Melissa Reiri

Sometimes we need help with finding our way. My journey into raranga reconnected me back to te ao Māori when I started ten years ago. All the conversations with women as we wove and just being around them helped me to flourish.

I grew up in Pahiatua on a farm within a very working-class family. I worked as soon as I could and to me it was just part of everyday life. Harakeke is a really hard medium to process before you can even use it, and I think it came naturally to me because hard work was built into who I am.

I live in Woodville now and raranga is what started me on my journey of working in the community here with our young people. I was holding wānanga and teaching them, using it as a way to fill a void. And I could see there were so many life skills missing. I just wanted to help fill that gap.

I am a youth worker and I’m on our school’s board and through these roles, and the connections I made through weaving, I have been able to build a community-led garden. There are natives and fruit trees in the communal food gardens and then the creative wetland project has native plants that we can use in raranga and rongoā. This is where that learning takes place amongst all of the different people who help. It happens as we work and it happens between the generations. The teenagers can come in and help beside a dad who is a tradesman. It’s character-building and they pick up heaps of life skills.

This area holds nostalgia for me. I know it, I care about it and I want to help. I want to see things get better for our young people and for them to have opportunities. The saying “it takes a village to raise a child” – well, that resonates loudly for me.

Poipoia te kākano kia puāwai – Nurture the seed, and it will blossom.