Hinemoa Carpenter
He uri ahau no Tūhoe, no Ngāti Porou ki te taha o tōku Māmā.
No Denmark tōku Pāpā.
Ko Maungapōhatu, ko Pukemaire ōku maunga
Ko Whakatāne, ko Reporua ōku awa.
Ko Mataatua, ko Horouta ōku waka.
Ko Whakarae, ko Tu Au Au ōku marae.
Ko Joel taku hoa rangatira.
Ko Asher rātou ko Wharenui ko Heremāia ōku tamariki pīwari!
Ko Hinemoa Maata Biddle ahau.
I grew up with my whānau on a dairy farm in Galatea. At that time there were six of us siblings- now there are eight of us! My siblings are the best and they make very good looking iramutu (nieces & nephews). My mum and dad really loved us and did their best to raise us well. My dad passed away last year and I really know now how much he loved his kids! My mum, Paretai, is also an amazing māmā, who loves us and all her mokopuna. Alcohol, dysfunction, abuse and suicide were a part of our upbringing. Because we lived out in the wops many of us went to boarding schools. I went to a Hāhi Mihingare/Anglican high school in the Waikato. It was there I met some awesome mates who were Christians, this had a deep impact in my life and, over the years to this day, faith in Ihu Karaiti and the whānau of God has brought deep healing and joy. It has also called me into a life and vocation to the Anglican church as a deacon. I minister with my hoa tāne, Joel. He’s an Anglican priest and we are both ministers at St Mary’s Church, 132 Taniwha St. I’m also a teacher and work a couple days teaching music and te reo Māori at Glen Innes School - I’m still learning te reo Māori myself and I enjoy singing and playing the guitar. I like to play *social* netball competitively. To be honest, I love going away on holiday with my kids. I feel like, over covid, I’ve developed some really bad work habits. I just get in my groove and work and work. I enjoy it but find it hard to switch off and tend to my darlings who actually love quality time with māmā. Joel’s been calling our home-life the ‘plantation’ lately, after hearing it from his mate Willy, saying, ‘we need to look after our own plantation’ meaning that our kids and our marriage needs just as much awhi and energy that we offer to the community. When we can, we stay with friends in Karangahake Gorge or go back to my mums, swim in the rivers, go for big walks. At the moment that’s where I reconnect with my family and with te taiao and ‘work’ is put in its place. We have some cool friends in Auckland who know how to work well and relax well, we’ve learned a lot from them. I can’t keep going ‘on holiday’ to reset my life’s rhythm so I’ve got to find a more sustainable and healthy way to work well and relax well.
It was an honour to be invited to be a change agent for HEART. A beautiful bunch of (extra) ordinary Tāmaki people who want to see good things happen for whānau in Glen Innes, Pt England and Panmure. I’ve supported the work of HEART at some of the events they have put on, some of the trainings and workshops, the women’s koru groups, the network hui, and the collective hui they host. The HEART Movement cares deeply about our community and is proactive in initiating and supporting positive change right here in our neighbourhoods. They are bomb!
First of all, the team that run HEART genuinely love their work and love working with each other. They say things like, ‘man, I love my job- I have the best job!’ and that has been an encouragement to me, that I can also really love the mahi I do. When HEART hosts something, no matter how big or small the roopu is, they always say, ‘this is the perfect group for this kaupapa’- no matter who turns up, everyone can contribute to HEART and the initiative they are offering. The change agents are connected in lots of different ways to their communities and have a massive range of skills and knowledge. This means change agents can offer solutions to each others’ challenges. There are more change agents now, I am newer on the team and so haven’t met all of them yet. I look forward to having a big HEART party when the time is right! Fingers crossed there will be karaoke (hint hint).
A fun fact about me? I can mimic the sound of a seagull that wants to steal your fish and chips.
Tend to your ‘plantation’, your māra, your garden: your hinengaro, your whānau and relationships, your tinana, and your wairua.
For me, taking regular medication, seeing a therapist, being with friends who crack me up, praying with our St Mary’s faith community for the broken and heavy things in the world, singing waiata Māori with my kids in bed at night, reading Stan Walker’s new book, booking in the next holiday- these are just a few things that keep my garden growing some small sweet fruits.