Paulette has dedicated over twenty years to the restoration of te reo Māori.  She is a composer and performer of waiata Māori who enjoys engaging communities using this medium to promote the importance of language, traditional knowledge, culture and the environment. Paulette and her partner Komene Cassidy won the national Ngā Tohu Reo Māori award in 2015, Te Tira Aumangea, in recognition of their contribution to the revitalisation of te reo Māori. She is the current Tumu/Manager for Kotahi Mano Kāika, the Kāi Tahu Māori language strategy that seeks to restore te reo as an intergenerational language of transmission in the home.

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Paulette is the singer and composer of the apakura (lament) Ārai Awa, a key component of the immersive video installation currently on display at Te Atamira.

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To learn more about Ārai Awa click here.

Watch the opening of this remarkable installation here.

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Image: Courtesy of Paulette Tamati-Elliffe