• Ko Hori Hemana Paraone Meinata aku Tupuna Matua

• Ko Mina Maihi Mu-Hawke aku Tupuna Whaea

• Ko David Hemana Curtis taku Matua

• Ko Reokore Pamela Hemana Paraone Meinata taku Whaea

• Ka puta mai ki au Georgina Curtis-Connelly

• Ko Archie Connelly taku Hoa

• Ko Luke taku Tama

• Ko Aroha-Lee raua ko Honor taku Mokopuna

 

Currently, Deputy Chair/Trustee of Te Uri o Hau Settlement Trust; Director for TUOH Charitable Trust, Te Uri o Hau Tangata Development and Environs Holdings; Board of Trustees for Otamatea High School; Trustee for Maungaturoto Community Trust; Administrator for Rotary Maungaturoto; Treasurer for Te Roopu Whakamana ki Kaipara; Iwi Representative for Rodney and Waitemata Police Boards and the Independent Maori Statutory Board, Owner of He Kakano.
I feel privileged that our Kaumatua of Oruawharo has nominated me to serve Oruawharo marae. My association with our Te Uri o Hau claims has been a long serving one, from 1996 to 2000. I worked as a administrator.

Ko au; My connections back to Oruawharo are through my tupuna, my grandfather Hori Hemana Paraone Meinata and his sister Hinerupe Hemana Paraone Meinata (who married Paraire Karaka Paikea MP). My grandfather died at a young age leaving his wife with 16 tamariki. My mother Reokore is one. Through my father David, I have a Maori, English, Irish and French whakapapa.
My working background; I was an Oruawharo marae trustee for a three year term. During this term, our most significant achievement was successfully receiving an ASB lotteries grant to upgrade the ablution block, and renovations to the whare kai. This one application to Lotteries was a significant amount and enabled us to complete the build of the ablution block. It was during this phase my knowledge of funding awareness grew.

From 2000 to 2008 I worked for Te Ha o te Oranga, Wellsford in middle management. I was also the Personal Assistant to the General Manager. 2008-2013 my path then moved over to Raki Paewhenua for Te Puna Hauora, still serving the people in the capacity of Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol, working in outreach within the Rodney Area.

Today I work from home and run a successful small business contracting my services out to other Iwi or businesses. Quality assurance, policy development, human resource, Iwi development, funding and writing business plans are my strengths. I am currently studying with the Auckland University nearing the tail end of my degree in PDFBus specialising in Maori development. I graduate early next year. I hold a DipT with Auckland College of Education.

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What can I offer back to Te Uri o Hau ki Oruawharo?

• Integrity and working under the ethics of tika, pono and aroha 

• 20 years experience building the capacity of Maori communities 

• 16 years of experience in governance and management 

• A ethical working relationship with government funders

• A can do attitude to improve our statistics in health, education, employment, social issues and housing

• Creating employment opportunities and a secure economic base for Te Uri o Hau

• A healthy vision for our hapu and environment

 

How do I plan to undertake these?

• By working alongside Marae beneficiaries to ensure people’s needs and views are being fairly represented at governance level

• By working in collaboration with external funders, agencies and partners to foster the vision of Te Uri o Hau

• By ensuring that our beneficiary’s interests come first and decision made reflect social and economic benefits for Te Uri o Hau

• Indentify and obtain sustainable funded contracts to increase employment opportunities for Te Uri o Hau

• By ensuring our Maori students learning needs are met under a mainstream curriculum 

• By supporting the longevity of Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Ngaringa o Matariki

• By developing working relationships for housing solutions

• Building potential leaders within our hapu “leaders” not labourers

• To nurture greater working relationships with Police when dealing with our people

 

I do what I do for the betterment of our future generations

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