A Tātau Kōrero: Erin Jones

Erin Jones grew up in Taupō and moved to Tūranganui-a-Kiwa over 30 years ago, having married a local farmer from Manutuke, David Jones. She works as the manager of Central Childcare and Education Centre on Palmerston Road and has been part of early childcare for over 25 years. As a Pākehā woman she has been actively involved in the Māori community in Manutuke, serving on marae committees, working with the iwi trust and as a marae representative for the recent Rongowhakaata Iwi exhibition. Her philosophy is “treat people how you would like to be treated”. She speaks to us about bringing her children up through Kōhanga Reo and total immersion te reo Māori education, and reflects on recent events and the spirit of community in this region.​​