Kei hea tātou reo, Aotearoa? Where is our language, Aotearoa? This is a question that has been buzzing around in my head over the last few months. In January, I attended a summer camp in Ōtaki. It was an opportunity for youth aged 17-30 to come together and discuss politics, environmental issues, play music, dance,… Continue reading Why Te Reo Māori is Relevant Now
Yeah, so, New Zealand is not doing a fantastic job. We're miles ahead of Australia, for example - make no mistake - but our micro-aggressions towards ngā tāngata whenua are all too real, sometimes subtle and sometimes more like actual aggression. I will never ever know what it feels like to live in the skin… Continue reading Colonialism in Aotearoa and te Ao
Unlike most Christians (and ex-Christians), I grew up in a secular household. I now thank Ranginui, Māori god of the sky, that this was the case. In my opinion, what drew me to the Christian faith in the first place (for eight years) was my innate need for spiritual exploration, influence via Christian extended family members,… Continue reading Addressing My Internalised Homophobia
Suicide. Many people that I know, myself included, have contemplated it at difficult periods of our lives. My grandfather died by it – so I never got to meet him – and so did a fellow high school chorister. Those deaths will never ever escape my mind; both for different reasons. People need to come… Continue reading Suicide and the Value of Te Whare Tapa Whā
There are three things I choose to believe: At their core, people are good.* Everybody has shit to deal with. Hurt people hurt people. Most of the time we hide our mess and our problems and the things which we'd rather not have people see...things we're ashamed of, things that are too tender, things that… Continue reading Deep and Meaningfuls in the Kitchen
Isn’t it just borderline extraordinary to consider that everyone who has ever lived and who will ever be born has a unique narrative. Nobody knows the exact same combination of people, nobody has done the same thing in the same place at the same time while thinking the same thoughts as another, nobody has had… Continue reading Tripping on Words
I'm not sure how I feel about awareness weeks. It's Mental Health Awareness Week this October, and on one hand I think that's fantastic - because maintaining mental health is so fundamental to our overall wellbeing, because it is still a poorly understood issue, because it is grossly underfunded and sidelined, because New Zealand has… Continue reading What Are We Aware Of?
