Lani, Cuzzies i te Mara – Rangatahi-led place-base Wānanga

In that space we shared our research projects and kaupapa, setting the foundation for kōrero that would reach beyond the room, into whakapapa, whenua, and the essence of kāinga itself.

We then shifted to Ruatoki, Te Rewarewa Marae with Te Mahurehure. The kōrero in the days that followed, spoke with power and honesty of being Tūhoe, of being Māori, and of mana motuhake as something we must collectively enact and live. Themes of courage and colonisation intertwined, reminding us that change does not come easily. It demands effort, bravery, and the willingness to sit with discomfort, to remove the barriers within our reach, to embrace awkwardness, and to accept mistakes as part of the journey towards deeper knowing and connection.

A moment that will stay with us was when Lani Rotzler-Purewa welcomed her whānau home. Raised overseas, this was their first time returning to their rohe. Their reconnection with whakapapa embodied what Generation Kāinga is truly about, that kāinga is never just a house or a structure, but the living ties of whenua, whānau, and belonging that carry us across generations.

As the wānanga drew to an end, we gathered at the banks of the Ohinemataroa. Mist curled through the valley, wrapping the whenua in a quiet cloak of wairua. Standing there, we felt a deep sense of tau, a stillness that balanced the courage and challenge of the kōrero shared. It was a reminder that even in the heaviest journeys, there is grounding, connection, and renewal to be found in our taiao.