Fonterra celebrates Te Wiki o te Reo Māori by sharing the stories of our people and the journeys that connect them to their Māoritanga.
For Jeff Kairangatira Winiata Lind — he uri ia nō Raukawa, Maniapoto, me Tūwharetoa — learning Te Reo Māori has been an uplifting, fulfilling, and life-changing experience. Over the past five years, Jeff has studied at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa alongside his Dad and friends, weaving language and culture into his everyday life at home and at work.
Tokorua ngā tamariki nā māua ko taku hoa rangatira. Ko Boh tāku tama. Ko Billie tāku kōtiro. With the aroha and tautoko my wife provides us, it allows me the opportunity to inspire my tamariki to express themselves through our culture — and to see that it’s possible to achieve anything they set their mind to.
A Career Built on Commitment
Alongside his language journey, Jeff has built a long and meaningful career at Fonterra. With 17 years of service, he has grown strong friendships, contributed to the success of his site, and witnessed the impact Fonterra has on communities across Aotearoa. Today, he is the Global Data and Process Owner for Warehousing and Inventory, a role that allows him to connect his professional expertise with the values that matter most to him — sustainability, diversity, inclusion, and strong connections with te ao Māori.
Weaving Te Reo Māori into Everyday Life
At work, Jeff brings his Māoritanga to life by kōrero Māori with others, teaching tikanga and kupu when opportunities arise, and embedding whakaaro Māori into everything he does.
“The amount of talent and leadership I have witnessed during my haerenga has filled me with pride, and I really just want to showcase how awesome Te Ao Māori and Māori culture is.”
Celebrating Māori Language Week at Work
For Jeff, Te Wiki o te Reo Māori is another opportunity to highlight the richness of Te Ao Māori and encourage others to embrace the language.
“It gives me a chance to keep emphasising the catchphrase, ‘It’s cool to kōrero.’ For most of those that know me, we tend to connect through kai. It’s a great way to build whakawhanaungatanga, share tikanga through a karakia mō te kai, and then kōrero around the table in Te Reo Māori.”
Support from the Co-op
Jeff credits Fonterra and Te Mātāpuna for helping him embrace and express his Māori identity in the workplace.
“Te Mātāpuna have been awesome in advocating tikanga and kupu Māori with all that we do. At a deeper level, the mahi that Luana and the Māori Strategy team are doing has been shifting the dial and inspiring us to continue the growth in this area. It gives us a platform to share and promote even further.”
For Jeff, that connection is strong. “I whakapapa to Tauranga Port Stores in Te Moana-a-Toi (the Bay of Plenty), with the beauty of the moana and Mauao surrounding us. I’ve been part of that site for 17 years and I’m proud to have grown up there.”
Jeff’s journey is a reminder of the power of language, culture, and identity — and the role they play in shaping who we are, both at work and in life. Watch his video here:
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