Agencies ignore plight of gang children

Afternoon December 24

A gang liaison worker is highly critical of government agencies not helping gang families who sought parenting help following the murder of Wanganui two-year old Jhai Te Tua in a drive by shooting.

Dennis O'Reilly who has been working with gangs in the area says many acknowledged themselves they did not have good parenting skills.

“But when we went to set up a programme to do something about that, the government agencies in the area wouldn’t look at it. It was so politicised, and so nothing was done. And so the sickness perpetuates and it keeps on resulting in bad and sad things that happen down there,” Mr O'Reilly says.

With Maori party co-leaders Pita Sharples and Tariana Turia having influence in power he is hopeful that in spite of hard economic times there will be a better approach so Maori can regalvanise around marae, Te Reo and building strong and healthy families.

RATANA PROPHECIES STILL RELEVANT

The author of the book Ratana - the Prophet to be launched early in the New Year says TW Ratana was an outstanding man whose prophesies are still highly relevant today.

Keith Newman who has spent more than 20 years researching the life of the Maori prophet who died in 1939 says he is one of the most influential people in our history with his message coming from the wisdom of the Bible in one hand and the Treaty of Waitangi in the other.

Another of Ratana's prophesies was that in the year 2000 a woman would lead the Labour party and at that time people would know that they were at the gateway of enlightenment for New Zealand.

MAORI GOLF TOURNAMENT FOR NEW YEAR

All fairways lead to Christchurch for Maori golfers keen to make a name for themselves at the 72nd annual Maori golf tournament which gets underway early in the New Year.

Merv Waiwai says the Maori tournament remains a highlight of the Maori golf calendar and he's expecting a good turnout of about 300 players for the nationals starting on January 4 at the Waimairi Beach and Avondale Golf Courses.

Merv Waiwai says the Maori golfers will be welcomed onto and hosted by Rehua marae.

POST GRAD NUMBERS A POSITIVE FOR FUTURE

Maori educationalist and political commentator Rawiri Taonui says there are positive signs reflected in the increased numbers of Maori students qualifying with post graduate degrees.

The head of Maori and indigenous studies at Canterbury University says tertiary institutes in Te Wai Pounamu have traditionally struggled to attract Maori post graduate students, but this year around 30 turned out at a research symposium held in Christchurch in September.

Mr Taonui says many are choosing to study in fields outside the norm, such as Pauline Harris from Te Rarawa and Ngapuhi who is the first Maori woman to graduate with a degree in astrophysics.

Another student, Eruera Prendergast, has completed a masters degree with first class honours and distinction in the oral traditions of early settlement in the South Island.

WHANGANUI RIVER REMAINS SOURCE OF IDENTITY

"I am the river and the river is me" is a common phrase used by the people of Whanganui River and it may take on new meaning for those on the tira hoe wananga this January.

Uri or descendents of the Whanganui River will reaffirm those connections when they gather in Taumarunui for a two week wananga on the history of the awa and its iwi.

They'll travel down the river, visiting significant sites and spending time with their whanaunga.

Gerard Albert said the tira hoe wananga began in the eighties and was the idea of kaumatua such as the late Rangitihi (John) Tahuparae

"And they said don’t simply talk about the river, go back to the river and commune with the ancestors that are still in the water and by that way you will understand who you truly are,” Mr Albert says.

This year the hikoi be joined by Kingi Tuheitia and his twelve year old daughter, who was born while he grandmother Te Ataairangikaahu was taking part in the wananga, and was named Ngawaihono by the kaumatua of Whanganui.

STEVE KEARNEY HAPPY WITH LOT

Santa can skip Steve Kearney's house this year.

The Kiwi coach is happy with the Rugby League World Cup and doesn't need anything else.

The Kearney whanau will be spending Christmas in Australia where the Te Atiawa ki Whakarongotai coach is assistant to Craig Bellamy at the Melbourne Storm.

That contract lasts until 2010 and while taking on an NRL team is a long term goal he's not in any hurry.

Te Kotahitanga only part of answer

Morning December 24

The Maori Party spokesperson on education says the Te Kotahitanga programme doesn't have all the answers to address Maori student under-achievement.

