families commission komihana a whanau Key Messages Oral Submission by the Families Commission to the Maori Affairs Select Committee on the DETERMINANTS OF THE WELLBEING OF MAORI CHILDREN
Key Messages 1. In December 2011 the Families Commission made a written submission to the Maori Affairs Select Committee Inquiry into the Determinants of the Wellbeing of Maori Children. 2. New Families Commission research, published after the written submission was presented in December 2011, adds to the research already presented in the written submission and informs this oral submission. 3. The purpose of this oral submission is to present the findings of the two new research reports and to answer any questions the Maori Affairs Select Committee may have on the written submission. 4. The two studies that have been published since the written submission was made in December 2011 are: He Waka Whanui: Partnerships with Maori (2012) Love, N., Love, C., Joe, M., Panapa, F., Hawea, A., Ngai Tahu; Dodd, M., Irwin, K. and Potae, G.; and, Te PDmautanga 0 te whanau (2012) Baker, K., Williams, H., and Tuuta, C. 5. Partnerships with Maori - He Waka Whanui explores aspects of the Families Commission's partnership work with whanau and their children. The partnership model the Families Commission has developed is called 'He Waka Whanui'. 6. The Families Commission He Waka Whanui partners are: Ngai Tahu, Te K6hanga Reo National Trust, Maori Women's Welfare League and Ahikaa / Entrepreneurship NZ Trust. 7. In this report Ngai Tahu discuss how they responded to whanau and their children after the Canterbury earthquakes. The MWWL uses interviews with branch members to report how the MWWL works with whanau and their children at the flax roots. The Families Commission sponsored the delivery of one of the 10 week Ahikaa / Entrepreneurship NZ Trust courses on entrepreneurship to hard to reach whanau and their youth in the Lower Hutt. Whanau progress through the course and responses to it are reported. A chapter researches the role of the machinery of government as a barrier to the revitalisation of te reo me ona tikanga, using a case study of the experiences of. k6hanga reo in the early childhood sector as this is experienced by whanau and their mokopuna. A literature scan of published research on partnerships with Maori was undertaken and the research reported in the following categories: central government, local government, iwi, NGO and Maori organisations. The key messages of the research are set out below. 8. Key Messages Ngai Tahu: Reach out to whanau and their children in a time of crisis a. TRONT worked with the Maori Recovery Network (MRN), which included Te Puni K6kiri, He Oranga Pounamu, Nga Mata Waka, Maori Wardens, Maori providers, iwi, the Maori Party and the wider Maori Network. TRONT and the MRN were committed to working in a Maori way to support Maori and non-maori whanau. b. Marae were a critical part of the service delivery infrastructure in the Christchurch recovery response. Families Commission oral submission to the Maori Affairs Select Committee 2
c. TRONT and MRN demonstrated key principles and activities that enable successful partnering with those whanau and communities. d. The work of TRONT and the MRN show that successful partnering with whanau and communities requires: > a strong and existing local presence; > direct engagement (including kanohi-ki-te-kanohi) and tangible support/assistance; > the adoption and utilisation of Maori principles, such as kanohi-ki-tekanohi, whanaungatanga and manaakitanga; > a recognition of the lower socio-economic position of whanau, (and the impact of this on children) who often struggle to make ends meet in usual circumstances and have no provision for major calamities such as earthquakes; > being seen on the ground in the communities those whanau and children reside in; and > Marae as a critical feature of the service delivery infrastructure. 9. Key Message Ahikaa I Entrepreneurship NZ Trust: Teach entrepreneurship to hard to reach whanau and youth a. Integrated, whanau-focused programmes, incorporating social, intellectual and attitudinal growth can lead to transformational changes in whanau and youth direction. h. With multiple generations learning together and supporting each other in their goals both shared and individual - the effectiveness of such programmes can be strongly reinforced and integrated into whanau life in ways that could not be possible in individualised or traditional educational sessions. 