Waatea News Update

News from Waatea 603 AM, Urban Maori radio, first with Maori news

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Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Friday, July 27, 2007

Tuaropaki snaps up phone shares

A central North Island Maori land trust has emerged as a significant shareholder in the planned third mobile network.

Tuaropaki picked up the bulk of the options reserved for Maori in New Zealand Communications, whose network will use frequencies allocated to Maori.

New Zealand Communications started as a joint venture between Te Huarahi Tika Maori spectrum trust and Zimbabwe-based Econet Wireless, but changed its name after fresh capital was raised from London and Hong Kong investors.

As part of the deal, Maori had to option to keep their shareholding at 20 percent.

Mavis Mullins, the chair of Te Huarahi Tika, says the trust had wanted wider Maori shareholding.

“That was certainly the objective, but everybody’s got a lot of different coals in the fire as we have, and a call had to be made and I guess really we’re just really pleased that Maori have that 20 percent stake,” Ms Mullins says.

Tuaropaki was formed in 1952 to farm land belonging to several Ngati Tuwharetoa and Ngati Raukawa hapu, and it has diversified into geothermal energy and satellite communications.

MAORI LANGUAGE WEEK BEST YEAR

The Maori Language Commissioner says this year's wiki o te reo Maori has been the best yet.

Erima Henare says there's been an extraordinary amount of support and interest, especially from Pakeha people and mainstream organisations.

It's been a full on week.

“I've participated with the minister (of Maori Affairs) in meeting, greeting, and handing out brochures and pamphlets and posters and calendars and the Wellington Railway Station on Monday morning at 7 o’clock. There’s a whole lot of people ringing in. I’ve accessed a whole lot of different web sites at different polytechnics throughout New Zealand, universities, and it’s just like one great sea of activity,” he says.

Mr Henare says the future of the Maori language depends on how much Pakeha pick up on it and use it in the mainstream.

POET APIRANA SINGS THE BLUES

It's Montana Poetry Day, but Apirana Taylor is singing the blues.

The Ngati Porou, Te Whanau a Apanui and Ngati Ruanui writer, actor, storyteller and painter has published poetry, short stories, plays and novels.

He still writes poems, but his main focus now is The Beach Bar Blues Band, which has a regular gig in Paekakariki.

Mr Taylor says Maori have a special affinity with the poetry of the blues.

“It comes from the heart and the mind. The best poetry is a combination of both. You’ve got to have feeling and thought as well. That’s why our people are good at it, because they’ve got plenty,” Mr Taylor says.

He says the standard of Maori poetry is high, with poets like Robert Sullivan, Phil Kawana and Roma Potiki combining guts and intellect.

WAHINE LINING UP FOR MOKO KAUAE

Taa moko artist Mark Kopua says there's no shortage of women wanting to take the moko kauae or chin moko.

E kii ana a tohunga taa moko Mark Kopua tokomaha nga waahine e hiahia ana kia taa mokohia ki te moko kauae.

Mark Kopua explains how over 50 women attended a hui recently on the East Coast to support a group of 15 receiving a moko kauae.

NEW CHANNEL WELCOMED BY YOUNG LEARNERS

The Maori Party says a new Maori language television channel will be welcomed by a generation of young speakers.

Maori Television will run the ad-free digital channel three hours a night from early next year.

Party co-leader Pita Sharples says it's a sign of the impact Maori television is having.

“There's a whole lot of people, and they’re young people, who actively watch Maori television for the reo, for whom the language is a very real part of their life and they expect it. It’s not a novelty any more. They’re not switching it on to see what's on this week,” Dr Sharples says.

WINTEC PUBLISHES PAPER FOR WIKI

The Waikato polytechnic wants people to have something tangible to hold onto after Maori language week.

It's put out a Maori language newspaper, Pitoitoi.

Editorial team member Anna Carter says Wintec made an extra effort this year because of the exceptional interest in te reo the week has generated.

“We decided we would build on resources that we had already developed over the last four years including a lot of work on our web site, emails to all staff with sound bites and various phrases on it for our senior executive team, but we decided on a newspaper of magazine of some sort so that it would be round after Maori language week,” Ms Carter says.

MOKOMOKO INSPIRATION FOR NEW WAIATA

Whakapapa has proved a valuable source of inspiration for a Bay of Plenty musician.

Carol Storey is launching her first album in te reo Maori this weekend.

It's called Mokomoko after her great great grandfather ... a Te Whakatohea chief who was wrongly executed in 1866 for the murder of missionary Carl Volkner at Opotiki.

Using acoustic guitar and taonga puoro, Storey has written about her environment around Opotiki and Ohiwa Harbour, and about her tupuna.

“He always proclaimed hi innocence, and he too was a composer, and he composed a waiata prior to being executed. His finale words were ‘Let me sing my song, Pakeha, before I die, and I die without a crime.’ And one of the songs, track two, is dedicated to Mokomoko, and it’s a waiata tangi,” she says.

Mokomoko was pardoned in 1992.

Carol Storey will launch her CD at the church in Tauranga Historic Village tomorrow.

Hikuwai land deal stage one

Tuwharetoa hapu meet with Landcorp today to celebrate the first stage of a $103 million deal to buy eight farms on the north side of Lake Taupo.

Three properties have so far come back, Tauhara North, Wairakei Block E and Rakanui Road.

Peter Clarke from the Hikuwai Hapu Lands Trust says there is considerable debate within the iwi about the wisdom of the deal.

But he says when the Office of Treaty Settlements refused to landbank the farms for settlement of the Ruapehu National Park Claim now before the Waitangi Tribunal, the claimants moved to stop their ancestral land being sold to outsiders.

“We went through a tribunal process to try to stave it off and we still couldn’t stop it. So the alternative was to see if we could buy it, and that’s what we’re doing now. $103 million is not 103 bucks,” Mr Clarke says.

This morning's hui at Waipahihi Marae will be attended by Landcorp chair Jim Sutton, chief executive Chris Kelly and Treaty Negotiations Minister Mark Burton.

POLICE CLEAR IWITAHI OCCUPATION

Further down the Napier Taupo Road, police yesterday cleared a protest group from a disused outdoor pursuits centre.

Area Commander Bob Burns says the Iwitahi Centre was occupied for several weeks by members of the Ngati Tutemahuta hapu.

