https://www.uiatekura.com/blog daily 0.75 2026-03-18 https://www.uiatekura.com/blog/tipuranga monthly 0.5 2026-03-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/7626af9f-aabb-4db0-9e38-9150d0ec8733/UTK_TIPURANGA_1.png Blog - Tipuranga | A growth shift - Tipuranga One of the biggest areas of growth for me over the last year is my ability to tū ki te kōrero calmly and confidently i te reo Māori. For a long time, standing to kōrero i te reo was rooted in deep emotions. Speaking in public was already uncomfortable for me. Speaking i te reo Māori was something deeper again. Many of my memories of standing to kōrero i te reo Māori come from when I was younger – at school prizegivings, tangihanga, whānau occasions, presentations at school or later at tertiary education. Each time I stood, the hardest part wasn’t finding the words. The hardest part was not crying. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/1773828146244-7OYWO35ZGPX9RE05CHA7/3.png Blog - Tipuranga | A growth shift - UTK_TIPURANGA_5 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/1773828176276-J09HOJLOZSKGHUYD20VL/4.png Blog - Tipuranga | A growth shift - UTK_TIPURANGA_3 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/1773828235167-C4APMW59G8MXN4VBN2K7/5.png Blog - Tipuranga | A growth shift - UTK_TIPURANGA_3 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/1773828245028-QCOSPTO9QGBPHVRNP5U5/6.png Blog - Tipuranga | A growth shift - UTK_TIPURANGA_4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/98796b39-7a5a-4b0d-9e80-63bb23eadf61/tipuranga+%281%29.png Blog - Tipuranga | A growth shift - But when the day came, something felt different. Standing in the hall at Takiura, surrounded by my akomanga, kaiako, and a room full of whānau, I felt a deep sense of pride and responsibility. I wasn’t just speaking for myself. I was representing my akomanga. Instead of feeling alone, I felt held. It felt like there was a collective safety net around me, the safety net that Takiura had become for all of us. When I stood to speak, I was nervous, but I was also calm. I took my time. The words flowed. And for the first time, I stood and delivered a speech i te reo Māori to a large audience without the emotion taking over. That moment meant a lot to me. Not because the tears disappeared completely, but because I had found a way to hold them, move through them, and keep speaking. This is what my tipuranga has looked like. Growing to stand in my wairua, take a breath, and kōrero. https://www.uiatekura.com/blog/te-ngakau-me-te-tirohanga-maori monthly 0.5 2026-03-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/f9ded3f0-0b46-409b-8318-0d4f7161838c/ngakau+tirohanga+maori.png Blog - Te ngākau me te tirohanga Māori | A worldview shift - Te ngākau me te tirohanga Māori Growing up as an urban Māori in Tāmaki Makaurau, te reo Pākehā surrounded me – at home, at kura, at work, in most of the spaces I move through day to day. Since I have had my own tamariki, our whānau has been more intentional about bringing te reo Māori to life beyond kōhanga and kura – in our own kāinga, whānau and the communities we are a part of. I went to Takiura to strengthen my reo Māori. I thought I needed an immersion environment, a space where te reo Māori was normalised and expected – to force the reo I learnt at kura out of me. I thought an immersion environment would grow my confidence to speak te reo at Takiura, and prepare me to return to my everyday life and continue to kōrero Māori there too. Over the year, I realised something else had been happening. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/1770763396768-CNBZVZTPLMMKZP23NYRT/10.png Blog - Te ngākau me te tirohanga Māori | A worldview shift - UTK_worldview2 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/1770763464226-10FJWZE0BILMWNNC9PD5/9.png Blog - Te ngākau me te tirohanga Māori | A worldview shift - UTK_worldview3 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/1770763613920-MJHZI3AA0K1LNX8HUXZN/7.png Blog - Te ngākau me te tirohanga Māori | A worldview shift - UTK_worldview4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/1770763620014-S474BR7MTZGYVH15M3EL/8.png Blog - Te ngākau me te tirohanga Māori | A worldview shift - UTK_worldview5 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/9c693474-8efe-478a-9527-0b86073cb307/11.png Blog - Te ngākau me te tirohanga Māori | A worldview shift - As I settle back into mahi and kaupapa, the wero still lies. I’m no longer the one ‘giving the eyes’. After a year at Takiura, I seem to be one of the ones ‘getting the eyes’. The challenge for me now is to follow the lead of my ngākau, to embrace