I whānau mai a Rāniera Terence Higgins i te 18 o Here-turi-kōkā 1974. Ko ōna tātai whakapapa nō roto i ngā hapū o Te Urewera, Ngāti Rongo me Ngāti Koura o Ngāi Tūhoe. Ko ia te pōtiki a Te Ripowai rāua ko Daniel Higgins. Ahakoa i whānau mai a Rāniera i Singapore, kāore te whānau i reira mō te wā roa ka hoki mai ki Aotearoa, ki Te Whanganui ā Tara. Ka haere ia ki te Kura Tuatahi o Arahura i Wainuiomata, ā, i kuraina hoki ia i te Kura Tuarua o Hato Paora. Ka eke te wā, ka hau mai ia ki te Whare Wānanga o Te Ūpoko o Te Ika a Māui ki te whai i tana Tohu Paetahi. He Tauira i whai wāhi ki ngā whakahaere a Ngāi Tauira, ā, he manako nui hoki ki te tautoko i Te Herenga Waka Marae. Ko tana kupu nui ki a Grandma mō ngā kai o te marae, ahakoa he aha aua kai “Glorious Grannie!” Ko ana mahi pai ko te purei kirikiti, ā, ka uru hoki ia ki roto i te tīma tawhito o tana Pāpa i Waiwhetu, me te purei i te whutupōro rīki i te taha o ana pāpā i Upper Hutt mō ngā Taika (Tigers). I a ia i te Whare Wānanga ka noho ia i ngā whare o Hinepūkohurangi ki Pōmare, ā, i reira ka tūtaki ia i tana wahine. Ka moe a Rāniera i a Joanne Tioro, o Ngā Rauru, ka puta ki waho ko tana tama a Te Ao O Te Rangi Tui Higgins i te 10 o Hakihea 1995. Ka hūnuku rātou ki Wanganui ki te taha o ana hungarei, ka mutu ka mahi a Rāniera i te Kōhanga Reo hai kaiāwhina. I te 6 o Kohitātea 1997 ka whānau mai tana tamāhine a Anihaka Rangimārie Higgins. Ka uru tana mataamua ki roto i te hōhipera i Tāmaki Makaurau kia whakatikahia tana manawa. Nō te putanga mai, ka rere a Te Ao O Te Rangi me tana māmā ki Wanganui, ā, ka hoki mai a Rāniera, tana tamāhine me ana hungarei mā runga motokā i te 27 o Whiringa-ā-rangi 1997. Kāore i tino tawhiti atu I Meremere ka mate ika huirua rāua ko tana pepī. Muia ana te marae o Te Totara i Ruātoki i ana hoa o Te Whare Wānanga me Hato Paora ki te ūhunga mō rāua. I te tau o muri atu ka ara ake te kaupapa o te Karahipi whakamaumahara i a rāua, ā, nā Ngāi Tauira i whakaaro nui kia tapaina ki ō rāua ingoa. Kua eke ki te tekau mā rua tau ināianei te rirohanga atu o te tokorua nei; he tangata nui, ngākau nui me tana puhi merito. Tangi tonu ana te ngākau mō rāua kua ngaro atu nei ki te pō.
Raniera & Anihaka Higgins Scholarships
Ngāi Tauira is offering a total of 10 scholarships to the value of $500 each for the 2009 academic year.
The Rāniera & Anihaka Higgins Scholarship will be awarded based on all of the following criteria:-
Academic achievement
Commitment to Te Ao Māori
Commitment to Te Herenga Waka Marae
Financial need
Applications can be collected from Te Kawa a Māui, 50 Kelburn Parade.
Applications must be submitted to Te Kawa a Māui, 50 Kelburn Parade by 5pm Monday 17 August 2009.
All applicants will be advised of the outcome by Monday 31 August 2009.