The Ripples on the Lake Are Larger Than Imagined: Building Cultural Identity Through the Telling of Life Stories

• In Event: The Transformative Power of Indigenous Research: Realizing the Dream

Abstract

The image of the ripples on the lake encompassing a “larger than imagined” area of water speaks to the enormity of the task faced by any iwi aspiring to recapture its stories, and through them, rebuild its identity. This study involves the research of four young women who have embraced the responsibility to support iwi aspirations inherent in Pou 1 (p. 8). According to the Strategic Plan, this Pou is “about telling our stories, building our cultural identity so that our people feel Hineuru, and be confident in their identity as Hineuru”.

Authors

• Margaret J. Maaka, University of Hawaii - Manoa

• Teracia Smith, Te Kōpere o te Iwi o Hineuru

• Ivy Kahukiwa Smith, Te Kōpere o te Iwi o Hineuru

• Rebekah Heke Elkington, Te Kōpere o te Iwi o Hineuru