Watene Campbell shares his culture, his story, and a couple of songs.

Watene Campbell (Ngati Awa, Ngati Kahungunu, Ngati Porou) is a Year 12 student at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Mokopuna in Seatoun. An avid rugby player, Watene is a member of the Wellington City Youth Council, and appeared in a series of promotional videos for the Wellington City Council’s Te Tauihu policy advocating for whakamana reo Māori.

Whakamana is a Māori word meaning to advocate for something, or to build it up. Through his talk, Watene hopes to whakamana young people, and help them hold their rangatiratanga and whakapapa within themselves.

“By knowing who you are, you can accomplish a lot. For me personally, knowing who I am and where I come from has helped me in a lot of situations in my life, and I hope that my talk can accomplish that for other people as well.” Watene Campbell (Ngati Awa, Ngati Kahungunu, Ngati Porou) is a Year 12 student at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Mokopuna in Seatoun. An avid rugby player, Watene is a member of the Wellington City Youth Council, and appeared in a series of promotional videos for the Wellington City Council’s Te Tauihu policy advocating for whakamana reo Māori.

Whakamana is a Māori word meaning to advocate for something, or to build it up. Through his talk, Watene hopes to whakamana young people, and help them hold their rangatiratanga and whakapapa within themselves.

“By knowing who you are, you can accomplish a lot. For me personally, knowing who I am and where I come from has helped me in a lot of situations in my life, and I hope that my talk can accomplish that for other people as well.” This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx