10/10/2026
He mihi nui ki a Hera Tawai Photography. 🤎
I want to acknowledge and give my deepest gratitude to Tawai Photography Sarah Tawai for capturing these beautiful images of me. Your incredible skill, your eye for detail, and the way you capture more than just a photograph is truly something special.
Thank you for the privilege of being welcomed into your space and allowing me to be part of such a meaningful experience.
These photographs are more than just images of me. They are a reflection of who I am as a Māori wahine — my whakapapa, my wairua, my mana, and the strength I carry within me.
In these moments, I see a wahine standing in her power. A wahine who honours where she comes from, acknowledges those who walked before her, and embraces the strength, resilience, beauty and wisdom that live within her.
Wahine toa. Strong in spirit, grounded in whakapapa, connected to whenua, and proud of the woman I am becoming and the woman I have always been.
There is something deeply powerful about allowing yourself to be seen — not just on the outside, but in your truth, your essence and your mana. These images remind me to stand tall, own my space, honour my journey, and never shy away from the strength within me.
To Sarah , thank you for your beautiful mahi and for creating a space where I could stand in my presence and be captured in this way. Your work is a taonga, and I feel truly privileged to have these photographs as a reflection of my journey.
Ko au tēnei. Ko taku whakapapa tēnei. Ko taku mana tēnei.
This is me. This is my ancestry. This is my power.
He wahine Māori. He wahine toa. He wahine mana.
A Māori woman. A woman of strength. A woman of power. 🤎✨
