He huahua te kai? E, he wai te kai. Are preserved birds the best food? Ah no! Water is. Does waipiro have a place in our whakapapa? Ōpōtiki’s Muriwai Tournament brings together local hapū and iwi to connect through sport. The tournament has been running for more than thirty-five years, using whanaungatanga, kaitiakitanga, and manaakitanga as the guiding principles. The tournament returned in early October after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions to an excited and passionate Ōpōtiki. The sports played over the two days included rugby, netball, Ki o Rahi, with tamariki having their own allocated day on Friday. This year, the Healthy Families East Cape team partnered with Whaakatu Whanaunga Trust to bring ‘Pimp my Wai’ to this year’s Muriwai tournament. The Pimp My Wai stall provided fresh wai as well as fruit and mint for whānau to ‘pimp’ their wai. Healthy Families East Cape works in partnership with the community and sector stakeholders, and to facilitate and support collective and comprehensive chronic disease prevention efforts that focus on alcohol-related harm. With the up-and-coming review of the Eastern Bay Local Alcohol Policy, Healthy Families East Cape and Whakaatu Whanaunga Trust’s CAYAD kaimahi wanted to gauge the appetite of the community in reducing the consumption of alcohol. “Inequities in harm can be driven by different determinants such as where we live or the number of alcohol outlets close to our whare,” says Healthy Families East Cape Rautaki Māori, Jade Kameta. “Just last week, Justice Minister Kiri Allan announced an amendment to the current legislation on the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act that will see a shift in power to the community, and we see that as crucial to reducing alcohol harm in our regions.” The current alcohol legislation can hinder local communities’ ability to put in place rules around the sale of liquor in their area. The amendments to the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 will remove the ability to appeal local alcohol policies (LAPs). The current appeal process is costing councils and ratepayers millions in legal fees, as alcohol companies and supermarkets have thwarted efforts by local councils to limit the sale of alcohol in their communities. The insights gathered by Healthy Families East Cape and CAYAD at the Muriwai Tournament will form part of a submission to strengthen local alcohol policies for Eastern Bay. Healthy Families East Cape, along with our kaupapa partners from Whakaatu Whanaunga TrustTikiahi Brown-Davis, Shaun Gebert and Cherish Chase, took the opportunity of the Pimp My Wai stall to ask whānau pātai about choosing Wai Māori over Waipiro, and if waipiro has a place in our whakapapa. “A lot of our community love alcohol and find it hard to say no, this leads to fights, family violence, family harm, drink driving, criminal activity, and negative influences. This explains why Ōpōtiki does not need more alcohol outlets, but more alcohol help services and positive initiatives to better support the community of Opotiki”. Tikiahi Brown-Davis, Tūhono Mentor The team also provided whānau the opportunity to answer whether they would choose Wai Māori over waipiro next Matariki. This is what whānau had to say:
Counteracting this are the statistics surrounding alcohol, of which we know that Māori experience disproportionate harm in Aotearoa. Ōpōtiki District Council’s region has a population of approximately 9,300 people, with 63% identifying as Māori (according to 2020 statistics). The region also has 22 active liquor licenses, with a higher number of licenses per capita than the national average. Young Māori (and Pacific peoples) men aged 15-24 years suffer more harm from living in areas with high numbers of liquor outlets compared to non-Māori men living in communities with the same number of liquor outlets. Data from 2012-2014 showed Ōpōtiki to have higher per capita rates of injury as a result of drunk driving when compared with the national average. Asking whānau about their appetite to choose wai Māori over Waipiro also curves the narrative from deficit-thinking to a strength-based narrative. Could Matariki be a mechanism for change? The Healthy Families East Cape team thinks so and sees an opportunity to explore and lean into the rich mātauranga that Matariki provides as a way of kerbing the sale of alcohol during Matariki. What we know about our traditional gorgonian holidays throughout the year is that they are typically intertwined with having a 'cold one'. With Matariki becoming a national holiday this year, we are provided a platform to shift the narratives away from alcohol or waipiro to exclude alcohol from those rituals. There are also factors at play, including balancing the economic benefits of the sale of alcohol that are powerful and contribute to the inequities in harm that can be driven by where we live. For example, “Buy now, pay later” (BNPL) options are also coming into effect, making alcohol more accessible and impacting on efforts to reduce alcohol-harm in our community. “The law isn’t working as intended. Local communities should be able to set their own rules to reduce alcohol harm but are being blocked at every step by the booze industry,” Kiri Allan said. Healthy Families East Cape has a bold goal of creating safe spaces where we live, learn, work and play which are free from the harm caused by alcohol and reduce the impact of this on our communities, particularly our tamariki. We are keen to continue to support local government with the review of the Local Alcohol Policies as one tool to manage and control how alcohol is sold and supplied in our Ōpōtiki. References https://www.ahw.org.nz/Issues-Resources/Harm-to-Māori https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/communities-given-greater-powers-reduce-alcohol-harm
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Kayla comes away with an Honourable Mention in her first Start-Up weekend in Tairāwhiti.