Te Ururoa Flavell say he welcomes plans to see the programme, which encourages a stronger relationship between teachers and Maori students, rolled out to more schools next year.

The Waiariki MP says while any initiative to lift scholastic performance by Maori students is important, research indicates whanau involvement in the school community is also a major incentive to improved results.

“The under-achievement of our people in the education system is going to take a hell of a lot more than Te Kotahitanga,” Mr Flavell says.

CARVER’S FAMILY RALLIES AROUND

If the thought of hordes of whanau arriving home for the holidays is raising your blood pressure, spare a thought for the organiser of one of the country's larger whanau gatherings.

Around 350 descendents of the Ngati Raukawa tohunga whakairo Hokowhitu McGregor will gather at Kereru Marae at Koputaroa in Levin over the New Year's break.

Maaka McGregor, says his great grandfather was one of four carvers that worked on houses for the Kingitanga using a very distinctive Tainui style which brings in the iwi’s celestial stories about the beginning of time, interspersed with kereru or shape shifters.

He was also one of the first carvers to carve five fingers, instead of the more normal three.

The Hokowhitu McGregor reunion will include trips to see some of McGregor's work on meetings houses, churches and in the Pataka Museum in Palmerston North

RATANA THE PROPHET GETS NEW BOOK

The author of a book on the founder of the Ratana church called "Ratana - the Prophet" says he was inspired by T W Ratana's message of unity and spiritual leadership.

Keith Newman who has spent more than 20 years researching the life of the prophet who died in 1939 says when he first visited the church near Wanganui he was stunned by the embracing environment where everyone was welcome.

Keith Newman says as a non-Maori it took him a long time to get official support for the project but over time this was forthcoming as he built up trust that he wasn't out to exploit the church.

The book is being launched on January 5.

PARATA URGING NEW THINKING ON NATIONAL

New Maori National MP Hekia Parata says hanging onto ideological beliefs like seeing National as against the interests of workers and Maori is a form of prejudice not supported by the facts.

Hekia Parata, who with her husband Wira Gardiner resigned from National during Don Brash's leadership because of its policies on race, but rejoined when John Key became leader says the National Party is now one of inclusiveness and embracing a wide variety of views.

“John Key very much is what you see is what you get. He is an inclusive person. He absolutely believes in the potential of this country. So I think it is really important that we each of us overcome some of the prejudice. You are brought up with a set of views which are not supported by the evidence,” she says.

Ms Parata says the inclusion of the Maori party in the coalition arrangement is a clear demonstration of inclusiveness and the desire to include a wide range of interests in decision-making.

STATEGY NEEDED TO REAP REWARDS FROM CONFIDENCE DEAL

Meanwhile Waiariki MP Te Ururoa Flavell says careful strategic planning is needed to ensure the Maori Party prospers from the political arrangement brokered with National.

He says the past fortnight has been like a political whirlwind, and the short festive break for the Maori Party MPs will be a welcome opportunity to take stock.

Mr Flavell says the party caucus will meet early in the New Year, to ensure they hit the ground running, and to finalise arrangements for their visits to Ratana and Waitangi.

RATANA BOOK A 20 YEAR UNDERTAKING

The non - Maori author of a book on the Maori spiritual leader TW Ratana called "Ratana - the prophet" to be launched early in the New Year says it took him more than 20 years to build the trust needed to write the book.

Keith Newman says when he first started researching the life of the prophet who died in 1939 he was met with a fear that information would be misused for a hugely profitable enterprise or misunderstood but over time he was officially accepted.

That gave him a chance to understand what he was getting into, and the multiple layers to the story.

Ratana - the Prophet to be launched on January 5 is a simplified and more accessible version of an earlier book he wrote on the Ratana movement.

Recession hitting Maori workers

Afternoon December 23

It may not be a Meri Kerihimete for a growing number of Maori around the motu with the economic recession starting to bite.

Syd Kepa who is the apiha Maori for the Northern Distribution Union and on the runanga of the Council of Trade Unions, says people may be surprised at the scale of the layoffs going on and it's hitting Maori communities particularly hard.

