Maori child health on par with Chile slums

A world authority on child health is describing the health of Maori children as an international scandal.

Innes Asher, the professor of paediatrics at Auckland medical school, is leading a study into child illness in more than a 100 countries.

She says Maori kids and others from poor families are growing up in third world conditions similar to the worst slums in countries like Chile and India.

Professor Asher says government is to blame New Zealand ranking at the top of OECD tables for preventable childhood diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis, whooping cough, and rheumatic fever.

“Maori have about double rates of most of those types of conditions but particularly higher rates of rheumatic fever and bronchiectasis which are both permanently disabling conditions of the lungs and the heart so children who get these conditions may die in young adulthood from lung or heart disease or have permanent injury and be unable to work. Appalling high rates by international standards, quite a disgraceful outcome by our country’s children,” Professor Asher says.

She says many New Zealand families can’t afford to take their children to the doctor.

KAPA HAKA PREPARE FOR SHANGHAI EXPO

Groups from the country’s three top kapa haka are getting ready to stir up the crowds at the Shanghai World Expo starting in May.

A 10-metre kauri log is on its way to China to be turned into a waharoa or gateway for the New Zealand pavilion by carvers from Te Puia national Maori arts and craft institute.

Trevor Maxwell, the kaupapa Maori advisor to Tourism New Zealand, says it will be a great backdrop to the daily performances by teams from Te Waka Huia, Whangara Mai Tawhiti and Te Whanau A Apanui.

He says the Maori performing arts were a big draw at the last two world expos.

More than 70 million visitors are expected through the Shanghai Expo between May and October.

CRITICS TOO LATE TO STOP LAKE WALK CONSTRUCTION

The chair of Tuhourangi says opponents to a $4 million walkway around Lake Tarawera have missed the boat.

Some tribal members say the walkway will result in rubbish being left in the area, and it won’t have the economic benefits its promoters are claiming.

But John Waaka says they should have raised their concerns earlier in the process, rather than as construction starts.

John Waaka says the land trusts around the lake believe they can develop new businesses catering for tourists walking the track.

ADVISOR WANTS MINISTER TO DELIVER ON GOOD INTENTIONS

A member of the independent advisory group on national standards wants to make sure the new testing regime for primary and intermediate schools won't make things worse for Maori pupils.

Tonny Trinnick from Auckland University's faculty of education was put on the group at the request of associate education minister Pita Sharples.

He says Education Minister Anne Tolley has made it clear the standards will be implemented, despite the lack of clear evidence from the United States and Britain that they make a significant difference to children who are underachieving.

“National standards are like any educational initiative. On the face of it they perhaps have good intentions. We need to translate those good intentions into practice and make sure that we’re very clear that national standards will actually make a difference for our Maori children and not make things more challenging for them and for teachers,” Mr Trinnick says.

His role will be to provide free and frank advice to the minister.

OLDMAN COLLECTION GETS COORDINATED CURATORSHIP

Te Papa Tongarewa has reached agreement with other museums around the country to co-ordinate guardianship of an important collection of Maori taonga and Polynesian objects formerly owned by British collector William Oldman.

Acting chief executive Michelle Hippolite says the Oldman Collection of more than 3500 objects from the late eighteen hundreds and earlier was purchased by the New Zealand government in 1948 and split up among museums around the country on its return.

“He used to store his collection in his home and in every room including up the stairway he had object after object after object sop he obviously had a passion about the people of this land, and any opportunity he had to collect and buy, that’s exactly what he did,” Ms Hippolite says.

Some of the objects show unique styles and patterns and the agreement between Te Papa, Auckland War Memorial Museum, Canterbury museum and Otago museum will allow the collection’s full significance to be understood.

Ill-judged policy could close uni doors to Maori

Massey University's vice chancellor says the Government's policies could exclude Maori from universities.

The Prime Minister has signaled students with low marks or who take too long to get through their studies could be weeded out.

But Steve Maharey, a former Labour minister of education, says that could hit Maori students who typically enter university after a break in the workforce, rather than coming straight from school.

“If they don't pay attention to that and we are forced as universities to simply to take people say from schools on a grade average, then we are going to be in a position where we see very few Maori coming into universities. This is not where the country needs to go. It needs to open up opportunities for Maori to get into tertiary study,” Mr Maharey says.

The government needs to be working with iwi who want to invest in their people through tertiary education.

TUHOURANGI CHIEF DEFENDS TARAWERA WALKWAY

The chair of the Tuhourangi Trust Board says opponents to a walkway around Lake Tarawera should have raised their concerns earlier.

Some tribal members have companied Tuhourangi will gain little from the $4 million project, which is due to start construction next month.

But John Waaka says the land trusts that administer the whenua along the walkway have worked on the project for 4 years because they are convinced it will create economic opportunities.

“There was a buy in from the trusts that have the ability to build lodges on their own properties to accommodate some of these walkers. This is the whole thrust of it, to give the iwi some income and some purpose,” Mr Waaka says.

TEN METRE WAKA MAUMAHARA BOUND FOR SHANGHAI

Rotorua's deputy mayor says a 10-metre waka maumahara will be an international window into te ao Maori.

Trevor Maxwell, who is a kaupapa Maori advisor for Tourism New Zealand, was at Te Puia Maori arts and crafts institute yesterday for the poroporoaki for the 3000-year-old log of Northland kauri, which is now on its way to the World Expo in Shanghai.

The carvers have until the Expo's New Zealand day on July 9 to turn it into a canoe-shaped gateway to the New Zealand Pavilion.

Up to 70 million visitors are expected through the expo between May and October.

GAMBLING FOUNDATION LOOKING FOR TECHNOLOGY CURE

The Problem Gambling Foundation wants technology to come to the aid of Maori who are addicted to gambling machines.

Chief executive Graeme Ramsey says tools are available which allow people to put a limit on the amount of money and time they intended to spend, and when the limit is reached, the pokie closes.

He says the government should make use of such software mandatory because of the damage gambling is doing to groups such as Maori, who are over-represented in problem gambling statistics.

Mr Ramsey says more than 80 percent of problem gambling in New Zealand comes from pokies.

MAORI KING IN NGAI TAI FOR KAPA HAKA FESTIVAL

The Maori king will be the special guest at tomorrow's Mataatua Regional Kapahaka competitions in the small Tainui enclave of Torere.

Organiser Kareen Hotereni says the eastern Bay of Plenty community, which has about 300 residents, expects about 6000 manuhiri.

Sixteen teams will vie to go through to next year's Te Matatini nationals, including reigning champions Opotiki Mai Tawhiti, Te Whanau A Apanui and Tauira mai Tawhiti.

Ms Hotereni says the visit by King Tuheitia will be a highlight, some 13 years after Ngai Tai hosted the late Maori queen.

NGAI TAHU CULTURE FESTIVAL ON POUNAMU TRAIL

Ngai Tahu holds its second culture festival this weekend on a tribally-owned property on one of the ancient pounamu trails to the West Coast.

Organiser Tracey Tawha says Southland's Te Koawa Turoa o Takitimu, also known as Blackmount Valley, was the way the tipuna got between Murihiku settlements like Riverton area to Piopiotahi, the Milford sound.

Being only 20 minutes from Manapouri and Te Anau, it seemed an ideal venue to bring the iwi together.

Tracey Tawha says the festival includes kapa haka, bands, sport, art and culinary displays.