The pursuits centre operators wanted to retrieve their assets, including several buildings, and landowners Timberlands wanted to clear the 5 hectare site for planting.

Inspector Burns says there were four people on isolated site when about 30 police went in at dawn.

He says the reasons for the occupation are unclear.

“It's more a split between iwis perhaps, and maybe a grievance in relation to the way the Waitangi negotiation process is proceeding. We don’t have the full facts and they haven’t been shared with us unfortunately,” Mr Burns says.

The occupiers were issued with trespass notices, and made to remove their livestock, including sheep, pigs, a goat and a horse.

NOMINATIONS CALLED FOR HEALTH BOARDS

Elections for district health boards have begun, and Rangi Pouwhare from the Health Ministry says Maori should have their say.

Ka timata te kohiringa pooti mo nga poari hauora a rohe, i te raa nei.

E ai ki nga rangahau, tokoiti noa iho nga maaori e noho ana ki teera taumata o te ao hauora, aa hei taa Rangi Pouwhare, mangai Maaori o Te Manatu Hauora, he mea nui kia eke ngai tatou ki teera taumata noho ai.

FARAH PALMER PUT ON MAORI RUGBY BOARD

The newest member of the Maori Rugby Board wants to see more opportunities for Maori to rise to the top levels of the sport.

Farah Palmer, the former captain of the Black Ferns, says her time in women’s rugby gave her an appreciation of the challenges facing Maori rugby.

Dr Palmer says she feels excited about the future for Maori rugby.

“I'm also feeling rather nervous because I think I’m the first woman to be on the board, sop that will be challenging, but I’m also very humbled by it. I keep thinking I’ve done my dash in rugby and then other opportunities come up. I’m really looking forward to it,” she says.

Dr Palmer replaces Bill Osborne on the board.

HIKUWAI HAPU PUT UP MONEY FOR FARMS

Tuwharetoa hapu move a step closer today to reclaiming their ancestral lands.

Hikuwai Hapu Lands Trust is meeting Landcorp's chair and chief executive to mark the first stage of an ambitious plan to buy eight Landcorp farms for $103 million.

The first tranche of three properties near Taupo has come across.

All the properties are subject to Waitangi Tribunal claims, but the Office of Treaty Settlements refused to landbank them.

Trust spokesperson Peter Clarke says the hapu decided to do a commercial deal because it feared the land would be lost forever if it was sold to outsiders.

About 8500 hectares involved, including geothermal land.

LOW MAORI INTEREST IN HEALTH BOARD POLL

Lack of information and trust is being blamed for the low level of Maori participation in district health boards.

Rangi Pouwhare, the Maori relationships manager for the Ministry of Health, says DHBs manage billions of dollars for health and disability services.

He says it's vital for Maori find ways to have their say, starting with the elections.

“This is not unusual for Maori not to participate in elections and nominations. It’s from our history, normally, and I think Maori are still suspicious of the different election process with relation to STV. I think our people are still a bit unclear about how it actually works,” Mr Pouwhare says.

Nominations for health boards open today.

WAIKATO PRONUNCIATION NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

Waikato University is challenging its staff, students and the public of Hamilton and radio announcers to correctly pronounce the word Waikato.

Kua takatooria te maanuka e te waananga o Waikato ki a ngai tauiwi maa e noho ana ki Kirikriroa.

Kia tika te whakahua i te ingoa o Waikato.

Hei taa Maria Huata, maangai mo te kaupapa nei o te Whare Waananga o Waikato, Ko nga kaiwhakapaaho paakeha.

Nga mea e whakahua hee ana i te kupu nei...

Waikato University spokesperson Maria Huata on the campaign for correct pronunciation.

Hikuwai land deal stage one

Tuwharetoa hapu meet with Landcorp today to celebrate the first stage of a $103 million deal to buy eight farms on the north side of Lake Taupo.

Three properties have so far come back, Tauhara North, Wairakei Block E and Rakanui Road.

Peter Clarke from the Hikuwai Hapu Lands Trust says there is considerable debate within the iwi about the wisdom of the deal.

But he says when the Office of Treaty Settlements refused to landbank the farms for settlement of the Ruapehu National Park Claim now before the Waitangi Tribunal, the claimants moved to stop their ancestral land being sold to outsiders.

“We went through a tribunal process to try to stave it off and we still couldn’t stop it. So the alternative was to see if we could buy it, and that’s what we’re doing now. $103 million is not 103 bucks,” Mr Clarke says.

This morning's hui at Waipahihi Marae will be attended by Landcorp chair Jim Sutton, chief executive Chris Kelly and Treaty Negotiations Minister Mark Burton.

POLICE CLEAR IWITAHI OCCUPATION

Further down the Napier Taupo Road, police yesterday cleared a protest group from a disused outdoor pursuits centre.

Area Commander Bob Burns says the Iwitahi Centre was occupied for several weeks by members of the Ngati Tutemahuta hapu.

The pursuits centre operators wanted to retrieve their assets, including several buildings, and landowners Timberlands wanted to clear the 5 hectare site for planting.

Inspector Burns says there were four people on isolated site when about 30 police went in at dawn.

He says the reasons for the occupation are unclear.

“It's more a split between iwis perhaps, and maybe a grievance in relation to the way the Waitangi negotiation process is proceeding. We don’t have the full facts and they haven’t been shared with us unfortunately,” Mr Burns says.

The occupiers were issued with trespass notices, and made to remove their livestock, including sheep, pigs, a goat and a horse.

NOMINATIONS CALLED FOR HEALTH BOARDS

Elections for district health boards have begun, and Rangi Pouwhare from the Health Ministry says Maori should have their say.

Ka timata te kohiringa pooti mo nga poari hauora a rohe, i te raa nei.

E ai ki nga rangahau, tokoiti noa iho nga maaori e noho ana ki teera taumata o te ao hauora, aa hei taa Rangi Pouwhare, mangai Maaori o Te Manatu Hauora, he mea nui kia eke ngai tatou ki teera taumata noho ai.

FARAH PALMER PUT ON MAORI RUGBY BOARD

The newest member of the Maori Rugby Board wants to see more opportunities for Maori to rise to the top levels of the sport.

Farah Palmer, the former captain of the Black Ferns, says her time in women’s rugby gave her an appreciation of the challenges facing Maori rugby.

Dr Palmer says she feels excited about the future for Maori rugby.