The Healthy Families East Cape team is packed with strong independent women, who come from various backgrounds and lived experiences. Kayla Koia (Ngāti Ruawaipu, Ngāti Pokai Ngāti Porou, and Ngāti Rakaipaaka), our Project Coordinator/ Administrator exudes all of these qualities and more. “I grew up in the Mangatu Forest and Waipaoa Station and have gained experience and understanding from having worked in a variety of different roles over the years,” says Kayla. “I’ve come from out in the shearing sheds, to assisting in a hospital theatre, to working most recently as an Executive Assistant.” Start-Up Weekend Tairāwhiti is an annual weekend-long event where entrepreneurs, start-ups, enthusiasts, developers, designers, marketers, product managers, passionate people, and creative thinkers come together to share ideas, form teams, build products, and launch start-ups that will create impact for Tairāwhiti. This year Kayla participated in her first Start-Up Weekend Tairāwhiti event at the beginning of October, with the promise of networking with like-minded people and lack of sleep. The theme of this year’s start-up event was “lean in”. And lean in she did! While Kayla shared that she felt overwhelmed by the atmosphere, she embraced the challenge of pitching her idea along with 31 other participants. Kayla pitched an idea in the 60 seconds allocated timeframe for pitches, with an idea on how we might create a network for safer communities in Turanganui a Kiwa, in light of the recent events resulting in the deaths of two young Māori wāhine. “This year brought with it 47 participants, with wahine Māori again leading the pack. 31 pitches were presented on Friday night, which became 7 ideas and teams that worked through the design thinking process”. says Cherish Wilkinson, Start Up Tairāwhiti Weekend Organiser. Team Kotahi included Kayla and five other members, who presented their idea of a Wellness Centre in Ruatoria, conducting market research, insight gathering, pivoting, and re-writing their pitch. Final pitches were presented on Sunday to the judges and the public was also welcomed. The team came away with an ‘Honorable Mention’ for their efforts. “Uniquely Tairāwhiti, everyone brought real community needs and challenges to solve and unpack in this collaborative space. From ways to regenerate whenua whilst remembering lost loved ones, to connecting rural homeowners to tradespeople, to destigmatising conversations about sex and pleasure, there was a real mix of personalities and concepts.” Says Cherish. "We've had a couple of weeks to reflect on an incredible time that was Startup Weekend Tairāwhiti - lean in. What a magical weekend it was to witness the development and growth of our people. We're so happy we could bring another Startup Weekend to Tairāwhiti this year.” “The fourth edition since our first in 2018, Startup Weekend Tairāwhiti has delivered a deep learning experience for close to 200 participants, has attracted mentor alumni of around 50 business and community leaders, and involved 20,000 voluntary hours towards supporting Tairāwhiti’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.” Planning is already well underway for the next event to be held in 2023, one of the best events to undertake your personal and professional development in Te Tairāwhiti. “We'd encourage anybody who’s looking for deep learning and growth to sign up. Pitch an idea or jump into a team to support someone else's idea. Either way, you'll still get something from the weekend." Says Cherish. “It’s hard to find the words, I think that SUW is a prime example of kanohi ki te kanohi being paramount to the success of the event. You got to be there and be a part of the whole 54 hours to truly see, feel, understand and learn what it’s all about” says Kayla. Start-Up Weekend will be celebrated a month after with a Reunion on Wednesday 16th November 2022. Ko te wai te ora ngā mea kātoa – Water is the life giver of all things
Māori have a special relationship with wai, most believing that the breath of life exists within all of our waterways and some special waterways have an essence within them that gives wairua (spirit) and mauri (life force). Many bodies of water are recognised as being of value to not only those holding rangatiratanga of the water body but also those around that area who interact and rely on it. Over 100 whānau in the small beachside community of Tokomaru Bay on the East Coast on of the North Island rely on the Enihau water spring that comes from beneath Marotiri maunga and along the Mangahauini riverbed. While the supply is maintained by the community, there are political, legislative, and economic challenges that prevent access and rangatiratanga to the water supply. In 2021 Taumata Arowai began its role and powers as the new independent water service regulator for Aotearoa, replacing the responsibilities of the Ministry of Health, under the Water Services Act 2021. The Three Waters reform provides an opportunity for communities like Tokomaru to have their lived experience at the center of these reforms. Although the community of Tokomaru Bay are expert at conserving water there are many challenges that the community face in the supply of water for basic tasks such as washing, cleaning, and as a secondary water supply. "Everybody in Aotearoa should be able to get drinking water from the tap knowing that it is safe. We should also be able to swim or gather mahinga kai in our rivers, lakes, or at the beach without fear of becoming sick. We have an obligation to ensure this for current and future generations.” Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta, said. The water line is managed by the Enihau Water Board, made up of community members, who have to physically check the line on a daily basis, as well as collect water samples that require testing. Once the water sample is taken from the spring, the sample has to be taken 91kms to Gisborne for testing. Testing of the water is at a cost to the community who are connected to the line and maintained by Enihau Water Board. The water is collected in the plastic water tank that distributes the water through a plastic water line no bigger than the diameter of an aluminum can. The line stretches almost 20 kilometers along ridges to caveats to whānau, kaumātua flats, and the two Marae: Pakirikiri and Waiparapara. Water from the Enihau is on permanent boil notice, meaning the water must be boiled for consumption. Flooding to the area at the beginning of the year damaged the water line resulting in the replacement of 10 kilometers of line. These types of activities impact the supply to whānau, who at times are having to pay for water to be brought in via trucks, costs that are challenging for some of our most vulnerable whānau. Especially those who are impacted by chronic illness and disease. There is a desire and need for the community to have rangatiratanga over their relationship with the wai. Upholding the whakapapa, our genealogical relationship to an intimate interdependency with the wai. The return of our fluency in the communication of the awa, and responsiveness to the needs of our wai. The means of achieving this vision will require those same political, legislative, economic, and educational tools. Within this vision rests the requirements for us to uphold our mana and ancestral spaces. There is an opportunity for our local Councils and system players to lean into mātauranga Māori practices that continue to empower and support our community without the financial burden and restricted access to their natural resources. We know that Iwi and hapu already utilise the skills that were left behind by our tipuna. With the support, they can inform their own uptake, and application of modern technology to maintain our autonomy over our natural resources. How might this vision be supported by local and central government? “The Neighbourhood Systems Play Report (NPS) was the best report that I have read at this committee, not a word was wasted,” says councillor Tony Robinson.
The NPS prototype at Cobham School Report was presented by Anna Tolich, the Regional Play Systems Lead for Healthy Families East Cape, Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti to the last sitting of the Operations Committee at Gisborne District Council, for the outgoing Council Members before the October 2022 elections. One Councillor noted, in recognition of the NPS prototype, that we’d saved the best for last. Healthy Families East Cape was excited by the opportunity to present and enable the momentum to continue for the prototype and for the tamariki of Cobham School. This is a collective impact in action, that can be scaled across the community of Elgin to include other schools and spaces in the next phase of the project. Anna has spent twelve months engaging with the tamariki at Cobham School alongside of the Tu Manawa team at Sport Gisborne Tarāwhiti to better understand the aspirations of tamariki in their built environment. Anna’s deep research of the suburb of Elgin included a number of trips on the bus routes to better understand the environmental barriers and the impact of years of urban design decisions Anna also walked with the tamariki of Cobham School around the neighbourhood surrounding Cobham School, including the railway corridor and close-by Blackpool Park. "It was such a great opportunity to be able to present the neighbourhood play aspirations of the Cobham School tamariki to the Operations Committee. The NPS is such a radical approach to urban design in that it places the tamariki as the co-designers of their own neighbourhood. The presentation to Council allowed us to help elevate the Cobham School tamariki as valued contributors to society, giving them the space to participate, assume agency and take responsibility for the design of their own neighbourhood", says Anna. What we know is that play, and in particular, outdoor play is associated with healthy tamariki and rangatahi healthy development and physical activity. There are attributes of a neighbourhood-built environment that can influence positive play behaviours, with the NPS prototype seeking to kickstart these environmental changes for the neighbourhoods surrounding Cobham School. Gisborne District Council signalled extensive support from Council members for the prototype. We are excited to understand what a collaborative approach with Council will look like for the momentum of the kaupapa. As we move into the next phase of the Neighbourhood Play System prototype which seeks to experiment and test opportunities identified by the tamariki, we are excited to strengthen enduring relationships with mana whenua, and bring to life the insights and opportunities set out by our tamariki. Anna will present the prototype as part of the Healthy Families NZ: Systems Change in Action Webinar Series 2022 on Wednesday 19 October at 11.00 am. Pictured: Agnes Walker (Healthy Families East Cape Strategic Leadership Member) and Linda Steel (CEO Te Ao Hou Trust and Healthy Families East Cape Strategic Leadership Co-Chair)
