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[INLINE:alana]

Alana, 42, Born Kawerau, New Zealand

Descendant of King Maliatoa, (Greatest Chief of Western Samoa).

My ancestry is by bloodline on both sides, not marriage. My Grandmother Teaune was a resistance fighter against German colonization in the late 1800's. Robert Louis Stevenson is buried on our family land in Mt. Vaea, Western Samoa.

In 1996, I was gifted the Malu from my family (traditional Samoan tattoo for women) and was tattooed by the Master Tufuga, Su'a Sulu'ape Paulo III. It was applied in the traditional way, with boars tooth chisel and mallet. My son, a few years ago had the Kolima ceremony, which was given to him by Sulu'apes beloved apprentice. My son hopes to one day wear the Pe'a.

I am from a large family of ten siblings. I have one son. I am a singer, and I teach singing lessons. My mother 76, is still alive. My father was of Norwegian blood, & died when I was six. I am proud of my origins and my blended color, and the stories and journeys of my people.

[INLINE:brendagordon]

Brenda Ingarangi Gordon

13 December 1968, Galatea, Bayof Plenty New Zealand. Scottish Maori,
My nickname is Moko; The child. I am a child of the world, full of opposite polarities (+ loving it) .
I am from two of the worlds greatest warrior races. It gives me an inner strength to know where my foundations lay.-And great pride.
I see the world as a playground of paradox. Kiakaha (Be brave + strong) Arohanni (all giving love).

The Dreamtime.

Some say the dreamtime is now, this unreality, this man-made world.
Some say it is the underworld, of spirits + Gods. The dreamtime exisits for every Koorie.
They believe the Land Australia is the serpant. The Rock , Ayers Rock, at Alice Springs is the heart of the land, the most sacred, most spiritual place treasured to them.
Koories still practice there. Magic all to do with the Dreamtime, Witchdoctors, Spiritual Men and Women are still a life force in their communitys, they point the bone to this day, that is , a curse of death.

[INLINE:jameskolose]

James Kolose- Born: 7.3.1964, Auckland City -
New Samoan Son, 27 years ,
Life of Hard Knocks, but what thhe fuck!!! I don't Regret the past, Done a whole lot of shit
but there is hope and being Polynesian, and thinking that I'm second rate, no chance in life, ass against the wall,
I am thankful that this is life and I have the chance to finally life. Don't need to stand out in the crowd,
just blend into society as it is. And today, I am thankful to the Programme, to me Higher Power,
For the chance to do alot of living!!!
I'd like to say more but this is how it is for me,
Love ya all heaps that are doing it. Auckland, New Zealand. 20-10-1991.
[INLINE:graemeking]

Graeme John King, 14.6.61 - Born Auckland ,

I am a New Zealand Maori and I am from a place called the Waikato.
My Tribe is Ngati Maniapoto and my Waka is Tanui.
I am thirty tears old and I have been using drugs from the age of thirteen and I have been in recovery for six months.
I use to run with a gang called the Black Power and a gang called the Nomads. I have spent most of my life doing time and crime but now I have changed my ways since I've been in Recovery!
I have three children Jackson (10), Krystal (9), and Angelina (2), and my wife Sonia and I have been married for Ten years.

(Waka is the canoe his ancestors arrived from.)

[INLINE:girlsstory]

I didn't get a chance to photograph this woman as we were on a three day bus ride up to the Northern Territories and she got off the greyhound bus at Cooper Peity
where all the world's opal come from, therefore I am using this family photograph!

Marty was a super fit little lady - she'd do anything for afriend- There wasn't a selfish bone in her body.
I had a job transfer from my independant little pad inner city Sydney back to boring old Canberra to a long-term boyfriend Mary + Amanda in one car with all of my belongings Shane + myself in another car 3/4 off the way to Canberra Marty stops and begs me to drive.
I'm saying, Hey Girl, we are nearly there , I can drive but we never driven with a trailor and I don't have my License.
Shane + Amanda drive off leaving me + Marty arguing on the side of the road - that was 18 months ago. Apparently we hit a tree and the trailor jack-knifed the car, my seat flew back, Marty's seat did not-
Her head went through the roof. I spent two weeks in a comma , awoke with both legs broken + spent 6 months in thhe hospital going through rehabilitation. But Hey I'm fine now. But my girl Marty she Aint. She's living in a nursing home with all these old people.
She can not speak or have free movement of her hand and she is very frustrated. Man, I feel so slack. She will be permanently in a wheelchair. She was only doing me a favour helping me move all my shit back to boring old Canberra.

I was born poser. When I was four my Mum started me in dance class. Tap, Jazz, Scottish.
I thrived on it, the family used to take me around the country estate porch, enter me in talent contests. You name it. I loved it because I am an exhibitionist.
I thrive on attention. So when I was seventeen I'd had enough of Canberra so off I went to the Big Smoke .... Sydney. I had a serious attitude problem,
I couldn't stand discipline or being told what to do by anybody...So I get together with some friends and were Jamming in King's Cross below on the other side of the street off a strip club the Love Machine.
I am busy slagging the girls off who we have full view off, in the dressing room. I'm getting smart, decide to go up there and create havoc. So up I go and bump into an old school friend from Canberra-
3 weeks later I am broke + sick sick of living on the street, I get a job stripping. It was tough at first but thhen it took 4 years of my life.
When I was 19 , I went to Japan for six months and had an awesome time, made good money so I went around Europe for six months.
Broke again in London, I took to stripping, learning how to be a Bimbo and shut my mouth. Laughing at the punter because I was making 1,000 pounds a week which gets me to continue to travel for six years.

[INLINE:buffalobullcatcher]