“I'm also feeling rather nervous because I think I’m the first woman to be on the board, sop that will be challenging, but I’m also very humbled by it. I keep thinking I’ve done my dash in rugby and then other opportunities come up. I’m really looking forward to it,” she says.

Dr Palmer replaces Bill Osborne on the board.

HIKUWAI HAPU PUT UP MONEY FOR FARMS

Tuwharetoa hapu move a step closer today to reclaiming their ancestral lands.

Hikuwai Hapu Lands Trust is meeting Landcorp's chair and chief executive to mark the first stage of an ambitious plan to buy eight Landcorp farms for $103 million.

The first tranche of three properties near Taupo has come across.

All the properties are subject to Waitangi Tribunal claims, but the Office of Treaty Settlements refused to landbank them.

Trust spokesperson Peter Clarke says the hapu decided to do a commercial deal because it feared the land would be lost forever if it was sold to outsiders.

About 8500 hectares involved, including geothermal land.

LOW MAORI INTEREST IN HEALTH BOARD POLL

Lack of information and trust is being blamed for the low level of Maori participation in district health boards.

Rangi Pouwhare, the Maori relationships manager for the Ministry of Health, says DHBs manage billions of dollars for health and disability services.

He says it's vital for Maori find ways to have their say, starting with the elections.

“This is not unusual for Maori not to participate in elections and nominations. It’s from our history, normally, and I think Maori are still suspicious of the different election process with relation to STV. I think our people are still a bit unclear about how it actually works,” Mr Pouwhare says.

Nominations for health boards open today.

WAIKATO PRONUNCIATION NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

Waikato University is challenging its staff, students and the public of Hamilton and radio announcers to correctly pronounce the word Waikato.

Kua takatooria te maanuka e te waananga o Waikato ki a ngai tauiwi maa e noho ana ki Kirikriroa.

Kia tika te whakahua i te ingoa o Waikato.

Hei taa Maria Huata, maangai mo te kaupapa nei o te Whare Waananga o Waikato, Ko nga kaiwhakapaaho paakeha.

Nga mea e whakahua hee ana i te kupu nei...

Waikato University spokesperson Maria Huata on the campaign for correct pronunciation.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Dover not over just yet

Dover Samuels is pouring cold water on reports he's stepping aside for fellow list MP Shane Jones.

It was claimed this week that Mr Samuels would hand over his ministerial roles when he gets back from leading a Maori tourism delegation to China.

These include associate tourism, housing and economic development portfolios.

By he says journalists were interviewing their typewriters.

“It's amazing what comes out in the media when you’re not even around. It’s quite fantastic. Unusual. But that’s typical of the media. It would have been nice if they’d contacted me and asked me in fact what my thoughts were,” Mr Samuel says.

He has indicated he won't seek reselection.

SECOND MAORI TELEVISION CHANNEL ON THE SATELLITE

Maori Television is taking advantage of the Freeview digital service to launch a second channel.

Chief executive Jim Mather says the channel will go to air next year with three hours a night of ad-free Maori language content.

He says Maori Television has achieved its statutory objectives of broadcasting in English and Maori to a broad audience.

“However we feel we’re now at the point of our development where it’s important that we’re meeting the needs of our core constituents, primarily fluent reo Maori speakers, Maori language learners and all other New Zealanders who want to immerse themselves in the language,” Mr Mather says.

The channel will be funded out of the extra $23 million in funding in this years budget for the shift to digital broadcasting.

MAORI MAKE CHRISTCHURCH FESTIVAL LINE-UP

Maori performers have finally made it onto the programme of the Christchurch Arts Festival.

The Mauriora Series, which starts today, includes performances by Lyttelton-based singer/songwriter Ariana Tikao, Christchurch band Te Huaki Puanaki, Ruia Aperahama, Brannigan Kaa, and the Mamaku Project.

Series curator Michelle Harrison from Ngati Porou says because it the South Island has a relatively low Maori population, it's been hard to sell Maori acts to festival organisers.

“We have a really lovely contained series, and the thing is if we pull it off and it’s well received, then that just opens the door for 2009, which is the next arts festival, and hopefully opens it up to a lot more Maori art forms,” Ms Harrison says.

WAIKATO LAUNCHES BILINGUAL PAPER

Waikato Polytechnic has published a bilingual newspaper to mark Maori Language Week.

Ko Piitoitoi te ingoa mo tetehi nuipepa hou kua whakamaanuhia e Te kura tini o Waikato hei whakanui i te wiki o te reo Maori.

Na nga kaiako me nga tauira o mua o te kuratini i tuhi, aa, hei taa Mikaere Taitoko, he pouako Maori i tauaka kura tini.

He maha nga kaupapa kei roto hei whakarata i nga kaipaanui.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT EFFORTS TOWARDS MAORI ATTACKED

Local government is ignoring the Maori right to be represented.

That's one of the findings of a Massey University study of Maori participation in local politics.

Researcher Veronica Tawhai says the report tries to identify ways councils can improvement their engagement with Maori communities.

She says self-government is considered a measure of community well-being.

“That's just knowing that your needs and desires and values are being represented in government, and that simply is not happening for Maori. Many do not even know who their representatives are, and when it comes to candidate voting it’s the same, they haven’t heard of any candidates and so Maori are choosing to abstain from voting,” Ms Tawhai says.

Councils also need to up their performance in reaching out to young people.

NGARIMU SCHOLARSHIP SHOULD REMAIN OPEN

A long serving former member of the Ngarimu VC Scholarship board says the award should be available to all Maori.

The current board chaired by Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia has limited the scholarship to decendants of Maori Battalion members.

Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan served on the board in her role as MP for Southern Maori.

She was also part of the fundraising effort when the scholarship was set up in 1948 to remember Victoria Cross winner Te Moananui a Kiwa Ngarimu.

She says the nature of the prestigious award means it has to be open.

“It includes academic ability and leadership. That is available throughout Maoridom. It’s not confined to the descendants of the Maori Battalion and I think the wider the field, the greater the uptake from a wider variety of young Maori applicant,” Mrs Tirikatene-Sullivan says.

Almost every Maori family was involved in the war effort, so it makes no sense now to advantage one group of Maori over another.

MINISTER PRAISES TE REO TV PLAN

Maori Minister of Maori Affairs says the launch of a Maori language-only television channel is a tribute to the hard work and considerable achievmeents of the Maori Television Service.

