Kiri Danielle has the kind of resume that screams Māori excellence.
She has a reputation as a fierce eco-warrior. She's also a māmā to three, a local TV news anchor and a wahine toa.
And last year, Danielle's CV was updated.
Through her relentless drive and her passion to restore and protect the whenua, Danielle was admitted to the bar as an environmental lawyer and became the first Māori Environmental Commissioner.
"I've been very privileged in the position that I've been given and I don't see that as anything other than a responsibility," she told The Hui.
Danielle relishes the opportunity and responsibility of influencing legislation as it is crafted and goes through the parliamentary process.
But life hasn't always been smooth. Danielle said her life unravelled in 2016 in an uphill battle of trials and tribulations.
"My tamariki's pāpā and I had an agreement for the separation of marital property, and I wasn't prepared for what that would mean for me."
They reached an out-of-court settlement. Danielle said one month later she had lost not only her home but her children too.
"At the time I was scared of the court system. I was overwhelmed by stories of others who'd gone through it, and they'd had really emotionally debilitating experiences. And it wasn't something I was brave enough to do or wanted to do, really."
Danielle said she went from having what she describes as a "perfect life" to living without a home and without her tamariki. She relocated to Tokoroa and began couch-hopping at the homes of friends.
"When I wasn't able to stay at my friends or whānau places in Tokoroa, I actually had to stay in my car. And those were the hard times, you know. Where? Forestry roads, rest areas, public toilets became my home."
After two years without permanent accommodation, Danielle reached rock bottom and it was a visit from her kids that changed everything.
They found her lying on a mattress bed on the ground, crying next to her suitcases in a friend's home.
"When my daughter saw me, she just burst into tears and she said, 'Mum, mum, you're weak, why don't you go back to law school and get strong?'"
And that's what Danielle did.
"Within a week, I'd sent off the letter to go to law school. There was no stopping me after that."
It took her five years to turn her life around but she now has a new appreciation for life - and for those who are struggling.
"Now all of those things remind me why I should be the best lawyer I can be."
Made with support from New Zealand On Air and Te Māngai Pāho.
