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Meet Ian
Ko Tuhua te maunga
Ko Arahura te awa
Ko Tākitimu te waka
Ko Poutini Kāi Tahu te iwi
Ko Kāti Waewae te hapū
Ko Ian Kearns tōku ingoa
Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.
I was born and raised here in Arahura with my grandmother Hinemoa Tauwhiri and Alan Tainui.
It was beautiful years growing up with them. Learnt some beautiful manaakitanga – from swimming at the awa to going to kōhanga on the pā. And then recently have just moved home in the last eight months, to come back and be a peer support worker at Poutini Waiora, helping youth and young men develop new skills in living a healthier lifestyle.
It's a very enjoyable job. And, yeah, I look forward to the future of Te Tai o Poutini.
Mauri ora.
Meet Horiana
Kia ora tātou
E tū tēnei, he mokopuna a Waewae
Ā, Horiana ahau
Ko Tuhua te maunga
Ko Arahura te awa
Ko Tākitimu te waka
Tūhuru te whare tupuna
Pounamu taku taonga
Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora tātou.
Meet Aaron
Kia ora. My name is Aaron Tauwhare and I work for Waewae Pounamu, which is a carving studio out of our rūnanga, Ngāti Waewae, from Arahura pā.
Yeah, I enjoy working here. The variety of work that I do. And the satisfaction out of, yeah, carving something from a raw stone to a finished piece. Kia ora.
Meet Katene
Chur.
Ko Tuhua te maunga
Arahura te awa
Tairea te waka
Kāti Waewae te hapū
Ko Poutini Kāi Tahu te iwi
Ko Katene ahau
I’m a kaiwhakairo pounamu. I first got into it as, pretty much, as something to do. Yeah. I got asked, when I was 18, if I wanted to go to Te Puia and learn from New Zealand's best.
I've been doing it for about 15 years, and it is a medium that I really love working with ‘cause it's hard, it's durable, and it's a lot like the people here on the coast where it's found.
