About us
Te Kurahuna Ltd stands as a unique partnership formed by a husband and wife team - Mark and Dr Diana Kopua, both of whom are highly skilled in their specialised areas. Together, they have established Te Kurahuna Ltd, taking on both the roles of co-founders and co-directors with great success. Initially, Te Kurahuna emerged from a community-focused kaupapa in the heart of Tūranganui-a-Kiwa, and has since evolved into a Limited Liability Company, showing significant growth.
The foundation of their work, Mahi a Atua, places a strong emphasis on the importance of indigenous knowledge, viewing it as essential for moving society forward. Through the creation of Mahi a Atua wānanga, the kaupapa extends its reach throughout the community, embracing the idea that everyone holds the capability to become a catalyst for change. This concept supports the nurturing of a society where voices from all walks of life are empowered to make a positive impact.
Meet our Team
Mark Kopua
Mark was raised in Mangatuna, by his old people and is considered a historian by his East Coast tribes of the North Island in New Zealand; Te Aitanga a Hauiti, Ngāti Ira and Ngāti Porou. He was the master carver for several meeting houses both on the East Coast as well as in the lower North Island. He and a small group of moko artists are responsible for the reinstatement of moko into New Zealand society. Mark has been employed in many national and international roles and one unique role has been to provenance artefacts. For many years he was a board member of the national Māori art advocacy, Toi Māori. He has trained several moko artists and continues to work as a moko artist and design consultant in addition to holding the position as a co-director for Te Kurahuna. He is a confident facilitator of whānau hui and his approach to healing is celebrated by communities as he embraces his unique skills as a storyteller and keeper of ancient Māori knowledge and whakapapa.
Dr Diana Kopua
Diana is of Ngāti Porou descent although raised in Porirua under the umbrella of Ngāti Toa. In 1990 Diana began her journey in the health industry, training first as a nurse. Diana developed Mahi a Atua in the mid-90s and then in 2002 studied medicine at the University of Otago. In 2014 she completed her specialist training in psychiatry and is a Fellow of the Royal Australia New Zealand College of Psychiatry. Mahi a Atua was embedded into several services and it became the philosophy behind the ground-breaking Te Kūwatawata service and Te Hiringa Matua (a parenting and pregnancy service working with families struggling with addictions). These services aim to address institutional constraints that impact negatively on Māori. Diana was the Clinical Lead for both these services in their inception and development. Diana continues to lead change through her collaboration with her husband Mark Kopua and together they are growing a collective of Mataora (change agents who are trained in Mahi a Atua) who work to indigenise their respective communities of practice.
Kevin Rangihuna
Kevin Rangihuna, also known as Kevy Keys, hails from Ngāti Porou.
Raised in Porirua alongside his sister, Dr. Diana, Kev’s passion for music was nurtured in the vibrant communities of his upbringing, where he first discovered the power of sound and story.
As our Matua Oro (Music Director), Kev plays a pivotal role in connecting with pūrākau through oro weaving traditional and contemporary elements to create ihirangaranga that deepen our connection to the pūrākau that shape our collective identity. Whether in wānanga or other community spaces, Kev uses music as a medium to evoke emotion, tell stories, and bring the pūrākau of our people to life helping us reconnect with our orokohanga.
"I am grateful for this opportunity to be sharing music and positive vibrations, especially in an indigenous space. It is a powerful feeling to be jamming alongside Taonga puoro, it has been a game changer for me experiencing the different emotions and vibrations that come out of the collaboration with Taonga puoro."
Hinemoa Jones
Whāia te iti kahurangi, ki te tūoho koe me he maunga teitei.
Hinemoa is of Māori (Te Arawa, Tainui) and Pākehā descent. She is a story teller, an educator of Māori language and a facilitator of the traditions of the whare tapere: i.e: Māori games, raranga, karetao (Māori puppetry). Hinemoa has worked alongside James Webster in the revival process of Karetao Māori and has performed in karetao performances both nationally and internationally.
Hinemoa is an active advocate and fluent speaker of te reo Māori. She has taught Māori language programs under the mantle of Te Wānanga o Aotearo and Te Whare Tāhuhu Kōrero o Hauraki as well as teaching night classes in Colville, north Coromandel.
Hinemoa has also worked as an art teacher and is passionate about delivering Māori kaupapa in exciting and innovative ways. She has facilitated and led workshops on a variety of Māori arts. Her goal is to help others connect with their taha Māori through relationship and experiences with taonga tuku iho.
