(Ngāti Waewae) (she/her)
Ariana
Bachelor of Law, GradDip Teaching (Secondary), Te Panekiretanga o Te Reo.
If teenage Ariana could have seen who she would grow up to be, the Reo Māori Mai founder reckons her younger self wouldn’t be able to believe it. Although she undertook a Certificate in Māori language between highschool and law school, it would be years before Ariana felt she could wield her mother tongue with any confidence or authority.
The birth of her second child awakened words within her and that began what is now a 12 year haerenga into the wonder of the Māori language, and the world that has opened up to her because of it. Ariana’s passion for the reo and ngāwari nature make her a perfect fit for a te reo Māori teacher and agent of transformational change.
Walking with one foot in te ao Pākehā, one foot i te ao Māori means the business director is well-placed to support people on their journey to not only learn the indigenous language of this land; it also enables her to support people as they unpack what it means to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi, to unpack and confront racism in Aotearoa and to be on a path towards decolonisation.
Vicci captures one of Ariana’s many teaching strengths beautifully: “It's one thing to learn reo, but Ariana has the ability to share how we hold it. When to use it, when not to use it for example, or where to focus your reo journey.”
(Kāi Tūāhuriri, Kāti Huirapa) (she/her)
Lucy
Diploma in Rongoā Māori, Bachelor of Arts (Te Reo Māori, Māori & Indigenous Studies), BA Honours (First Class) in Māori & Indigenous Studies.
This young wahine joined the Reo Māori Mai tīma after an intuitive invitation from Ariana to board the kaupapa - following Ariana’s semester as a lecturer in Lucy’s university class!
Lucy moved to Ōtautahi on a snap decision to study te reo Māori and Indigenous Studies at the University of Canterbury. She completed her Honours in 2021, which discusses the mana of tīpuna wāhine in her whakapapa and in the broader context of Kāi Tahu tribal history. Lucy has begun a journey into Rongoā Māori, which has quickly developed into a passion.
“Just seeing how much my worldview has shifted by being able to understand the intricacies of my whakapapa, the history of our country, has been transformational.”
Reo Māori Mai tends to call for kaimahi who can do a bit of everything and to that end, Lucy offers te reo Māori teaching, resource design, and is moving into the decolonisation facilitation space also.
(Pākehā) (she/her)
Nic
Nic is our Operations Manager extraordinaire. She keeps the Reo Māori Mai ship running tight by managing our day to day administration, finances and project management. Nic excels at all things systems, while also ensuring that these work for our wider team and our multiple commitments, “I really like the idea that I can make things better for people, people’s experience at mahi.”
Born and raised in Ōtautahi, it wasn’t until she joined Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu that her eyes were opened to te ao Māori. From here, she has embraced the culture, and feels passionate to be part of making the ao a better place for her tamariki and those to follow.
Now as an integral part of our tīma at Reo Māori Mai, Nic values being part of an organisation with other parents who are supported by a pakihi that understands and values the vital role of mātua (parents).