Coco Talanoa — Coco News / Page 22

In episode 8 we kōrero with Tiana Metuarau - a Māori/Kuki Airani student athlete who uses her platform to highlight the beauty of her Polynesian whakapapa. 

For the first time ever, Tiana publicly opens up about overcoming anxiety and body image issues and how this has been amplified through her netball journey. 

She talks to us about what it was like playing semi-professional netball at 15 years old while having to balance high school and bringing Te Ao Māori into her netball environments. 

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In episode 7 we kōrero with Qiane Matata-Sipu - a Te Waiohua and Waikato Tainui mana wāhine who is a māma, wife, business owner, photographer and passionate social activist. 

Qiane Matata-Sipu leads the team behind NUKU. a platform that amplifies the voices and stories of kickass indigenous women.

She also talks to us about being raised on her papakainga by a kickass indigenous wāhine to now raising her own daughter on the same whenua. 

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In episode 7 we kōrero with Te Awanui Reeder also known as Awa. He talks to us about growing up in the 90s, his Reo journey and how he raises his tamariki to empower their multicultural (Māori, Samoan, Japanese) heritage.

He is widely known as the lead vocalist for Nesian Mystik but also has a passion for education. Awa has also developed an impressive business portfolio and shares some advice for budding entrepreneurs. He also drops exclusive details about a new Māori anime series he and his team are working on. 

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In episode 5 we kōrero with Sulu Fitzpatrick - professional netballer, proud mum, athlete, partner and student. 

She talks to us about being raised within a big Samoan aiga as a whāngai child and her struggles with being a young mum, mental health and body image. 

She also shares about her journey with her Samoan culture and being the first professional netballer and Silver Fern to play with a malu. 

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In episode 4 we kōrero with a Samoan/Kuki Airani social media influencer Lavi Vetelino, or better known as, Fresh Brince. He was raised in Palmerston North before moving to Logan, Brisbane, and then returning to Aotearoa over 5 years ago.

Lavi is a genealogy nerd and can trace his Cook Islands heritage back ten generations. After living in Australia for 9 years and having limited access to his cultural heritage, his family made the move to Mangere where the overload of Polynesian culture came as a shock.

Alongside Lavi, Coco-Ngāti hosts Maia Wilson and Johnson Raela also share their struggles with body image.

Coco-Ngāti is made with support from Foundation North and The Coconet.

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In episode 3 of Coco-Ngāti we kōrero with a model, radio host and community champion who is loud and proud to be a Cook Islands Ghanaian woman. 

Ernestina Bonsu-Maro talks to us about walking with her head held high in her dark skin, growing up in Mangere, South Auckland and how she stays connected to her African roots.

This talented mixed-race wahine and her two siblings were raised by a fierce single Mum who taught her to proudly speak her Pukapukan language. 

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Vani and Teresa Toelau are a Samoan/Filipino couple living in Auckland. They talk about their experience navigating a bicultural relationship and dealing with the grief of miscarriage. 

They openly discuss their romance journey and how they plan on raising their newborn child in a way that embraces both cultures.

Vani talks about his experience of being raised with strong Samoan cultural roots, whereas Teresa battled with her own cultural identity when her family moved from the Philippines to New Zealand.

They are co-owners of Strong Side gym in West Auckland and talk about how COVID has forced them to pivot the business. 

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Ravinder Hunia is an award winning sports journalist and talks to us about her interesting family dynamics, with her mum being Māori (from Te Puke) and her father Punjab (Daroli Khurd), and what that was like growing up in New Zealand.

She shares about the struggles she has faced as a female sports journalist and how at times, male journalists wouldn’t talk to her, because she is a wāhine.

Ravinder is a mother of 3, a wife and currently a Sky Sports presenter.

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Watch Fiame Naomi Mata'afa's announcement in English from 11:10 mins on ...

Earlier today, the leaders of the two dominant political parties - Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, caretaker Prime Minister and leader of the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) and Fiame Mata'afa Naomi, leader of the Fa'atuata i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) - met with the Head of State today to discuss the possibility of the country heading into another election. 

The Head of State Afioga Tuimaleali'ifano Va'aletoa Sualauvi II is set to make an announcement later this evening.

Fiame went ahead with her own special announcement an hour ago - summary below: 

* The Head of State Afioga Tuimaleali'ifano Va'aletoa Sualauvi II has requested another election and the caretaker Prime Minister has agreed to hold another one.…more

Cover image photo credit:  NZ Herald 

More than a year after borders closed around the Pacific, the Cook Islands border will open to New Zealand from the 17th of May with no quarantine in either country! 

It will only be open to people who have been resident in New Zealand for 14 consecutive days prior to travel.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: 

* The border is open from the 17th May and Air New Zealand is offereng flights from Auckland to Rarotonga and return here.  Check out Air New Zealand's website for flight schedules and bookings.

* No quarantine in either country.  You will not be required to quarantine or self-isolate in the Cook Islands OR on your return to New Zealand.

* Quarantine free travel is between New Zealand and the Cook Islands only and you must have been resident in New Zealand for 14 consecutive days prior to travel.…more