You may have heard her name, or seen her around town in Gisborne or her stomping ground, Ruatoria. You may have heard her on the sidelines at Whakarua Park, or caught her on her daily hikoi of 10,000 steps. That’s 10,000 steps every day. With no fail. Ask anyone in Tairāwhiti about Agnes Walker, and they will surely tell you that it is a name synonymous with Ngāti Porou, with community, with whānau. It is these very values, along with her extensive experience in policy and in public health that led Agnes on a life-altering path to Healthy Families East Cape, where she now sits on the Strategic Leadership Rōpū. For the past three to four years, Agnes has been the friendly and vivacious local champion of not only Healthy Families East Cape and the Healthy Families NZ movement, but everything that these organizations stand for. “Since being Manager of Healthy Families East Cape, I have been learning from international philanthropic organisations and our own Trust Tairāwhiti about the importance of ensuring the resource distributed in the community is achieving equity and enhancing community wellbeing, alongside creating awesome systems which benefit our whānau, hapū, iwi and community,” says Agnes. After holding the position of Manager for three years, where Agnes was the driving force behind the team’s commitment to improving equity and health outcomes for Māori, she gracefully untied her shoelaces and hung up her boots, and took on the role of Strategic Leader for Healthy Families East Cape. Agnes’s reflections on her time with Healthy Families East Cape capture her commitment to ensuring that the work is seeded and growing alongside system partners and communities to create healthier environments for the betterment of our people. “As Strategic Leaders, we help fuel the movement of health prevention across our region,” says Agnes. “Healthy Families has an overarching model, Kaupapa, building blocks and principles that are fundamental to health prevention. So being able to provide leadership in this space, and socialize those fundamentals, and what it means to uphold them, with my people, is what excited me and continues to excite me about Healthy Families.” What resonates with Agnes, is that how we participate is by staying true to the kaupapa. We must hold the space and give time for our people, for Māori to tell their story and share their lived experiences. “Healthy Families East Cape has been able to do this, in a way that is mana-enhancing, and in a way that props up the areas of our region that have previously not had a great deal of opportunity to do so.” Recalls Agnes. Agnes now works with Ngāti Porou hāpū, striving to achieve systemic change for her people in forever-changing environments and systems. Agnes has also taken on the wero of being a candidate, with hopes of entering the Gisborne District Council space as a Councillor on the first ever Māori Ward for Te Tairāwhiti. “Now is the time,” sits at the heart of Agnes’s kōrero, “to ensure Māori voices are at the decision-making table with the mandate to represent whanau and hapu,” “It is going to take the work of many sectors and individuals to continue building and reshaping our future for health, wellbeing, equity, and a prosperous Tairāwhiti.” For Agnes, making the shift to run for Council is right for her, but she acknowledges that this move is not right for everybody. “There are many opportunities to improve the health and wellbeing of our whānau, hapu, iwi and communities,” says Agnes. “We have to be brave enough to take the steps necessary, thinking creatively and adapting within a systems approach to break through traditional barriers.” One of Agnes’ favourite quotes came from Dr Ganesh Nana, Chair of the Productivity Commission, who presented at the Rau Tipu Rau Ora Summit 2020. “Dr Ganesh said that wellbeing is about three things: Having access to opportunities, the ability to participate, and having a capacity to contribute. If we can focus on providing all three of these not only will we improve the health and wellbeing of our people but we’ll also achieve greater shared prosperity and a sense of belonging.” “As a wāhine from Whareponga, what I can say is that the fundamentals and principles of Healthy Families, when working in unison and when upheld by those who have the power, help me and others like me to achieve these three things.” Healthy Families East Cape thanks Agnes for her leadership, and for her drive to achieve profound transformative change across our locality. The month of September is an annual month of celebration and education of bees run especially by Apiculture New Zealand.
