“My Place. My People. My Home.”

"Māori Mo Ake Tonu means Māori Forever. I call myself an AMaorican. I'm a mix of American and Maori-- like two sides of a single coin. My culture is a bridge between where I live now and where I came from and continues to influence my identity and sense of who I am. My mother taught me about my Maori culture in New Zealand through music. She used to play the ukulele and sang Maori songs to me. I can remember singing my favorite Maori love songs, Pokarekare Ana. When I am dancing, I wear the Rope Pare, ( top) , which I hand embroidered myself. It represents our link to San Francisco. The blue represents the waters, the white represents the fog, and the black highlights it all; the moko on my chin is a way to identify my tribal and family roots. Through these symbols, I have found a way to bring my Maori roots here where I now live.”

- Tracey Panek