Maire Kipa

Pou Tokomanawa

She/Her/Ia

He uri ahau no Ngai Tahu, Ngati Tūwharetoa, Ngati Kahungunu, Ngai Tuhoe. Ko Karen toku Whaiaipo, ko MJ raua ko Dante taku tama, he tamaiti whangai.
My name is Maire Kipa, my pronouns are she/her. I am proud of my whakapapa, the essence of which is tuturu Ira Tangata, Ira Takataapui.
With over 30 plus years contributing to Hauora Takataapui I learned that every generation of Takataapui leaves a legacy of hope, justice and truth to pass on to the next. I've seen a lot of change in my time and more still to come! I'm always mindful of the whakatauki 'Ka whawhai tonu matou mo ake tonu' - a struggle without end.
My intentions for 2024 are to be on purpose for passing on Takataapui stories, of living, loving and transforming Aotearoa. Tihei mauri ora!

Kahu Tumai

Kaiwhakahaere Matua

She/her/Ia

He uri tēnei nō Waikato Tainui, ko Ngāti Naho rāua ko Ngāti Pou ōku hapu, ko Maurea rāua ko Horahora ōku marae. Nō Whangārei au, kei Ōtautahi tōku kainga inaiānei. Ko Khye taku whaiāipo, ko Jamie taku tama, Ko Kahu au. Tīhei Mauri Ora!
Kahu Tumai is a wahine takatāpui residing in Ōtautahi, Aotearoa, with her spouse, Khye, and her son, Jamie. Kahu is driven to empower and tautoko rangatahi Takatāpui and founded Mana Tipua Mana Ora - a kaupapa Māori LGBTQIA+ youth service in 2023. Kahu previously worked with Te Whatu Ora as a Youth and Sexual Health Promoter, and with InsideOUT Koaro as Kaiwhakahaere Takatāpui. Kahu has a first class B.A. Hons in Cultural Studies, and a B.A in Māori and Indigenous Studies with a minor in Human Services. She also writes from Māori and queer perspectives with a focus on bodies and lived experiences. She won the 2022 Story Inc prize for poetry. Her writing can be found in Mayhem Magazine, Tupuranga Journal, Takahē magazine and Pantograph Punch.

Vanessa Karakia-Kore Gray

Kaitautoko & Kai Tahu Liaison

Ia/She/They

He uri ahau o Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe, Kāi Tahu, Rangitāne, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu, Te Aitanga-ā-Māhaki, Ngāti Kōtimana, Ngāti Pākehā, Ngāti Wīwī, Ngāti Hūrai hoki. Ko Vanessa (Nes) Karakia-Kore Gray taku ikoa. Ko takatāpui ahau. Mauri ora!
Nes Karakia-Kore brings experience in community development, urban design, project co-ordination, performing and screen arts and mental health. They are invested in the landscape and people within the takiwā and have based the majority of their life and career as takatāpui in Ōtautahi. Nes has a degree in Broadcasting Communications and diploma in Te Arataki Manu Kōrero Māori - Language, Customs & Culture and Digital Video Post-Production. Underpinning the variety of work they have been involved in is their ability to create positive transformational experiences and environments that are mana enhancing and inclusive.

Khye Hitchcock

Kaiwhakahaere Pakihi

They/Them

No Ingarangi ōku tūpuna, ko te Tiriti o Waitangi tōku waka. I whānau mai au i Whanganui, heoi, kei Ōtautahi tōku kāinga ināianei. Ko Kahu tāku whaiāipo, ko Jamie tāku tama. He Tangata Tiriti ahau, he tangata irawhiti ahau. Ko Khye Hitchcock tōku ingoa.
Khye is a first generation Pākehā; their ancestors are from Britain and they were raised in Whanganui and have called Ōtautahi Christchurch home since 2015. Khye lives with their wife, Kahu, and their son Jamie. They are queer and trans and have been out, and advocating for rainbow rights since 2004.
Khye’s role is Kaiwhakahaere Pakihi; they manage the administrative side of the organisation, utilising their experience in non-profits, health and safety, communications, and funding management. They are frequently ringawera at Mana Tipua events.