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ABOUT NGĀI TAHU–ABOUT NEW ZEALAND–ABOUT YOU MAKARIRI/WINTER 2019 $7.95 82 DEVOTED TO DANCE
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MAKARIRI/WINTER 2019 82
10 DEVOTED TO DANCE
Kaituhi Ila Couch talks to sisters Mileena and Arawyn Allan-Griffiths about
their passion for ballet, which has led to Mileena winning a coveted spot in the NGĀ HAU
Youth America Grand Prix Ballet Competition in New York. E WHĀ
FROM THE
14 BEYOND THE COWSHED EDITOR
28-year-old Ash-Leigh Campbell has already made a name for herself in the
primary sector, as the Technical Farm Manager for Ngāi Tahu Farming and
the chair of the national New Zealand Young Farmers. Nā Arielle Monk.
As we go to print with this issue of
16 ORANGA TAMARIKI – TE KARAKA, Oranga Tamariki continues
WHERE TO FROM HERE? to be at the forefront of media attention.
As is often the case the coverage is largely
In light of the ongoing controversy surrounding Oranga Tamariki, Te Rūnanga
condemning of the actions of the organisa-
o Ngāi Tahu must use the strategic partnership signed in November 2018
tion and its leadership. I am sure there are
to protect our most vulnerable – those Ngāi Tahu tamariki who are in care. many success stories to counter these but
Kaituhi Anna Brankin reports. I guess they don’t make for such sensational
headlines. On page 16 Where to from here?
20 WHEN LIFE IS THE LEARNING is an eloquently written piece by Anna
Over the last few years, three cohorts of learners have taken part in Te Hōkai Nui, Brankin that explores the challenges for
a qualification that allows mature and experienced Ngāi Tahu whānau members the iwi as we move forward in our stra-
to gain formal recognition for skills that they have already acquired throughout tegic partnership with Oranga Tamariki –
their career. Nā Kim Victoria. a partnership founded in a shared aspiration
to work together to reduce the numbers of
20 Ngāi Tahu tamariki in care. While there
is clearly a long way to go, it is impor-
tant to remain mindful that transforma-
tional change is an evolutionary journey
– it doesn’t happen overnight and it certainly
doesn’t happen in isolation.
Te Hōkai Nui is an exemplar of what can
be achieved with the right attitude and the
right partnership. This iwi-led initiative with
Otago Polytechnic has produced 56 Applied
Business Management degree graduates
over the past three years – an opportunity
for a higher educational attainment that
would not have otherwise existed for many
of those on the programme. Read more on
page 20.
And, embracing the digital age, Maru
Nihoniho is a wahine putting a new spin on
reaching and engaging with tamariki and
rangatahi – she’s all about big ideas and
out of the box thinking – using interactive
technology to develop resources (games and
apps) with a kaupapa Māori cultural lens
to attract our kids. Her most recent project
SPARX is a resource designed to support
young people suffering from mental health
issues. You can read her journey on page 28.
Nā ADRIENNE ANDERSON WAAKA
24 FESTIVAL OF COLOUR – WĀNAKA
Every autumn the small township of Wānaka is taken over by the Festival of
Colour, celebrating a diverse range of speakers, musical acts, performing arts
groups, and artists. Kaituhi James Harding shares his experiences at this
year’s festival.
TE KARAKA MAKARIRI
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BY PHONE: 03 974 0177 27 A STEP CLOSER TO A TREATY PARTNERSHIP
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BY POST: Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, landmark result that will change the way that iwi throughout Aotearoa interact
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28 MARUHAEREMURI NIHONIHO –
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32 IN SEARCH OF THE ELUSIVE
Address EYREWELL BEETLE
Recent media coverage suggested that the mysterious beetle became extinct
when Ngāi Tahu Farming converted Eyrewell Forest to irrigated pasture.
Postcode However, scientists from Lincoln University say there is more to the story. Kaituhi
Rob Tipa investigates.
Daytime phone
Email 34 150 YEARS YOUNG
In May, the whānau at Rāpaki celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Rāpaki
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TE KARAKA is published quarterly in March, 46 REVIEWS Guardians of Aotearoa by Johanna Knox and more
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2 2 TE KARAKA MAKARIRI 2019
EDITORIAL TEAM
Adrienne Anderson Waaka EDITOR
Anna Brankin ASSISTANT EDITOR
Diana Leufkens
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
SUB EDITOR
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TE RŪNANGA O NGĀI TAHU
WEB EDITOR
ARIHIA BENNETT CONTRIBUTORS
Tremane Barr Arihia Bennett
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Freya Hargreaves-Brown Helen Brown
Allanah Burgess Russell Caldwell
Gerry Te Kapa Coates Ila Couch
Michael Deacon James Harding
HAEA TE AWA Ward Kamo Dean MacKenzie
With the government’s Wellbeing Budget now announced, we can get on with our own Arielle Monk Madison Henry-Ryan
future planning. For the past 18 months we have been working on turning our attention Nuku Tau Rob Tipa
to better positioning our papatipu rūnanga to lead their own wellbeing, environment, Phil Tumataroa Kim Victoria
Kaia Waaka Fern Whitau
and economic aspirations. The idea of regional development has created a ground-
swell of interest across our rūnanga, with a number readying themselves to lead the DESIGN
way into local investment opportunities. The thought of creating local employment La Fábrica Design Studio
with our own whānau in our own businesses in our own regions is certainly something PRINTING
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Te Rūnanga is wildly supportive of our new direction – Haea Te Awa – “slash the sky
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FRONT COVER
Mileena Allan-Griffiths,
a star in the making.
Photograph courtesy
Siggul/VAM.
