Spotlight : Cultivating Sustainable Growth and Healing Through Te Reo Māori

Ko Matarawa te ūkaipō, ko Waikareao te wai whakaora i ahau.
Ko Te Hūnuku te āhuru mōwai o te whakaaro nui.
Ko Ahenata-May Daniels tēnei, the kaiwhakatō of Te Hūnuku.

Te Hūnuku is more than just a language learning initiative; it's a transformative journey, a safe space that validates mamae (trauma) known or unknown, and creates a space for soul wounds to find a path toward healing, growth that cultivates sustainable language practices.

Founded by Ahenata-May Daniels, hailing from Te Arawa, Tainui and Takitimu, Te Hūnuku is a space creating a new narrative about the depths of connection with te reo Māori within the mind and helping individuals not just learn te reo Māori, but grow it from within.

At the core of Te Hūnuku is the belief that the language is a rongoā (a medicine), a conduit to navigate life's transitions. By truly feeling its essence, it shall set the tone of how well you develop a sustainable whare kōrero (speaking house).

Ahenata-May offers a nurturing space with one-on-one coaching, allowing individuals the space to explore, unpack, analyze, question, reflect, release, cry, heal & do it all again. That then allows an individual to confidently introduce themselves to te reo Māori first, and then to introduce the language within all facets of their world. Through this, they can unlock the language's inherent healing properties.

The journey with Te Hūnuku goes beyond language acquisition. It seeks to reframe self-expectations, to explore what's been conditioned and empower individuals to release what no longer serves them. It's about forging a profound deep connection with this language and the worldview it belongs to, so it may reside comfortably within. Without doubt, fear, judgment and or anxiety. It's in short a fast track to Re-Indigenising Self.

In the future, Ahenata-May aspires to transform the minds of many who are ready to be liberated, encouraging them to embrace te reo Māori in its depths not as an external skill but as an integral part of their being. The vision is that “you” the individual feel the healing and transformative power of the language so much that the phrase “I AM WHAKAMĀ TO SPEAK” is erased from your vocab. That you feel powerful enough within yourself to grow your whare reo with the tools and resources that are available.

Te Hūnuku is a space to support in “What re-indigenizing is for yourself”, through spaces that shall develop themselves and a renewed connection with te reo Māori. It's a journey that unfolds within, paving the way for change.

Over the past six months in our business development programme we have seen Ahenata-May really explore who she is as a business leader, and how she can breathe life into her kaupapa. She has grown in her skills as a business owner, unpacking how the technical and practical skills of business can be applied in her pakihi.