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TE ArAWA 500
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SUCCESS RUNS IN THE FAMILY
Tahlia Kingi is an unassuming person with a vibrant personality. Like any young Te Arawa woman she is proud of her whānau and its achievements. And indeed there is much to be proud of.
Her koro and kuia are both prominent figures in Te Arawa and the Rotorua community. Pihopa and Inez Kingi were appointed Companions of the Queen’s Service Order in the 2009 Queen’s Birthday Honours for many years of service to Te Arawa. They formally received their honours last week at Premier House alongside notable figure Sir Mason Durie. Mr Kingi has roles within many Te Arawa and Ngāti Whakaue trusts, boards and councils, while Mrs Kingi has been significantly involved in the local health sector and helped to set up the Tipu Ora Charitable Trust in Ohinemutu. Last year, Mr and Mrs Kingi commented to the Daily Post that “our future lies in the younger generation”, which aptly applies to their own mokopuna.
Tahlia is following the vision of her koeke. She is a successful recipient of a Te Arawa 500 Scholarship. Te Arawa Fisheries offered $45,000 worth of scholarships in 2010 to Te Arawa people pursuing tertiary study. The initiative is part of the strategy of Te Arawa Fisheries to support 500 Te Arawa people through their studies and into skilled employment by 2020. Each scholarship is worth $1,000 and is available to Te Arawa people studying at a tertiary institution for the duration of their studies.
For Tahlia, the funding from the Scholarship helps to alleviate some of the financial burden of study. Not only that, but she explains how the scholarship demonstrates the willingness of Te Arawa to support its people. She added that “it’s that type of support that motivates [Scholars] to put in that extra effort to do well in their studies”. Tahlia also points out that the annual wānanga held for Te Arawa 500 scholars at Whakaue marae in Maketu on 17-18 April 2010 was a great way of bringing people home to reconnect with their Te Arawa roots.
Tahlia is studying toward a Post-Graduate Diploma in Psychology at Victoria University, having already graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Otago University. Following completion of the Post-Graduate Diploma, her goal is to pursue a career in clinical psychology.
The support of whānau is very important for Tahlia. She recalls walking into a second hand bookshop and picking up a book about mana wahine and being proud to discover a picture of her kuia. Tahlia explains that, “I have always viewed my kuia as a strong wahine and I look to her for inspiration. The things that my koro and kuia have done for our people is something that I have always been proud of, and I can only dream of one day doing what they have done”.
Guy Kingi, Tahlia’s father, provides further inspiration. Guy also received a Te Arawa 500 Scholarship as well. He is studying his final year of a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Waikato, and has already graduated with a Bachelor of Leisure Studies and a Unitech Certificate in sport. Tahlia points out that her dad “has worked really hard to get to where he is now, and that dedication and focus inspires me to step up – to not just pass my courses, but to do really well”.
Not content with ending there, Tahlia’s partner is also a Te Arawa 500 Scholar. Kererua Savage, of Ngāti Rangitihi descent, is studying a Master of Indigenous Studies through Otago University. Kererua aspires to work in international fora such as the United Nations. He has also had a stint at a sporting career, having played for the NZ Māori league team and signed with the NRL Sydney Roosters club in 2004, before returning to New Zealand to work for Te Puni Kōkiri in 2006.
Outside of study, Tahlia, who is of Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Rangiwewehi and Te Aitanga a Hauiti descent, is a Rangatahi Maori representative for Healing Our Spirits Worldwide, an international indigenous peoples’ conference that is held every four years, and was hosted by Rotorua in 1998. The next conference will be held in Hawaii later this year, where Tahlia, Kererua, Guy and Pihopa will participate in the Maori delegation.
Daily Post 4 May 2010 |
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| Scholarship Recipients 2010 |
| Scholarship Recipients 2009 |
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Te Arawa Fisheries 1192 Haupapa St, Rotorua 3010, P.O Box 1896, Rotorua 3040
Ph: 07 349 3227 | Fx: 07 347 6876 | Email Us |
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