About the Facilitator

"Makaira’s insightful, playful, empowering style of teaching has provided a safe space to allow me to be comfortable in the vulnerable. I have found the sessions to be incredibly educational not only for affirming my minimal knowledge of te reo but for healing my inner self to enable me to embrace my culture and proudly share it with others. Each week I have come away feeling grounded, fulfilled, supported, enlightened and childlike, wanting to learn and experience more. I could not recommend him more highly for those who wish to discover and grow their knowledge and understanding of not only te ao Māori and all that this encompasses but more importantly – themselves."

- Amie, Make Mistakes in Māori student.

Makaira Waugh is a registered Māori kaiako, artist, and writer whose passion is empowering creativity, hauora, and community through kaupapa Māori education.

The kaupapa of Tā te Manawa stems from the guidance of his tūpuna, a deep understanding of his Te Ātiawa heritage, and his personal journey of healing from trauma and mental illness. His experience as a kaiako spans a wide range of contexts from Kōhanga Reo and Kura Kaupapa Māori through to youth, adult and teacher education, in areas such as te reo and tikanga Māori, music and instrument making, poetry, resource development and Māori outdoor pursuits. He speaks Spanish and has taught arts education activities as tools for language revitalisation for Indigenous teachers, schools, and communities in México in 2020 & 2024.