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TE KARAKA MAKARIRI 2019 3
WHENUA
RUAPUKE ISLAND Ruapuke Island, 15 kilometres southeast of Awarua (Bluff), guards the eastern approaches
to Te Ara-a-Kiwa (Foveaux Strait). This 1600 hectare island was the location of a major Ngāi Tahu settlement in the
19th century, and was the home of the great southern chief Tūhawaiki and his successor Topi Pātuki. In the 1830s,
Tūhawaiki led successful war parties against Te Pūoho of Ngāti Tama at Tūtūrau and retaliatory expeditions against
Ngāti Toa following their incursions into Ngāi Tahu territory. Tūhawaiki was also an astute businessman, and under
his leadership Ruapuke was an important site for two of New Zealand’s earliest industries – the harvesting of
fur seal skins and harakeke (flax) fibre. He was also the first of the southern Ngāi Tahu chiefs to sign the Treaty
of Waitangi, which he did on board the naval ship Herald at Ruapuke on 9 June 1840. Ruapuke was not sold as part
of any of the major land purchases conducted between Ngāi Tahu and the Crown. It remained customary land until
the Native Land Court conducted an investigation into its ownership in 1887.
PHOTOGRAPH: TONY BRIDGE / TE RŪNANGA O NGĀI TAHU COLLECTION, NGĀI TAHU ARCHIVE, 2018-0304
4 TE KARAKA MAKARIRI 2017
www.kahurumanu.co.nz TE KARAKA MAKARIRI 2017 5
Nā NUKU TAU
Let’s cut the toxic banter
I want to begin by acknowledging the horrific the problem?” The problem is the current There is also the issue of general secu-
events that took place in Christchurch on toxic political and social climate that this rity. Some people have questioned why the
15 March. It’s genuinely hard to find words discourse has normalised. gunman was not caught earlier by national
to express how disgusting and heartbreaking I could give numerous examples about intelligence agencies. Another Washington
the massacre was. I was gladdened to see our Donald Trump, Pauline Hanson, Brexit, Post article states that two days before the
tribe wrap support around those affected, and so the list goes on ... it’s nothing new event, the shooter posted about 60 links
and sincerely hope we as a nation can contin- to hear politicians and other influencers across different platforms related to
ue to do so moving forward. using racism and tapping into emotions to his 74-page manifesto against Muslims.
The ways we approach rapidly growing push agendas. But we live in uncertain times It doesn’t surprise me at all that intelligence
right-wing extremism, gun laws, interna- where the general atmosphere is one of glob- agencies couldn’t pick this up, because there
tional security concerns, and the arming al fear and anxiety. is so much similar noise out there now.
of police are just some of the issues being So how did we get here? I believe this I think it’s reasonable to say, with the amount
discussed in the wake of that event. These are toxic discourse has seeped from the dark- of racist and anti-immigrant sentiment that
all big-ticket issues and it’s critical they are est corners of the internet into everyday seems to be continually growing, it would
dealt with, but in this article I want to focus life, and finally into global institutions be hard to zone in on the one person who
on everyday toxic discourse. I believe this is and offices. would act.
one way every single one of us can prevent Let’s face it, the internet has never While the shooting has revealed a number
this sort of act from reoccurring. been safe, but increasingly it is becoming of issues requiring action at a government
After the attack there was a common awash with manipulation and hatred. This level, in our own day-to-day lives we can
statement from politicians and news outlets noxious messaging leaks into the lives of take action by rejecting the opinions and
that this event wasn’t who we are, and did the people who use the internet and observe attitudes that drive and normalise hatred.
not in any way represent our views. I feel media: i.e. everyone. A report by the Data That is the best thing we can all do to help
however that there are some using this state- & Society research institute has shown that instigate change.
ment to write off the shooter as a “lone wolf fringe right-wing groups are circulating
nutcase” who is in no way representative of propaganda through social media channels Sources:
any of the opinions and views held in this to create even wider racial and ethnically 60 links:
country. This viewpoint presents the same charged divides – take Brexit as an exam- https://www.washingtonpost.
kind of issue that “colourblind” approaches ple. Following the vote, nearly 13,500 spam com/technology/2019/03/15/
to race have. It allows people to condemn accounts that posted hyper-partisan content facebook-youtube-twitter-ampli-
something so obviously horrific without in favour of Brexit disappeared instantly fied-video-christchurch-mosque-
addressing the deep-seated issues that exist from social media platforms. Holocaust shooting/?utm_term=.6ade48c15c0c
in our society. With all due respect, anyone historian Timothy Snyder asserts in a
13 k spam accounts and the role of
who thinks some of the gunman’s viewpoints Washington Post article that the propaganda
Twitterbots:
and attitudes are not present in this country disseminated from these accounts great-
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.117
is naïve at best. ly influenced the Brexit vote. Snyder also
7/0894439317734157?journalCode=ssce
Any person of colour will tell you that says that this climate of mass manipulation,
Christchurch in particular has an undercur- fear, and anxiety is the perfect psychologi- Snyder:
rent of racism – it exists. I am Māori of a cal breeding ground for violence. These fake https://www.washingtonpost.com/
lighter complexion, and therefore my expe- accounts and spam bots are appealing to news/posteverything/wp/2018/05/21/
riences are far better than some of my darker emotions rather than reason, and causing us fascism-is-back-blame-the-internet/?utm_
friends. I can, however, readily bring out a to act on these misguided feelings. term=.2b11f4b59112
slew of examples of racism and other toxic Look at the comments section of Stuff, General reflections after the attack:
attitudes I have encountered – a number Newshub, or any web article that mentions https://www.waikato.ac.nz/news-opinion/
of my columns have touched on the issue “Māori”, “Chinese”, “immigrants”, etc. media/2019/four-lessons-we-must-take-
because it’s very present, even if we cannot There’s some shocking content from people away-from-the-christchurch-terror-attack
always see it. who appear to be everyday New Zealanders
When among groups of boys, it’s common – not the skinhead or swastika-covered thug
to hear marginal chat. Racist and toxic stereotype we all have in our heads when
statements are regularly made for shock we think of a “racist”. We’re overexposed
value and humour – and I can’t act like to messages of hate and suspicion of the Nineteen-year-old Nuku Tau (Ngāi Tahu,
my hands are clean because I definitely “other” to the point it’s normalised, and as a Te Ngāi Tūāhuriri) recently completed his
engage. My thought process tends to be this: result it creeps into our everyday discourse first year of a law degree at the University
“I mean well, I’m with my close mates and and actions to create the conditions warned of Canterbury.
surely no one takes it seriously, so what’s about by Mr Snyder.
6 TE KARAKA MAKARIRI 2019
HE WHAKAARO
Nā WARD KAMO
“Hello, brother”
On Friday 15 March 2019 Haji-Daoud Nabi hands of the family members, of the Muslim His is the path we as a nation can choose
stood at the door of the Al Noor mosque faithful, and on the members of the public to make sense of the senseless. Because in
and welcomed his killer with the words, who sought to stem the blood from the desperately seeking answers from a place of
“Hello, brother.” wounds of those killed and injured that day. grief and anger, we will only find grief and
These two words of faith, of welcome, and The memory of that blood might wash anger in response.
of fellowship are the light of hope that shone easily from hands and clothes, but it will not Farid Ahmed has laid down the way to
brightly that dark day. There was no anger in wash as easily from the hearts of those who making sense of this all; a way of love, toler-
the voice of Haji-Daoud Nabi, who would be sought to help their fellow humans that day. ance, and forgiveness.
killed for his faith. There was no aggression. And yet, nor will that blood stain them or our To ensure that we remain open, free, and
There were just two gentle words of welcome country. tolerant, we must turn our face to the light of
that will reverberate throughout our history. hope, to those two words of welcome uttered
“Hello, brother.” by the first person martyred that day, and say
And to ensure those words take their We must not fall victim to each other, “Hello, brother.”
place as some of the greatest ever spoken These are words of humility and hope
in New Zealand, a terrible toll was exacted:
to the intolerance and that stand as a beacon to all of us. And as we
the lives of 51 of the followers of Islam who fear that drives us to reflect on the events that followed the kill-
entered the Al Noor and Linwood mosques intemperate words ings, we should take heart from the response
that day to worship with their families. Little amongst ourselves, in our of the people of Christchurch – of Ngāi Tahu.
could they have known of the sacrifice they media, and on our social Extraordinary leadership was displayed
would have to make – that they would be by the hapū in leading the response, and that
required to become martyrs for openness, forums. Words that lead leadership was matched by the tireless care
for tolerance – for freedom for us all! What us to blame those whose and hope demonstrated by Christchurch
a terrible price to have to pay for that which political views do not mayor Leanne Dalziel.
is held so dear, so valuable, in New Zealand. correspond with our own, Equal leadership was displayed by the
At the same time these worshippers people of Christchurch. The outpouring of
were being killed or injured in Christchurch and lead to claims that love, fellowship, and unity was not remark-
for expressing their faith and beliefs, in social commentators, able as some have suggested; rather it is
Auckland, thousands of migrants and the media personalities, entirely consistent with who the people of
children of migrants were expressing their and politicians have blood Christchurch are.
culture and beliefs at Polyfest 2019. Up and down the country Kiwis of every
The worshippers of faith in Christchurch
on their hands. race, creed, and colour poured out of their
and the practitioners of culture in Auckland homes and into places of worship and places
were joined by common New Zealand values of gathering, to show that one man’s actions
– the values of diversity, openness, toler- Rather, that blood will be a reminder of do not define us.
ance – and freedom. The freedom to express sacrifice, of honour, and of the sorrow that Equally, we know that while the
yourself as New Zealanders, no matter your was forced upon our nation, and upon our Christchurch Muslim community recov-
background. Muslim brothers and sisters. It is blood ers from this tragedy, it will do so with
And so it is incumbent on us as a nation to shed to cleanse New Zealanders of hatred, cultural and religious practices that, like our
not allow these deaths to be in vain. For us, of intolerance, of division. tangi protocols, will lay the path to recovery.
in honouring the fallen martyrs, in ensuring As we reflect on that awful day, we It is this strength of faith and belief that will
that the values we hold so dear and that make should listen to the words of wheelchair- carry this community through, as much as
us the place of choice for people of every bound Farid Ahmed, who sat in the mosque the support we give them.
colour, creed, and race – that those values calmly preparing to die alongside his And to the adherents of Islam, the
are not lost to us in our grief and anger. wife. His response to the killer was to say, worshippers of Al Noor and Linwood
We must not fall victim to the intolerance “I love him.” mosques, to all Muslims who are the follow-
and fear that drives us to intemperate words His wife has just been killed and Farid ers of the prophet Mohammed, peace be
amongst ourselves, in our media, and on our Ahmed says of his wife’s killer: “I don’t hate upon them, and may peace be with you all.
social forums. Words that lead us to blame him at all, not at all.”
those whose political views do not corre- Farid Ahmed must be honoured for his
spond with our own, and lead to claims that words of strength, courage, hope, and faith. Ward Kamo (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mutunga
social commentators, media personalities, He could have righteously hated his wife’s Chatham Island, and Scottish decent) grew
and politicians have blood on their hands. killer. He could have railed against a small up in Poranui (Birdlings Flat) and South
Because the blood on people’s hands is the man who sought to kill him, but instead Brighton, Christchurch.
blood that we saw on the clothes and on the chose the path of leadership and forgiveness.
TE KARAKA MAKARIRI 2019 7
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
He Reta
HE WHAKAARO HE WHAKAARO
Nā WARD KAMO Nā WARD KAMO
Māori parliamentary seats Māori victims of crime
– is their time up? I grew up in a household full of crime. in horror that 50% of male prisoners are laser-like in his focus on the importance of
My siblings and I were constantly in and out Māori. And we’re now beginning to speak getting an education.
