A small but enchanted audience listened to two awesome young Māori women at St Andrew’s Trust event on the Terrace on the lunchtime of Tuesday 8 August. With its new kaupapa of working towards a more compassionate and caring society and religion the Trust has decided to focus on two topics for 2017. The first half of the year’s lectures were on the topic of human flourishing and the second half kicked with last Tuesday’s presentations which were the first on the topic of “the courage to act.”

The first speaker was Mikaia Leach whose life is shaped around her joint roles of policy advisor role with Te Taura Whiri I te Reo Māori – The Māori language Commission and Kapa Haka team member with East Coast-based group Whāngārā mai Tawhiti who were overall winners at Te Mataini competition held in Hastings in February. The second speaker was Christina Leef who descends from Te Rarawa, Ngāti Manawa, NgaPuhi, Kuki Airani, and grew up in Glen Innes in Auckland. Their experiences could not have been more contrasting. Mikaia’s background is in what she described as “Whale Rider” country and a strong community steeped in Māori values and culture. Her schooling to age 15 was through Kohanga Reo and Kura Kaupapa which she said her mother regarded as in some ways experimental but necessary. When she moved to an English medium school she was determined to learn the English grammar and other material to manage in the new environment. Mikaia outlined the values that give her courage and described her mother as the role model, who in Mikaia’s life, has exemplified courage and had therefore given courage to her daughter.

Christina descends from Te Rarawa, Ngāti Manawa, NgaPuhi, Kuki Airani, and grew up in Glen Innes Auckland. As a teenager she received a First Foundation scholarship, which gave her an opportunity to attend university, receive mentorship, and paid employment with New Zealand Post. In contrast with Mikaia Christina’s life involved the discovery and uncovering of her Cook Island Māori heritage and Māori language. Christina’s interest is in Indigenous entrepreneurship her to share her passion for the wellbeing of rangatahi Māori which culminated in Kamp Kaitiaki, a rich experience for young wahine Māori to reconnect with their environment and their holistic wellbeing. Today she works for Māori Womens Development Inc, a charitable trust that focuses on supporting Māori women and their whānau to succeed in business through the provision of business and financial capability programmes. Most interestingly she described a big benefit that Māori entrepreneurs have in talking to counterparts in India and China. The common ground is whanau. Business done not for personal enrichment but with a whole of community perspective.

The two speakers were provided a rich diptych of contemporary Māori experience from what could hardly be more contrasting perspectives. What occurred to me most strongly is that it is solid foundations and a sense of identity that have been fundamental in supporting courage in these two young women’s lives which has meant they have already been able to embrace enormous changes and set out on life paths that have an impressive level of clarity and courage.

Jan Rivers, member of the Board of the Study Trust.