Each year, the annual events' aim is to get all New Zealanders taking action to support and protect bees and bring awareness to the important role that they play in both our kai and environmental ecosystems. In 2020, during the explore and research phase of the collective Te Mahinga Kai o Tairāwhiti, which is backboned by Healthy Families East Cape, the team connected with local Beekeeper, Bee champion and member of Apiculture New Zealand, Barry Foster. Meeting Barry and bringing awareness to the importance of bees was a massive highlight of that entire mapping phase of our local food system," says Healthy Families East Cape's Strategic Leadership Rōpū member, Agnes Walker. The Healthy Families East Cape team vividly remembers the encounters with Barry during the mapping phase of the local food system and the deep discussions around what actions need to be taken to support the health and resilience of our bee populations. "It's all so intricately connected, whether you're eating the food that is directly pollinated or you're eating something that depends on that pollinator," Agnes said. "It's a domino effect." The climate crisis has taken a toll on our pollinators, with Ministry of Primary Industries reporting in 2021 the overall annual loss rate of bee colonies over winter to be 13.6%, or about 109,800 colonies. As part of their endeavour to raise awareness of bees in schools, Barry, along with his colleagues Steve Jackson and John McLean from Apiculture NZ visited schools across the Tairāwhiti region during the month of September. Our local tamariki were given the chance to meet beekeepers, learn about bees and how a hive works and enjoy some honey tasting. Healthy Families East Cape brokered a relationship between Barry and Cobham School, ensuring the community and students of Cobham were able to take part in the Bee festivities for the month. On the 20th of September, Cobham School students were treated to a day of everything Bee-related including honeycomb, beekeeper protective clothing including veils for the tamariki to try on, and also live bees in an observation hive box. Te Mahinga Kai o Tairāwhiti steering group member and Principal of Cobham School, Gina Lean, was excited to have her tamariki be a part of Bee Awareness Month. "The collective mahi that is being done in our suburb of Elgin, including the planting of native trees behind our school, the raised awareness of healthier and more people friendly environments and neighbourhoods, have all led to Bee Awareness Month and Barry's visit to our school, "For the kids to now learn about bees and how they're critically important to our food and lives is such a milestone in their learning journey," says Gina. Excited tamariki from Cobham School shared the below about their day with Barry:
John McLean, a retired Professor of Entomology, took the tamariki through an engaging lesson around the basic anatomy of bees and insects, with tamariki able to see dead bees, look at them from an anatomical perspective and deepen their understanding of the pollinator. Healthy Families East Cape Manager, Toni June, welcomed the learning of the importance of honey bees, especially in the building of a local food system that is dependent on our environment. "Perhaps the greatest win of the day was creating Bee champions in the tamariki, and watching them get excited about understanding the bees anatomy, the different types of bees and their roles, and that they pollinate our plants that end up as food on our tables," said Toni. "Steve Jackson even held up a branch from an orange tree, and for the tamariki to understand that bees are what help the oranges grow, and what that means for other vegetables and other plants that depend on bees and pollinators." As an added bonus, Gina Lean has advised that Matua Kahurangi of Cobham School, in being inspired by Bee Awareness Month has utilized word play to articulate the values of the kura. “Matua Kahurangi worked with the tamariki and came up with some new values for our kura: Bee Wise, Bee Humble, Bee Aroha, Bee Nurture, Bee Attitude, Bee Unique, Bee kind, Bee respectful, Bee the tahi and do the mahi,” says Gina. “This is a nod to the importance of bees in our ecosystem, and translating that to our school values. We loved everything we learned, and now it’s top of mind every day.” Barry and the team at Apiculture NZ are encouraging New Zealanders to learn about bees and what we can do to help care for them. Healthy Families East Cape look forward to continuing our relationship with Barry and further understanding what actions we can take as a region to protect bees, and therefore become more food resilient and food sovereign ourselves. “It’s about making the public aware of the importance of bees in pollinating all of the food we depend upon in our diets,and for the benefit of the wider environment. For example our native bee species are vital in the pollination of many of our native plants in