I haven't shared it too often, but I have a middle name; it is "Kiritea". It came about because I had a wonderful name gifted from my grandfather Iria I Te Rangi—a beautiful name that has followed many generations in my family. I come from a wonderful father with heritage from Ngāti Whitikaupeka Rongowhakaata, and I have a beautiful mother, European by descent, yea high, blonde, blue-eyed. So that comes together that, when I was born, I came out quite fair, with blonde hair, slightly brown skin, and was gifted the name "Kiritea" simply because Iria I Te Rangi was too Māori for such a fair boy. In some ways, that is a travesty—a travesty that such a strong generational name was taken away from me. Similarly taken was my language, my opportunity in life to grow up being Māori and European, but also growing up being Māori, having access to my reo, having access to my culture, having access to my whānau, and here, at the age of 40, I'm still learning te reo Māori today, still reconnecting with my whakapapa, still reconnecting with my whānau back in Mōkai Pātea, and still attempting to settle the whenua that was taken from my family.