He aha te mea nui o te ao ?  He tangata, he tangata, he tangata

What is the most important thing in the world ?  It is the people, the people, the people.

Everyone who lives on an island comes from somewhere else. Three waves of migration float to our southern reef – first came Indigenous Polynesians, then others from Europe, and now Asia. Whakapapa symbols of unity (e.g. bound sticks…), healing (e.g. Kawakawa leaf), and strength (e.g. heart aflame). Kotahitanga kite Aotearoa. 

Starting at the top: three waves of colonisation upon our southern reef -Indigenous Polynesians, then from Europe, and now Asian… My whakapapa directly connected to all three. Whakapapa symbols of unity (e.g. bound sticks…), healing (e.g. Kawakawa leaf), and strength (e.g. heart aflame). Kotahitanga kite Aotearoa.