“In my patch alone I’ve had about 250, 260 redundancies. Most of them are in the building and forestry area,” Mr Kepa says.

He doubts the government's new 90-day probation period will help to stimulate the economy, and if workers do manage to land new jobs they'll be too nervous about being laid off to spend any money.

NEW VALUES SEEN IN GOVERNMENT

New Maori National MP Hekia Parata who resigned from the party in 2004 because she believed it had abandoned principles under leader Don Brash's racial policies is saying there is a whole new set of values within the government.

Hekia Parata who resigned with her husband Wira Gardiner says they came back to National because of the new inclusiveness under the leadership of John Key and Bill English his deputy.

“There’s been a whole hearted recognition of the need to have the broad church that National has always prided itself on having, and as part of that to respond to who New Zealand is now and who New Zealand is becoming, and I think the leadership of the party has done a really good job with that, not only recognising that need but actively seeking out talented and competent people that come from these communities that make up Aotearoa New Zealand,” Ms Parata says.

She says the coalition arrangements put together since the election are clear sign of inclusiveness and preparedness to listen which will produce a brighter future for New Zealand.

TAMIHERE COUNTING ON KEY SUPPORT FOR URBAN MAORI


The executive chairman of the National Urban Maori Authorities believes he has a key ally.

John Tamihere says after a meeting with the Prime Minister, he's optimistic community groups on the ground will be given more responsibility and resources to address their own social problems.

He says for too long Maori have suffered at the hands of bureaucracy who think they have all the answers, and next year he will put pressure on underperforming government agencies.

Mr Tamihere says he and fellow urban Maori advocate Willie Jackson met recently with John Key to outline some of the initiatives they believe will help address alarmingly poor rates of literacy and numeracy among tamariki.

“Willie and I met with John Key on Friday and he’s extraordinarily supportive of this. I spent six years in the Labour caucus and couldn’t get the type of acknowledgement or support that we get in five minutes off this bloke. It’s amazing really, a real turnaround,” Mr Tamihere says.

GOFF LOOKING FOR SUBSTANCE BEHIND SMILE

However Labour leader Phil Goff says more than a smile is going to be needed in the coming year ahead.

Phil Goff says Prime Minister John Key comes across to most people as a nice guy but what New Zealanders want is strong and effective leadership.

“It’s got to be more than a smile and it’s got be more than trying to be all things to all people. There are hard decisions to make. Those decisions need to be made on behalf of New Zealanders. We will give the best advice we can from the Opposition benches and it’s up to the Government what they accept from us. Where we think they are doing the wrong things, we will be speaking out,” Mr Goff says.

He says there are hard decisions to be made in tough economic times which will continue to affect Maori and Pakeha next year.

He says parliament spent two weeks in urgency but did not address the real issues such as protecting jobs.

RUGBY CALENDAR SQUANDERS MAORI BRAND

Rugby Commentator Ken Laban says the unilateral decision by the NZRFU to deny the Maori squad games next year misses a golden opportunity to further enhance the Maori brand.

The Wainuiomata based broadcaster says a more suitable arrangement could have been brokered had the national body been more open in their consultation process.

He says the Maori squad would provide sterner opposition for the All Blacks Tri nations preparations than recent teams lackluster performances.

Mr Laban says Maori rugby deserves better, and the best Maori players will make the Junior All Blacks next year.

ANCIENT SOUNDS ADDED TO ORGAN

The work of taonga puoro experts Richard Nunns and the late Hirini Melbourne has inspired the inclusion of the sounds of traditional Maori instruments in the $3.5 million rebuild of the Auckland city organ currently being undertaken in Germany.

Auckland city organist John Wells says the oppoprtunity to include the sounds of the koauau, a type of flute, and pukaea, a trumpet within the music to be made by the 97 year organ was too good an opportunity to miss.

He says he sent a DVD by Richard Nunns and Hirini Melbourne playing taonga purora to the rebuilder Richard Kliss which inspired him to include the sound of the Maori instruments.

