Ngāti Awa Education Scholarship Recipients During my first two years of study, I undertook work experience at Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa. I am now in my final year of study and working part time as an IT Assistant, performing tasks such as systems administrations, remote device management and web management.
Ko Kapūterangi te maunga Ko Whakatāne te awa Ko Mataatua te waka Ko Ngāti Awa te Iwi Ko Ngāti Rangataua te hapū Ko Ngaire Rapana ahau I am a mother first and foremost, raising my two sons alongside my supportive partner in our beautiful rohe of Ngāti Awa. Born and raised in Whakatāne, I come from a closeknit whānau that have been my backbone and leading support as I pursue a Bachelor of Applied Information Technology, majoring in Software Development. The journey so far has been strenuous to say the least, but the overwhelming amount of knowledge I have attained has made it a worthy experience and contributed to many life lessons along the way. Choosing Software Development was a decision based off of my previous experience of critical thinking and problem solving, and the satisfaction gained from piecing together the pieces of a puzzle. I am also able to express my creative side through coding, application design and website development. By continuing to work in this field, I am exposed to new learning opportunities, keeping my mind fresh and my mahi exciting.
Working for my Iwi has provided me with the opportunity to utilise the knowledge achieved through my degree for our people which has been nothing short of a golden opportunity. I am not only expanding on my current skillsets but also learning about our culture, the history of Ngāti Awa and my own whakapapa– valuable knowledge that I knew so little about. Researching about significant events like the Raupatu and the great injustice brought upon our people during those times was upsetting. Our lands were stripped, and our people left to suffer the harsh consequences of the Raupatu. After over a century of hardship, our Iwi were finally able to overcome these obstacles, but not without the exceptional efforts by our Ngāti Awa kaumātua. They took on the challenge to claim back what was rightfully ours, giving Ngāti Awa hope to revitalise our identity and culture. Knowledge like this gives me the strength and determination to keep striving through challenging times and be proud to descend from a resilient Iwi that recovered from deep adversity. I’d like to acknowledge Ngāti Awa for their financial contribution to not only my academic journey, but all recipients of Ngāti Awa Scholarships and Grants. Seeing our Iwi invest in our people is awe-inspiring, helping the future generations to achieve their greatest aspirations and career endeavours. I am beyond honoured to be a chosen recipient for this scholarship, which has helped with the financial stresses of studying Ngā mihi nui, Ngaire Rapana Applied Sciences Scholarship
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TE RŪNANGA O NGĀTI AWA | 2021 Annual Report
Ko Putauaki te maunga Ko Oriini te awa Ko Ngai Taiwhakaea te hapū Ko Ngāti Awa te Iwi Ko Mataatua te waka Ko Te Paroa te marae Ko Katera Tutua toku ingoa I am currently in my 2nd year of studying medicine at Otago University. My interest in health stemed from my parents who are in the health profession. Being born and bred in Ngāti Awa, my education began at Edgecumbe Primary school where I was nurtured and then progressed at Whakatāne High school. At Whakatāne High school I was extended and my interest in health grew. Whakatāne High was also where I was introduced to more of Te Ao Māori. Since being at Medical school, it is sobering to see the poor Māori health statistics and I can see where having Māori in health professional roles can only be beneficial for us as a people. It also motivates me to learn te reo as that will be beneficial to me and my patients once I start working. I would like to thank Ngāti Awa for this scholarship and the support towards my studies. I hope to give back to Ngāti Awa in the future by returning to work in this rohe sometime. Ngā mihi nui, Katera Tutua Health Science Scholarship
