“Via a social network platform, James was highly recommended re; a service to compose a bilingual (English and Maori) resume and cover letter for an up and coming Auckland University Graduate looking to dedicate herself to work in the Maori arena. What James presented was well above my expectations. My only concern was he did not charge enough for the work he produced”.Nyree Ngaheu, Australia
“He tino pai ki au te wā ako ki te taha o James. From the very beginning James took the time to get to know us and tailor our learnings to kaupapa that we were interested in. I thoroughly enjoyed our sessions and we were lucky enough to even have karakia written for us to utilise within our workspace as well as our whanau. Ngā mihi nui e James! All the best on your new venture! All your new clients have got a great kaiako” Mihi Taurua Christchurch
“I have worked collaboratively with Heemi (James) Barnes in a number of educational presentations. Recently we led a community project, Te Rau Aroha, that looked at the prevention of suicide in my school community. This was very insightful and an experience that enriched a lot of interested parties that we worked with and alongside..The value that Heemi brings is his bi-cultural and bi-lingual eyes. He sees the cultural paths criss crossing and shares his views on how best to align them. He uses whakatauki, karakia, whaikoorero and personal cultural experiences that he has observed in order to illustrate his understanding and passion for Te Ao Reorua me Te Ao Kotahitanga. He is a humble and humorous colleague and presenter..E tautaawhi ana e au i te mahi o tooku parata, Ngaa manaakitanga” Tangi te Mapu Maihi Head of Faculty Maaori Fairfield College
“I have appreciated James’s supportive approach to cultural supervision, and learnt a lot from his weaving of cultural, political, and personal factors. I have had the opportunity to attend both workshop sessions and individual consultancy with James, and in both he focussed on tailoring the content to what was needed. Discussions with James allow space to reflect and consider issues, and his knowledge of both present and historical challenges is rich! I have benefited more than he realises from talking with him” Anonymous
“Cultureflow had the pleasure of James working with us in 2020-2021. He was generous with his knowledge, and his Reo proficiency is outstanding. James’ in-depth understanding of NZ history is amazing. We were very lucky to have worked alongside James for this period. Kia ora koe e te hoa, Piki te Ora” Sarah Reo Culture Flow Founder, Auckland
“We loved our sessions with James. The most impressive thing about James is that he listens to what his clients want, and tailors the material to suit. His in-depth knowledge of Te Reo, Maori culture and history, makes him relevant, edgy and inspiring. He is also humble, funny and a real pleasure to interact with. A true taonga” Lloyd Davies, Wellington