February 24, 2022
Whakapapa – there’s an app for that
A Māori living in Australia has developed an app to help people document their whakapapa.
Toia Milner-Hicks has submitted Taku Turangawaewae to the App Store for approval.
He says it allows users to record their family history and build profiles of whānau members – including photos, lineage, iwi, waka and wharenui.
It draws on what he sees happening with his fellow Māori.
“A lot of the younger generation coming through, I thought how are we going to teach them where they are from or where they whakapapa from? When their elders pass away here in Australia they go home and the rangatahi may be going home a bit blind to where they are from and who they are,” Mr Milner Hicks says.