Ko Te Mata tōku maunga, Ko Ngaruroro te awa, Ko Runanga tōku Marae, Ko Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungungu, Tūwharetoa ōku iwi. Ko Jade Kawana-Eccles ahau. I tipu ake au ki te Ahitereiria, engari kua noho au ki Aotearoa mō te whā tau ināianei, ā, kei te whai wāhi au ki te noho āke nei, i te mea kua heke au ki te aroha o Te Reo me Te Ao Māori, me tāku whakapapa hoki.

I work within Māori Women’s Development, supporting rangatahi, wāhine and whānau in business and financial literacy. As my side hustle, I’m a dance teacher for Honeypot Wellington, a beginner’s class that blends sexy vibes with hip hop for full self-expression! I also perform as a dancer for local artist Ardon England and soak up as many dance classes as I can here in Wellington. While I grew up with contemporary dance, moving to Aotearoa has deepened my passion for hip hop and blending both styles. Dance is my true joy, and I love sharing that mauri with others, just as much as I’m passionate about serving my people, whānau, hapū, and iwi.