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Evie Henderson - this is the village my nana and her family comes from, I feel strongly connected to Croatia and loved visiting this place.

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Kim Urbano

I was born in Pampanga where both my father and mothers side are from. I visited my extended family here last summer

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Max McLean-Bluck - Visited the island when i was young

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Hatamara Titifanue Shaw

This is a small island where I am from the Pacific. Its politically part of Fiji, but has its own unique culture and language.

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Jensen Fa'afua - this is important to me as this is my village

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Eva Cochrane - I was born and grew up in Porirua/Kapiti, mainly in Tītahi Bay. My whole family and most of my friends live there.

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Logan

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Ben Sears

Born and grown up in Wellington - what a place!

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Taylah Sharrock - My Nan moved from Samoa in the 1950s and this is one of her villages.

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Polly Baker

This is a village in Samoa where my Papa was born. His matai title was Se'u

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Rosie Benson

I chose Aotearoa New Zealand. I am a Pākehā New Zealander and have grown up here, and am really interested in legal issues that affect our country and our peoples.

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Helen He

Where all my family comes from and I visited alot as a child:)

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Phillip A. Mcfadzean

My mum come from Mexico City, so much of my family still lives there so it is very important me.

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Alex Matthews. It was where I was born, and spent my early years. I had never been back until last year.

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India is important to me because I was born there and most of my extended family still lives there

Anagha Thomas (pronounced as Anaka :) )

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Arunan Noble:

A country of significant importance to myself, as my family immigrated from there to Aotearoa just before the start of the Civil War.

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Olga Suvorova: I fell in love with the Cooks and the people there when I first visited the Cooks about 10 years ago. Since then I have been there 4 or 5 times and made some great friends. It would be great to learn more about how we can help the Cooks and other Pacific countires near us, in terms of legal issues.

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Talofa lava

I'm Falaniko Tofa and my village in Samoa is Saipipi. My father moved to New Zealand in 1975 to make a better life for him and his family.

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Alex Gasson

I'm Alex and my family comes from Baghdad, Iraq.

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This is where I am from - Cornelia Sartie

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Caitlin Kingsford, where I grew up, where my whanau live.

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Nicole Askari - I'm Greek and Persian and my countries are very important to me

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George Baker: I lived here for a bit, it's where my mum is from and has quite a lot of significance as having one of the biggest Ports in the Pacific.

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John Sibanda

The legacy of colonialism, as seen in New Caledonia, is most palpable in its impact on the indigenous Kanak population, who suffered immensely as British colonists disrupted traditional Kanak ways of life. French settlers removed chiefs from power over their lands. This disruption resulted in the forceful dispossession of Kanak lands, a painful and lasting wound in the Kanak community. This legacy of dispossession persists today, fuelling ongoing issues related to land rights, cultural preservation, and autonomy.

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Tini Andrew

The island of Atiu is the third largest/most populous island of the Cook Islands. It was formerly known an Enuamanu because it is mainly inhabited by bird life. My family descends from the island of Atiu.

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Coromandel is important to me as I grew up here and loved the beaches and scenery of it. I find it important to me as it shaped who I am today with such a small school and being apart of a tight knit community where we all knew one another. - Georgia Stewart

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I currently live on Cuba Street. I was born and raised in Wellington, and I whakapapa to Ngati Toa and Ngati Raukawa, who both are linked to the Wellington region. Although the weather is trash, this is the best place in NZ to me :). The culture and people are awesome! - Mandy Chisnall

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Julia Koning.

Ukraine is an important place on the world map for me because this where my mother and her family are from. Although I have never visited there it is part of me and my culture.

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Ri Comer

I was born here!

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I'm Evo Malifa - I'm Samoan & Tokelauan. I've put down one of my villages Le'auva'a as this is a significant place for me. My ancestors from my mums side is from here and I have strong ties back to this nu'u (village). Each time I go to Samoa, I visit my village.

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Alisha Singh

Fiji is important to me because this is where my parents were born and where my families culture started and continues to expand from.

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Lauren Davies - I grew up in Wellington but moved to Island Bay as my first flat as I love the South Coast! It has a special place in my heart and I am excited to spend time swimming there this summer (as cold as it may be). :)

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Emily Polak

I have a strong connection to Māpua as it is the first place my family lived in Aotearoa and where I grew up.

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I used to be a high school teacher in my mid-20s. One summer, to earn some extra money, a colleague and I worked on a cruise ship for a couple of weeks. One of the stops was Vanuatu and we were allowed off for a few hours to walk around. It was beautiful and tropical but now in hindsight I realise they were probably sick of the cruise tourists. Michelle Guest

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Wellington is home, it is where my family and my communities are. - Olivia Knox

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Caitlin Feenstra - this is where my grandparents and my dad lived before they moved to New Zealand and I still have a lot of family here, I havent been able to visit yet but am planning on going next year

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This is where my extended family is based and I will be moving next year! I love the environment over there and have spent so much time connecting more with my grandparents and cousins. Isla McDonald

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Ben Johnstone

This is where one half of my family is from, and is where we all congregate to gather with each other every few years for Christmas and New years.