John Wells says no one will know exactly how the organ sounds until it is fully rebuilt with a date for its first concert set down

Support for canning wind farm

Morning December 23

Hawkes Bay hapu hope support from non-Maori will help quash once and for all plans by transmission company Unison, to build a 34 turbine windfarm on the Te Wake range.

Tania Hopmans from the Maunga Hararu Tangitu Society Incorporated, a collection of hapu opposing the wind farm, says they are awaiting a decision by the environment court on whether the project will proceed.

She says over the past fortnight the court heard from groups determined to see the project scuttled, including Maori concerns that the planned development demeans their tupuna maunga, and non-Maori groups worried about the aesthetic impact, but who have an developed an appreciation of the Maori argument.

“The know the story of the waka that we see in the landscape, and that gives them a greater appreciation of the landscape,” Ms Hopmans says.

It will be a couple of months before the result of the court case is known.

UNION DEFENDS RUGBY BROWN-OUT

The New Zealand Rugby Union is defending its decision not to schedule any games for the Maori All Blacks next year on economic grounds.

Rugby Union spokesman Brent Anderson who is general manager of community and provincial rugby says the union is charged with looking after rugby in New Zealand for all New Zealanders.

“We have to ensure the All Blacks remain a winning team, and part of the basis for the decision was asking is we could have both as Maori team and a junior All Black team planning. The answer was we can’t, if we want to ensure that the All Blacks are a winning team and all New Zealanders can have pride and follow that team, then having the junior team play rather than the Maori team was going to ensure that,” Mr Anderson says.

TAMIHERE URGES PROTEST SHIFT TO LEAGUE

However politician turned broadcaster John Tamihere says institutionalised racism is behind the NZRFU's decision not to grant the Maori rugby squad any fixtures next year.

The former chairman of New Zealand Maori rugby league says the lack of recognition is intolerable, and Maori must pressure the sport’s governing body to ensure the situation is rectified.

Mr Tamihere says for the NZRFU to say it is a sporting decision and not political is absurd.

He says all Maori should snub rugby and take up rugby league

RUGBY UNION FEELING THE PRESSURE

The New Zealand Rugby Union is showing signs that it may be responding to pressure from Maoridon over its decision not to schedule any games for the Maori All Blacks next year.

Last week the Union put out a media release indicating that no games had been organised for the Maori team on economic grounds and instead priority was being given to the Junior All Blacks.

This sparked a tirade of criticism from many Maori including former players such as Buck Shelford, administrators like Matt Te Pou and former New Zealand Rugby League chair John Tamihere who has called it institutionalised rascism and called on all Maori to turn to league.

However yesterday two Rugby Union representatives ...Maori delegate on the rugby union Paul Quinn and the general manager of provisional and community rugby Brent Anderson both indicated that the decision may not be as black and white as first thought.

Brent Anderson says management has been given a directive by the Union's board to try and find suitable credible opposition for the New Zealand Maori team to play next year.

“We will work down that line. If we can find some opposition willing to play and can help us meet our budget targets, we will certainly be going down that line,” Mr Anderson says.

ARAB COUNTRIES WELCOMING MAORI WORKERS

A Maori architect working in Dubai says Arab countries are welcoming Maori workers, as they have an appreciation of the cultural dynamic that exists in their countries.

Mike Barnes from Tuwharetoa ki Kawerau, says he's sure his whakapapa has been a bonus for him and other Maori working in the Middle East.

He says as it is becoming increasingly common for Maori and Polynesian elements to be incorporated into the designs of public buildings in New Zealand, similarly in Dubai there is also a commitment to ensure aspects of the Arab World are factored into the building design process.

Mike Barnes from Oceania Architecture is in New Zealand for last Saturday's opening of Nga Whetu O Te Rangi, the refurbished Ngati Pukenga wharenui in Welcome Bay.

KOAUAU SOUND ADDED IN ORGAN REBUILD

The sound of taonga puoro...traditional Maori instruments...are being added to the Auckland City organ as part of its $3.5 million rebuild in Germany making it truly unique.

City organist John Wells says the sounds of the koauau, a type of flute, and pukaea, a trumpet, will be replicated in ranks of pipes at the 97-year old organ's highest level.

