I am Loren Pasquier and you are listening to The Woven Women.

Our first Chapter is called Wāhine, which means woman in Te Reo Māori, Māori language, and it is here, in New Zealand that I met the first four women on this journey.

In this second episode, we meet Cindy Te Ata.

Charting her journey from a challenging childhood to an abusive adult life, Cindy shares how her ancestresses taught her strength in the face of adversity.

Cindy in now a majestic Māori woman, and her experiences have given way to a wider wisdom; one that recognizes that women’s pain is universal. Or as she puts it, “wāhine is wāhine”.

Note: Cindy mentions her experience getting her "Moko kauae", which is the traditional Māori female chin tattoo, that both Ngawaina Joy and Cindy Te Ata have got the priviledge to wear.

Her powerful words are woven together with recordings of herself playing “Taonga pūoro”, Māori instruments.

Click here to see Cindy Te Ata's photography portrait.

The four episodes of Wāhine will be released every Thursday for the following month. Make sure you subscribe now, so you get to hear the story of Janice next Thursday.

If you want to know more about this initiative and support this journey, our website thewovenwomen.org is a great place to go!

Support the show, your donation helps me make the next chapter of The Woven Women!

Enjoy your journey, and thank you for listening.

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