Te Ururoa Flavell: Stand up against the dark

Greetings again. I have just seen the programme Beyond the Darklands about young Nia Glassie. I am still shaken by that story.

Aside from the devastating actions of some whanau members, there are many things for all of us to learn from this. It was suggested that what the parent did to his son would manifest itself in how that son dealt with his children.

We saw what happens when alcohol and drugs are involved and we saw the world this particular whanau lived in was filled with those aspects, as well as violence and abuse of one another.

The programme must wake us up to never be silent if one hears or sees a child or a woman crying or the screams of someone being beaten.

Nia Glassie's name is etched in the consciousness of our country so we owe it to Nia to never let what happened to her happen to any other child.

We must look after ourselves, look after our children and our partners.

I was at another place when an article appeared recently in the newspaper about a brawl in Koutu. I was surprised to see that sort of thing happening in Koutu of all places because people who live there are whanau of the same hapu. Some decided it was appropriate to call a hui to discuss this sort of thing happening among them, so let me congratulate Kingi Biddle and others who chose to follow this path.

Some often ask about the benefits of Neighbourhood Watch. Well, let's consider these issues above for starters. Looking after others, our families, our tribes and stopping brawls among us. In essence, this is what is at the heart of Whanau Ora - minding each other's business.

Recently, the Minister of Education, Hekia Parata, spoke about the correct pronunciation of the names of Maori and Pasifika children in schools and that upset the teacher unions. I have no idea why they reacted the way they did.

There are many reports and much research, indeed motions that have come from within the union itself which encourage teachers to correct this fault.

It is not as if this one aspect is the reason Maori children do not achieve to the appropriate levels. That is one of the great aspects of the Kotahitanga programme. Because of this programme, schools and teachers reflect on their teaching practice, good and not so good, and in doing so are able to improve on relationships between teacher and student and vice versa. Those relationship issues are key elements for Maori students.

If you have not heard of Te Kotahitanga, ask at your school about it.

I welcome your feedback. Email: mpwaiariki@parliament.govt.nz; Post: PO Box 12028 Rotorua 3045 Phone: (07) 3503261.

Tena ano tatou katoa. Katahi ano au ka matakitaki i te hotaka,Beyond the Darklands ara ko te korero mo Nia Glassie.

Kei te ohorere katoa au ki nga korero i puta. Haunga nga korero mo te weriweri a etahi o tetahi whanau, ara noa atu nga akoranga. I puta te korero, ko te ahuatanga o tetahi matua ki tana tamaiti, ka ahua pera ano hoki mo taua tamaiti me ana uri. I kitea mai ai ko nga raru e puta mai ana i te waipiro me te tarutaru, ko te ao i noho nei taua whanau, he ao kii tonu ki aua ahuatanga, ki te mahi patupatu, ki te tukino a tetahi ki tetahi.

Ko ta te hotaka, he whakaoho nei i a tatou kia kaua rawa e noho wahangu mena ko tau e rongo nei, e matakitaki nei ko te kaha tangi nei o nga tamariki, o te wahine ranei, ko te rongo ranei i te aue o tetahi e patua ana ranei!!! Kua tuhia te ingoa o Nia Glassie ki te ngakau o te motu no reira, kaua rawa tatou e tuku i tana matenga hei mea koretake noa iho. Me tiaki tatou i a tatou ano, me tiaki i a tatou tamariki, wahine.

I wahi ke au i te wa i puta te korero i te niupepa mo te pakanga i tu ki Koutu inatatanei. I tino ohorere au ki tera momo ahuatanga i Koutu tonu i te mea he whanau, he hapu kei tera takiwa e noho ana. Tere tonu te whakatau a etahi ki te ki me hui te hapori ki te korero mo enei momo ahuatanga i waenganui i a ratou, no reira me mihi ki nga mea penei i a Kingi Biddle ma ma ta ratou whai i tenei huarahi. I tona mutunga koia nei te whanau ora - ma taua ano taua e tiaki.

Ara ano etahi e patai ana mo te painga o tenei Kaupapa o te Neighbourhood Watch. Tena, anei kei runga ake nei! Ko te tiaki i te tangata, i te whanau, i te iwi, ko te aukati i enei momo pakanga i waenganui i a tatou.

Nonatatanei i puta te korero o te Minita mo nga Take Matauranga, o Hekia Parata mo te tika, mo te he ranei o te whakahua o nga ingoa Maori, Pasifika hoki i roto i nga kura, a i puku te rae o nga uniana!! Kaore au i te mohio he aha i pera ai ratou. E hia ke nei nga purongo, nga rangahau, nga motini tonu kua puta i waenga i a ratou tonu ki te aki i nga kaiako ki te whakatika i tenei he.

Ehara i te mea koia ra te take i tana kotahi e kore ai nga tamariki Maori e eke ki nga taumata i te kura engari he mea nui tera ki nga tamariki Maori. Koia nei te pai o te kaupapa nei o te Kotahitanga.

Ma tenei kaupapa, ka titiro nga kura, nga kaiako tonu ki a ratou ano me te ahuatanga o ta ratou whakaako, pai mai, ngoikore mai, ma reira ka taea te whakatika i nga ngoikoretanga kia tau pai te whanaungatanga i waenga i te kaiako me te tauira, ko te tauira me te kaiako. He mea nui tenei momo whanaungatanga ki a tatou tamariki. Mena kaore ano koe kia rongo mo te Kotahitanga, me patai atu ki to kura.