About Me
My name is Natasha Watson, and I am a woman who lives in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. I was born in Napier, with strong whakapapa connections to Ngāti Manawa in Murupara. I also whakapapa back to Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Whare, Ngā Puhi and Ngāti Pikiao. Like many of us I wear many pōtae or hats and this website is an attempt at being the container for all of them. I am wairua-driven and aroha-focused and this drives everything I do and how I show up in the world.
I am the chairperson of two school boards, which is work I absolutely love and am passionate about. I trained as a criminal defence lawyer, and I realised very quickly that that was the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. With education governance I found I could make a difference at helping to construct the fence at the top. I love a good strategic plan, and am fortunate enough to now do education governance for a day job where I am national policy advisor for a non-profit ngo that advises school boards in New Zeland, and also advocates and represents them within the education sector.
I am also a creative seeker, I have been an artist for over a decade, have run online courses, had my work published in books. I have also participated in gallery shows. My creative practice is the way I help process the world around me and also supports my mental health. I experienced significant trauma as a child, and my art practice, as well as an amazing therapist, has helped me to deal with most of my shit.
I suspect I have undiagnosed inattentive ADHD, which I have decided is actually a bit of a superpower, apart from when it comes to housework or remembering where I put my phone! I have a background in research, with both a history degree and before I found my way to education governance, I was involved in Māori health research. I am passionate about whakapapa, and love research and reading. I very much have a social justice mindset, and this informs how I opertate in the world. As someone who has suffered and heals with intergenrational harm from colonisation I am active in the decolonisation space and reindigenising myself.
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Certificates
