The country’s youngest MP, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, looks to the past to share with Whānau Ora Kaiarāhi hope in the future.
All eyes were on new Hauraki-Waikato MP Maipi-Clarke as she took to the stage at Te Whare Maui o Te Kōhao in Kirikiriroa.
At the first Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency northern region wānanga, New Zealand’s youngest MP confessed it was her second speech as “kaitiaki of Waikato-Hauraki”.
She followed the opening address by Lady Tureiti Moxon, Managing Director of Te Kōhao Health and chair of the National Urban Māori Authority.
“I’m so humbled and privileged to share and be part of our movement,” Maipi-Clarke said to a packed audience.
Moments later Maipi-Clarke made a “special acknowledgement and special mihi to Whāea Nanaia - former MP Nanaia Mahuta - an absolute inspiration to all of us”.
Whānau Ora Chair Merepeka-Raukawa Tait and new Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke. Photo / Sarah Sparks
“I thought I’d talk about the ultimate dream of the wellbeing of Waikato which relates to the whakataukī of the wānanga, ‘Titiro whakamuri kia anga whakamua’ – ‘Look to the past in order to move forward’” Maip-Clarke said.
“For me personally it aligns to this maioha (song poem) by Kiingi Tāwhiao,” she said singing the kupu Māori describing the cupped hand holding beauty.
“Ka matakitaki iho au ki te riu o Waikato Ano nei hei kapo kau are maaku; Ki te kapu o take ringa. I look down to the valley of Waikato, as though to hold it, in the hollow of my hand, and its caress and its beauty.”
Maipi-Clarke spoke to Kiingi Tāwhiao’s words that were about watching his people, land and whakapapa, “which is a reminder of our true resource”.
Delving into the history books, she took the contingent of Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency partners and up to 250 kaiārahi navigators from across the northern region, back in time.
“Sir George Grey once said that the children of Waikato had the healthiest teeth and Waikato had the most fertile land in the whole world.
“All of us here in this room, we represent a nation that has survived, our language, our land, our river, our people.
“We know what it feels like to be silenced but now we’re everywhere.”
The scale and reach of Whānau Ora was evident in both the car park and the media stand-up at the event.
As the Commission Agency Chair, Merepeka Raukawa-Tait stood before cameras she was flanked by car upon car furnishing tohu representing partners from across the motu like Te Ngira Whānau Ora Collective, Waikato Tainui Whānau Ora Collective, Te Tai Tokerau Whānau Ora Collective, and Te Pae Herenga o Tāmaki Whānau Ora Collective.
“Obviously with a change of government, their priorities change however we believe that this government is concerned for all New Zealanders and they do want Māori not just to survive, but to thrive,” Raukawa-Tait said.
Merepeka Raukawa-Tait.
‘‘They know that we are well connected into our communities and deliver value for money and that we are the solutions to the issues that are impacting whānau Māori, we’re saying now ‘by Māori for the whole of the country’ as well.”
Raukawa-Tati will be joined tonight by Kiingi Tūheitia, Te Makau Ariki Atawhai, Her Worship Mayor Paula Southgate to present Kaiārahi Whakanuia awards to kaiarāhi.
“It is the first time that there has ever been a regional wānanga for the core collective to come together to share their innovation, creativity and celebrate the wonderful work that they’ve been doing throughout Covid, floods and Cyclone Gabrielle,’ said Lady Tureiti Moxon.
“Those learnings by our partners have been enormous,” she said. “What we’ve seen is our own people from Whānau Ora taking a leadership position in communities across the motu.
“It shows the resilience of not only our team, but also of the people that they have been working with, our whānau. They’re at the centre of everything in terms of the mahi and how they’re rebuilding their own lives.”
Partner presentations will build capabilities and capacity through showcasing innovation, shared learnings, team building, data insights, techniques supporting whānau aspirations, and kōrero about Māori leadership.
On day two all lead partners will present their own inspiring TED Talks. Other invited guest speakers include Riana Manuel, chief executive of Te Aka Whaiora and John Tamihere, Chief Executive of Whānau Ora.
“The Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency has enabled providers, whether they’re big ones or little ones, situated in urban or rural areas, to respond in a way in a way that was relevant and meaningful in their own community,” said Lady Tureiti.
Data from Whānau Ora shows that “the kaiārahi programme engaged with 13,978 whānau members across Te Ika a Maui (North Island) during the 2020/21 financial year (1st July 2020 to 30th June 2021).
“Whānau Ora provides wraparound services to support whānau in terms of their own moemoeā and what they want for themselves. Today is important especially because we are in the middle of coalition talks, so we’re bringing everyone together to talk about what the future looks like,” she said.
“We need to be of one mind, of one waka and all rowing in the same direction.”
Sarah Sparks is a freelance Māori journalist who works across multiple Māori organisations’ kaupapa.