John Wells says the rebuilders in Germany were inspired by a DVD of taonga puoro experts Richard Nunns and the late Hirini Melbourne which he sent them.

The restored 18 tonne organ will not be heard in Auckland before March 2010 such is the magnitude of the rebuilding task.

Hope yet for Maori All Blacks

Bulletins December 22

The Maori delegate on the New Zealand Rugby Union Paul Quinn says it is not definite that the Maori All Blacks will not be playing any games next year.

A media release by the union last week sparked outrage across Maoridom when it announced that no games had been arranged for the Maori All Blacks in 2009.

However Paul Quinn, who entered parliament this year as a National list MP, says although the Maori All Blacks have not been scheduled to play in the Pacific Nations competition next year, the NZRFU board has asked management to pursue options.

He says the New Zealand Maori team remains one of the union's high performance teams alongside the All Blacks and the New Zealand Juniors.

BROWN HOPES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD BOOST

The Mayor of Manukau Len Brown says he received a positive response to his call for a greater government commitment to early childhood education when he meet with Prime Minister John Key in Wellington last week.

Len Brown says another 20 to 30 pre-school facilities are needed in South Auckland particularly for Maori and Pacific Island kids.

Only 78 percent of Maori children and 79 percent of Pacific Island children in the region are attending pre-school, compared with 95 percent for every other group.

He says the Prime Minister also made all the right noises when he sought commitment for a second campus to be set up by AUT in Hyland Park within five years.

SHARPLES TOO BUSY FOR TE MATATINI APPEARANCE

One casualty of the National-Act-Maori Party coalition may be Pita Sharples' proud record at Te Matatini.

The Minister of Maori Affairs has competed at every national kapa haka competition since it began in the early seventies.

The mau rakau... or taiaha expert... composes, tutors and performs with the West Auckland based roopu... Manutaki... who regularly make the top six... and took the top honours at Waitangi in 1990.

However his ministerial workload means the Maori Party co-leader may have to give next year's competition in Tauranga a miss... but he's been lobbying the current tutor, his son Paora, for a slot if the opportunity arises.

WAIT NOW FOR WIND FARM DECISION

Hawkes Bay Maori locked in a battle over a proposed windfarm on their tupuna maunga says the latest attempt by the developer is an abuse of process.

Tania Hopmans from the Maunga Hararu Tangitu society says it will be a nervous wait over the festive season, as the Environment Court considers an application by lines company Unison to build a 34-turbine wind farm on the Te Wake range.

Ms Hopmans says two years ago the same company were denied rights to a 37 turbine wind farm, and to put objectors through another round of evidence over the past two weeks for a proposal with just three less turbines is an abuse of the Environment Court process.

She questions how many times a developer has a chance to get their proposals right.

TASMAN TURNS DOWN MAORI REPRESENTATION

Iwi at the top of the South Island are determined to continue fighting for Maori representation on the Tasman District Council despite rejection of their move to gain a say in local body decisions.

Barney Thomas who chairs Tiakina te Taiao which represents four of the six iwi in the Tasman district says this and the recent failure to put together a Memorandum of Understanding with the Council does not mean Maori are going to let the issue die.

“We ain’t going nowhere. We’re going to be here for the next 200 years plus. We wanrt to ensure our grandchildren don’t have to experience what we’re going through now and we’ll be there for the long haul,” Mr
Thomas says.

Iwi are major land owners in the Tasman district and a major contributor through rates also.

WELCOME BAY MARAE REOPENED

The architect who helped in the rebuild of the wharenui at Te Whetu O Te Rangi marae in Tauranga, says the hau kainga must take most of the credit for its reconstruction.

On Saturday hundreds were on hand at the Ngati pukenga marae in Welcome Bay, including Kingi Tuheitia and Tumu Te Heuheu, to mark the historic reopening after fire razed the old wharenui and ablution block two years ago.

Mike Barnes from Tuwharetoa ki Kawerau, was commissioned through his company Oceania Architecture to oversee the rebuild, and says Saturdays opening was the culmination of many people’s efforts.

Carvings were done by Des Kahotea, the project was managed by Rahera Ohia, with support by kaumatua and young people.