She was in state care from the age of two, until she was discharged at 19. She remembers a childhood laden with abuse from those she trusted, both in and out of state care
"I ngā rā o mua i a au i whānau mai ki roto i tenei ao, i tukinohia taku whānau ki a au. Etahi o ngā mema o taku whānau nā rātou te hē, nā rātou i tukino i a au."
From when I was young, I was abused by members of my family. They did me wrong, they harmed me."
“He morehu ahau nā te tūkinotia o te kāwanatanga i a au i roto i tō rātou nei atawhaitanga”
“I’m a survivor of abuse from the state, while I was in its care,” she said.
Tu Chapman has spent her life fighting to untangle the impacts of sexual and physical abuse.
Intersex issues
She admits in her adult life she did make some bad choices and served time in prison.
"Ka karore haere ahau i te mata o te whenua, he mischevous katoa taku āhua. Koira kē ngā pēhitanga i pā ki runga i a ahau. I roto ahau i te whare herehere. Kāre i pai tērā."
“I would just roam around, I was mischievous. These were some of the impacts. I ended up in prison. This wasn’t a good thing”
Chapman was born intersex, which means she had characteristics that did not fit typically with the binary notions of male or female bodies. She says this caused her more harm.
"No te ao takatāpui ahau. He aha te kupu Māori, he whakawahine, he aha rānei. I roto i te reo Pākeha, intersex. My family wouldn't understand that. He mamae tera. That I have had to carry and endure. Kaore rātou i te hiahia ki te mōhio
“I’m a part of the rainbow community. What's the word? Trans? I don’t know. But in English the term is intersex. My family wouldn’t understand. It was painful. I had to carry on and endure. They didn’t want to know."
Voice heard
"I wehe mai ahau i taku whānau i taku hapu i taku iwi. I wehe atu taku aroha mo te ao Māori. Engari kei te ora ahau, kei konei ahau e ngākau nui ana ki ngā kaupapa Māori.
"I left my family and wider tribe."
But through it all, she says, she has remained steadfast to her language and culture.
In a twist of fate, Chapman now serves as a staff member of the royal commission, which is carrying out an inquiry into state abuse. She does not take the job lightly because it allows her a voice.
“It’s vitally important, that the voices are heard, not just heard, acknowledged, respected and appreciated. It doesn't matter where the voices are but normalising these conversations with society so that ultimately it does get to the decision-making table is key. But we have to be able to support each other to do that. We can't do this on our own” she said.