example and learning te reo Māori
Liisa Wharepapa’s (Te Whānau ā Apanui) journey with te reo Māori wasn’t something that happened overnight, it was a goal waiting to be pursued until the moment she felt ready to take that step.
Returning home and reclaiming te reo Māori
After many years away building his professional career, Logan Bertram (Whakatōhea), returned home to Ōpōtiki with a clear goal of reconnecting with his whakapapa and creating a better future for his young whānau.