Kelly Burns
Ko Whetumatarau rāua ko Maungakaka ōku maunga
Ko Awatere rāua ko Waipapa ōku awa
Ko Hinerupe rāua ko Matahi O Te Tau ōku marae
Ko Te whanau a Hinerupe rāua ko te whanau a Tuwhakairiora ōku hapū
Ko Ngāti Porou tōku iwi
Ko Kelly ahau
In 2010 Kelly qualified as a registered nurse in Gisborne and began her nursing career in Te Tairawhiti. For 12 years she worked in the general surgical ward. Whanau Māori has always been her passion and for those years as a nurse she strived to provide Māori with the best possible care. However, none of that passion or mahi was changing health outcomes for Māori, the statistics remained terrible!
Kelly left the job she thought she would have forever to undertake a new journey with Te Kurahuna, a kaupapa she had heard about and saw as a light at the end of the tunnel for her people. Working within Te Kurahuna and utilising the principals of mahi a atua has given her the strength to reclaim her Maoritanga and renewed her hope for our people .
Kassidy Pupuo
Ko Aoraki , Whangatauaatia me Orowhana ngā Maunga
Ko Waitaki me Rangiheke ngā Awa
Ko Takitimu, Uruāo , Tinana me Ngātokimatawhāorua ngā Waka
He mokopuna nō Kāitahu whānui me Ngā Maunga Tūpuna ō Muriwhenua
Ko Kāi Te Ruahikihiki, Kāti Māmoe, Te Pahi me Te Aupōuri, Te Rarawa, Ngāi Takoto, Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa ngā Hapū.
He aho no Te Aho Matua, He kura no Te Kura Kaupapa Māori ō Ōtepoti
Raised in Ōtepoti, Kass started Māori Studies at Ōtakou Whakaihu Waka at the age of 16 and by 19 her journey led her into Tourism and Marketing. Kass now resides in Brisbane, Australia and after working 6 years in the Sales and Marketing Industry found herself on Maternity leave with her 3rd pēpi reflecting on her passion for Te Ao Māori and how she could re-indigenise her space and way of living for her whānau. In June 2021 Kass became a part of the Te Kurahuna Team and fell in love with the Mahi a Atua way of being, prioritising Oranga Whakapapa in every step she takes.
No Te Araroa, Tikitiki, Rangitukia, Te Whānau a Apanui, Te Aitanga a Hauiti whakawhiti atu ki Waikato.
Meet Hinewaipounamu, a remarkable individual who embodies the spirit of Te Ao Māori and excels in the world of sports. Hailing from a Māori upbringing in Kura Kaupapa Māori and Kohanga reo, she has a deep-rooted connection to her culture and carries it with pride. With a burning passion for sports, Hinewaipounamu has risen to become a world champion in Waka Ama, showcasing her exceptional skills and determination. Now, she joins our team, bringing her expertise in both Te Ao Māori, information technology and marketing, providing invaluable support in these fields. Hinewaipounamu's diverse talents and rich cultural background make her a truly valuable asset to our team.
Ko Tokerau, ko Parakioreore ngā maunga
Ko Taumārere, ko Maruarua ngā awa
Ko Hineāmaru raua ko Kawiti ngā tūpuna
Ko Ngāti Hine, ko Ngāti Kahu o Torongare ngā hapu
Ko Ngāpuhi te iwi
Ko Lisa Cherrington ahau
Raised under the korowai of Rangitāne in Palmerston North, Lisa also has Niuean, Samoan and Irish whakapapa. She is a novelist, scriptwriter, māmā to two boys, and is also a regular Iron Māori competitor. Lisa was first introduced to Mahi a Atua by Dr Di in the late 1990’s whilst working as a clinical psychologist at Te Whare Marie in Wellington. She has continued to advocate for and utilise pūrākau and Mahi a Atua throughout her career and attended her first Rangi Parauri training in 2022 when she joined the Te Kurahuna team as a Mataora.