the discomfort as an opportunity to lead, to learn, to experience and to strengthen – and to take those moments as acts of reclamation. Ka rere aku mihi ki taku kaiako a Whaea Gina Houia (Whaea G), nāna i whakaoho anō i taku ngākau Māori. He kaiako tū māro hītarari i ngā tikanga Māori. Whaea G would often say that she’s ‘not a kaiwaiata’, but I never once saw her resist a waiata tautoko, a mihi, or a moment where tikanga was to be upheld. She always stepped forward. He iho pūmanawa a Whaea G. Tangata ako ana i te whare, te tūrangā ki te marae, tau ana. https://www.uiatekura.com/blog/auahatanga monthly 0.5 2026-02-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/3ffcbf96-d04e-46bd-865c-967bbdef9678/UTK_auahatanga_1.png Blog - Auahatanga | A creative shift - Auahatanga I didn’t expect Takiura to unlock my creativity. I thought I was going to Takiura to strengthen my reo. To dedicate a year, full time, to get over the barriers. To unlock the knot in my throat. To improve the structure and grammar of my reo so that I was confident to speak with friends, with kaiako at kura and kōhanga, and to teach my kids ‘proper’ reo. It was about taking a stand, blocking out the time, and taking the lead in our whānau to put te reo first. A commitment, out loud, that reo is a priority for our whānau. I also wanted the backing and confidence of reo for my professional career and consulting mahi. As a wahine Māori in business and working for myself, I wanted that confidence — almost like a sense of mana — that I could bring reo and mātauranga into my work without worrying that I was getting it wrong or that I wasn’t an expert or ‘enough’. I held onto this expectation for some time. Expecting grammar. Expecting structure. Expecting that being in a full immersion environment would force the reo out of me. And at times, along with some of my other hoa ako, I got frustrated when I wasn’t reaching the outcomes I had imagined for myself. I thought progress would look a certain way — and when it didn’t, I felt that tension. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/1767836433089-AFNO8FX6BBHH5D980ZST/44.png Blog - Auahatanga | A creative shift - UTK_AUAHATANGA2 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/1767836445917-FFU3TVFFWJIYBZQ08B41/45.png Blog - Auahatanga | A creative shift - UTK_AUAHATANGA3 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/1767836826222-XWTB59VALQ82ZMMIRJ5O/UTK+INSTA+POST+%2819%29.png Blog - Auahatanga | A creative shift - UTK_AUAHATANGA4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/1767836881675-3CI7L7BZ4MVUNECLWBC9/47.png Blog - Auahatanga | A creative shift - UTK_AUAHATANGA5 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/1767836923189-95NQ3ZG289WFHN8725YV/UTK+INSTA+POST+%2819%29.png Blog - Auahatanga | A creative shift - UTK_AUAHATANGA6 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/1767836685393-EVGBTQG4VYOA1BI6KUEA/UTK+INSTA+POST+%2819%29.png Blog - Auahatanga | A creative shift - UTK_AUAHATANGA7 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/1767835006025-88EQE0IIZUTN1PWQZQJ0/UTK+INSTA+POST+%2818%29.png Blog - Auahatanga | A creative shift - UTK_AUAHATANGA8 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/1767835070810-T57D10DE2EWIR9M7J1MA/42.png Blog - Auahatanga | A creative shift - UTK_AUAHATANGA9 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/1767835050099-RKQQ4BPNGSQ7MS6KGWMW/41.png Blog - Auahatanga | A creative shift - UTK_AUAHATANGA10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/1767835094684-IGH3NAHXLK15XNK875VL/43.png Blog - Auahatanga | A creative shift - UTK_AUAHATANGA11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/b47bcfef-5602-47aa-915d-ada55e013877/UTK_auahatanga_2.png Blog - Auahatanga | A creative shift - I created more in the last year than I have in years — trusting the creative process over perfection. What surprised me most was that passion to create things again. To teach myself new things. To research. To be inspired by whakataukī, kupu whakarite and pūrākau. To share resources with people. To learn by doing and then teach by doing. My obsession with the creative process reemerged. I didn’t expect creativity to be part of my reo journey. But it became a way for me to learn, to process, and a way for me to teach and share mātauranga. It became another language to express my reo. It reminded me that reo, tikanga, mātauranga, and auahatanga are not separate or in isolation — they are intertwined. I went to Takiura to strengthen my reo. But I didn’t expect that creativity would become one of the ways my reo grew. I’m carrying this with me into the next season