BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

Rochelle Paranihia Francise Paranihi

Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Hauiti

Co-Kaihautū Te Whare Aronui, Te Wānanga o Raukawa

Tāhuhu Whakahaere - Master of Māori and Management, Poutāhū Whakahaere – Postgraduate Diploma in Māori and Management, Bachelor of Māori and Administration, Heke Kaute – Diploma in Accounting, Heke Puna Maumahara – Diploma in Information Management

Rochelle comes from a large whānau. Her dad is one of 18 tamariki, her mother is one of six, and she is number nine of 13 siblings. She recalls, “We had a good life. There wasn’t a lot of money, but life was good and we made do with what we had.” She describes her whānau as being “solid”. She remembers hanging out with her two younger sisters and helping their eldest sister growing up, and it’s something they still do today. 

The whānau lived in a few locations - Hangatiki, Taihape, Feilding, and Naenae. Her mother worked at Unilever in Lower Hutt. Her dad had a few different jobs - meat works, insurance salesman and a factory worker at Pilkington, a glass manufacturer. While at Pilkington he injured his shoulder and was placed on ACC for the rest of his days. He then became a house dad. Although they were living in Naenae, they still regularly travelled back to Tokorangi Marae for various kaupapa. Their dad was the secretary for the Marae Committee. Rochelle and her two younger sisters were the ones who regularly travelled with their dad to the marae, and when they arrived, they would hang out with their cousins while the parents attended the hui. They loved connecting with their cousins and being at the marae, and they still do.

Rochelle has four adult daughters, and seven mokopuna. Her tane has three adult children and six mokopuna. They have helped raise most of her mokopuna and at the moment two are living with them.

Rochelle and her sister Paula are currently working on a project about their whānau korowai. It was made in the 1890s by their great grandmother for their grandfather when he was a baby. She had made korowai for each of her babies and as far as they are aware, this korowai is the only surviving one. Their aunts recall playing dress ups with it, having tea parties on it, and dragging each other around on the floor while sitting on it. Then at some stage their grandfather started laying it on their tūpāpaku and towards the end of their grandfather’s life, the korowai came to their dad. 

One of the papers taught by Rochelle and her sister Paula is about deepening the appreciation of the cultural significance of a taonga, and its role in strengthening, maintaining and enhancing relationships. As an example for students, Rochelle and Paula have created an inventory of the korowai with dates, who used it, what it was used for, and they have managed to record almost all of the events. They have also added in the relationships of those who have used the korowai to their grandfather and great grandmother. Their project will expand on this information. They have started collecting photos of those who used the korowai and compiling biographies on each. 

There are about 500 descendants from their grandparents now. Not everyone returns home to Tokorangi, but when they do, either her eldest sister or herself talk about the korowai. They talk about the connections to their grandfather and great grandmother. This always goes down well. Something that Rochelle says to whānau, friends and ākonga is, “The greatest strength of Māori is whanaungatanga. Whakapapa is what connects us, but whanaungatanga is what binds us. If there is no whanaungatanga with your relatives or friends or within your networks, it’s likely you won’t get anywhere with your project or whatever it is you are undertaking. Iwi and Hapū studies is about creating stronger relationships or creating new relationships. This is what will get you to where you want to be. It will strengthen your whānau base and it will strengthen your hapū.”

Rochelle is involved in a lot. She is on the Ohu for Te Wharekura o Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Manawatū. She has only just relinquished the hapū delegate position on Te Rūnanga o Raukawa Whaiti, but she is still a whaiti member. She is also on Te Kōtui Reo. This is a collective of marae, hapū and iwi in the Manawatū, who work with the Manawatū District Council on occasion. 

Work sees Rochelle co-leading a team of 11. Her area is iwi and hapū studies. As well as work at Te Wānanga o Raukawa, she leads a busy life, with home, whānau, kura, marae, hapū and iwi business, and the korowai project. Her work is reflected in her busy life or perhaps it’s the other way around.

Waiho i te toipoto, kaua i te toiroa

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