So – are we approaching time up on the most people thought they would be required MPs still comprise more than 18 per cent of of prison. I rubbed shoulders with murder- of the fact that 65% of the female prison So you can imagine the messages that
Māori seats? I ask this question in light of the for no more than five years, as Māori would all MPs. ers, drug dealers, rapists and child molest- population is Māori. Is it a crisis? Only if we we mokopuna heard growing up. He never
efforts of our whanaunga Rino Tirikatene to have all land title individualised and so be These numbers did not require ers. Our house was visited by gang members consider that for every prisoner, we have spoke of broken Treaty promises or the fact
enshrine in law something precious to us for able to vote in general seats. History shows entrenched Māori seats. But that’s not to and other criminal “lowlifes”. multiple victims of their crimes. The number he’d received little lands from the alienation
over 150 years – the Māori seats. His propos- that prediction was quite wrong. say having the Māori seats didn’t contribute You see Mum and Dad were both prison of Māori prisoners does signal a crisis – of title that occurred in his father Tareikamo
al, through the Electoral (Entrenchment of The first calls for abolition came in 1902. to those numbers – they most certainly did. chaplains. Crime was never far from the a crisis for their victims and for our Māori Paramena’s time. He never complained of his
Māori Seats) Amendment Bill, is to protect And a number of Māori supported abolition, Are those Māori seats the anchor for Māori surface as they and other members of the communities. lack of education or that colonisation was
the Māori seats by requiring a supermajority as they felt the seats ghettoised their voice, representation, or the conduit that has done prison reform movement met to talk rehabili- We are disproportionate victims of crime making life hard for him.
of politicians (75%) to agree to any proposed and stopped Pākehā having to take Māori its job? I tend to think the latter. tation. And we would be at a church service – 30% more likely to experience theft and What he did do was celebrate every
dis-establishment of them. I would suggest issues seriously. Tā James Carroll (known In 1893, Tā James Carroll was elected in the prisons at least once a month if not damages offences, almost twice as likely success we told him about. And he took great
the passing of such a law would be highly to Māori as Timi Kara) publicly supported into the general electorate seat of Waiapu more often. to experience property crime, and nearly pride in the fact we were at school and trying
unlikely. abolition in 1905. He had previously won the (Gisborne area) and many Māori politi- I saw men and women at the lowest point three times more likely to experience repeat our best. We need to change the tune.
But the significance of this proposal general seat of Waiapu in 1893, and felt this cians have subsequently proved that Māori of their lives. I saw first-hand the scarring violent interpersonal offences. It gets worse. I know first-hand the brutal lives of many
cannot be overlooked. And perhaps it’s time- proved that Māori could compete in an open can win general electorate seats; including on their bodies and the bandages around Māori women make up just 7% of our Māori criminals and I know that too many
ly that we Māori think about the future of the market (so to speak). Ben Couch, Winston Peters, Paula Bennett, their wrists as they’d yet again tried to kill country’s population, but 20% of all assault of them have been victims of crime, neglect,
seats as we consider the proposed bill. Look, I could give a detailed history of the te mea te mea. themselves. And I heard stories of horror victims. And if that doesn’t cause you to sit and violence in their childhood. These root
These seats stood as a beacon of hope seats, but let’s cut to the chase – the Electoral We also need to address the other about those prisoners’ childhoods that even up, perhaps this next number will. Of the 58 causes have been generations in the making,
for Māori during the darkest days of our (Entrenchment of Māori Seats) Amendment elephant in the room – Māori voters. During Stephen King would struggle to write. children killed in their family homes between and no one government can be blamed.
existence post the settlement of Aotearoa Bill to entrench the seats is in front of the the last Māori Electoral Option in 2018, One that still chills me to this day is too 1990 and 2014, 35 (60%) were Māori. But to focus on prisons as being the prob-
by Pākehā. The seats came to represent the country, and it is a noble and principled more than 4000 Māori left the Māori seats graphic to describe in any detail. Suffice For those of you who want to blame colo- lem for Māori borders on absurd. To suggest
last avenue left for Māori to have their voice effort on the part of Rino Tirikatene. for the general roll. The percentage split is to say this Māori woman had, at the age of nisation as the cause, tell that to the victims’ less prison equals less crime is preposterous.
heard in parliament. But what is the problem that the bill now 52.4% of Māori on the Māori roll, and 7 with her five-year-old brother, watched whānau – they’ll spit in your face and tell The problem is the victimisation of Māori by
For the first 27 years post-1840, Māori addresses? That hasn’t been clearly articulat- 47.2% on the general roll and increasing. their father murder their mother in the most you it was a drug-addled alcohol-addicted our own.
virtually had no vote at all. There were only ed. Is it that without the Māori seats, Māori Are Māori already questioning the purpose brutal way imaginable. She told with chilling useless Māori father that murdered their Prisons provide welcome relief for those
around 100 Māori who voted in the 1853 political tenure might be put at risk? Or that of the Māori seats? calm how she had directed her little brother child. These men should be grateful for brutalised by their loved ones on a daily basis
election. From the late 1850s the alienation we don’t have enough Māori in the house? Look – the seats have been an impor- to “put Mum’s blood into a bucket so when prison, in comparison with the justice meted – they serve these victims of crime. They may
of Māori land by fair means or foul began, The bill itself merely states the purpose is to tant and necessary part of Māori political the ambulance comes they can pour it into out in our old Māori ways. also be a place where we can begin the long
and then accelerated not a decade later. The correct constitutional imbalance. involvement – but that has changed. Even her and make her better again”. This girl Prisons are not a failure. Māori men and road to addressing the issues that led to time
lack of Māori representation in parliament, So let’s head back to the original intent of without the Māori seats, we will never allow went on to kill herself alone in her prison cell. women who commit crime are a failure. And behind bars – but I doubt that – if they did we
and the inability for Māori to successfully the seats. They were an imperfect solution to ourselves to be under-represented in parlia- I write these words in light of the recent that failure starts with us – their whānau. wouldn’t need them.