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Fasito'outa is one of the primary villages in Samoa my family is connected to. I have my surname because of my grandmother's Matai title there.

Leah Aiono

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Logan Pryde - Legal issues of Bougainville's independence became a special interest of mine in a politics course I took last year.

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Talofa lava o lo'u igoa o Yasmina. I chose Fogāpoa because that is the village where both of my parents are from. Out of all my villages, this is the one I whakapapa most to. It is of particular significance as my parents both have matai titles from there, which means my family are involved with villages matters regarding family and land. Fa'afetai lava.

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Te Āti awa me Taranaki whānui - Metiria

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Jake Newlands - Bangkok was the first place I visited outside of New Zealand. As a child it gave me a deeper appreciation of international culture. I have since returned to this city in recent years, and continue to be fascinated by its people and history.

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Ngarewarewa Tata - Home

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Malo lava, my name is Summar Ioane.

I picked Sapapali'i as this is one of my villages in Samoa, my grandma still lives in our family home & my dad has his matai from here.

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Anisha Harris

Fiji is important to me because I was born in Lautoka and at least four generations of my family are from Fiji.

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Valentyn Santhara.

Ipoh is a small town in Malaysia where I was born. It is of great significance to me as my grandparents still live there and my entire extended family reunites there every year.

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Henry Reynolds

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This is where I grew up and where I feel most at home.

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Amelia MacDonald - Born & raised in CHCH

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Taylor Campbell:

I whakapapa to Ngāti Ranginui Iwi and Wairoa Marae.

Growing up in both Auckland and Tauranga, I still consider Tauranga to be home and where I am most comfortable

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Nō Te Rarawa me Te Aupōuri ahau. This place is Te Rerenga Wairua, a significant place to my iwi and whānau - Phae Chin

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Anna Hill, This is important to me as it was my home for some time

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The place where my great-grandparents arrived to Aotearoa, and where my Granny grew up and loved and was loved by her neighbours. Georgia Taylor

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Sarah Powell:

I am adopted and my birth family is from Roxburgh in the South Island of Aotearoa. I grew up in the North Island and did not see much of this side of my family. Many of my family members still live in Roxburgh and it is a special place for me as it connects me to my identity and family.

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Zaiden-lee Henri

Durban; South Africa is an important location for me. It is where i was born and where my family originate from. I am of coloured decent which is an ethnic group in South Africa. Coloured people have roots to all around the world and is a melting pot of culture.

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Waitangi Treaty Grounds Tau Henare Drive, Waitangi

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Waitangi Treaty Grounds Tau Henare Drive, Waitangi

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Waitangi Treaty Grounds Tau Henare Drive, Waitangi

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This location is significant to me because it changed everything for my people. On the one hand, it meant that relationships between Maori and pakeha were reasonably peaceful, on the other hand, well, there is a hikoi happening as I write this.

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Waitangi Treaty Grounds Tau Henare Drive, Waitangi

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Waitangi Treaty Grounds Tau Henare Drive, Waitangi

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Waitangi Treaty Grounds Tau Henare Drive, Waitangi

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Levi Marychurch, I posted this because of the importance of Waitangi to Aotearoa.

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Bologna is where my Dad and all of his family are from. All of my cousins, grandparents, aunties/uncles, and extended family live in Bologna currently! I love it there; it is an insanely beautiful place - the food, the culture, the people, everything!! I'm hoping to return back there next year and live there one day in the future. Sofia Parini.

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Emelye Brown: My family live here and I go back to visit them often - Durban is such an ethnically diverse location - a quarter of the population being of Indian descent as well as Xhosa and Zulu customs still being well-represented and celebrated today. Interestingly enough, the region also has significant Portuguese influence due to its close proximity with Mozambique, making peri-peri chicken a staple dish here (though can be extremely spicy!!)

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Ko Stacia Haitana ahau. He uri tēnei nō Tūwharetoa - te mana whenua o Taupō. I tipu ake ahau ki kōnei, nā he wāhi pai ake tēnei ki ahau.

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Tikitiki, home to one of my marae in Ngāti Porou. Many of our elders still call it Kahukura, its original name, but changed when post office required a name that had not already been used. Today, most know it as Tikitiki, named after our tūpuna Māui-tikitiki-a-Taranga - Kaea Tibble

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Te Maia Pihema

This is an indigenous island that has been colonised by mainland Japan, and further colnised by the US in World War 2, of which it still holds a lot of US influence

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Isaiah Su'a.

This is the area where my Grandmother's family comes from and is important to be because of the significance of the Pe'a. My father as well as my uncles have this tatau, so this area is very significant for me.

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Te Rotorua nui a Kahumatamomoe,

tōku kainga, tōku ūkaipō

Rocco Marsh

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Travel here every year, holds a special place with some incredible memories