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
An ancient grove of pōhutukawa on Takapuna beach was once used by Māori to prepare the dead for burial. Today the trees are frail and pose a danger to the path below. Mana whenua want it closed but some residents want to keep it open as it provides easy access to the beach. There’s a … Read more
As part of the University of Otago’s Maya-Māori cultural economy exchange last month, four Mayan academics visited New Zealand to share their experiences of colonisation. Alice Webb-Liddall spoke to the group about what indigenous people can learn from their shared experiences. “It’s easy to get stuck in a bubble of your own survival,” says Maria … Read more
Inheritance plays as part of The Basement Theatre’s Matariki season this week. Sam Brooks talks to one of its creators about what the show wants to say. Jess Holly Bates has quite a bit of experience making shows that start conversations. Her show Real White Fake Dirt critiqued Pākehā privilege in a way that was both … Read more
Hōngongoi/July is all about planning. Learn more about the maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar, here. The month of Hōngongoi/Hūrae (July) is about getting ready and prepared for the rest of the year. Hūrae was traditionally a time for wānanga which consisted of intense planning, goal setting and putting timelines in place for the coming year. Prior … Read more
Last week some of the world’s brightest indigenous minds converged in Waikato for NAISA 2019. Te Nia Matthews reported from the frontline of the revolution. During the lunch break on the second day of NAISA I sat in a theatre with about 70 other people at a screening of Hepi Mita’s documentary Merata: How Mum … Read more
Former Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust chair Toni Waho was removed from his position in 2014 for allegedly bringing the trust into disrepute when he reported misspending by a subsidiary. Last month the High Court cleared Waho of any misconduct. The price paid by everyone involved in the six years leading up to that point … Read more
At the heart of the issue surrounding Oranga Tamariki and their disproportionate uplifting of Māori children from their families is the desire for solutions to be found within iwi, hapū and whānau. Recognising that the Māori family structure looks different from the Western one would be a great place to start. In English we have … Read more
When the Māori All Blacks play Fiji this month, MP Peeni Henare will be in the commentary booth calling the match in te reo. Don Rowe reports on an initiative to normalise te reo through the medium of sport. Around 500 years ago, in 2011, Māori TV broadcasted all 48 games of that year’s Rugby … Read more
Rei is an internationally successful, award-winning musician who can rap, sing, produce beats, and even tell a couple of jokes. He talked to The Spinoff about Ariana Grande, meditation, and writing music as self-encouragement. The winter sun is warm, and so is Rei. He’s the kind of person who puts you at ease straight away. … Read more
To anyone paying attention, the inequity embedded in the health system is undeniable. A new report from the Waitangi Tribunal lays that bare. Gabrielle Baker explains the findings, and what the government needs to do to prove it takes them seriously Two-and-a-half years after it pinpointed health as a priority for investigation, the Waitangi Tribunal … Read more
As part of the Deep South National Science Challenge, the small coastal town of Omaio is placing mātauranga Māori and climate science at the centre of their food and water management. Photos by Sylvie Winray I meet Peter Insley on a low promontory that rests above the Hāparapara River. Kids have built a rickety jumping platform in the pūriri … Read more
Every few years, as the Māori economy grows, someone floats the idea of an iwi-owned financial institution. The list of pros and cons is long, writes business advisor and Treaty commentator Joshua Hitchcock. It has been a challenging period for the banking industry in New Zealand. Moves by the Reserve Bank to strengthen capital carrying … Read more
The young Indian man assaulted on the streets of Sandringham earlier this month migrated to New Zealand believing it was a peaceful, tolerant place. Our history suggests otherwise, writes Scott Hamilton. Content warning: contains racist language and descriptions of violence. The man had been enjoying the June winter sunshine, walking the deserted midday streets of … Read more
On the latest episode of The Good Citizen podcast, Jacqueline Paul talks to Jeremy Hansen about the housing crisis, inequality and the damage racist stereotyping is doing to Auckland. Landscape architect, housing advocate and aspiring local body politician, Jacqueline Paul (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga), isn’t sitting around waiting to be heard. She’s speaking … Read more
