TE ORAMA
TE PUNA MARAMA VOYAGING FOUNDATION
OUR TRUSTEES
PEIA
PATAI
FOUNDER/CHAIRMAN
“It has been a dream of mine to come home and teach the knowledge of traditional wayfinding. I have been very fortunate to be one of two people that have been gifted this knowledge in the Cook Islands therefore it becomes a responsibility for me to teach my own people these skills."
CECILE
MARTEN
TRUSTEE/SECRETARY
"We have shared the culture of traditional sailing and navigation with so many people and we volunteer our time because we are passionate about the vaka and what it represents. The vaka is a metaphor for our earth; if we look after our vaka, the vaka will look after us. The same goes for our ocean and our lands, if we look after it, it will in turn look after us."
TUA
PITTMAN
TRUSTEE
“I have been raised to be Pwo by Mau and Nainoa and in their teachings they have shared that Pwo is seen as the light for his island community or canoe by providing leadership, guidance, a sense of safety and protection, sustenance and provisions to survive.”
MA'ARA
MAEVA
TRUSTEE
Born on the island of Akatokamana, Mauke, Te Rae o te Pa`u, Ma`ara Maeva is the pōtiki mākēke or last born out of 11 children. Being the last-born he was privy to the stories, songs and chants of his matakeinanga. From a young age he began bush-learning by immersion into the sacred house of Tane god of the forest. Within the house of Tangaroa god of the ocean he learnt fishing lore. Through his elders he listened to the voices of the land, the sea, the sky and everything within.