Tania Barbarich
Ko Karioi, ko Te Kaokao-roa-o Patetere, ko Rangipaoa nga maunga
Ko Waikato, ko Rapurapu, ko Hāparapara nga awa
Ko Tainui raua ko Mataatua nga waka
Ko Poihākena, ko Ukaipo, ko Otuwhare nga marae
Ko Ngati Koata ki Whaingaroa, ko Ngati Kirihika, ko Te Whanau a Rutaia nga hapū
Ko Tainui, ko Ngati Raukawa, ko Te Whanau a Apanui nga iwi
Ko Whaingaroa raua ko Omaio nga moana
Ko au te uri o nga whanau Kereopa, Whaiapu me Wharepapa
Ko Tania-Lee Whetu-Ote-Haahi Barbarich
Tania grew up in Whaingaroa and on the Kaimai ranges and has lived in Tūranganui a Kiwa for over 20 years. She married her beautiful tane from Motu, Te Aitanga a Mahaki in 2010 and is a Māmā to five ranging in ages from 20 to 3 years old
Cora Lambert
He uri tēnei No Ngāti Ruapani ki Waikaremoana, Ngāi Tūhoe, Waikato, Te Māhurehure, Ngāti Whātua, Ngā Puhi hoki.
Cora was born and raised in Whanganui a Tara. Living most of her life being the token Māori at school and in most social spaces. From there, she worked mostly in government departments, learning how and what she didn’t want to do. Cora moved to the Waikato in 2014 where her true purpose started to be realized.
Cora is a Matataki within Te Whare Wānanga o Te Kurahuna. Her qualifications in this lifetime include being a daughter, a granddaughter, a sister, a cousin, an aunty, a niece, a dance fitness instructor, a facilitator, a mauri, a Mataora. Cora’s focus within her role as a Matataki, is to ensure the voices of the tauira and/or whanau who come to Mahi a Atua, are prioritized, while utilizing Mahi a Atua principles and prioritizing Matauranga Māori to navigate our experiences.
Kia Mataora ai te ao!
Eneti Lloyd
He uri tēnei nō Ngāti Porou, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Hauiti
Eneti Lloyd is a dedicated Māmā and Rangatahi Lead who plays a vital role as the Pou Marae for our kaupapa. With a deep commitment to the care of both our whare, Eneti oversees the care and maintenance of the physical Te Kurahuna space, ensuring it remains a welcoming and tau space for all. Eneti also manages the resources for our wānanga and shop, coordinating everything necessary to support learning and connection within our kaupapa.
Aroha (Jean) Rangiwai
He uri no Ngāti Porou whānui!
Jean is versatile and highly skilled, balancing multiple roles with expertise and grace. As our Hononga and Ohanga Lead, Jean is the cornerstone of both the people and financial operations at Te Kurahuna. With a diverse academic background that includes a Chartered Accountant qualification, Masters in Public Policy, and Bachelor of Laws & Bachelor of Management Studies, Jean brings a wealth of knowledge to her mahi, blending legal, financial, and strategic perspectives.
Jean is responsible for the management of employment and contractor contracts, and plays a central role in fostering strong relationships within the team. While the term "Human Resources" is often used in Western contexts, Jean approaches this space through the lens of Hononga—valuing connection and communication.
Beyond the focus on people, Jean also oversees the financial health and sustainability of Te Kurahuna. With Dr Diana and Paapa Mark's vision guiding her approach, Jean's sharp eye for detail and long-term planning ensures that the finances align with our vision, prioritising sustainability for both the organisation and the communities we serve.
One of our whānau was moved by her Mahi a Atua experience and wrote this kōrero tairitenga:
Innate shapeshifting
By DNA
Mai Hawaaiki, from hawaaiki we unfurl
Ki Hawaaiki, to all the way back there again
And again
And again
So I’m out here driving my ancestral superhighway
Without a driver’s license
Helm of my own waka
Beneath the stars
Beacons of cultural navigation that traverse ions of time
But I’m not yet confident to read
Or maybe it’s trust
Or maybe a type of spiritual dyslexia
That I feel connection
As sure as my pulse
I am my ancestors
Mahi a Atua is a refuge
A space to make sense of the murkiness
A place where we shapeshift between rehutaitanga and hukuataitanga
And then harness the confidence to take it out for a spin.
By Dayle Takitimu 14.06.2017
Who we sponsor & support
Horouta Waka Hoe
Ngati Porou East Coast Rugby League
Givealittle - Brightwell whānau cyclone Gabrielle
Givealittle - Waewae 35
U15 National Basketball Ngati Porou Poneke
Jackson Bell Basketball trip to USA
3 Families in Te Kurahuna Air b&b for 5 weeks. Flood relief
Hinewaipounamu Rangihuna Waka ama worlds NZ team captain
