Abstract
I start with a short pepeha (making of connections), which relates me to both human and more than human ancestry, locating me firmly in Aotearoa (New Zealand). I descend from and to the larger part of the Te Waipounamu (aka South Island), under the care of Aoraki who is both mountain and ancestor. I am a Kāi Tahu (aka Ngāi Tahu) woman (wāhine), mother, sister, wife, and rela tion to many. Secondary, I am a social worker and academic. My journey to storying and land‑based resurgence is located in my personal and professional self, my Indigeneity and my lived experience of the foster system. This (re)search led initially to exploring personal stories through Kaupapa Māori Theory, to Mana Wāhine Theory, and on to our land‑based healing and belonging treasures found in Kāi Tahu culture, in the land and environment (taiao) (Smith, 2013). This chapter describes part of this (re)search, focusing on one wāhine Kāi Tahu story – Hinepipiwai, (re)claiming her and her significance as a healing tool for belonging and identity post foster system.