Introducing our 2025 Manukura

Tū ana au ki runga i te tihi o tōku maunga o Mauao.

Heke whakararo ki te moana o Te Awanui e pari mai ana ki te moutere o Matakana, ko tōku tūrangawaewae

Tera taku waka ko mataatua. Kei tauranga ra ko Ngaiterangi ko Ngatiranginui ko Ngati pukenga.

Kei reira kua oho ano a te Kutaroa marae te turangawaewae o tauaiti raua ko hineaorangi.

Te whakaruruhau o te hapu o Ngatitauaiti.

Ko wai au he maori ahau, no te moutere o matakana.

Toitū te tiriti, whakamahara te whakaputanga.

Tihei mauriora. 

Kia ora e te whanau! My name is Rahera and I am 17 years of age. I am one of the Manukura Māori leaders for Hillcrest in 2025! I have much pride in our culture, and I enjoy expressing this pride in every way I can. I believe that through being a Manukura leader, I have been allowed to help guide your tamariki through the stresses of college. I am excited to be able to share our culture through our kura and teach my fellow rangatahi more about the beauty of being Māori. I believe that my generation has lost our view of why being Māori is important, and I strongly want to have a hand in reminding them of the mana inside of every one of us. 

I enjoy reading, writing, kapa haka, meeting new people, and learning more about my whakapapa. I aim to attend either Otago University, Waikato University, or Auckland University to achieve a law degree one day. I would be the second person in my family to ever go to university, and I hope to follow through with my goal of one day becoming a Judge. I also aim to become a powerful advocate for our people and make our voices heard. Being a young Māori and experiencing the struggles of my people has made me both angry and motivated for what I want for myself. I use experiences such as the Treaty Principles Bill and the blatant racism we endure to push myself to be better so that one day, I can be in a position to make our voices heard without being dismissed.

Anei au tō pou whirinaki, Rāhera Kani.

Ko Hikurangi te maunga 

 Ko Waiapu te awa 

Ko Horouta te waka 

 Ko Ngati Porou te iwi 

Ko te Aotawarirangi te hapu 

 No Tairawhiti ahau

Kei Whaingaroa ahau e noho ana 

 Ko Natalia Meek toku ingoa 

 No reira tena koutou katoa

I am a 17 year old Māori student, and I am very excited for 2024. I aspire to show endless support for the minds of rangatahi, and ensure Māori success and happiness in everything I do. I would like to prioritise helping our older students understand their opportunities for their chosen futures as well as involving a lot of tikanga Māori and Māori related events for our juniors to partake in. But most of all I want to listen to what the rangatahi of Hillcrest think we can do to make Māori culture feel appreciated.