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Underneath TEDxAuckland and this talk is the Māori whakatauki (proverb): ‘kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua’ (I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past).

To Kaye-Maree Dunn, these words speak to her experience of reclaiming the mātauranga (knowledge) of her whakapapa (ancestry) that was lost when she was separated from her whānau (family) at a young age. In a culture where there is a far greater focus on who you are rather than what you do, whakapapa not only encompasses your history and genealogy, but your identity too. This is why it is Kaye-Maree’s mission to unearth histories by building an indigenous designed and led archival platform: because it is not enough to exist in the now. To truly move forward, you must always look back.

After the passing of her mother and the subsequent separation from her father and brother, Kaye-Maree Dunn, as a child, found herself away from her whanau (family), iwi (tribe) and, ultimately, her ahurea tuakiri (cultural identity). Decades on, Kaye-Maree is not only dedicated to connecting the dots of her own whakapapa (ancestry), but giving others the tools to do so too.

In 2018, Kaye-Maree started Āhau, a blockchain-based whānau data platform that is reconnecting indigenous people and pākehā (people of non-Māori descent) with their past and identities. She also serves within the C-suite of Indigital Blockchain Limited and Making Everything Achievable Limited. For Kaye-Maree, though, her extensive work within Māori-specific community and economic development projects not only connects her with others but also with her past, present and future. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx