The title of this short course is a nod to Apirana Mahuika’s 1970s Master’s Thesis. He studied the leadership roles of Ngāti Pōrou women. His analysis challenged the prevailing view that leadership in Māori society was the prerogative of men. I, too, am a ‘Nati’ and my youngest child carries the Mahuika name in honour of the familial ties. Like Uncle Api, I wanted to celebrate Māori women’s achievements. Instead of focusing on my own iwi and risking the ‘Nati Blow’ label I chose to learn about women from other parts of the country. That can be risky too. But I had been asked to speak at an Indigenous Women in Industry summit in Rotorua so it seemed fitting. I took the stage after Heeni Hoterene – a wahine Māori maramataka expert. Click on the arrow at the bottom of the image to hear what I had to say. You might like to download this notebook first so that you can take notes.
Once you’ve watched the presentation, click ‘Mark Complete’ then ‘Next Topic’ (both below) to see a Virtual Gallery and learn more about some of the wāhine mentioned.