order for them to set seed.” says Barry. End Nā Ranui Maxwell raua ko Tomairangi Higgins “Te tika ka mōhio, te pono ka mārama, te pūrākau ka maumahara te ngākau.” Ko a mātou pūrakau kei te ia o a mātou mahi katoa, kei roto i ngā takitakinga o a mātou karakia, kei roto ano i te tangi o a mātou waiata, ka kitea ki roto i a mātou whakairo, kei roto i a mātou kowhaiwhai e iri ana ki ngā pakitanga o a mātou wharenui. Kei roto ano i a mātou mahinga toi, te tuhi o te tā moko e mahana ai te kiri. Ka kitea ano hoki ki roto i a mātou ingoa wahi, ki ngā tohu whenua me ngā wāhi tapu makona ano hoki ko ngā ingoa whānau e whakamana ana i te whakapapa o tātou te Māori. Ko He Oranga Whānau Te Tairawhiti tētahi o ngā peka o roto i te kāhui o He Oranga Whānau Aotearoa. E āhei ana ki te whakapakari i te hauora o a mātou whānau mā te anga atu ki te taiao e noho ana, e ako ana, e mahi ana, e takaro ana a mātou whānau Māori. Ka tirohia mātou ki ngā āhutanga pūnaha e aupēhi ana i te orangatanga o ā mātou whānau o roto i Te Tairawhiti. Ka whakamahia e He Oranga Whānau o Aotearoa i te pūrakau hei huarahi whakawhitiwhiti mātauranga ki a ora ai ngā akoranga, ngā kōrero me ngā whakapapa hei whainga mo āpopo. E whakamahia ana ano hoki mātou o He Oranga Whānau Te Tairawhiti i ngā wāriu o te pūrakau hei orangatonutanga mo ā mātou hāpori huri noa i te rohe. Ehara i te mea ko te pūrakau he kupu noiho, ēngari he hōhōnutanga ano tōna. Ko tōna rite mēna wāwātia te kupu pū-rakau ka kitea ano tōna ake hōhōnutanga e rite ana ki te pū o te rākau me tōna hononga ki te taiao. Ko te ritenga o te rakau he pēra ki te ao Māori me to mātou nohotahitanga ki te taiao. Ka kitea tenei kotahitanga ki roto i a mātou tikanga, o mātou nei kawa, me te momo o te Māori. Ko ēnei wāriu e noho tata ki a mātou o He Oranga Whānau Te Tairawhiti E nui ake te hōhōnutanga o te pūrakau ki tā te kupu, he hōhōnutanga we honohono ai te ao tawhito ki te ao hurihuri. Kia mātou o He Oranga Whānau Te Tairawhiti he momo tō te pūrakau ki a mātou mahi katoa, kia ea ai ngā wawata i waenga nui i o mātou hāpori. Ma te pūrakau ka kitea the whakapapa o te kōrero, te hononga o ngā tikanga me ngā wāriu ki ngā āhuatanga o te wā me te taiao hoki. Ko ngā reanga whakawhitiwhtinga ka ora ai te pūrakau ki roto ia mātou mahi katoa. Ko tā Jade Kameta te Rautaki Māori mo He Oranga Whānau Te Tairawhiti, “mā te maramataka ka kitea ano te hirahira o te pūrakau. Ko te tuāpapa o ngā pūrakau Māori e āhei ana ki te tirohanga o te ao Māori. Na roto i ēnei tikanga ka kitea ngā pūrakau pēra ki Te Orokohanga o te Ao, Te Wehenga o Ranginui me Papatuanuku, ngā pūrakau a Maui me te mātotoru ano o ngā pūrakau Māori. Ma te mōhio ki te hirahiratanga o te pūrakau ka mārama ano hoki ki ngā tikanga o mua me pēhea ano te whakaraupapa i enei tikanga ki roto i te ao o inaianei, ki roto ano i ngā whakahaerenga ārai hauora. Me anga tōtika mātou o He Oranga Whānau Te Tairawhiti ki te whakamana i ēnei pukenga pūrakau hei huarahi whakamua mo te orangatonutanga o ā mātou hāpori huri noa i Te Tairawhiti ki roto ano i Opotiki. E pūmanawa ana mātou ki te wāriu o te whakaawhitiwhiti pūrakau hei orangatonutanga mo te hauora o ā mātou whānau, hapu, iwi. Ko te ataahutanga o ngā pūrakau e kore e rite, he huarahi oranga mo te katoa. I tēra marama i hanake a Jade Kameta rāua ko Tomairangi Higgins te kaiwhakahaere o He Oranga Whanau Te Tairawhiti ki te hui o He Oranga Whānau Kahui Māori ki roto o Kerikeri. He ropu whakatenatena i ngā akoranga me ngā tikanga Māori ki roto i ngā mahi huri noa i ngā pekanga tekau mā tahi (11) I raro I te tāhuhu o He Oranga Whānau Aotearoa. Ko tā Tomairangi, “Te ataahua o te noho tahi a ngā taina me ngā tuakana i raro i te whakaaro tahi, mā te whakawhanaunga ki a mātou hoa mahi o pekanga ano ka kitea te hirahiratanga o ēnei mahi”. E anga whakamua tonu ana mātou o He Oranga Whānau Te Tairawhiti kia kitea te puawaitanga o ngā whakaaro, mā te pūrakau ka kitea he huarahi ano ki te orangatonutanga o a mātou whānau, me te honohononga whakapapa e kore e taea te māwehe. Mā te whakamahi me te whakawhitiwhti pūrakau ka ako, mā te ako ka mōhio, mā te mōhio ka mārama, mā te mārama ka mātau. Ka tutuki te orangatonutanga ā whānau, ā hapu, ā iwi.” Tihei Mauriora. The Power of Pūrakau in Health Prevention“Tell me the facts, and I’ll learn. Tell me the truth, and I’ll believe, but tell us the story, and it will live in my heart forever." Our stories are everywhere - in the karakia we say, the waiata we sing, in the carvings and kowhaiwhai that adorn the walls of our wharenui, the intricacies of tā moko that are etched into our skin, our place names, and even the names we carry. Healthy Families East Cape is part of a nation-wide health prevention initiative that seeks to shift conditions in order to create healthier environments where our people live, learn, work and play. We take a systems approach to improving the health and wellbeing of our people in order to prevent chronic illnesses. As we