pursue means to halt the loss of land, left our Māori political representation, designed as ment. And no major political party will ever Criminal Justice Symposium, held in Porirua We’ve watched the parties that start on The cure starts in our whānau and the
tūpuna little choice but to reluctantly take a short-term response until Māori could sit dare exclude Māori representation. Māori – another yawn-fest focused on the fact we a Thursday night and finish Sunday. We’ve choices we make. Rehabilitation has to start
up arms to try to force the authorities at the equally with Pākehā as land owning voters. finally have both the political and economic have too many Māori prisoners. Uh huh. been to homes and watched as they sit in a with “habilitated” individuals. The seven-
time to listen to our people. It didn’t work. And the Māori seats performed that func- weight to be heard – and sometimes we do Here’s the thing: having grown up with cannabis-induced haze, where the benefit year-old girl I referred to could never have
And yet it wasn’t one-way traffic against tion. But they have never allowed for great- need to challenge and be heard. The fore- Māori criminals, I don’t much care for their is prioritised on alcohol and partying at the been rehabilitated, because she was never
Māori in the early part of New Zealand’s er Māori participation in politics – MMP shore and seabed fiasco is just one exam- life choices. You kill, you go to prison. You expense of food, clothing, and schooling. properly socialised in the first place.
history. It was New Zealand’s third premier, achieved that. The Māori electorates are ple of Māori challenging back and (largely) deal hard drugs, you go to prison. You bash We’ve turned a blind eye to the black eyes. A lack of education, poor life, financial and
Sir Edward Stafford, who fought for and viewed amongst many politicians (yes, even winning when the country chose to ignore your wife and kids, you go to prison. These You see, dealing with whānau like this social skills, hand-in-hand with poor parent-
achieved the creation of the Māori seats. some in Labour) as an easily ignored “ghet- our voice. people know right from wrong. They know is hard and horrendously frustrating. We ing, are at the root of crime. The solutions
It has to be said though that to be truly repre- to”, because they tend to vote Labour. If We have taken our place at the political that their choices may end them up in prison. know the Treaty has got nothing to do with involve support to the parents of at-risk kids.
sentative, the number of seats at the time you’re National you might be saying, “Why table in Wellington and are active across all And if you don’t believe me, ask them. it – we come from the same whakapapa or We must ruthlessly address these issues early,
would have been 14 rather than four; given should we bother – they’ll never vote for us.” the major parties. There are already some I care about that brutalised seven-year- have the same grandparents and tīpuna and and, as whānau, demand the resources to
the size of the Māori population and the And if you are Labour, “Those votes are in the political commentators noting that Māori old and the life path her murderous father don’t behave like this. And that’s because of keep these kids at school, and even, if neces-
proportionality of seats that were awarded bag so no need to bother.” It could be argued are in fact over-represented in parliament. set for her. In the lead up to that almost personal choices. sary, to keep their parents away from them.
to Pākehā land owners. that the very existence of the seats is a Frankly, there can never be too many Māori inevitable killing of her mother, her father My grandfather, Ned Kamo, came to Crime will not end with more prisons.
The seats remained the one mecha- cynical nod to Māori representation. in politics – but do we need the Māori seats was a wife-beating, hard-drinking, serial- Christchurch from Wharekauri with my And nor will fewer prisons end crime. Crime
nism by which Māori could try to influence Besides, times have changed. Look anymore? I’m not so sure. womanising thug. Her life was punctuated by grandmother (Kui Whaitiri). Papa’s educa- will end within our whānau and the choices
governments that were deaf to Māori pleas around parliament today. Seven of the nine the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of tion was limited (he left school at 12). we make.
for equity. Our tūpuna came to view the seats party leaders and deputies are Māori. There those her father brought around for parties He was a farm worker on the island and those
not just as a means of representation, but are 29 Māori in parliament. They represent – Once Were Warriors was effectively her life skills weren’t in much demand in 1930s Ward currently sits on the board of Pillars –
Ward Kamo (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mutunga
as a symbol of hope that Māori would even- nearly a quarter of all MPs, which is well Chatham Island, and Scottish decent) grew story. She was a victim of crime. And yes, she Depression-era Christchurch. He had no an agency focused on supporting children
tually take our place as equal members of in excess of the Māori population (around up in Poranui (Birdlings Flat) and South went on to victimise, by committing murder. money and struggled to make ends meet. of prisoners. His upbringing in crime speaks
parliament. 15 per cent). Even if we take out the seven Brighton, Christchurch. Unfortunately we’ve become criminal- But make ends meet he did. And throughout for itself.
When the seats were first established, Māori electorate seats, the remaining Māori focused and not victim-focused. We speak my father’s childhood, my grandfather was
TE KARAKA KAHURU 2019 7 TE KARAKA KANA 2018 7
TE KARAKA 81, MAKARIRI/Autumn 2019 TE KARAKA 79, Kana/Spring 2018
PARLIAMENTARY SEATS WERE THE SOLUTION TO THE MĀORI CRIME THE CONSEQUENCE
EXCLUSION OF MĀORI FROM POLITICAL PROCESS OF UNRESOLVED TRAUMA?
Kei te rangatira, tēnā koe, Dear Editor
Ward Kamo’s piece on the Māori parliamentary seats (TE KARAKA I am a retired professor of management from Monash University,
Vol 81) is instructive. However, kōrero on the times leading up and I was New Zealand born and educated before I worked in prison
to the establishment of the Māori seats in 1867 provides a more aftercare in Christchurch. Māori crime and imprisonment are more
vivid picture. than just planned misbehaviour. I consider that for many Māori
The Māori parliamentary seats came about in the middle of the offenders it represents a state of unsorted trauma. It is a mental
Victorian era. At the time politics in New Zealand amounted to a health state of mind. It begins early in life, probably infancy. After
series of personal and provincial struggles. Victorian views on class 10 years working in the criminal justice system in the fields of proba-
and gender are telling. New Zealand was governed for much of the tion and prison aftercare, I found that many offenders did not have a
19th century by male well-to-do landed cliques in provinces. sense of belonging.
To an extent this explains how Māori were excluded from the polit- They did not belong to anything, so they did not feel for their
ical process up to the establishment of the Māori parliamentary seats. injured victims. How could they? These Māori seemed more discon-
Kā mihi, nected than their Pākehā peers. Loss of ties to whānau and whaka-
C.A.J. Williams papa was proof of very deep personal and social failure. Prison
Te Whanganui-a-Tara seemed a softer option than facing whānau shame. Sentencing today
does not reflect this trauma of disconnection. Until a reconnection
occurs, frustration will run deep on all sides of criminal activity.
Our Christchurch massacre is an extreme version of this disconnec-
tion trauma in my opinion.
Professor Murray Cree
CORRECTION: A HAKA-MINDED WHĀNAU
In the last issue of TE KARAKA we published a story about the Hepi
whānau and their passion for kapa haka. The youngest of the seven
Hepi siblings is Anihana, not Anihera as was published. Anihana was
named after her great-grandmother Anihana Tau-Briggs – the first
Māori mayoress of Aotearoa, when her husband Frederick was mayor
of Lyttelton. Anihana can be seen front row, second from the right
in the picture on page 15, accompanying the story. Our apologies to
Anihana and the Hepi whānau for this mistake.
8 TE KARAKA MAKARIRI 2019DID YOU KNOW
Need help – Child under 7 years old? Must
legally be in a child restraint.
installing your
– Child under 2 years old? Best
practice says keep them in a
rear-facing child restraint.
child restraint? – Child over the age of 7 but under
148cm tall? Best practice says keep
them in a child restraint.
We know installing a child restraint isn’t the
– The type of child restraint to
easiest thing to do, so we’ve created a series of be used depends on the age,
videos to show you how to correctly install your height and weight of your child.
child restraint and fit your child in it properly.
Videos are FREE and available online:
www.nzta.govt.nz/installing-child-restraints
FOR MORE HELP
Always follow the instruction manual that came
with your child restraint.
Contact a child restraint technician. You can find
a list of registered technicians in your area here
TE KARAKA MAKARIRI 2019 9
www.nzta.govt.nz/childrestraintsDevoted to
Dance
Little sisters are known to follow
in their big sisters’ footsteps, but
Mileena Allan-Griffiths has no
problem crediting her younger sibling
Arawyn for leading her to ballet.
Kaituhi ILA COUCH talks to the girls
about their recent trip to New York City
and their dedication to dance.
ARAWYN HAS ONLY JUST TURNED 10, AND MILEENA turned (Kāi Tahu – Wairewa) and Richard, who make every effort to
12 the day after we spoke. “She’s going to be a teenager soon,” encourage their daughters to pursue as many activities as their
Arawyn says, sticking out her tongue and making a noise her time and family budget will allow. Arawyn is enrolled in hip-hop,
older sister playfully mimics. The sisters have just returned tap, jazz, and musical theatre classes; but says it was her first
from a big trip to the United States, an early birthday present love, ballet, that inspired her big sister to start dancing. “I started
for Mileena, who won a coveted spot in one of the largest ballet ballet and then Mileena wanted to try it because I was having so
competitions in the world. Of the 10,000 applicants to the Youth much fun.”
America Grand Prix (YAGP) Ballet Competition in New York, Mileena was seven and had only just started taking ballet
Mileena was amongst just 1200 selected to attend a week of lessons when a visiting teacher from Italy spotted something
master classes, mentoring, and the chance to be discovered by special about her. “We were watching the girls through the
directors of the most prestigious dance companies from around window and he said, ‘That girl there is going to be amazing.’ We
the world. Although the entire family got to be together on this didn’t tell him she was our daughter,” says Marianne. “Dancers,
trip, there was little time for sightseeing beyond a quick look at if they know what they’re looking for, can watch kids doing the
the bright lights of Times Square and a ferry ride past the Statue basics and know what potential they have. He saw that just by
of Liberty. For Mileena, just being there was a big boost to her watching Mileena stretch.” This led to a call from the dance direc-
confidence. “It was a great experience to be with the other kids, tor with an offer of a scholarship to cover the cost of tuition.
and actually see that I must be good to be a part of it all.”
The girls live in Christchurch with parents Marianne Right: Sisters Arawyn and Mileena at the Anneliese Gilberd Academy in Christchurch.
10 TE KARAKA MAKARIRI 2019PHOTOGRAPH DEAN MACKENZIE TE KARAKA MAKARIRI 2019 11
Mileena identifies concentration and control as the two
main challenges she faces when dancing. “You need a lot
of strength, but a lot of it is mental.”
There are dance competitions, but Marianne does not put the
focus on where the girls place. The focus is more on meeting people,
practicing, and improving.
“They have fun at competitions. The kids are really nice and it’s
not too competitive,” Marianne says.
Marianne joined kapa haka groups during her intermediate and
high school years, and having never studied ballet, often finds herself
leaning over to ask Arawyn how well Mileena has danced. “Sometimes
I give corrections on Mileena, and sometimes she doesn’t take them,”
Arawyn says with a smile. “But I feel happy for her because she works
Above: En route to the gala performance at the Lincoln Centre in New York City. so hard. Every time I watch her dance on stage I see an improvement
Right: Posing after a master class at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) competition
in New York.
from last time.”
Mileena identifies concentration and control as the two main chal-
lenges she faces when dancing. “You need a lot of strength, but a lot of
Despite the confidence others had in her ability, Mileena began to it is mental.” She appreciates watching the joy Arawyn derives from
struggle. “My first year was hard,” Mileena says. “I used to be terrible dancing, and the confidence she has communicating to an audience
on my feet.” without words.
Private lessons helped identify the problem. “Her legs sort of bend “For her it’s stage presence, all that she does up here,” Mileena
backwards,” says Marianne. “Most kids don’t have the hyper-exten- says, gesturing to her face. Arawyn agrees. “When I’m dancing I feel
sion and hip-rotation she has. She is also hyper-flexible, so things like like the music is moving through me, and I’m beautiful and free.”
the splits are easy.” Marianne is grateful for the many lessons that come with training
In the ballet world this is a good problem to have, but for a young to become a world class ballerina. “There’s so much to it: the brain
dancer it has taken a huge amount of work and confidence building training, the repetition, they have got to have strong enough feet and
to manage what Marianne refers to as “a wobbly body”. In the last six arms, and also remember the sequence. Life is full of challenges and
months Mileena has been in flips and tumble classes to build strength. I want them to keep pushing.”
Arawyn jumps off the couch to demonstrate a turnout, pointing There are also financial challenges around ballet, but even they
her toe and rotating her leg to a 90 degree angle. In a complete turn- present an opportunity for learning. “The girls are involved in every
out, which is rarely attainable without conditioning, a dancer posi- decision around the cost of each activity and planning for their
tions both feet out at 180 degrees, using core support, good pelvic financial future,” says Marianne who credits Whai Rawa with being
alignment, and muscles that externally rotate the hip. When Mileena’s a great tool when it comes to teaching the girls about saving and
turnout was tested by a physiotherapist who used to work for a major compound interest.
international dance company, there was some excitement. “Last Christmas they asked if Santa would put money into their
“She measured better than some of the girls in the English account as part of their main Christmas present.” Mileena wants to
National Ballet,” Marianne says. This is not common in someone buy a house with her sister. Arawyn would like to set up a charity for
Mileena’s age. “You can have less than that and be a dancer, but to guide dogs.
have what Mileena has is amazing. She naturally has what most danc- But for now, Mileena’s main goal is to continue to master the
ers would dream of having.” unique physical gifts that give her an edge as a dancer. Her talent has
The girls dedicate many hours to dance, but since they are home- already been recognised as above her age group by the United States
schooled, the timetable allows for flexibility in scheduling. “A lot of national dance company American Ballet Theatre, and when the girls
home-schoolers won’t do activities until 10am, but the girls like to return to New York to take part in the summer intensive classes this
get up and start at six in the morning. They have a list of work they year, Mileena will be bumped up from the two-week programme that
need to get through for the week, like maths, English, and science; Arawyn will be taking, into the five-week programme.
and if they get through it in three days, they only have to work for “There is a lot to learn,” says Mileena. “I just feel very excited,
three days.” happy, and lucky to know my ballet has been improving.”
12 TE KARAKA MAKARIRI 2019PHOTOGRAPHS SUPPLIED TE KARAKA MAKARIRI 2019 13
Beyond the
Cow Shed
IT’S AN IMPRESSIVE AND FAST-PACED CAREER TO DATE, YET SHE 31 years of age in 80 clubs nationwide. She says being a member of
PHOTOGRAPH SHAR DEVINE
has still found the time and opportunity to take another bold leap – NZYF offers a range of benefits, such as providing a community for
moving from newly-elected national board member to chairperson of grass-roots members to ward off isolation in rural areas, participa-
New Zealand Young Farmers in the space of just one month. Despite tion in the FMG Young Farmers Contest, and following a governance
the huge jump in responsibility, Ash-Leigh is taking the promotion in or leadership pathway similar to her own.
her voluntary role well in her stride. “Opportunities to step up and be involved in governance are not
“It’s scary and overwhelming to take on a role like this, but I know common at my age, so it is awesome to have that exposure to sit
I’m only going to learn. My thought process around the whole thing around a board table and get comfortable in those spaces,” she says.
has been ‘sink or swim, there’s only one way and that’s up’. I definitely “Sure, there would’ve been easier pathways; but would I have had the
got thrown in the deep end, that’s for sure.” same learning opportunities? Probably not.”
Although she doesn’t come from a farming family, Ash-Leigh and Channeling her inner Ngāi Tahu wahine toa, part of her Young
her brother grew up with a rural outlook, on a small lifestyle property Farmers leadership role has echoed and strengthened a collective
in Greenpark, near Lincoln. She got her first taste of the farming life- challenge to the male-dominated image of the farming industry.
style when she was in high school, and took a part-time job as a relief Ash-Leigh says the physical demands of the job have never, and still
milker for a local farmer. don’t, preclude women from successful farming careers.
Her journey with New Zealand Young Farmers (NZYF) began after “It’s definitely an ‘old school’ sector, but I always found on-farm it
a first stint at university left her questioning academic life. Leaving was a case of needing to think smarter, not necessarily work harder,”
study behind in 2010, she fell back on her high school experience and she laughs.
applied for a dairy farming job in Dunsandel. “These days, NZYF has a roughly 50/50 split of men and women
“My friends thought I was crazy. It was getting up at the crack of within membership. I am the second female chair; in October we
dawn to milk cows, isolation, and exhaustion; there were definitely appointed our first ever female CEO; the FMG Young Farmer Contest
times when I’d sit on a hillside and have a cry,” Ash-Leigh laughs. has just appointed the first chairwoman, and the NZYF-owned farm
Adjusting to the physically and mentally demanding lifestyle, just outside Auckland also has a chairwoman on its board.
21-year-old Ash-Leigh joined the local NZYF Dunsandel Club in an “For the first time ever, we have women holding the four highest
effort to meet peers “and basically get off-farm when I could.” roles in our organisation. I think that speaks volumes as to where the
Ash-Leigh fledged into a fully capable dairy farmer over three sector is shifting.”
years in Dunsandel before moving to a drystock farm in Darfield, Breaking away from the hands-on side of her career, it was in her
where she was responsible for 1200 head of cattle. Having kept up fifth year of farming full-time that a mentor sat Ash-Leigh down and
her involvement in the NZYF clubs, Ash-Leigh rose through the ranks “gave her the hard word.” Farming had changed, and there was so
to become vice-chairperson of the Tasman Region (covering north much more farmers needed to be and do – innovative technologies
of the Rakaia River to Nelson/Marlborough and across to the West had become a requirement of the industry, not just an option.
