Kiri Tamihere-Waititi

Kiri is a self-proclaimed hōhā that gives unsolicited advice to everyone.
Trained as a Clinical Psychologist at the University of Auckland, de-registered out of protest and launched into lifting Whanau Ora as a legitimate solution to decolonising mental health.
Kiri has an extensive performing career in kapahaka; performing haka since she could stand. Raised in Kohanga and Kura at Hoani Waititi, she was born into a Kapahaka whanau. Her nan, mum, uncle and aunty both long time performers of manutaki and te rautahi and then te wakahuia. She has performed at all levels of haka and is a long-time member of Te Kapahaka o Te Whanau a Apanui. The highlight of her career though, was performing for the first time with Te Pariha o Hikurangi at the 2017 Tamararo.
She is a little bit obsessed with the cross section between mental health and colonisation and bringing Maori solutions into our consciousness for healing; Kapahaka being one of those.
She is dedicated to creating pathways and opportunities that empower te iwi Maori towards emancipation. That being said, she pokes her nose into all sorts of things that advance those Kaupapa; whanau ora, mental health, politics and she dabbles a bit in social media.
Her hobbies are Kapahaka and being by herself with nobody around and one day wishes to move to Mars.