Hinemoa’s approach is shaped by lived experience. Raised in Māori communities across both Aotearoa and Australia, she grew up with a strong sense of whānau, self-reliance, and collective care. Preparedness was practical, extra kai, water, and emergency supplies but also deeply cultural, grounded in values of whanaungatanga and manaakitanga. Later, time spent in the United States deepened her understanding as she witnessed firsthand the impact of disasters including earthquakes, hurricanes, and droughts. 

Central to her mahi is mātauranga Māori, which she sees not as a concept to be cited, but a lived practice. She believes tikanga holds the blueprint for community-led response, where manaaki, leadership, and shared responsibility come naturally. Yet too often, these approaches are overlooked or under-resourced by systems that prioritise centralised control and bureaucratic process. 

The challenges are real. Many whānau across Aotearoa face daily struggles, financial hardship, overcrowded or substandard housing, limited access to health and education. Asking communities already under pressure to also prepare for disaster without addressing these inequities is unrealistic. The removal of emergency education from the school system has only widened this gap, replacing practical knowledge with a misplaced reliance on someone else to lead. 

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And yet, Māori communities continue to lead. From Kaikōura to Pigeon Valley, Cyclone Gabrielle to the Auckland floods, and the Whakaari eruption, iwi, hapū, and marae have consistently stepped forward, often ahead of the formal response system. Their responses are agile, culturally anchored, and attuned to the needs of their people. But this leadership still goes under-recognised, underfunded, and largely unsupported.