Police talking crime prevention with iwi

Police are working with iwi leaders to cut Maori crime rates.

The first hui was held at Waiwhetu Marae in Lower Hutt yesterday, and more are planned in Auckland, Rotorua and other centres.

Superintendent Wally Haumaha says the hui are taking a practical approach, with workshops looking the type of crimes prevalent in each rohe and the sort of circumstances that draw Maori into risky and criminal behaviour, starting with tamariki from zero to ten years.

“There will be a group talking about five or six problem in that age group like parenting, shoplifting, victims of family violence, and then from 11 to 16 there will be another set of problems around truancy, drugs, shoplifting, burglary,” Superintendant Haumaha says.

A final workshop will look at problems for the 17 plus age group such as drink driving, alcohol and family violence.

EARLY EDUCATION NEEDED FOR ORGAN DONATION

An Invercargill-based anthropologist who has researched Maori organ donation wants to see a public education programme promoting the practice.

Jennifer Ngahooro says whanau members often override the deceased person's consent to donate body parts, reducing the number of organs available for donation.
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She says the waiting room of an intensive care unit is not the place for a family to have the first conversation about organ donation, and it's better to raise the issue well beforehand.

She’d like to see a documentary which could generate conversations about donation.

Mrs Ngahooro says she has received good feedback to her suggestion at a seminar on organ donation in Wellington that poroporoaki and powhiri ceremonies be developed to help whanau through the process of transferring body parts.

PARENTING TOUGHEST JOB THERE IS

The presenter of a new Maori Television show says parenting is the hardest job.

No Sweat Parenting features comedies sketches as well as discussions about family life.

Mother of two Stacey Morrison says many Maori have their children young, and they go into in thinking it will be easy, whereas it’s far harder than any other job.

Mrs Morrison says young Maori parents may be glad to be assured that times of extreme exhaustion and stress will pass.

UMAS BUY IN TO PRISONS FOR PROFIT RHETORIC

Auckland urban Maori authorities want to be part of the management of the new private prison in South Auckland.

The Government says the new 1000 bed male prison to be built at Wiri will be a public-private partnership.

Willie Jackson, the chief executive of the Manukau Urban Maori Authority, says he and Waipareira head John Tamihere are talking to the prison companies who are likely to bid for the management contract.

“We should get involved in this although we have copped some criticism for that. We know that it’s our people who are in there so who better to work with them than people who know them and so the urban Maori authorities have expressed an interest in this type of business and we will continue to do that over the next few weeks and months,” Mr Jackson says.

He says Auckland Central Remand Prison was successfully managed by an Australian company before the Labour government put it back under state control.

MESSAGE ON FORESHORE REPEATED TO STATE OF TURN OFF

Metiria Turei is predicting a low Maori turn-out for consultation hui on changes to the foreshore and seabed Act.

The Green Party co-leader says that's because all that is on offer from National is a blend of the existing law and the deal Labour negotiated with East Coast tribe Ngati Porou.

“There isn't a lot more for Maori to say to government about what they want because they didn’t listen to what Maori had been saying all along. After a while you just get tired of saying the same things over and over,” Ms Turei says.

Attorney General Chris Finlayson will hold a consultation hui today at Pukemokimoki Marae in Napier and a public meeting at 6.30pm in the Hawkes Bay Municipal Theatre

KURA USES GREEN FINGERS TO DRIVE LEARNING

A Hamilton kura which has turned its grounds into an organic garden and orchards is seeing the benefits well beyond the school gates.

Rhode Street school has a commercial kitchen that processes the harvest into preserves, pickles and sauces which are sold at farmers' markets.

Principal Shane Ngatai says students are learning life skills and nutritional knowledge lost to their parents' generation.

Their enjoyment of hands on learning is boosting overall academic achievement.

“They're learning stuff like hydroponics. They’re learning about the chemical nature of plants, organics and so forth, so their vocab is improving, their knowledge is improving, and when we have visitors to the school it’s fantastic to see the pride they have when they show the visitors around the kura and talk about their learning and talk about what their involvement in that was,” Mr Ngatai says.

Other schools are picking up the gardening kaupapa.