Asking my whanau questions about my Pepeha made me feel connected to them in a different way than I usually do, it helped me to understand the importance of my family tree and where I came from.

For me this is information that is important to pass down to future generations.

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi engari he toa takitini “I come not with my own strengths but bring with me the gifts, talents and strengths of my family, tribe and ancestors”

I really enjoyed discovering and writing my pepeha because I got to explore my family’s history and celebrate all of their different stories. Learning these stories helped me to connect with my tipuna and understand them better.”Inā kei te mohio koe ko wai koe, I anga mai koe I hea, kei te mohio koe kei te anga atu ki hea.” If you know who you are and where you are from, you will know where you are going.