Ka whakatuu teetahi pouaka whakaata reo Maori anake e te ratonga whakaata maaori.

Koira te koorero a te minita mo nga take maaori a Parekura Horomia i te raa nei.

Hei taa Parekura, koianei te hua nui kua puta i nga mahi rangatira a nga kaimahi a te ratonga whakaata Maori ki te piikau i to taatou reo ki te motu whaanui, ara ki te ao.

Parekura Horomia on the Maori language channel, which will run nightly on the digital Freeview service from early next year.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Buy Kiwi Made in the reo

A te reo Maori version of the Buy New Zealand kiwi in a triangle label will make its debut today.

Maori language commissioner Erima Henare says Te Taura Whiri is backing the Business New Zealand initiative because it fits with the theme of this year's Maori language week.

He says te reo needs be seen in a global context.

“The Buy New Zealand campaign is really part of the strategy. It’s an opportunity to further put the language out there and to make people aware that the language is multi-dimensional and not just something that’s reserved for New Zealand and the Maori culture,” Mr Henare says.

Maori consumers are already on to the Buy New Zealand message, because they buy Maori products when they can get them.

MAORI EXPORTERS CRIPPLED BY DOLLAR
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says the high New Zealand dollar is crippling Maori exporters.

Maori in fishing, farming and forestry are feeling the pinch as the kiwi hovers around 80 cents US.

Mr Peters says the government is not doing all it can to lower the dollar and interest rates.

He says exports are vital to the economy.

“Unless someone goes outside the door to make money, and that in our case is offshore to make money, none of us is better off. That’s why exporters are so critical. I’m very proud of the fact there are so many very successful Maori export operations, particularly in fishing, (but they) are practically hanging in there on a skin of nothing at the moment because of where this dollar is,” Mr Peters says.

KAI PROGRAMME COULD GRACE US SCREENS

Maori chef Anne Thorpe is hoping to have her Kaiora series screened on the Food TV Channel in North America.

The Pakiri resident is onto her third season showcasing the food Maori gather from the bush and the sea.

She says her UK based distributor have warmed to the formula, where she cooks sumptuous meals for guests who respond by sharing their musical talents.

Ms Thorpe says 15 countries are showing interest in Kaiora, and her distributor is confident of stitching up a US deal.

“They have agreed to share the distribution rights because this particular distribution company has inroads into the Food Network in the US, and it makes their chances even better for selling the show to other countries,” Ms Thorpe says.

HAKA TEST TODAY

Waatea parliamentary reporter Tina Wickliffe says today will tell if Hone Harawira gets any takers for his haka on the steps of parliament to commemorate Maori language week.

Hai taa mangai i te Whare Paaremata a Tina Wickliffe i tenei ra ka kite me kore te hiahia o Hone Harawira e whakatutuki otiraa, kia tuu ko nga kaitorangapuu Maori ki te haka i nga arapiki o te whare.

COUNCILS NOT DOING ENOUGH TO INTEREST MAORI

A Massey University report is blaming councils for the low level of Maori participation in local government.

Researcher Veronica Tawhai says councils are required to improve the opportunities Maori have to contribute to decision-making processes and to provide relevant information to Maori, but this isn't happening.

She says the widely held assumption that Maori don't participate because they lack knowledge and skills didn't hold up to scrutiny.

“The findings of our research show that Maori have high levels of political knowledge, that most are aware of how to vote, there’s some information that’s needed about voting and about other ways to participate. However, mainly Maori need to know about how local government is relevant to them,” Ms Tawhai says.

Maori never see their councillors in their communities, so they don't believe they understand their needs and aspirations.

DANCE WORK GETS AWARD SUBSIDY

A programme which introduces rangatahi to contemporary dance has been given a $10,000 award.

The dance work Renu O Te Ra: The Edge of the Sun was developed with help from the Public Programmes section of The Edge, the complex which includes the Auckland Town Hall and the Aotea Centre.

The teenage dancers were mentored by dance professionals Ann Dewey, Taane Mete and Taiaroa Royal.

Programme development manager Sally Markham says it's important young Maori see their own culture reflected in performance, especially in works they help to create.

“That gives them a very strong sense of place and their own perception, their own life, as well as them learning all the aesthetic of the particular art for they’re working in. If they’re working with really strong practitioners like Taiaroa Royal and Taane Mete and Ann Dewey, that’s a very strong combination of dancers and choreographers that they're working with,” Ms Markham says.

Renu O Te Ra explored where young people stand in the modern world.

REO CHAMPION CELEBRATES LANGUAGE REVIVAL

Writer and teacher Katerina Mataira says te reo Maori is alive and well despite the fact the world is changing fast.
Ahakoa kai huri te ao hai taa kaihaapai i te reo Maori a Katarina Mataira, kai te ora tonu taua taonga:

Mrs Mataira explains says when the Maori language was likened 30 years ago to a broken waka, she knew that something had to be done to repair it.

Te Ataarangi reward seeing reo grow

One of the people behind the popular Te Ataarangi method of teaching te reo Maori says her reward is seeing the language grow.

Twenty years ago Nganehu Turner from Ngati Maniapoto helped bring Te Ataarangi into the Waikato polytechnic, where she still teaches.

The speech-based method uses coloured rakau or sticks to stimulate simple conversations.

Mrs Turner says it allows students to learn about words in depth, and they can also pick up what they need to know about tikanga Maori, waiata and karakia.

“We don't just korero the reo but we also look at the meaning behind it, the meaning, the spiritual and physical side of the word and the sentence structure, that’s where I think the popularity of Te Ataarangi,” Mrs Turner says.

Students are now looking beyond the language and wanting to know more about the wairua and spiritual side of Maori culture.

MAORI ART GALLERY IN AWANUI

The far north has a new art gallery for fans of the best of what Te Tai Tokerau has to offer.

Esta Proctor from Te Rarawa, Te Aupouri has opened Te Ara Toi in the Awanui visitor centre, just north of Kaitaia.

Its first show brings together seven women artists to represent the seven stars in Matariki - Nga Wahine e Whitu.

Ms Proctor says the women use traditional Maori fibres and material in their art.

She says Maori artists in the north need more outlets.

“They aren't given an opportunity to reflect what the far north is really about and that is using the local resources and what is available to them, and it’s used in an eco-conscious way and that’s just how the far north is, it’s untapped and thank goodness, so hopefully it will stay that way,” Ms Proctor says.

