Over the summer, I had the opportunity to travel to Aotearoa New Zealand and complete a Leadership-in-Action internship with Tu Kotahi Māori Asthma Trust. My work was based in Lower Hutt, Wellington, a diverse region of Aotearoa, with a large Pacific Islander population. My placement allowed me to spend time with non-profit, community-run organizations under Tu Kotahi that supported Māori tamariki (children) and rangatahi (young people) in the Lower Hutt region. Specifically, a large portion of my Leadership-in-Action project was spent with Tihei Rangatahi, a youth service that supports tamariki and rangatahi through a range of educational, wellbeing, and community-based programs. During my time with Tihei Rangatahi, I was able to participate in the day-to-day service work, spend time with staff and young people, and learn about the different ways the organization supports rangatahi and their wider whānau (families). I also had the opportunity to visit and learn from other services connected to Tu Kotahi, allowing me to observe the different ways community organizations engage to the needs of local families. This experience allowed me to better understand how community-based organizations can provide support that extends beyond traditional institutions and instead addresses the broader needs of those in the community. Due to my Leadership-in-Action’s focus on social service and youth justice, the two United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that I focused on this summer were Quality Education and Reduced Inequalities. 

     Adjusting to the new international location provided me with my first real challenge, as I had never traveled internationally prior to my Leadership-in-Action summer. Being in a completely new environment, I had to navigate unfamiliar social spaces and cultural norms while also learning how to contribute meaningfully as an intern. Even daily situations, like understanding the public transport system in a suburban, car-dominant area, were intimidating at first. However, being in a new place also taught me that leadership does not always mean knowing exactly what to do or doing everything perfectly. Over the course of my Leadership-in-Action summer, I found that leadership often requires a willingness to be uncomfortable, to ask those questions, and to keep moving forward despite it all. By the end of placement, many of the challenges that initially felt intimidating had become part of my everyday routine. 

     Despite entering this experience with a background in Indigenous and Pacific Islander studies, and as a Polynesian person myself, it was crucial not to assume similarity. When doing research and community work, it is important to consider the ethics of the work you are doing and the assumptions you might have, even if these assumptions stem from personal identity. Although Indigenous peoples across the Pacific Islands may share certain histories, languages, and culture, each community is unique in its understanding of oneself and the world. During my time with the various organizations under Tu Kotahi, which included a range of subjects from Māori sports and wellness to post-secondary education, I learned that ethical leadership requires openness and recognizing the limitations of one’s own perspective. Rather than assuming that my background gave me an immediate understanding of Māori communities, I had to approach each space as an open learner and listen to the knowledge shared by those in the community.

     My placement at Tu Kotahi was especially relevant to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Quality Education and Reduced Inequalities. Quality Education was represented through my work with three different service providers: Tihei Rangatahi, Te Rito Maioha (TRM) Trades Training, and Rangatahi Tu Rangatira. TRM is a social development program for post-secondary rangatahi that focuses on trade skills and traditional Māori arts. Similarly, Rangatahi Tu Rangatira also works to preserve Māori practices in youth education, but does so through teaching tamariki traditional sports. Each of these organizations works to provide support, education, and wellness to tamariki and rangatahi in the Lower Hutt region. Through spending time with these services, I observed how educational support can extend far beyond classroom settings and how supporting young people’s wellbeing, Indigenous identity, and broader needs can help create more tangible and accessible pathways to education. 

Furthermore, the social services I worked with demonstrated that addressing inequality cannot be done by a single service or program. Addressing local inequalities requires consistent collaboration from all areas of the community, from scholars and educators to families. The social services offered under Tu Kotahi all worked in tandem to address different types of inequalities, all of which affect the health and wellbeing of local families. For example, Tihei Rangatahi supports youth by supplementing education and using a Māori approach to wellbeing. However, a holistic approach to health cannot be fully achieved without other services like Pātaka Kai, which supply food boxes to families, or Well Homes, which provides housing assistance. These services under Tu Kotahi were created from community need, and enacted through the collective action of the community. 

     Overall, my experience with Tu Kotahi and its partner organizations was truly transformative for my understanding of leadership in community. I am deeply grateful to the Laidlaw Scholars Foundation for giving me the opportunity to have this experience and to Brown University’s Laidlaw Scholars Program for supporting me this summer. I would especially like to thank my advisors, Grace Argo and K Yin, for their guidance and encouragement.  And though I have since returned back, I would like to once again thank Tu Kotahi Māori Asthma Trust and Cheryl Davies for welcoming me to their organization and for providing me with a truly wonderful Leadership in Action summer.

Lacie Binongial
Brown University, Critical Native American & Indigenous Studies, Class of 2027
Leadership in Action: Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand
Focus Area: Social Service