Kelly is a proud indigenous and environmental activist and academic living on Aotea. Kelly completed both her Bachelors and Masters at the University of Waikato. It was at this time that she became heavily entrenched in the fight for Māori rights and sovereignty, utilising the skills and knowledge she had gained through her studies. One of the big victories was their ‘David and Goliath’ victory over the New Zealand Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and their approval of the dumping of 250,000 cubic metres of toxic dredge off the coast of her familial island, Aotea – Great Barrier Island. In 2019, a high court judge ruled that the EPA had failed to properly consult with the local Māori tribe on Aotea and halted the immediate dumping of dredge off its coast. Kelly has also been involved/supported and lead countless protests, marches, activations, and occupations in the spirit of protecting the rights and voices of Māori and the environment that feeds and nourishes her people. Kelly is currently finishing off her PhD at the University of Auckland where she is capturing and recording the history of her ancestors on Aotea.