move through unsettling and exciting times across Aotearoa-New Zealand, not only in health prevention, but across all ecosystems, we are seeing more and more evidence of a health prevention system that is centered around Te Ao Maori and Matauranga Maori. Healthy Families NZ uses storytelling as a vehicle for communication, and affirming our narratives in our systems change approach. If storytelling is one of the mechanisms for change, imagine the power of pūrakau in shifting mindsets and behaviours beyond myths and legends. Healthy Families East Cape is exploring and demonstrating how pūrakau can influence practice and provide a framework that can be applied across our locality. Pūrakau isn’t just a translation of the word storytelling - pūrakau goes much deeper. The literal translation is pū (roots/base) and rākau (tree). They are words that relate to our natural environment. The imagery of the tree reflects our cultural understanding of social relationships and our interconnectedness with each other and the natural environment. This is evidenced in our whakapapa and protocols and for Healthy Families East Cape, it provides us a blueprint or avenue back towards Mātauranga Māori as a health prevention system. The power of pūrakau comes from more than just transmitting ideas, but from creating shared meaning and linking identities. For Healthy Families East Cape, the importance of storytelling and pūrakau to establish and build identity contributes to an ability to co-design, collaborate, and redirect resources towards prevention. It also serves as a way of distributing knowledge, values, protocols, and our worldview. Pūrakau is multifaceted in terms of the messaging, multi-layered in terms of the audience, and multipurpose in terms of its application. “Maramataka is an example of all of these,” says Healthy Families East Cape Rautaki Māori Jade Kameta. “Māori narratives are based on an indigenous worldview that serves as the philosophical underpinning of our culture and identity,” “This enables us to engage in thought provocation as well as group problem-solving. Examples like Te Orokohanga o Te Ao (the creation story), the separation of Ranginui and Papatuānuku, the pūrakau of Maui, and many other pūrakau.” As a result, pūrakau is critical for understanding traditional practices and how these are applied in a modern context, and in health prevention. Healthy Families East Cape has an explicit focus on improving equity, health and wellbeing outcomes for Māori across our locality, that stretches from the Ōpōtiki district all the way through Te Tairāwhiti. We have a belief in using pūrakau to reshape our approach to our health and wellbeing. The beauty of pūrakau is that they can provide a roadmap and holistic approach that anyone, not just Māori, can participate and apply to individuals and their whānau. Pūrakau can also be unique to our region, supporting and affirming their place and identity. Last month, Jade Kameta and Healthy Families East Cape Practice Lead, Tomairangi Higgins, travelled to Kerikeri to meet with other Healthy Families NZ localities as part of Te Kāhui Māori Healthy Families Community of Practice (COP), a rōpū within the Healthy Families national network that has a sharp focus on driving positive change and narratives for Maori. “Scaling up at a national level has never been more of an opportunity than it is now” says Tomairangi Healthy Families East Cape continues to focus on shifting mindsets beyond the status-quo and using pūrakau as a vehicle of communication, utilising the power of our whakapapa to connect in a diverse range of settings. “The more we share our pūrākau, the more we learn. The more we learn, the more we grow. The more we grow, the closer we are to achieving wellbeing as individuals and as a collective.” By Ranui Maxwell Ko te ahurei o te tamaiti arahia ō tātou mahi Let the uniqueness of the child guide our work Elevating lived experience and the community voice is one of the building blocks for impactful change, and in this case the tamariki of Cobham Primary School, Gisborne. The tamariki, guided by Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti and Healthy Families East Cape’s Regional Play Systems Lead, Anna Tolich, are re-imagining how their school and surrounding community of Elgin could be a safer place to play, enabling them to move freely around their community. Anna has been leading the Neighbourhood Play System (NPS) prototype here in Gisborne, one of four locations around Aotearoa to test and apply this locally. The Neighbourhood Play System is an approach to urban design which places the tamariki at the center of the process as urban designers of their neighborhood. Cobham School and the community of Elgin have a number of challenges. The NPS prototype empowers community leaders, champions, and members to think differently about the causes of poor health and to make changes to the neighbourhood system of Cobham School and