Hei tā Lewis Whaitiri o Ngāti Ruapani, o Ngāti Konohi, o Rongowhakaata me Ngāti Porou te kairaranga o ngā pōtae harakeke rongonui o Haututu Creations.
“I te wā e hiahiatia ana au ki te raranga, i te wā ka kōrero mai te harakeke ki a au, tēnā haramai, ka haere atu ki ngā pā harakeke ki reira mahi au i aku mahi. Ka wehi au i ētahi i te kitenga atu o wētahi taonga ka puta mai i te mea, koia ka noho au ka mahi noa iho ka kore au e whai i te hiahia a tētahi atu.”
He mea ako i a ia i te kura o Manutūke, i ngā rekereke o ōna kuia.
“Ko ōku kaumātua ko ōku kōkā i pēnei, 'ka noho, ka titiro, ka whakarongo, kaua e pātai mai', ki te mau i a koe te pukenga o te raranga a muri ake i tēnā, tēnā kua riro ko koe te tangata hei whai i taua huarahi.
Nā ōna whanaunga i akiaki kia tū te whārangi Pukamata o Haututu Creations, ki reira hoko wawe atu ai ngā taonga. Engari kia mau tonu tōna aroha mō te raranga, ka whakarongo noa ia ki te karanga, a te harakeke.
Hei tāna, “I roto i ngā tau i te kaha hiahia o te iwi ki tēnei, ki tēnā, ki te whakairo, pīkau, aha rānei, kātahi au kua kite i ētahi kua ngaro i aua aroha ki te harakeke ki te raranga, nā reira koira te take kua kore whai au hei huarahi motuhake ake.”
Hei tā Lewis Whaitiri i a ia e raranga ana, ko ōna whakaaro ka haere ki wāhi kē.
“Kua kore e noho mai ki tēnei ao tūroa te ao kikokiko o tātau ka haere ki tētahi atu wāhi ka noho mai ko au, ko ngā whenu harakeke, nā ka mahia ngā mahi. He wā, me kī he wā hei whakaaio i a au anō, he wā hei whakawhenua i a au anō, he wā ki au”, te kī a Whaitiri.
Ko te wawata nui a Lewis Whaitiri kia hoki atu ngā iwi o Rongowhakaata ki te kāenga ki te tieki i ngā pā harakeke.