AGENT ORANGE OUTREACH NOT JUST FOR GOVERNMENT

Returned serviceman Jim Perry says Maori Vietnam veterans and their families should be doing more to find out about the Agent Orange compensation package, rather than waiting to be contacted by the government.

E kii ana a hoia tawhito a Jim Perry, ehara ma te Kaawanatanga hai whakapaa atu ki nga hoia i pakanga atu ki Vietnam me oo ratou whaanau i paakinotia e te paitini karaka.

Mr Perry says the RSA should become more involved in the notification process.

NAPIER RESIDENTS BATTLE OVER SUBURB NAME

Napier residents are facing off with Maori over the name of the city's newest suburb.

The Geographic Board says the Napier City Council development will be called Orutu Park.

Homeowners have started a petition because they want to stick with the suburb's working title, Parklands.

Bevan Taylor from the council's Maori consultative committee says Ngati Kahungunu was offended by the homeowners' claims that the name made the suburb sound scruffy and would affect house prices.

He says Orutu is the right tupuna name for the area.

“The Whanganui Orutu was a lake called Orutu covers that area. It’s part of the Orutu lake before the earthquake, and that’s a sort of a historical reason why our committee sought to have the name of that subdivision called Orutu,” Mr Taylor says.

The final decision on the name will be made by the Minister for Land Information.

KNOWLEDGE COULD CLOSE MIGRANT GAP

The Green's immigration spokesperson says more education is needed to address the negative view Maori have of new migrants.

A Massey University study has found Maori are far more hostile to immigration than non-Maori.

Keith Locke says while few New Zealanders understand the cultures of people moving here, new arrivals are also ill-prepared.

“Often newly arriving immigrants, they’re not taken through any courses, any real education to understand the particular role of the tangata whenua of our nation, and I think a lot could be done to improve that,” Mr Locke says.

He's encouraged by the efforts made by some migrant commnuities, such as the Waitangi Day event organised by Auckland's Sri Lankan community.

RANGATAHI DISCOVERING STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

A union advocate says young workers are rediscovering the strength they have in numbers.

Alistair Duncan from the Service and Food Workers Union says the industrial reforms of the 1990s left many rangatahi with little knowledge of the union movement or their rights in the workplace.

But he says recent strikes and lockouts are showing them how to see beyond the individual contract.

“They know a good deal when they see it. They also know a crap deal when they see it. But what they haven’t done and what they could perhaps pick up from some of their forebears is if it takes two, if it takes four, if it takes eight or 16 people, you do get a better result when you work collectively than just trying to thumb the system on your own,” Mr Duncan says.

HEALTH MANAGER URGES MAORI TO GET TO HOSPITAL EARLIER

The manager or Maori Services for Counties Manukau Health says Maori shouldn't wait until they are on death's doorstep to see a health professional.

Hai taa te Kaihautuu o nga Ratonga Hauora i te rohe o Manukau a Bernard Te Paa me haere moata nga Maori e maauiui ana ki te taakuta. Engari he aarai nui te utu taakuta ki etahi:

Mr Te Paa says the cost of going to the doctor is a major barrier to getting early and appropriate health care.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Battalion legacy being abused

National's Maori affairs spokesperson says a change in the eligibility criteria for Ngarimu VC scholarships is an abuse of the memory of the Maori Battalion.

The 60-year-old scholarships will in future only be given to descendants of Maori Battalion members.

Tau Henare says that counts out his children, because while two of his grand-uncles fought in 28 Battalion during World War Two, his grandfather was in an essential industry so stayed home.

Mr Henare says while he applauds the government's decision to double the funding available, the eligibility change is just plain weird.

“It sounds exciting, because we all want to have that link with the 28 Battalion, but this is 2007, it’s time to move on and it’s time to stop limiting ourselves to the past. I love those people in the 28th, have done all my life and look up to them, but I think the memory of the 28 Battalion is being used and abused,” Mr Henare says.

He says the Ngarimu scholarships need to reflect the needs of Maori today, not hark back to some mythical past.

DELEGATION HAKA THROUGH THE EAST

Shanghai has shaken to the sound of the haka yesterday, and now it's Beijing's turn.

Dover Samuels says the first workshop put on by a Maori tourism delegation in China was a resounding success.

The associate tourism minister says Chinese officials and travel agents appreciated the delegation's kanohi ki te kanohi approach.

“There's no doubt about it that eye to eye personal contact in terms of marketing our Maori product is something that is unique. It was well received by the Chinese leaders and the tourism organisation here in Shanghai,” Mr Samuels says.

GLAVISH MOURNS LOSS OF LANGUAGE DEPTH

One of the champions of te reo Maori says she misses the poetic nature of the old time language.

Naida Glavish caused a storm 20 years ago when the Post Office tolls division tried to sack her for answering calls with a cheery kia ora.

She says much has improved since then, but older native speakers struggle to understand some of the words young speakers use.

She particularly misses the way speakers of the past wouldn't speak directly of people, but they would compare their behaviour with the attributes of plants or animals in the natural world.

“Today's reo is a beautiful reo but it doesn’t encompass the parables and the philosophies,” Ms Glavish says.

SCHOOLS SIGNIFICANT IN NEW REO

Auckland kaumatua Kepa Stirling says schools have a significant role in influencing the language and behaviour of Maori youth.

E ai ki a kaumatua Kepa Stirling e kaha ana nga kura ki te whakatupu i te reo korero me nga whanonga a te hunga rangatahi.

STRATEGIC VOTING LESSONS NEEDED

A former Maori MP says Maori could learn from the way south Auckland's Pacific Island community consistently gets representatives on the local council.

John Tamihere says the community has woken up to the value of strategic voting.

He says local authorities are having an increasingly influence over the lives of those within their boundaries, and Maori need to have their say.

“The Pacific Island vote is south Auckland is savvy, it’s educated, it’s organised and it delivers for its people. The Maori vote at local government level never has. So it’s a bit of an indictment really on our participation rates,” Mr Tamihere says.

The turnout of Maori voters in local and central government elections are woefully inadequate.

COUNCIL OPENS UP TREATY COMMITTEE HUI

Meanwhile, Manukau City Council has opened its Treaty of Waitangi standing committee to the public.

Spokesperson Phil Wilson says that's a break from tradition.

He says the council wants to encourage more input from the wider Maori community.

