Āke, ake, ake. Forever. Used to signify a kaupapa that is never ending. Reclamation is a continuous process, one which requires a firm maintenance by us and our future generations.

 

Focussing on the effects of colonisation and the urban migration of Māori from their ūkaipō to the cities, this kaupapa looks at the result of this move beginning in the early 1900’s. The ‘second migration’ resulted in a loss of culture, tikanga, language and in some cases, a loss of whakapapa. Generations since have had to reconnect themselves and reclaim the parts of their identity that were lost in this process.

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I’m one of them.

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In a post-colonial world, the effects of colonisation are evident throughout Māori culture and life. My aim is to influence growth, to encourage reclamation as a people by visually showing what reclamation looks like for an Urban Māori.

By sharing my journey of reclamation, my hope is that it will inspire others living as lost urban māori to pursue their own reclamation story.