Rakena draws inspiration from her family connections to Ngāi Tahu, Ngāpuhi and Pakeha ancestries.
While at the University of Otago, Rekana was involved in the community group Kai Tahu Whanau ki Araiteuru, which was committed to the revitalisation of Ngai Tahu narrative, tikanga (cultural practices) and kawa (cultural protocols).CAG p76[REF] .