And so, I made a conscious decision to ‘give back’ to the three loves in my life: my children; the Bream Head Scenic Reserve; and my Northland’s communities. Before long, I signed up as a nippers coach, I enrolled as a trapper for the Bream Head Conservation Trust (BCHT), and I accepted a position on Northland Community Foundation’s board of trustees. The last three years for me, like so many others, have been extremely busy, and hard. As a dispute resolution / civil litigation lawyer, my job was to resolve problems using the arm of the law, which I found a difficult and flawed system. Although I had growth and success in my career, the pandemic, a marriage separation and parenting two energetic boys led me to seek a new line of work. Around the same time, I spoke with Adam, the incredibly fantastic project manager/ranger at BCHT, about possibly taking up more volunteer work for the BCHT. I had worked in the legal profession in some shape or form since I was 19 years old and I knew nothing else so changing careers was a big decision. I struggled with misplaced feelings of failure, until I could finally say to myself two things: being a lawyer does not define who I am; and, my skills and contributions are just as valuable, whether used in legal battle or not.And so, in December 2021 I took up employment with the Northland Regional Council. I forgot that there were just as many jokes about council workers as there are lawyers, but regardless of mindset having a positive impact on my childrenand my trustee duties for NCF and BCHT. I am currently assisting the BCHT establish an endowment fund with NCF which will provide ongoing and sustainable income, allowing BCHT’s mahi to continue for years to come. I am also now finally able to invest some time in becoming acquainted with te ao Māori and te reo. I spent a number of my childhood years growing up in a community with a high Māori population. After law school gave me a more accurate versionof Aotearoa’s history that I had never been taught before, making me feel somewhat ashamed of my lineage (and by proxy myself), I was imprinted with a greater respect and understanding of my Māori friends, colleagues, and communities.I hope to bring greater value to Northland and the organisations I am affiliated with by nurturing relationships with iwi and hapu, which I see as key to the success and wellbeing of Northland’s communities going forward. During these times, there is a lot to question. A karakia I have recently come across has stayed with me, which I have also been using as my personal guide for successful relationships.I thank te ao Maori for this simple guidance:Mā te titiroMā te whakarongoMā te mahi tahiMā te whakamomoriMā te arohaKa taea e mātouBy believing and trustingBy having faith and hopeBy looking and searchingBy listening and hearingBy working and striving togetherBy sheer desire and determinationBy all being done with compassionWe will succeedFor the last four years, I spent my professional days dealing with broken relationships in their rawest form. Being the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff was tough, and I learned a lot about the actions, inactions, and personality types which are harmful to relationships of any kind. On the other hand, I also learned the critical importance of trust, respect, honestyand effective communication in successful relationships.Article written by Nicola Hartwell (Trustee of Northland Community Foundation).
