Walden is the design and evaluation lead of te ao Māori and creative technology teacher at Wellington East Girls’ College.

She is also the teacher in charge of kapa haka, and some of her work involves the creation of the kapa haka costume and contemporary korowai.

But, for the past year she has been on study leave, thanks to several scholarships, including one from Teach NZ, and another from the Maori Education Trust.

Walden has used the time to undertake a Master of Design at Massey University.

“It has been emotionally, spiritually, physically and mentally recharging,” Walden tells EducationHQ. 

“Being creative all day, every day for a year has just been such a treat.  

“Every form of my being is ready to give back now that I’ve just filled my cup again.”  

Walden’s masters topic is titled ‘clothes and kindness’.

It focuses on how contemporary Māori art, when created and taken into educational spaces, can indigenise those educational spaces, so Māori students are better able to see themselves there.

Walden is whakapapa Māori herself, her iwi is Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki. 

“My tīpuna, my ancestors, allow me to be here, so I honour that in my work,” she says.

Given the time and space to focus on all things design, Walden together with her mother Jann Lenihan, entered a garment in the prestigious 2024 World of WearableArt (WOW) show.

Lenihan is an artist, former teacher and an inspiration to her daughter.

Experimenting with creating different materials and looking at the colonisation of New Zealand and the fashion that came with it, the pair came up with something to represent what New Zealand is today and what they’d like to see for the future of the country.

After four previous attempts at entering the competition on her own, this year’s joint effort was announced a finalist in the international competition in September, rendering Walden “quite speechless”.

“It was such an amazing feat just to get in and I’m so humbled by the amazing talent that I was surrounded by, I just couldn’t believe it,” she says.

Model Flo showcased Walden and Lenihan's garment at the 2024 World of Wearable Art competition in Wellington in September.

Walden is set to return to the halls of Wellington East Girls’ College next year and is looking forward to applying the past year’s learning at school.

Although her learning journey is far from over.

“My next challenge is to teach te reo Māori. So being able to learn it as I teach it and become a fluent speaker is my next goal,” she says. 

“For the last two years I've implemented an exhibition called Kohara 2 Shine at Massey University, and that allows technology students from Year 12 and 13 to exhibit their work at Massey University,” she adds.

“We had 10 schools participate this year, and I hope to grow that as well.”