the wider Elgin community which influence the health and wellbeing of whānau. Through a relationship with Gisborne District Council and access to their GIS mapping, Anna mapped the existing challenges and opportunities to help better understand the area. The tamariki led a walk around their community and were challenged with solving problems they identified along the way. This sparked their imagination leading them to identify all the opportunities for a more playful community. “ The NPS is such a radical approach to urban design in that it places the key stakeholder, our tamariki, at the center of the process”. “The penny drop moment for us was when the tamariki took us on a walk around their neighborhood and they urban designed creative fixes on the spot.” The area surrounding Cobham School does not have any playgrounds or any playful spaces. However, the tamariki have identified five key areas they can activate for play: school ground play, play on the way, nature play, village play, and play corridors. These five key areas are being presented back to Gisborne District Council in the coming weeks. The insights and ideas from engagement with tamariki informed a presentation for the 2022 Green Pavlova, the premier conference hosted by Recreation Aotearoa held in Ōtepōti. Green Pavlova is a premier conference that brings together the parks and open spaces industry to learn new things, discuss best practice, and network with colleagues. “I am really excited to see their opportunities begin to be activated and the tamariki seeing that they can make a change in their own neighborhoods,” says Anna. “As a tamariki led model, the NPS recognises and elevates our young people as valued contributors to society, giving them the time, space, and permission to have creative ownership over the play layer of their own neighborhoods.” Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti, Healthy Families East Cape and other stakeholders involved in the Neighbourhood Play System will continue to collaborate for collective impact, and share Cobham School’s journey towards shifting conditions for more playful environments in and around Elgin. Click here to read the Neighbourhood Play System Report. Please follow our social media platforms or subscribe to our e-panui to keep updated or for information on how to get involved. Pictured are some of the organisers: Kaea Rangi Williams (Te Whakatōhea Trust board), Joseph Hayes (Opotiki District Council), Anna Kurei (Opotiki District Council), Jade Kameta (HFEC) and Thomas Mitai (Terere Marae). Matariki hunga nui, Matariki ahunga nui, Matariki tāpuapua, Matariki Haukunui, Matariki tohu mate, Matariki takoha nui, Matariki te whetu o te tau!
This year Aotearoa celebrated the first official public holiday acknowledging the rising of Matariki. For Healthy Families, we’d like to acknowledge the commitment of all of the maramataka and mātauranga practitioners that have contributed to the recognition of Matariki as a public holiday. Healthy Families East Cape is continuously working towards a return to Māori systems - the reconnection with our traditional practices and cultural frameworks that sustained our whānau in times of challenge and prosperity. In the spirit of the Ōpōtiki Matariki Festival 2022, TE ARO KI NGĀ WHETŪ I TERERE, we collaborated to hold wānanga at Terere Marae to observe the stars and share stories. Healthy Families East Cape Rautaki Māori Jade Kameta spent the lead-up to Matariki developing connections, knowledge, and valuing experience within and across our communities. Matariki embodies the health and wellbeing of our taiao (environment) and the communities in which we live. It is no coincidence that each star represents our connection to Kai, wai, and people. The stars also connect us to whakapapa, including tupuna who had passed on. This is echoed in the way that we approach our health and wellbeing. Jade was humbled to be invited by the organisers to collaborate at this wānanga, he aimed to get people to look up at stars as our tupuna did, and connect through pūrākau (stories). Despite the early morning start of 5am, the wānanga was well attended by kaumatua, mokopuna, Māori, and non-Māori, all demonstrating the community’s appetite for mātauranga Māori, ngā whetū, and particularly the aroha for Matariki shone through. The most exciting part of the wānanga was hearing some of the participant’s reactions as the kōrero connected with them. “This is mātauranga Māori in action, our people engaged in mātauranga Māori practices, like wānanga, that deepens our connection with the environment and promotes wellness” says Jade. Matariki is more than just celebrating the beginning of the Māori new year. It is elevating mātauranga Māori. The impact of Matariki now being a public holiday ensures that traditional practices like the maramataka continue to be lifted and normalised in Aotearoa. |
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