‘SIX FEET TALLER’
Qiane Matata-Sipu was at the launch of her multimedia project on Indigenous wāhine when her father, Andrew, said something to her that she will never forget. They were at the Māngere Arts Centre, not far from her home, when he turned to her and said: “Now all the men have got you to blame for their wives and daughters going home six feet taller.’’
From a man who is often quiet and reserved, it was a huge compliment.
He also reflected the power of Matata-Sipu’s Nuku project – a podcast series and coffee-table book – which has achieved what its founder set out to do and even more: the “kick-arse Indigenous wāhine’’ she has featured and interviewed have changed the narrative about Māori and Pasifika women living in New Zealand. Like throwing a stone into a pond and watching the ripples, Nuku has inspired and made proud wāhine who drive around with the project’s decal on their cars, wear the social enterprise’s earrings and are part of a growing social media network, which has 10,000 followers on Instagram and 11,000 on Facebook.
On a blazing-hot day when we chat by Zoom, the 35-year-old sits
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