We're trying to take some of that committee process out to the people a bit. Some of our meetings are on marae locally. We’ve been quite keen to get people along to observe and see what’s actually going n in that type of committee process,” Mr Wilson says.

HOME’S THE PLACE FOR WAITITI

Film director Taika Waititi has no intention of plying his trade overseas.

The 31 year old has just returned from Europe and the United States, where he's been promoting his first feature, Eagle Versus Shark.

He was offered opportunities to direct studio films offshore, but says he wants to pursue independent projects that reflect this country.

“I'm more interested in making my own stuff rather than getting that kind of pay packet. Our films aren’t going to make themselves. That’s one of our problems, we keep losing artists overseas, so it’s better we just try to stay here. I’ve survived 31 years onnot much money, I can do another 30 or so,” Mr Waititi says.

The wacky romantic comedy picked up a number of awards before its general release in the US this month, including best comedy at last month's Newport Film Festival in Rhode Island.

Loren Horsley. who has Ngati Porou connections, was named best actress for her role, beating out Vanessa Redgrave and Meryl Streep.

COT DEATH AWARENESS NOT SO HIGH IN PAST

As cot death campaigners try to tackle high rates of sudden infant death syndrome among Maori with a new flax sleeping basket for babies, Northland kuia Emma Gibbs says the problem didn't seem as common in former times.

E mea ana a kuia Emma Gibbs o Te Taitokerau kaore he mate moenga o te peepee i tino kitea i ona raa tupu.

Third of wananga reo pupils non-Maori

The head of the country's largest wananga says more Pakeha than ever are enrolling to learn Maori.

Bentham Ohia from Te Wananga o Aotearoa says more than a third of enrolments in the te reo programme are non-Maori.

They're motivated by a desire to assert their national identity, or they're Pakeha parents of Maori children, or migrants who want to gain greater understanding of tangata whenua of their new home country.

He says while the growth is positive, there is a need for practitioners in the language to continue to raise standards of fluency and quality of reo spoken.

“We don't want to discourage people by being too hard on them and suppressing them round pronunciation as they look to engage and understand and speak the language on their first steps. We want them to embrace and understand that the language is their language also and over time have the opportunity to raise the quality of their language,” Mr Ohia says.

There needs to be continual effort to raise fluency and quality standards of spoken reo.

TE HUNA COULD BE KEY PLAYER IN TEST

Silver Fern shooter Jodie Te Huna is playing the best netball of her career.

That's the view of former international netballer and Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic coach Noelene Taurua.

The Silver Ferns play the last of their three test series against Australia in Adelaide tonight.

She says te Huna says Te Huna played a key role in Saturday night's extra time win in Sydney.

“She was probably the difference in that attacking end and really dominated and put the shots up when she needed to do that and especially in those telling points, so it was great to see her out there in probably the best form,” Ms Taurua says.

The whole Silver Ferns squad showed great heart in Saturday's test.

TARANAKI HEALERS’ STORIES COLLECTED

Stories from Taranaki's traditional healers and kaumatua have been collected
for what could be the first in a series of books.

Matarakau - Nga Korero mo nga rongoa o Taranaki was launched yesterday at Te Niho in Parihaka Pa.

It was a collaboration between Mahinekura Reinfeld and Leonie Pihama from rongoa health consultants Karangaora and artist Jo Tito.

Ms Tito says there will be a follow on.

“Gathering the stories for the book there were a lot of common themes coming through, and a couple of those were karakia and water, wai, so we want to do some more specific stuff around those kaupapa as well,” Ms Tito says.

SUPPORT OF ALL NEEDED

A Maori language commissioner says the survival of the Maori language will depend on the support of all New Zealanders.

E kii ana a Ruakere Hond o Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori, ma te tautoko o te katoa te reo Maori e pupuri, ehara kee ma te ao Maori anahe.

DEWES LOOKS BACK T LANGUAGE STRUGGLE

A Ngati Rangitihi woman sees Maori language week as a chance to look back on a 35 year year struggle to see te reo more widely spoken.

Cathy Dewes was one of the original battlers for greater protection for the language.

She went to Parliament with Hana Te Hemara in 1972 to present a petition asking for te reo Maori to be an option in all secondary schools, rather than just the three that then had it.

Ms Dewes is the principal of one of the first Maori language schools, Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Ruamata in Rotorua.

From its start in 1987 with 11 students, it has grown tenfold.

She says when Ruamata opened, people said there was nothing to be gained by educating children totally in Maori.

“These were Pakeha and Maori who were highly critical of that initiative and telling us that we were disadvantaging our children by educating them totally in Maori,” Ms Dewes says.

She's expecting all 110 pupils at Ruamata to go on to tertiary study with a level two National Certificate of Education Achievement.

TRUST TACKLING GANG PROBLEMS HEAD ON

A Wellington Maori trust is helping cut crime by finding Maori offenders jobs and a reason to change their ways.

The Consultancy Advocacy and Research Trust is run by Laurence O'Reilly from Ngati Kahungunu and Black Power member Eugene Ryder.

It works with about 90 whanau affiliated to Black Power, the Mongrel Mob and other gangs.

Mr O'Reilly says it teaches employment and parenting skills, helps people deal with drug and alcohol abuse, and sets up businesses to create roofing, labouring and painting work for the men.

Before the programme was developed, the trust asked the gang members what they wanted to see.

“And they basically stated three things they wanted to see in any programme that we developed – a programme that allows them to be together, was enjoyable and that they had ownership in it, they had some sort of say in how it was run, they had a leadership role,” Mr O'Reilly says.

The trust succeeds because it helps gang members sort out their own lives rather than throw solutions at them.

MAORI TOURISM DELEGATION A HIT

Associate Tourism Minister Dover Samuels says a Maori tourism delegation to China is proving a big hit with the locals.

Hei taa te Minita Tuarua mo nga take taapoi a Dover Samuels, kua whakaongaonga nga roopu pakihi o Haina i te taenga atu o tana roopu Maori ki reira:

Scholarship change bad idea

New Zealand First MP Pita Paraone says the Government has got it wrong in changes to the Ngarimu Scholarship.

The amount on offer has doubled, and there is greater focus on post-graduate study and the development of Maori leadership.

But eligibility for the 60 year old scholarship is now restricted to descendants of the 28 Maori Battalion.

