Police at Hawke's Bay Hospital during an attempted baby uplift led by Oranga Tamariki. Photo / Warren Buckland
Police at Hawke's Bay Hospital during an attempted baby uplift led by Oranga Tamariki. Photo / Warren Buckland
OPINION
There is a plethora of reportage saying family violence is rising in areas devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle.
Police publicly released crime data I suspect will track similarly when the February figures are released.
With houses gone or completely destabilised, without that basic need, it means more of our people are vulnerable than ever before.
That violence spike is a reflection of poverty and whānau not being able to meet their basic daily needs of fresh water, kai in the tummies of their tamariki and safe shelter.
People are homeless, they’ve lost everything, they don’t know what the future holds, so overall it’s an extremely stressful and ‘crisis cauldron’ situation that humans respond, sometimes, not so well in.
I have real concerns that our whānau are also now at real risk of having their babies uplifted because they’re struggling and not able to care for them properly.
But when we hear stories from the flax roots about extreme difficulties acquiring resources from officials it raises a lot of concerns about how we optimise the wellbeing of our whānau.
In the last month I’ve attended hui with Māori providers to listen to how Māori collectively rise up and mobilise together in times of disaster – like now - regardless of the barriers put in front of them.
Taking charge, and doing it their own way, because the needs of our people are not being met by the Crown agencies or being recognised or prioritised. It’s almost like it’s under the radar.
Disaster and emergency plans must be cognisant that our Māori communities get on and do the mahi but they still need the resourcing as the government has a duty to care - or our whānau will continue to miss out.
From my researcher perspective, in the mahi we’ve done for E-Tu Whānau, Māori women are resourceful and resilient in adverse times. They can make a little go a long way and do it very well.
Whānau Waipareira CEO John Tamihere and his kaimahi were at Waitakere Hospital in 2020 to prevent an Oranga Tamariki uplift of a new born baby. Photo / Supplied
What’s concerning me now, given our recent research doing wānanga with whānau looking at developing a prevention to violence approach – things are ramping up considerably, especially for wahine Māori, given we’re amassing so many similar stories.
Realise that not all wahine and tamariki have whānau support around them because of their circumstances. Interference from government agencies/third parties like OT have put a huge wedge in and further divided relationships between them and their whānau.
Dame Naida Glavish and Te Whānau o Waipareira in 2020 stopped OT and police from uplifting a newborn baby at Waitakere Hospital. Photo / Supplied
That causes more isolation and entrapment, and they don’t have a lot of trust in the system as a result.
We’re talking about whānau, like a māmā and their children at risk and vulnerable living in intensified, and for some, very unsafe housing pre-emergency, well before the floods hit.
We’ve heard first-hand accounts, from those with lived-experience in emergency housing, that’s precarious. The transient nature, with a lot of violence going on against a backdrop of drugs and alcohol and gang influence.
For some, they’re living in situations that are already unsafe and unchecked in terms of safety and security. Threats are being made to whānau to do things that they wouldn’t usually do.
It would be good if government agencies look at the lessons of COVID and work not just with iwi but also Māori providers who work with whānau.
That high trust contracting environment means the providers can meet the needs of whānau that ordinary civil defence can’t.
Our tamariki are going to be adults going into the future, so we must have them in the centre of our thoughts and decision-making – right from the start.
While there needs to be critical infrastructure decisions in the recovery response, I’m talking about getting the basics prioritised so our whānau have the capacity and capability to form resilience in the face of adversity.
Dr Denise Wilson. Photo / Supplied
The need for water, kai, shelter, and certainty going forward – and that takes resources being expedited effectively and efficiently.
The collective local hāpori and provider pool on the ground has the integrity, the relationships, the whakapapa and tikanga to serve our people well. Others might have the scale, the brand, and the staff but no local intel, or relationships that are trusted.
Isn’t it time to get the basics right?
Dr Denise Wilson, member of Te Pūkotahitanga, ministerial appointed independent advisory rōpū to Marama Davidson, Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence and Sexual Violence. She is a keynote speaker at the National Family Violence Conference in Wellington.