Dance down memory lane with us to a time when the Māori showbands ruled supreme. After World War II, Māori concert parties became a huge attraction in Aotearoa, like the kapa haka groups we know and love today. Action songs and haka were still a novelty for Pākehā New Zealanders that hadn’t been to Rotorua … Read more
When the new Christchurch library Tūranga – widely praised for its indigenous motifs and design references – won a major award last week, the significant Māori input into its design apparently warranted no mention at all. Such erasure is becoming a trend, writes Rebecca Kiddle. I woke up on a grey winter’s morning last week … Read more
Earlier this month Vunilagi Vou opened in Ōtāhuhu, the first art gallery the south Auckland suburb has ever had. Its director, curator Ema Tavola, is passionate about centring South Auckland communities and art makers in conversations around contemporary New Zealand art. Ōtāhuhu is home to a large migrant population, more than half are from Pacific … Read more
Last week the Ministry for Children’s practices around uplifting children and putting them in state care were exposed in a harrowing investigation by journalist Melanie Reid. It’s no coincidence Māori are disproportionately targeted, writes Tina Ngata. If you venture into the websites for the Ministry for Women, Ministry for Children and Ministry of Health, the … Read more
Cantabrians have shown great compassion and generosity to Muslim and migrant communities following the terrorist attacks. But properly healing the wounds of March 15 also requires facing up to the city’s racist history, writes Dr Rawiri Taonui Content warning: this post includes offensive images and descriptions of violence and racist language. Following the terrorist attacks … Read more
Two major studies show that women and minorities in New Zealand are being harassed to the point that they’re leaving online spaces in droves. Leonie Hayden reports on the growing tension between the right to free speech and the right to live without fear. You don’t know unless you know. This is the only way to … Read more
A new report from the justice advisory group Te Uepū Hāpai i te Ora challenges the government to find solutions in te ao Māori that restore relationships and mana instead of continuing to feed Māori into the criminal justice system. Grief. That was the overwhelming emotion people expressed to us when talking about the criminal … Read more
Matariki is here! It’s time to look to the stars to see what the year ahead has in store. Learn more about the maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar, here. The Māori New Year is marked by the rising of Matariki (Pleiades star). It is a common ‘New Year’ tohu (marker) however we are not limited to this … Read more
Earlier this morning, reports emerged that the beloved Tapu Te Ranga Marae in Wellington had burnt to the ground. Here is the incredible story of how it was built, told by Tess McClure and Daniela Maoate-Cox for Radio NZ. This piece was originally published in 2016. Bruce Stewart spends his days in this reclining sofa chair, spread … Read more
Launching next Tuesday, Te Ao with Moana is a new current affairs show for Māori Television that sees singer, producer, writer, te reo advocate and now current affairs anchor Moana Maniapoto fronting a show looking at the local and international issues affecting Māori. If it seems like the multitalented musician is a Jill of all … Read more
Labour’s Māori MPs should count their lucky stars Te Ururoa Flavell is busy doing other things, writes māui street‘s Morgan Godfery. It’s a mug’s game making a call about the general election more than a year out from polling day. If an election were held tomorrow Labour would almost certainly return with its seven-seat monopoly … Read more
Kura Forrester recently won the Billy T award for her show at the NZ International Comedy Festival. Despite the award being named after a Māori comedian, she’s the first Māori to win it since 2004. She sat down to talk with Alice Webb-Liddall about her influences, why Māori people are so funny, and her one-night-stand … Read more
Last month the Waitangi Tribunal heard submissions on the current prisoner voting ban, something New Zealand’s Supreme Court has found to be in breach of human rights. Carmen Hetaraka asks: if now isn’t the time for the government to act, then when? “When you start you’ve got all these principles. And in the political process, … Read more
Matariki is a time to gather with friends and family and reflect on the year that has been and plan for the year ahead. Here’s a quick explainer. Extra reporting by Leonie Hayden Matariki is the Māori name for the Pleaides star cluster. It rises during Pipiri (June/July) and marks the beginning of the Māori … Read more