Shannon Mihaere. Rangitane O Tamaki Nui-A-Rua. Ngati Porou. Ngai Tai ki Tamaki. Waikato-Tainui.
It has been over a week since we landed and crossed the waharoa into Aotearoa. At every turn the month of Kohitātea exceeded my expectations. The manaaki—from our host institution and the New Zealand Embassy in Santiago and from our wonderful Education New Zealand host Javy—provided us with the experience our ropū will undoubtedly remember and carry with us well into the future. My reflections from this trip continue to deepen as each day passes and the trip is yet to have fully settled in my hinengaro. Three emotions come to mind when I begin to think of my time in Chile.
1: Gratitude
Gratitude is defined as phenomenon that produces both a sense of happiness and thankfulness in response to a fortunate happenstance or tangible gift. This trip held many intangible taonga (treasures) within the knowledge shared with us by the various teachers, formal and informal, throughout the course and wider Santiago experience. From learning about the cosmology of Mapuche peoples’ thoughts, feelings and perspectives to exploring the inner workings of a hospital our trip was holistic and far reaching in the lessons it taught me. I am grateful to have shared in these often intimate exchanges of knowledge and appreciative of being able to take these learnings back to the kaupapa I am privileged to be part of.
2: Connection
We were exposed to the realities and challenges our indigenous cousins face in Chile. Their vibrant culture fought and continues to fight to be heard. Their love for their ways of being and connection to te taiao felt like a mirror looking back at me. As our Chilean cousins seek to gain full rights and self-determination so do we here in Aotearoa. The stories they shared felt similar to those on our shores and my manawa felt heavy for their mamae but proud of their continued courage to be uniquely Mapuche. Ultimately, the realities of indigenous peoples are forever intertwined. Heoi ano, ka whawhai tonu mātou, ake ake ake!
3: Excitement
Being in this space, creating connections with people across the health spectrum in Chile has left me excited for what further opportunities may arise to collaborate. In the space of a month we were able to share wananga with many groups of people. These wananga planted seeds for us to take forward into the future. I hope that we are able to follow through with these thoughts to produce wonderful kaupapa.
Overall, our ropū were beyond privileged to learn from the many health professionals, government officials, and indigenous peoples who took time to share their insights with us. I thank the selection committee for choosing me to be a part of this life-changing experience.
Ngā mihi nui
Shannon