Coast). The national organisation caters to young farmers under “I’ll always remember him sitting me down at the coffee table for
14 TE KARAKA MAKARIRI 2019“That’s why I’m not a big fan of planning – you can never know
what’s around the corner. They saw something in me that I didn’t, and
Ash-Leigh Campbell is an up-and- asked me to stay on while continuing my studies part-time.”
Ash-Leigh says the role as Technical Farm Manager grows along-
coming leader in the primary sector. side her, but the bulk of it covers supporting the farm managers with
At just 28, she already has a auditing and compliance of eight dairy farms and one support farm
for the Waimakariri District Council and milk producers Fonterra
solid decade of experience, from and Synlait, as well as operationally supporting sustainable farm
milking dairy cows to sustainability production.
management and sector-related “I also do a lot of training and support for our kaimahi out here.
I like to think of myself as an extension arm to the farm manag-
technology and innovation training. ers, because they’re so busy with the day-to-day operations, so
I support them with the auditing and reporting that is required in
The hands-on dairy farm work saw her farming today.”
named the first wahine finalist in the However, the role is stretching more than just her technical skills.
2016 Ahuwhenua Young Māori Dairy Working within an office context at Te Whare o Te Waipounamu in
Christchurch, as well as with dozens of farming staff, is putting her
Farmer Awards and recognition for her entire toolkit to the test.
leadership qualities at the New Zealand “Our farm managers have all got their own personality quirks, and
Young Farmers Excellence Awards. I have to be able to work with a broad range of people, to listen and let
them know I am a support to them. I think I’ve done a pretty good job
And for the past 18 months, Ash-Leigh of gaining their trust – they call me ‘Mum’ now,” she laughs.
(Ngāi Tahu – Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki “We also want to make sure we are leading the way in the industry,
and that’s something I really thrive on. For example, our dairy farms
Puketeraki) has been employed by the were the first in this zone catchment [Waimakariri] to gain A grade
iwi as Technical Farm Manager with audits [December 2018], which basically means we’re operating
Ngāi Tahu Farming – a role she says above industry standards; and auditors have a high level of confi-
dence that we meet all management objectives set by Environment
has grown in scope alongside her. Canterbury.”
Kaituhi ARIELLE MONK reports. Ash-Leigh has also seen exciting research and development
on the farms, including a new product trial aimed at reducing
nitrogen leaching in soil, and by extension, the water table and
waterways. Ecotain is a plant product developed under the national
Greener Pastures Project, led by Agricom with Lincoln and Massey
Universities and Plant & Food Research. The broadleaf plantain is
that talk. I was at a crossroads at that stage, because I was trying to planted across pastures and has impressive abilities to reduce the
decide whether to follow my heart and go work on a cattle station in presence and impact of nitrogen from stock urine far more effectively
Australia, or go back to university and get some credentials behind than typical pasture plant species.
me,” Ash-Leigh reflects. And it’s accomplishments like these Ash-Leigh is keen to see
“I knew I didn’t want to be milking cows for the rest of my life, shared within the tribe.
and that I really wanted to challenge myself and use my brain in “There is such a conflict within the iwi around dairy operations.
other ways.” We know that some of the iwi are not happy to be in farming, but if
It was through her application to the Lincoln University Diploma we’re setting a precedent to encourage other farmers to follow our
in Agriculture in 2015 that she discovered Whenua Kura, an iwi- lead, I feel like we can improve the industry as a whole by taking a
supported initiative to grow the next generation of Māori leaders in leadership role.”
the primary sector industries through education, employment, and Alongside a commitment to improving sustainability in inten-
enterprise. Whenua Kura became a doorway for her to learn more sive farming practices, NTF is also investigating alternative uses for
about her Ngāi Tahu whakapapa and te ao Māori while embarking on iwi-owned land. Ash-Leigh says there’s a good deal of excitement
her studies. around the potential for diversification, including the development of
As a recipient of a Whenua Kura scholarship, she went on her first a trial orchard and securing hemp licensing.
noho marae and started to make those first few connections with the Ash-Leigh believes the farming community has a genuine desire
iwi – and in doing so, has been able to help her wider whānau do the to better care for the environment, but knows she walks the line as a
same. “My mum has reconnected with our rūnaka as a consequence Māori woman working in the farming industry, a contentious issue
of my work with Ngāi Tahu,” she says proudly. “She visited our for iwi members and for Māori across Aotearoa.
marae at Karitāne last year, and stayed for the weekend as part of a That line is one Ash-Leigh has found difficult to navigate, particu-
noho marae.” larly while she is still on her own journey to find her place within the
As part of the Whenua Kura programme, Ash-Leigh was also iwi and te ao Māori after generations of disconnection.
offered a summer internship with Ngāi Tahu Farming (NTF) in Despite growing up aware of her Ngāi Tahu whakapapa, Ash-Leigh
2016. Hitting the ground running as Sustainability Coordinator for says it was still an intimidating process to enter iwi spaces, at times
the business, Ash-Leigh was responsible for implementing priority feeling like an outsider.
projects from a sustainability matrix developed by the NTF board and “The scholarships and opportunities the iwi has set up offer such
environmental advisors. a great opportunity for people to reconnect. I don’t know if I would
Intending to head back to university and complete a fast-tracked have been brave enough to do that on my own,” she says.
Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture), NTF threw a spanner in “I was always passionate about farming, and it is just so cool to
the plans by offering her permanent employment as Technical now to be able to weave Ngāi Tahu values into our farms and the wider
Farm Manager, a support role for Te Whenua Hou farms in farming sector. I’m proud to be working for my iwi, and I feel like
North Canterbury. I know who I am now.”
TE KARAKA MAKARIRI 2019 15You can also read
