What happens when the culture you once turned your back on becomes the key to your own healing?

In this episode, Cape Reinga shuttle driver Talz Popata opens up about her personal journey of reconnection with her Māori roots.

She shares the deep, restorative practice and intricate art of korowai (cloak making) that has helped her find personal peace, and explains the traditions of waiata and haka.

We explore what it means to heal through tradition, how sharing her culture with visitors broadens their horizons as well as her children's, and how reconnecting with her roots has restored her sense of belonging.

Topics covered in this episode include:

- The art of korowai making and how traditional crafts can help you reconnect with your culture

- Introduction to Māori cultural practices like haka, waiata, poi

- Why Cape Reinga where the Te Araroa Trail begins is such an important place

- Personal discussion of struggles with mental health and addiction, generational trauma and the healing process.

Show notes:

The music featured in this episode is the waiata “Tōku Reo, Tōku Ohooho, written by Te Okeroa Huriwaka in collaboration with her close friend Te Tawhiro Maxwell, and originally composed as part of a language assignment. The waiata was inspired by Te Okeroa Huriwaka’s passion for te reo Māori and its revitalisation.

At its heart, the waiata is a celebration of te reo Māori as a source of identity, strength, and cultural pride. It reflects the deep connection between language and wellbeing, and the important role that te reo Māori plays in sustaining our whakapapa, stories, and way of life”

- Tracey Gilmer, Te Tāwharau o Te Whakatōhea

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