Findings of the Māori-led inquiry into Oranga Tamariki highlight the trauma and heavy-handed state approach behind New Zealand’s appalling child care and protection statistics. Teuila Fuatai looks at the key findings and reaction to it. Dame Naida Glavish: ‘The treatment of Māori women has been inhumane’ Dame Naida Glavish led the governance group which oversaw … Read more
A new programme replacing woodwork at two Hamilton intermediate schools is helping young Māori connect through the art of whakairo. Outside the wharenui bearing his carvings, Matua Rei Mihaere drives his closed fist through the air. Thirteen pairs of eyes look up at him as he asks, “If you see this at home or anywhere, … Read more
A landmark study has shown the true value of tikanga Māori-based early-intervention childcare using research from a parenting programme in West Auckland. Corrine grew up in a wonderful household; her parents never so much as swore in front of her. In her own words, they were “amazing role models,” but when she became a teenager … Read more
She’s been a stalwart on our screens and airwaves for two decades and could easily rest on her laurels, but the indefatigable Stacey Morrison is all about giving back to her community. Across Auckland on any given weekday, you’ll find a free te reo Māori class being taught, from Unitec and AUT’s popular classes to … Read more
Grandparents Mere and Ngaro Pita spent decades in a run-down home. A West Auckland programme for elderly residents helped fix that. Mere and Ngaro Pita’s West Auckland home is literally a labour of love. The proud grandparents live about five minutes’ walk from Kelston Boys’ High School with their four mokopuna. Originally from the Far … Read more
The hugely popular InnoNative market day, which sells 100% handmade and traditional Māori products, now has a more permanent home in Whangārei. Tucked among the industrial workshops near Whangārei’s Town Basin is a whānau-driven shop making a name for its authentic indigenous products. The InnoNative Market pop-up store occupies one corner of the larger business … Read more
Wrap around support services and a new software are helping whānau get out of debt, without taking yet another loan. It’s hard not to feel chuffed for Jacquilin Tuatara. Six months ago, the former social worker was drowning in debt and preparing to leave Auckland. A year of unsuccessful job hunting and “chasing contracts” had … Read more
Māori are looking to the Wellbeing Budget to increase targeted funding for initiatives like Whānau Ora, a system that, according to its architect, still hasn’t reached its potential. Whānau Ora was one of the Māori party’s flagship policies. In 2010, a partnership with the Key government secured its implementation. Over nearly a decade, it has been … Read more
Thanks to research and innovation hub Wai-Atamai, Recovery First is helping vulnerable people channel their energy into native plants. Te Atatu local Hone Pene is pretty chuffed about his collection of plants. In the crisp, morning autumn sun, the 63-year-old points out the rows of potted baby puriri, mānuka and kōwhai trees at the front of … Read more
This year’s Te Matatini winners, Ngā Tūmanako, were first brought together as kura kaupapa students at West Auckland’s Hoani Waititi Marae. Foundation members look back at the group’s evolution over the years. In the early 2000s, talks among a few West Auckland school friends signalled a new kapa haka group was on the horizon. Bonded … Read more
For decades she stood up for urban Māori and provided services to a community that was often overlooked. Close friends and family celebrate the life of Dame Temuranga “June” Batley-Jackson. A lot is made of understanding the Treaty of Waitangi as a living document. The Waitangi Tribunal explains the concept by outlining how Te Tiriti … Read more