Raina Ferris

Raina Atareta Ferris is a member of the Māori Ngāti Kahungunu iwi (tribe) of Aotearoa (New Zealand). Tracing her heritage through a lineage of warrior women, Raina lives rurally in the small township of Porangahau. From an early age, Raina learned the rituals entrusted to her family, caretakers of the local Marae (meeting grounds). Today she is helping her people reclaim their ancestral wisdom which had been watered down by several generations of colonization and missionary presence. Her particular emphasis is on the role of Maori women in the spiritual welfare of the Marae and the community.