Ngahuia Piripi

Piripi was born in Auckland to Poto Stephens-Dunn and Haami Piripi; she was raised by her mother. She is a member of Te Rarawa tribe.^[2] She attended a Kura Kaupapa Māori (a Māori-language immersion primary school) and is fluent in Te Reo Māori.^[3]

She attended Auckland Girls' Grammar School and while still studying started working on Māori language television shows such as Whanau. After high school she started studying for a science degree then changed to a bachelor of Māori development at Auckland University of Technology. She continued to work on Maori language television, appearing in two seasons of the soap Korero Mai.^[4]

Piripi has also appeared in the movie Mahana, produced by Lee Tamahori.^[4]