Mr Paraone, whose father is one of the few surviving veterans, says when the scholarship was set up to honour Victoria Cross winner Te Moananui a Kiwa Ngarimu, people from all round the country subscribed.

He says it was intended to be available to all Maori who showed scholastic promise.

“To suggest that it should only be for those descendants of the 28 Maori Battalion is suggesting that only leadership will come from that quarter, and I don’t believe that that’s the course that Maoridom should be taking, and shouldn’t be the only source of leadership for Maoridom,” Mr Paraone says.

The Ngarimu VC Scholarship board did not consult Maori Battalion veterans about the change.

MAORI TAKE HARD LINE ON MIGRANTS

Maori attitudes towards immigrants are hardening.

Massey University sociologist Paul Spoonley says that contrasts with non-Maori, who tend to be ambivalent on the issue.

He says many Maori take the view new migrants take the jobs of people born in New Zealand.

“Also it is possibly to do with undermining some of the developments that have taken place since the 1980s such as biculturalism and treaty settlements, so we’re seeing a much more diverse multiculturalism in terms of who’s here in New Zealand, and that might take away from Maori as tangata whenua,” Professor Spoonley says.

MAORI CANCER SUPPORT NEEDED

Maori cancer sufferers say they can't find adequate support networks.

Bubsie MacFarlane from Aroha Mai in Rotorua, one of the few Maori cancer support groups, says there is a high rate of cancer among Maori but few resources to help them deal with the disease.

She started Aroha Mai because she believes Maori need specialised care.

“Because it's not just about the sickness for Maori, it’s abut the wairua, the mauri and all those things that have to come in to the well-being of the body and karakia, all those sorts of things come into it,” Ms MacFarlane says.

SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT A COMPLEX PROBLEM

The creator of a programme for improving Maori achievement in schools says there is no one answer to the problem.
Latest figures from the Ministry of Education show a slight improvement in the numbers of Maori students getting NCEA level 1.

Russell Bishop, the associate dean of Maori education at Waikato University, has developed Kotahitanga, which combines professional development for teachers with a different approach in the classroom.

He says feedback from some of the 30 high schools on the programme indicates there multiple factors contribute to the improved results.

“It's a combination of te Kotahitanga, of the school wide literacy programmes, of the secondary numeracy projects and their own in school professional develpment programmes that have sort of created a synergy within a school, a synergy that has created a climate in which Maori students are achieving – first of all they are staying at school,” Dr Bishop says.

MASS HAKA JUST HARAWIRA BULLYING

National MP Tau Henare won't be taking part in any mass haka on the steps of Parliament.

The idea has been put up by the Maori Party's Hone Harawira as a way to show support for Maori language week.

But Mr Henare, whose own children attended kura kaupapa, says the country should have moved on from that sort of stunt.

“Every week is Maori language week and I don’t think grandstanding on the steps of Parliament is going to do anything for Maori language week. It just makes Hone think he can corral people into doing things,” he says

Mr Henare says if he wants to see a haka, he'd prefer to see one done by people who know what they're doing, rather than by politicians.

MIGRANTS DISPLACING MAORI IMAGE

A Chinese-New Zealand academic says increasing Maori hostility towards new migrants is a teething problems of a multicultural society.

A new report by Massey University researchers says Maori take a tougher view of immigration than non-Maori, which many saying migrants take away jobs.

Manying Ip, the associate professor of Chinese at Auckland University, says that tallies with her own research.

She says increased immigration from non-traditional countries has challenged the Maori drive to make New Zealand bicultural.

“Maori would maintain that we are still bicultural or that we are trying to achieve biculturalism and then suddenly these new immigrants come along and it becomes multicultural and they haven’t sorted out the bicultural aspects yet so there’s another reason Maori dislike the Asians and the Chinese and so on,” Dr Ip says.

She says there is far too little interaction between Maori and Asian people.

MAORI PARTY INVISIBLE IN SOUTH

Christchurch kaumaatua Tosh Ruwhiu says the Maori Party is suffering from a low profile in the South Island.

Ko taa kaumaatua Tosh Ruwhiu e mea ana, horekau he kanohi o te Roopu Toorangapuu Maori e kitea ana i Te Waipounamu.

He asks who the Maori Party face in the South Island might be.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Airport sale alarms hapu neighbour

A Tainui hapu which lost its land to Auckland International Airport is taking a wait and see approach to the airport's possible sale.

Dubai Aerospace wants to buy up to 60 percent of the airport company.

Sonny Rauwhero from Te Akitai says the hapu has always been the last group considered when decisions are made about its neighbour.

He says the people are concerned that as the airport gets busier, it will further affect their land and lifestyle.

“Much as I like to see those planes fly in and out, in and out, I still like to have a bit of rangimarie and peace. They say the home is your castle where you like to go home and you’ve had a good week, tauiwi’s been strapping your back with a whip and on the weekend you want to go home, you want to put your feet up and muck around with the mokopuna, and then in flies this plane, wooom, and you’ve got to shut up until it lands,” Mr Rauwhero says.

Ngati Akitai is meeting tonight to discuss its response to the Dubai takeover bid.

MAORI GOOGLE BEING DEVELOPED

A Rotorua couple are developing a Maori language version of the Google Internet search.

Potaua and Nikolasa Biasiny-Tule are directing a team of volunteers translating the search pages.

Mrs Biasiny-Tule, a former lecturer at Waikato University's school of Maori and Pacific Development, says Google is open to the project.

“They actually run a free service and at the moment there’s about 117 languages you can translate the Google interface into, including some interesting ones like Klingon and Vork Vork Vork for Swedish chefs. Thankfully Tongan is in there so it just made sense that te reo Maori should be in there as well,” she says.

It’s a logical follow on to a project to create a Maori language interface to Microsoft Word.

LANGUAGE LEARNERS TRYING TOO HARD

A Ngati Kuri kaumatua says learners of te reo Maori should concentrate on the basics, rather than using words and phrases without understanding the full meaning.

E kii ana a Pineaha Murray o Te Taitokerau e tika ana kia maamaa te takoto o nga kupu i te reo aa, me maatua maarama te tangata ki aana kupu korero.

Pineaha Murray from Ngati kuri, explaining how learning te reo is a lifelong process.

NGI TAI SAYS KEEP ANCESTOR OUT OF HOWICK RARURARU

Ngai Tai has withdrawn permission for the name of its ancestor Torere to be used for a controversial east Auckland cultural centre.

