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Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Friday, June 23, 2006

Hapimana Toby Rikihana dies age 74

Ngati Hinemihi and Tuhourangi are today mourning the death of noted educationalist Hapimana Toby Rikihana.

Mr Rikihana died in Christchurch on Sunday aged 74.

After lying in state at Nga Hau e Wha Marae he was taken back to Hinemihi Marae in Rotorua, where he will be buried on Friday.

Mr Rikihana taught in the Auckland area in a variety of roles for almost 40 years, and was responsible for producing a huge volume of Maori language teaching resources.

He was also known for his knowledge of Maori string games, and was writing as book on the connection between the ancient games and astronomy.

His nephew, Te Ohu Mokai Wi Kingi, says Mr Rikihana learned the games from his kaumatua and kuia growing up in Rotorua.

"Every time we’d sit around the fire they’d be teaching us these games. They were passed to us specifically to pas on as we got older. And this is where we learned whakingahau, string games, the whole lot,” Wi Kingi said.

Te Ohu Mokai Wi Kingi says Toby Rikihana was keen for as many people as possible to learn Maori knowlege, so it would not be lost.

MAORI DESIGN TO FORE IN PRISON

Maori design is to the fore in the new women’s prison opening today at Wiri, in Manukau City.

Corrections department kaumatua, Charlie Tawhiao says the 286-bed prison features a building called Papa Mauri, where tikanga Maori will be used in conjunction with rongoa Maori, to help heal the inmates.

The building will be flanked by smaller whare where women on minimum security are housed before their release.

Mr Tawhiao says the opening of the new correctional facility hasn't found favour with everyone, but it does allow for new ways of doing things.

"It's always bad news to be building new prisons, but one of the things that’s kept me in this project is building new prisons is an opportunity to build new ways of operating prisons,” Tawhiao said.

SALLY ARMY SOUGHT FOR POLICING ROLE

New Zealand First law and order spokesperson Ron Mark reckons he's got a job for the Sallies.

He says it is unnaceptable to have staff from security firms manning police cells, as occured recently in Wellington.

Two of those staff have been stood down after it was discovered they had previous convictions on serious charges, and the police have since ended the firm's contract.

Mr Mark says many people held in police cells are in a vulnerable state, and some may be suicidal.

He says those types of prisoners need specialist care.

“ Whilst you may not want a clinical psychologist sitting there for 24 hours supervising an at risk inmate or suicidal inmate, you need somewhere there who’s more than brawn and muscle. In that case, the Salvation Army is probably a better case to start looking,” Mark says.

SELECT COMMITTEE HEARS TE ARAWA SUBMISSIONS

Te Arawa has overcome another hurdle on the path towards final settlement of its claim to the Rotorua lakes.

The Maori Affairs select committee met in Rotorua yesterday to hear submissions on the Te Arawa Lakes Settlement Bill, which will return the beds of the Rotorua lakes to the iwi.

Te Arawa Trust Board chairman Andrew Rangiheuea says while the committee heard some opposing submissions from small groups within Ngati Pikiao and Ngati Makino, the majority of the iwi support the settlement.

He disagrees with people who think the tribe could have got more.

"This has taken years to get here, and I must thank my researchers and my people who did the negotiations, the nard nose negotiators I had on board at the time to get is where we are. They have exhausted themselves and they thumped the table many times to get a settlement that I believe is good for Te Arawa in the climate we are in,” Rangiheuea said.

ABUSE A MAORI PROBLEM TO SOLVE

The former head of the New Zealand Womens refuge says all Maori must take some responsibility for the domestic violence in their whanau.

She says while Maori, along with all New Zealanders, are outraged at the recent death of twin boys in Mangere, a culture of silence isn't helping those trying to change the situation.

Ms Raukawa Tait says many Maori are ignoring what is happening right under their noses, and if someone had spoken out, perhaps the recent tragedy could have been avoided.

She says it is a Maori problem, and up to Maori to do something about it.

“All Maori should because those children belong to us. That is the I am we of Maori. We are not alone. We are part of a whanau, a hapu, an iwi. We all share in the blame. It is not a Pakeha issue, it is not a government issue, it is our issue, and we are reluctant to own it,” Raukawa Tait said.

MAORI TARGET FOR JAIL DRUG PLAN

Maori needs are being incorporated in to the new programmes aiming to address drug and alchohol issues in prisons.

Paul Monk, the Corrections Department's South Island regional manager, says Maori make up the majority of the prison poulation, and will be targetted for the 24 week intensive programmes dealing with drug addiction.

He says the 60 bed unit being built at Christchurch prison could be the forerunner of others to be built at prisons around the country.

Mr Monk says the programmes have a strong Maori element.

"They've certainly been developed to take that into account. 50% of the prison population identifies as Maori. The programme needs to take into account the various needs of participants, and for us Maori is a large part,” Monk said.

Paul Monk says before being accepted into the drug treatment programmes, inmates must show a commitment to change their behaviour.

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