Yanika Reed

Growing up, Tauranga woman Yanika Reed felt disconnected from her Maori heritage and wasn't sure how to identify based on her lack of knowledge on her whakapapa. In the last month, the 28 year old made it her mission to dig into her ancestry and now feels more connected to te ao Maori and her tupuna. She's encouraging others to jump on the waka. Our reporter Ashleigh McCaull sat down with Yanika Reed to discuss her journey.