For Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, Iwi Liaison Officer Kimiora Corness tells us about her life and mahi, in te reo Māori and te reo Pākehā.
Ko Kimiora Corness – Kaitakawaenga Iwi ki Te Taha Hauaauru o Waikato
Tuu ana au ki ngaa tihi maunga o Taupiri me Maungapoohatu.
Wheete atu taaku aro ki ooku wai aaio ki ooku awa o Waikato me Ohinemataroa.
Kauria ooku wai ka puea ake ki ooku whenua taurikura ki Waikato me Ngaai Tuuhoe.
Takahia atu au ngaa araara wae ki ooku whare koorero a Te Ohaaki me Te Tootara.
Ka tau, ko ahau, e ko koia, e ara e!
I whaanau mai au ki Raahui Pookeka, ka tupu ake, ka haere ki te kura i konei, aa, koia au e noho nei, e mahi nei, e whakatupu nei i tooku ake whaanau ki Raahui Pookeka nei.
Tokotoru aa maaua tamariki ko taku hoa taane, i kuraina ki te Koohanga Reo, ki Te Wharekura o Raakaumangamanga hoki mai i te rima tau te pakeke ki te Tau 13. Kua eke aaku tamariki ki te 23, te 17 me te 9 tau te pakeke, aa, e waimaarie ana raatau ki te whai tūrangawaewae ki roto i te ao Maaori.
I kuhu atu au ki Ngaa Pirihimana i te 18 tau ki muri, hei Aapiha Whakawhanake Taiohi ki Raahui Pookeka. Taro ake, ko au teetahi o ngaa kaitakawaenga iwi e rima o teenei takiwaa.
Ko taaku mahi, he aawhina haere i aaku hoa mahi kia whai pūkenga ahurea raatau, kia haumaru hoki ki roto i aa raatau mahi me oo taatau hapori, kia maarama raatau ki te waahi nui ki ngaa tikanga Maaori moo Ngaai Maaori i ngaa whaainga waahi mai ki ngaa Pirihimana.
Ka tautoko au i aaku hoa mahi, ka whakamanawa hoki i a raatau ki te whakahono ki ngaa iwi, ki te hapori, ki oo maatau hoa mahi tahi.
E toru ngaa iwi ki roto o te taha hauaauru o Waikato – ko Waikato, ko Ngaati Raukawa, ko Ngaati Maniapoto. He rerekee ngaa whakahaere a ia iwi me oona anoo rangatira me oona anoo hononga.
Ko teetahi waahi o taaku mahi, he whakatakoto huarahi e whai waahi mai ai eenei iwi ki ngaa mahi hoahoa, whakahaere, whakarite kaupapahere, tukanga hoki e kitea mai ai te taha ahurea o too taatau hapori.
Kei te ngaakaunui nui katoa au ki teenei rohe. Kei te ngaakaunui hoki au ki ooku hoa Pirihimana e paatai ana i ngaa paatai, e rapu moohiotanga ana, e whai waahi atu ana, e whakawhanake ana moo te taha ki a taatau.
Kei te moohio au, kaaore i te tika taku kookiri i ngaa waa katoa, aa, he mea nui te whakapaaha atu ina kaaore au i te moohio me peehea te kookiri.
Mooku ake, he mea nui te hari mai i tooku tuakiri tonu ki te mahi i ia raa. Ka aawhina au i aaku hoa mahi kia whai hononga atu raatau, me te moohio hoki kei konei au hei aawhina i a raatau.
Mai i 2017 kua whai waahi atu au ki ngaa mahi kimi kaimahi ki Waikato nei. Ko taaku tino kupu, ‘Kia rite, kaatahi ka kookiri atu ai’. Ka tautoko au i ngaa kaitono e hiahia ana ki te kuhu mai hei pirihimana, kia moohio pai raatau ki ngaa aahuatanga katoa o te tukanga, kia whai hoki raatau i ngaa rauemi e tika ana.
kite au i te tokomaha o te tangata ka haere mai ki ngaa mahi kimi kaimahi i Waikato nei i runga i ngaa mahinga ngaatahi ki ngaa hapori. He tino whakahiinga manawa te kite i a raatau ka hoki mai i te Kaareti Pirihimana hei hoa mahi.
He Kaupapa whakamoowai te mahi tahi ki tooku iwi o Waikato-Tainui i te urupare ki te Mate Kowheori-19. Nooku te maringanui kia whai waahi atu ki ngaa koorero moo ngaa tikanga tangihanga a Waikato-Tainui i te waa o te Taumata 4.
He uaua engari he aahuatanga me whakarite ka tika. Ina ka moohio koe ka taea te aawhina atu, me aawhina atu. I kite atu au i te manawaroa o oo taatau hapori.
Aroha katoa au ki taaku mahi, aroha katoa. Kia tae ki te raa kaaore au i te hiahiatia moo te urupare, hei reira ka moohio au kua tutuki aaku mahi. Koiraa ko te mutunga kee atu mooku.
Kimiora Corness – Iwi Liaison Officer Waikato West
Tuu ana au ki ngaa tihi maunga o Taupiri me Maungapohatu.
Wheete atu taaku aro ki ooku wai aaio ki ooku awa o Waikato me Ohinemataroa.
Kauria ooku wai ka puea ake ki ooku whenua taurikura ki Waikato me Ngaai Tuhoe.
Takahia atu au ngaa araara wae ki ooku whare koorero a Te Ohaaki me Te Totara.
Ka tau, ko ahau, e ko koia, e ara e!
I was born, raised and educated in Raahui Pookeka – Huntly, where I continue to live, work and raise my own whaanau.
My husband and I have three children who were nurtured through Koohanga Reo and then moved onto a total immersion Maaori school, Te Wharekura o Rakaumangamanga, from aged five through to Year 13. My children are now 23, 17 and 9, and are very fortunate that they have good grounding and are rich in their cultural identity.
I joined Police 18 years ago and started as a Youth Development Officer in Raahui Pookeka - Huntly. I am now one of five iwi liaisons officers in this district.
My job is to ensure that my colleagues are culturally equipped and safe to undertake their duties in our communities, to give them an appreciation of how Tikanga - cultural beliefs and practices are fundamental for Maori when engaging with Police during various occasions.
I provide support and encouragement to my colleagues to make connections with iwi, community and our partners.
We have three iwi within the western Waikato – Waikato, Ngati Raukawa and Ngati Maniapoto. Each works differently with different leadership and networks.
It is my mahi to ensure that iwi have an opportunity to co-design, co-lead, co-develop policies and procedures that represent the cultural interest of our community.
I am so proud of my area. I am proud that my Police colleagues ask questions, seek clarification, engage and develop from our learnings. I know I don't get it right all the time, and it’s important that I acknowledge when I don’t know.
For me, it’s important that I bring myself to work each day. That I enable my colleagues to make the connections for themselves, but know that I am here to support them in doing so.
Since 2017, I have been involved in the Waikato recruitment portfolio. My motto is ‘Preparation Before Application’.
I support applicants interested in joining Police, to ensure they are fully informed of the process and have the resources to be successful. I have seen many people go through Waikato recruitment as a product of that engagement with the community. It’s especially gratifying to see them return from Police College as my colleagues.
Representing police and working alongside my iwi Waikato-Tainui through the COVID-19 pandemic was a humbling experience for me. I was fortunate and honoured to be part of the conversation about Waikato-Tainui tangihanga guidelines around Level 4.
It was difficult but necessary. When you know you can help, then you help. It showed me how resilient our iwi, our communities can be together.
I love my mahi, I really do. The day I am not required in a response capacity is the day that I know I have done my job. That’s the ultimate for me.