Lincoln University Digital Dissertation - Lincoln University Research ...

1.3 No hea koe?
Literally, “where are you from?” is a question that many Maori will ask when
first meeting each other. From a Maori perspective this inquiry relates to a
person’s turangawaewae (home, ancestral area or marae) and whakapapa.
No hea koe? encapsulates the very essence of who you are and what has
contributed to your being. My research methodology is based around the
Kaupapa Maori Research (KMR) approach which emphasises and reinforces
the need to establish who you are and where you have come from. In this
preface I declare myself to the reader, sharing my background, perspectives
and where I have come from.
Who I am relates to my whakapapa. My father and mother were raised in
South-Canterbury and Christchurch respectively, before collectively moving to
Awa Iti (Little River), Horomaka (Banks Peninsula). My mother is of Pakeha
descent, while my father is Maori, of Te Ati Awa (Motueka) and Ngai Tahu
(Moeraki) iwi (tribes). My brother, two years younger, and I are the only
children in our immediate whanau (family).
I was raised in a rural setting, where much of my inherent links and
relationship with the whenua (land) were nurtured. By means of secondary
and tertiary study I have furthered this relationship, pursuing studies in
agricultural and environmental disciplines. This course of study has truly
opened my eyes to the realities – both challenges and opportunities
associated with development initiatives abroad and in Aotearoa.
I am grateful for the environment of encouragement and support which my
whanau has provided. Faith has been a cornerstone of my upbringing, and my
perspectives of life and aspirations in life reflect my Messianic-Israeli beliefs.
Acknowledging my Elohim (G-d) and Messiah is a conscious reality and a joy
which has become evermore real in my journey through life.
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