Whaikaha, and the New Zealand Sign Language Board, wish to acknowledge the passing of Stephanie Āwheto over the weekend.
Stephanie (Ngāti Ruanui/Taranaki descent) was the first trilingual (te reo Māori, NZSL and English) interpreter in Aotearoa and helped to create and modify signs to reflect Te Ao Māori.
We mourn Stephanie’s passing and celebrate her life, influence, and contribution as an advocate, educator, and interpreter.
Our thoughts go out to Stephanie’s whānau, friends and the Tūri (Deaf) Māori community.