The decision was announced at a resource consent hearing today on the redevelopment of the whare at the Emilia Maude Nixon Garden of Memories in Howick, which was damaged by arson two years ago.

Muriwai Jones from the Ngai Tai Iwi Authority says the iwi was upset at community hostility to the presence of the whare, which had been used for Maori culture and language programmes.

She says it's no way to treat a lady, so the iwi is cloaking its tipuna whaea's name and returning her mauri to Torere in the eastern Bay of Plenty.

“To have this ahu ariki’s name of ours treated and mismanaged and uncared for in this way is just totally abhorrent to us as descendants, totally abhorrent,” Mrs Jones says.

Manukau City Council chief executive Ian Maxwell says the name will be removed from official records.

LAOUR FIRST LOYALTY FOR ITS MAORI MPS

Shane Jones says Labour's Maori MPs are comfortable with the notion the party comes first.

In a debate on iwi radio this morning with Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia on iwi radio, the list MP said minority parties must learn to compromise, of they will forever be forced to operate on the fringes of government.

He says Labour's Maori MPs are prepared to accept the occasional compromise, because it ensures Maori are represented at the centre of power rather than being bystanders.
“The Maori members of Labour are first Lbour, make no mistake. Tari couldn’t handle that heat and she betrayed Labour and abandoned them. That’s fine. She’s been back to the people and the people have spoken. But the Maoris in Labour are first Labour,” Mr Jones says.

He says as 15 percent of the population, Maori can't expect to have everything go their way in politics.

MAORI KEPT OUT OF WORLD CUP SQUAD

Choirboys won't win the rugby world cup.

Sports commentator Ken Laban says many Maori are disappointed at the decision to leave Troy Flavell and Wainuiomata-raised Piri Weepu out of the All Black cup squad.

He says there is speculation Weepu was dropped because he broke a team curfew.

“If you're saying it’s a discipline issue because he went on Friday, well if you want perfect discipline you may as well have sent nuns and priests to the World Cup. If you’re supposed to be perfectly disciplined people get home and to bed on time. I think that’s pathetic. You pick players, based on their form, will get the job done on the field. If a player comes home late, well so what,” Mr Laban says.

AGENT ORANGE VETERANS SPEAKING OUT

Vietnam veteran Miki Apiti says if Agent Orange victims don't receive compensation soon from the Government for their pain and suffering, there won't be any left to make a noise.

E paatai ana a hoia tawhito a Miki Apiti, ahea te Kaawanatanga ka ea te mate paitini o ratou i pakanga atu ki Vietnam?

Fewer Maori leave school without qualifications

More Maori in work and study, plus modern teaching techniques are behind a decrease in the number of Maori students leaving school with no formal qualifications.

That's the reaction from Parekura Horeomia to a Ministry of Education report released yesterday showing improvement in the figures for Maori boys.

Two years ago, 53 percent left school with no qualifications. That figure is now 46 percent.

Mr Horomia says the results are due to the Education Ministry’s increased focus on Maori student achievement, their enthusiasm for modern technologies used in the classroom, and seeing more of their whanau with good jobs and in tertiary study.

“We want to make sure that we modernise the process of learning and that there’s certainly the basic ABCs, but through this strategy it means our people can be bicultural and culturally strong but at the same time be very clear on the opportunities that are out there,” Mr Horomia says.

He expects Maori secondary school achievement rates to further improve with the impending launch of Ka Hikitia, a new Maori education strategy.

LEAGUE WANTS MAORI WOMEN’S MINISTRY

The Maori Women's Welfare League wants to see a Ministry of Maori Womens Affairs.

General manager Jacqui Te Kani says it's an idea the league will raise in its report as part of the New Zealand delegation to the United Nations convention on discrimination against women in New York later this month.

She says a ministry could get serious about addressing the gaps Maori women face in health, education, income and other economic and social indicators.

“We see this as one solution where we can work in a relationship, maybe a better relationship, with the government to actually have a look at how we can close gaps or the disparities that face Maori women and its whanau,” Mrs Te Kani says.

The New Zealand delegation will also report on rates of domestic violence, pay differentials, the relative lack of women in senior management positions and the particular discrimination lesbian and bisexual women face in the workplace.

HOSUING MORE THAN FOUR WALLS AND A ROOF

The MP for Taitiokerau says housing policy needs to be about more than putting a roof over people's heads.

Hone Harawira says too much substandard housing is going up in his electorate, and that's leading to a high turnover of tenants and a lack of pride in the home.

He says Government and Maori agencies should be doing more to improve the state of Maori housing in Northland.

That investment will pay dividends in the future in the form of stable families.

“Because a stable family repays its bills. An unstable family runs out on its bills. So it’s in everybody’s best interests that we ensure that the people we house are housed properly so they want to stay, they feel a commitment back to the people that helped put them in there,” Mr Harawira says.

Much can be learned from the way state houses used to be built with the best available materials, which has allowed them to survive generations of families.

TOURISM LANGUAGE WEEK THEME

It's Maori Language Week, so say kia ora to locals and foreigners alike.

That's the message coming from Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori.

The Maori language commission is working with Tourism New Zealand and the Maori Tourism Council to encourage - te reo Maori ki te ao tapoi - Maori language in the world of tourism.

Chief executive Huhana Rokx says they're offering an award for tourist operators who incorporate Maori words and phrases into their everyday business.

“We identified that it’s our tourism operators that are meeting people on a day to day basis. Their business is about people and their business is looking after people, looking after visitors, manaakitanga, so we thought that was a natural partnership with te reo Maori,” she says.

Ms Rokx says this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Maori Language Act, which gave te reo Maori its official status.

FLAX BASKET TO KEEP BABIES SAFE

The national coordinator for the Maori Sudden Infant Death Syndrome group says a novel flax bassinette is a culturally appropriate way to address the problem.

Pauline Hopa says of the 60 babies who die each year of SIDS or cot death, as it is commonly known, 75 percent are Maori.

She says the message that parents shouldn't sleep with the newborn babies wasn't always getting through.

The wahakura developed by Hawkes Bay doctor David Tipene-Leach and traditional weavers is a promising compromise.

“People are wanting to adopt and to adapt and use our own traditional indigenous knowledge, like this bassinette for want of a better word, this wahakura as part of the tools and the sleeping equipment they need for their tamariki to keep them safe,” Ms Hopa says.