A passion for telling uniquely Māori stories

Rawinia Parata’s academic journey is one of perseverance, overcoming challenges and incredible dedication to whānau and community, while also maintaining her passion for telling uniquely Māori stories through her creative writing.

“I grew up in Ruatoria, which is the beating heart of Ngāti Porou. I went to university because my father was unsupportive of my suggestion of a gap year. He was particularly concerned about how I intended to financially support myself and was vocal about the fact that I would not be permitted to lie on his couch for a year. So it's fair to say I was pretty motivated to establish myself. I knew I had an innate ability to write, so braved the enrolment process and was accepted," Rawinia says.

“In the first year of the Bachelor of Communication (BC) your core papers expose you to the full breadth of the communications spectrum. If you choose a major in the College of Humanities, your minor must be from the College of Business. It’s a genius structure that ensures that every graduate is balanced, capable and has a wide range of skills to begin their career in their chosen field.”

After graduating with a BC, Rawinia worked in a range of communication management roles including at Te Tumu Paeroa – Office of the Māori Trustee, at Parliamentary Services and running her own communication consultancy, Mai Rānō, specialising in supporting Māori businesses.

“After university I was called home to serve my people and my region. Massey gave me the skills to project manage, problem solve, analyse, write and ultimately lead.

In 2022 Rawinia was elected to the Gisborne District Council as part of the first ever Māori Ward cohort. This year, she has been elected as a Tairāwhiti District Councillor and is also working in a leadership role at Waiapu Civil Defence. She has been at the forefront of flood response and recovery as the Ruatoria area have been devastated again, this time by Cyclone Gabrielle.

She has managed key projects including the Uepohatu and Whakarua Park renovations, the COVID-19 vaccination communications for Toitu Tairawhiti and convening the 2021 Ngāti Porou Reo Symposium.

“I can put myself in challenging and often highly pressured environments and thrive knowing that I have a wealth of knowledge behind me, excellent networks and am part of an alumni of great achievers.”

Challenges and successes

Rawinia started her undergraduate degree in 2008 when Aotearoa was in the middle of a recession.

"To support myself, I had to engage in full-time employment while also studying full-time. It was challenging but I proved to myself that I am capable. I loved being in a learning environment that offered support without hindering my independence. I loved my lecturers. Not only were they all subject matter experts, but they were all completely obsessed with their field of interest. My lectures and tutorials were captivating to say the least.

“When I returned to Massey for my Master of Creative Writing (MCW) by distance I had a four-month-old daughter, was working full time in the public sector and building my communication consulting business.

“During my studies we entered a global pandemic, we had bought a home and I got pregnant again. We weren't able to meet as a writing cohort so Zoom became the norm. At the height of the pandemic when New Zealand declared its first level four lockdown, I gave birth at home in Ruatoria without medical assistance. Later that year my home experienced an electrical fire and my family of five and I were lucky enough to move to a small one bedroom sleep-out for three months.

“There were many times I felt overwhelmed, there were moments I felt I could not continue and through it all I felt I didn't have the academic prowess to finish. But by a divine stroke of luck, I was assigned to Dr Elspeth Tilley. She was the supervisor, the cheerleader and the support that would not at all entertain the word withdraw. She believed in the work, both creative and academic. Her belief carried me through.”

Despite these challenges, Rawinia forged on with her research, with the house fire ending up as a dramatic plot point in her play. She completed her MCW on time, with Merit.

The play that she wrote for her MCW thesis, Our Side of the Fence, won a 2021 Playmarket Brown Ink Award and was also highly commended in the Playwrights’ Association of New Zealand 2021 One Act Play Competition. It was launched at Hoea! Gallery in Tairāwhiti in 2022 in an innovative interactive installation format with live readings and kōrero.  

Rawinia then had her second play, Pōraru, selected for Kōanga Festival Playwrights Programme 2022. She has also had her creative writing published in Huia Short Stories.

“Covid stopped me from being able to graduate via ceremony for my master's, but my family and I took photos in my academic regalia. Standing next to my young family with my certificate in hand I felt vindicated and alive. Proof to my children that you can have anything you want if you're willing to fight hard for it.

“Te Tairawhiti, the East Coast, is a region that is culturally rich. Here, my children are raised with their cousins, we participate in and lead community events and every chance we get, we head back to the marae. I'm a māmā of three - Hinemaia, Te Ati Manuka and Te Ana Whakairo and in 2022 I married their father, Neihana. We have two naughty shar pei dogs, Gravy and Vhagar.”