Twin peaks

Two prominent South Auckland siblings have used art and academia to show what it means to be Māori.

- COLLEEN BROWN

People have always been fascinated by twins. I'm no exception. I was amused, charmed, and came away better educated after interviewing the very talented Borell twins in the Auckland suburb of Manurewa.

We sit at the kitchen table in the heart of their family home, looking out on to a vibrant deck covered with pots of greenery. And we talk. With twins, there is always a lot of talking.

Belinda, the older twin by two minutes, is the retiring one, according to her younger sibling, Nigel. It wasn't always that way. As children, Nigel was the reserved one and Belinda was "out there", he says.

Inevitably, there is banter, including some squabbling about iwi connections (Pirirakau, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Te Whakatōhea), but it's clear they still have each other's back and each is proud of the other's achievements.

Belinda has made her mark in health research and in academia, exploring cultural identity among South Auckland rangatahi for her master's thesis and, in 2018, completing a PhD examining privilege from an indigenous viewpoint.

Nigel is a well-known artist, museum curator (including a notable period at Toi O Tāmaki/Auckland Art Gallery) and Māori art advocate who was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2022.

For Belinda, the issue of her identity was tested early. At the age of five, she tried to join her first kapa haka group, but an older child challenged her, believing she was Pākehā. "My neighbour, who looked Mäori, stood up to her and said, 'No, she's Māori.' And in I went. This was the first time I understood my identity could be contested."