Rakatahi of Aukaha

Riani Iti-Metuatai (Te Āti Awa, Kuki Ārani) first joined Aukaha in a role supporting our operations and finance team. Raised in a creative whānau, Riani was naturally drawn to incorporating design aspects into her mahi. We began supporting her to develop her skills in this area and she moved into a role with our Mana Ahurea team.

“Working with very passionate, supportive kaimahi kind of pushed me into this area, they could see that I could bring creativity into the place and the work that I do.”

As Kaiāwhina - Mana Ahurea, Riani has been able to grow her passion for design and te ao Māori. Her day-to-day mahi ranges from helping to coordinate cultural narratives for schools to supporting the Lead Designer to embed mātauraka Māori and Kāi Tahu values into the built environment.

“Understanding the position I have here, as someone who isn’t Kāi Tahu but wants to support mana whenua, I think it’s important for me to see them visible in order for me to feel somewhat of a presence as well.”

Aukaha is driven by the aspirations and values of mana whenua to provide pathways for the new generation of rakatahi , enabling them to thrive and achieve success in their career paths.

Watch Riani’s story, as she shares with us how she found her place at Aukaha.