Lorna Rikihana

Taiinui Te Arawa Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Hura me Ngāti Kapu

My whakaheke tangata genealogy derives from Hoturoa the captain of the Tainui waka, descending to Rereiao who lived on Pirongia. I am also descended from Tamatekapua and Ngatoroirangi the captain and tohunga from the Te Arawa waka their ancestral lines include Kahumatamomoe, Ihenga, and Taramainuku who played major roles in the naming of iconic maunga landforms on Waiheke.

Their direct male line of descent goes down to Pikiao. He married Rereiao and born Hekemaru. Hekemaru married Heke-i-terangi of Waikato-Tainui and had 3 children, Mahuta the mātāmua – eldest, Paoa and then Paretāhuri. It is through these 3 lines of descent that flows into Hauraki and Tīkapa moana across the entire Tāmaki landscape resulting in our Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Hura & Ngāti Kapu people of the Hauraki Gulf. Lastly I would like to mention our matua tūpuna and matriarch Waiheke Tua the great grandmother of Hoturoa and Ngatoroirangi. Waiheke Island was named after her in order to immortalise her deeds as she never had the opportunity to leave Rangiātea and venture to Aotearoa…”

I am a Kura Kaupapa Māori teacher trainer, a wāhine Māori practitioner passionate about teaching traditional Māori Art. I believe the key to my success can be found in my own humble beginnings and my life changing decisions to learning my reo and my passion to apply this knowledge to my teaching practice. This was accomplished through years of facilitating Toi Māori workshops and focusing on enhancing the practical skill sets in raranga, tukutuku panelling and training wāhine on Waiheke Island in the creation of all of the tukutuku panelling within the Piritahi marae wharenui. From these foundations I have been a key catalyst of change by using these skill sets and honouring the role of Kaitiakitanga.