Paul Craig Hillman

Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Raukawa

Beef Slaughterman – AFFCO New Zealand

Poutuarongo Reo (Bachelor of Te Reo Māori)

Paul (Paora) is from a large extended whanau. He is the seventh child of eleven siblings born to Te Rata Hillman and Betty Kereama. Paora was born and raised in Feilding and lived there for most of his life, although he did spend 20 years in Australia as well.

Paora returned to New Zealand in 2020 at the request of his son to help look after his moko. His son also asked him if he would be prepared to learn te reo Māori and support their whānau and hapū. Paroa was happy to learn that Heke Reo was going to be delivered from Taumata o te Rā Marae and so he enrolled. Unfortunately, their tutor discontinued his employment with the Wānanga after that first year and so students wanting to continue their studies had to travel to the Ōtaki campus. Such was his passion for the language that travelling was not a problem.

Paora shows an intense commitment to all that he undertakes. He works a night shift as a Beef Slaughterman in a meat works in Feilding, working from 4pm until 2am, goes home for a few hours’ sleep and then travels to Ōtaki for class four days a week.  On Fridays he can be found mowing the lawns at the marae.

In his spare time, he can usually be found practising mōteatea, waiata, karakia and going over his lessons. Paora says he doesn’t watch much mainstream television anymore, preferring to concentrate on te reo Māori. My friends can clearly see that I am dedicated to my learning and their support means a lot to me. If they ask me about the Wānanga then I am more than happy to share my journey with them.

Paora’s “happy place” is when he is cooking for his whānau and sharing kai and the waiata he has learnt on his reo journey.

Paora says that at work most of his colleagues are aware that he is on a huge learning journey and that he applies te reo Māori me ōna tikanga throughout his daily life. “My bosses are aware that I am only working for the money and that my real passion would be to work in te ao Māori. Because of the physical demands of my job, and the fact that I am maturing in years, it would be great if I could find a less physically demanding position in te ao Māori. I feel that I still have a lot to offer my whānau, hapū and iwi.

My involvement in my marae has grown enormously over the past year. I now attend monthly hui and can be found most Fridays weed eating and mowing the lawns at Taumata o te Rā Marae. Since studying with the Wānanga, my sense of connection has grown tenfold.”

Te Wānanga o Raukawa is unique in many ways says Paora, from the different teaching styles of the tutors to the guiding Kaupapa that guide all activity and development. It is fantastic to be learning within a tikanga Māori community.

The advice Paora has to offer others interested in Poutuarongo Reo is, “When it gets hard, know that you are not alone, others are experiencing the same feelings – He waka eke noa (we are all in this together)”. 

For more information about this course visit https://www.wananga.com/diploma-in-te-reo-maori