of my mahi. https://www.uiatekura.com/blog/stepping-back-from-mahi-to-strengthen-my-reo monthly 0.5 2026-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/138d9b4d-1a21-45af-aa41-cb66ad4ab688/UTK_TAKIURA_1 Blog - Stepping back from mahi to strengthen my reo - Reflecting on wāhanga tuatahi at Te Wānanga Takiura - Rumaki Reo I didn’t choose Takiura to learn te reo. I chose it to speak te reo. I grew up bilingual. I went through Māori-medium education from the age of five right through to secondary school. I can write confidently but my vocab for conversation is small. I understand te reo, my māramatanga is strong. But when someone speaks to me in te reo Māori, I freeze. I clamp up. Avoid eye contact. Respond in English, even when I’ve got the sentence rehearsed in my head. Instead, I’d walk away doubting myself, wishing I had just said what I was thinking. That’s been my default experience for years. In mahi, I’ve always brought my identity, whakapapa, and worldview into the space. But I’ve also always made it clear — I’m not a reo expert. That disclaimer felt important. I didn’t want anyone to default to me. I didn’t want to get it wrong or step on anyone’s toes. I’d contribute to karakia and waiata, share what I could about tikanga, kupu or kaupapa Māori, but always with that disclaimer: “This is just my understanding.” As a wahine Māori working across kaupapa that are grounded in te ao Māori, I knew I didn’t want to keep shying away from those spaces. I wanted to be able to hold my own. And for me, being confident to kōrero i te reo Māori was a big part of that. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/0f8f6855-a40d-43d3-a8b1-5d978c4bd3fc/UTK_TAKIURA_2 Blog - Stepping back from mahi to strengthen my reo - He ngākau māhaki, he manawa tītī, he wairua ora A humble heart, a persevering spirit, a living wairua This whakataukī reminds me of what this journey is teaching me: To lead with my ngākau. To keep going, even when it’s uncomfortable. To stay connected — to wairua, to tikanga, and to the people and places that ground me. I don’t know exactly where this journey leads. But I know it’s growing me — not just my reo, but in how I navigate discomfort, stay grounded, and trust in learning by doing. I’ll keep sharing as I go. https://www.uiatekura.com/blog/growing-kaupapa-maori-practice-with-rakau-tautoko monthly 0.5 2025-06-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/7fc409b1-76cd-4013-a254-bf2fb043ab64/RT_UTK Blog - Growing kaupapa Māori practice with Rākau Tautoko - A space to reflect and grow Over the past several months, I had the privilege of holding space for Rākau Tautoko — a collective of community practitioners in Tāmaki (Glen Innes) — as they unpacked and deepened their kaupapa Māori practice. We met monthly at Reserve Tāmaki, each wānanga shaped by the kōrero that came before and by what each person brought into the space. Everyone showed up with grace, generosity, and a passion to grow. The kōrero was rich and layered — grounded in lived experience, mātauranga, and leadership. This may not have felt like professional development — but it was. It was a space to reflect, reconnect with who we are, and grow as practitioners. “This was the most meaningful PD I’ve done. It didn’t tell me what to do — it helped me remember who I am.” – Participant feedback https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/32b4cd5f-bcbc-4502-95b4-d94c10217fab/RT_UTK_1 Blog - Growing kaupapa Māori practice with Rākau Tautoko - Mā ngā pakiaka e tū ai te rākau. With strong roots, the tree will stand. This whakataukī speaks to the foundation we’ve laid. The roots we’ve strengthened. The growth that’s still to come. To the wāhine at Rākau Tautoko — thank you for trusting me, for bringing your full selves, and for your leadership. You’ve shown that growing kaupapa Māori practice isn’t just about learning — it’s about moving from kōrero to action, and living your values in how you lead, work, and walk alongside others. If this sounds like a kaupapa you'd like to explore with your rōpū or organisation, let’s wānanga… https://www.uiatekura.com/blog/the-story-behind-uia-te-kura monthly 0.5 2025-01-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/34fc80d8-ae2d-4c00-9b83-d7858c8929bf/uia+te+kura+%281%29.png Blog - Uia Te Kura: The Story Behind the Name, Tohu, and Colours - The meaning behind the ingoa When I was naming my pakihi, I wanted something that reflected who I am as a wahine Māori and the mahi I do. I reached out to Matua Paraone Tai Tin, who helped me wānanga and shape the name Uia Te Kura. Uia Te Kura speaks to the process of uncovering what lies beneath, beyond, and at the heart of a person or kaupapa. It’s about being inquisitive, guided by curiosity, intuition, and discovery while grounded in the strength and essence of Papatūānuku. This ingoa reminds us that we all carry our own kura – our unique gifts, talents, mātauranga, stories, and experiences. Every kaupapa has its own kura waiting to be uncovered. My mahi is about helping you to uncover these insights and to weave meaningful connections that lead to real change. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/69d6cb6e-b88d-4561-bc93-0388c28ee7db/UTK+GRID.png Blog - Uia Te Kura: The Story Behind the Name, Tohu, and Colours - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.uiatekura.com/blog/deanes-story monthly 0.5 2025-04-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/30ed7db2-0888-4aea-98a3-0c0ae831d6f8/IMG_9271+%282%29.jpg Blog - Bridging Worlds: My Journey to Uia Te Kura - Hinerupe wahine, Hinerupe pōtiki, Hinerupe rangatira e Ki te taha o tōku pāpā, Ko Whetumatarau, ko Taupiri ngā maunga Ko Awatere, ko Waikato ngā awa Ko Horouta, ko Tainui ngā waka Ko Hinerupe, ko Hukanui ngā marae Ko Te Whānau-ā-Hinerupe, ko Ngāti Wairere ngā hapū Ko Ngāti Porou, ko Waikato-Tainui ngā iwi. Ki te taha o tōku māmā, He whakapapa Pākehā, ā, i ahu mai ōku tūpuna mai i Scotland, Ireland, Australia, France me England. Ko Deane-Rose Ngatai-Tua tōku ingoa. Tihei mauri ora! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/c63b2c54-bc8e-4f52-a3fa-76e08d8569e7/DeaneRoseNgataiTua_1.jpg Blog - Bridging Worlds: My Journey to Uia Te Kura - If my story resonates with you, I’d love to connect and kōrero about how we can work together to create meaningful change. Uia te kura, ka whiria te māramatanga, ka ora te iwi Seek knowledge, weave wisdom, and the people will thrive https://www.uiatekura.com/home daily 1.0 2025-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/1e7f473e-285e-499f-bb80-a649bf7411df/icon_white%E2%95%9E%C3%86+%282%29.png https://www.uiatekura.com/contact daily 0.75 2025-01-10 https://www.uiatekura.com/mahi daily 0.75 2025-01-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/54b61d8d-7048-4b96-bb35-93c5d3664af3/Rakau_Tautoko Mahi - “ Deane has helped our team to reflect on our own identities as Māori and Pasifika community practitioners and how we can incorporate mātauranga Māori into our every day lives and mahi. We have felt very supported and empowered working with Deane. She is an amazing combination of tau and kaha that enables us to feel completely comfortable while also motivated to create change.” Tara Moala Rākau Tautoko | Embedding Kaupapa Māori rakautautoko.com https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/b8a0c727-2a1d-4773-90d4-2570be8f22b9/Localised_UTK Mahi - “We are extremely grateful to have found Uia Te Kura! Deane was amazing in identifying what it was that we needed and then not only delivering the final outcome, but also using a process which was in itself empowering and uplifting for our team. It is a relief to feel like we're in good hands.” Matthew Luxon Localised | Embedding Kaupapa Māori www.localised.nz https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/30541c43-6e56-4e75-b7d8-13f9100f6c5e/RAP_UTK Mahi - “Deane brings an in depth knowledge and understanding of community development and what it means in the context of the Rānui community. I have appreciated Deane's warmth and ability to build meaningful relationships, her creativity and ability to see big picture and at the same time her attention to detail.” Carol Glamuzina Rānui Action Project | Research & Engagement, Strategy & Storytelling www.ranui.org.nz https://www.uiatekura.com/services daily 0.75 2024-12-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1618497259178-6XJGK9GR6YAVBQL5L519/20140301_Trade-151_012-2.jpg Services https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1607694583486-2PQT0LQ193RL7MCB6DX4/20140228_Trade+151_0046.jpg Services https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1607694644871-IC85FNH781UNZSZEGHDR/Aro+Ha_0428.jpg Services https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1607638148090-Y6OFDI575CM3NQV732RJ/Large+JPG-Aro+Ha_0387.jpg Services https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1607628784608-5D22G9GPLHDSAB2IXC2G/Large+JPG-Aro+Ha_0638.jpg Services https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1589847743861-GWVMBPD7Z7WQRQL9IZZ8/Large+JPG-Aro+Ha_0380.jpg Services https://www.uiatekura.com/about daily 0.75 2024-12-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66b42b4e16087b79a195d942/12fc93f5-47fc-46c0-9bec-4df94e17f2fe/DeaneRoseNgataiTua_2.jpg