Indigenous brands, Maori business, Kaupapa Growth and innovation, collaborative pilot projects, culture connection and exchange, design enabled economic, culturally enriched.
Pae Matua
Tainui Art
Waikato
Tainui te Waka
Taupiri te Maunga
Waikato te Awa
Waikato te Iwi
Te Hapu a Ngati Tipa me Ngati Tahinga
Te Kotahitanga (te Kuumi) te Marae
Ko Rhys Shaw ahau
Kia Ora,
I hail from a small town in the Franklin district called Te Kohanga. I have 3 tamariki and a beautiful partner. I have only recently re-connected back to my Maoritanga. After a life in Business management I felt I was losing my wairua. Also losing that tikanga / kawa which my grandmother tried to install in me as a youngster.
So five years ago I left my management position with an anual salary of $75,500 and pursued Whaka-iro. I studied at Te Wananga o Aotearoa in Te Awamutu. I was travelling 4 days a week to and from Tekohanga and Te Awamutu which was difficult on a student allowance. Then the course was moved to Rotorua because of lack of numbers in Te Awamutu to run the class. Now I'm travelling from Te Kohanga to Rotorua four times aweek. The next year of study was in Rotorua this time I was travelling from Tauranga. After graduating I started working from home as an artist as well as working for the Ministry of Justice in Papakura.
Currently I am working for Te Wananga o Aotearoa as a Whaka-iro tutor. I have the best job in the world.
Mauri Ora
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