10. Key Message: Structural barriers hinder the revitalisation ofte reo Maori me ona tikanga (TKRNT) a. In the past decade the early childhood sector has been the subject of regular high-level review. The role of structural factors as barriers in the sector has been acknowledged in most of the reviews cited. h. On Monday, 25 July 2011, a Waitangi Tribunal Claim was lodged by the trustees of the Te K6hanga Reo National Trust, with the support of 471 k6hanga reo. The claim was filed under urgency in the Waitangi Tribunal, arguing that the Crown had failed to meet its obligations under the Treaty ofwaitangi. c. The claim for urgency was upheld by the Waitangi Tribunal on 25 October 2011. d. Some of the critical gains for Maori Development in recent years have been the result of litigation. e. Effective partnerships with Maori can protect advances in Maori development in the future. 11. Key Message MWWL: Stand up now, tomorrow take that leadership role! a. Membership of the MWWL has been empowering and inspirational, and provides companionship with other Maori women who share common values and beliefs. h. Each of the members has enjoyed personal growth and skill development through volunteering their time and assisting whanau and children they come into contact with. Families Commission oral submission to the Maori Affairs Select Committee 3
c. The branch has clearly demonstrated that utilising a whanau-centred approach is more effective if it is based upon tikanga, and Maori are working with Maori whanau and their children. d. After 60 years of activity with various changes, positive and negative, the Ikaroa Branch is looking forward. Strong leadership is needed to ensure that the League voice is not marginalised and the Government patronage is used as effectively as it has been used in the past. 12. Te POmautanga 0 te whanau (2012) Baker, K., Williams, H., and Tuuta, C. This report focuses on two kaupapa Maori case studies in TOhoe and South Auckland. The report provides an analysis of whanau resilience, strength and wellbeing. The report identifies daily factors of resilience that whanau engage in that support their chiidren.through case study analysis, the voices of TOhoe and South Auckland whanau and those of the hapo, iwi, Maori and community organisations working with whanau, are drawn on to better understand whanau resilience in the face of financial hardship and adversity. The cultural, social, economic and environmental resources that TOhoe and South Auckland whanau draw on daily are also identified and discussed. The key messages of the research are set out below. 13. Key message: ITOhoetanga and tikanga Maori support whanau resilience on a day-to-day basis 14. Factors and practices that support TOhoe and South Auckland whanau resilience include: > Transmission of TOhoetanga and tikanga Maori > Access to cultural, social economic and environmental resources > Education, skills and capability > Whanau development through choice and ownership of their own journey > Whanaungatanga and high-trust relationships > Working with whanau in ways that support Mana and self-esteem > Advocacy and brokering > Kanohi kitea and community knowledge from within whanau, hapo, marae and communities > Presence of highly skilled whanau workers who have the trust of whanau > Kaumatua and tuakana/teina support > Whanau identify and refer whanau members with problems to more formalised support; > Sports club and church membershi; and > Whanau access to computers and the internet. 15. The report concludes that there are strong cultural and tribal models of leadership, responsibility and accountability in the TOhoe case study. The TOhoe whanau had many protective factors to support them in times of economic hardship and adversity. These functions cannot be replaced or replicated by government agencies and programmes. Consequently, there are real practical benefits in understanding how best to work with, and engage, iwi models at both the conceptual and operational level. 16. Whanau in South Auckland were often disengaged from traditional tribal structures therefore were more vulnerable during hard times. Neighbourhood support systems can also be somewhat fragile as they can be weakened Families Commission oral submission to the Maori Affairs Select Committee 4
through a key resource person moving away, as communities and whanau were built up around neighbourhoods. 17. The study also emphasises the importance of highly skilled whanau support workers and informal networks in an urban setting in order to support whanau. How such models can be better understood and supported in the policy environment requires mainstream support for Kaupapa Maori initiatives at all levels of planning, policy, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. The Families Commission is producing a DVD 'Te POmautanga 0 te Whanau, Voices of TOhoe'. This DVD will be available soon. Families Commission oral submission to the Maori Affairs Select Committee 5