Waatea News Update

News from Waatea 603 AM, Urban Maori radio, first with Maori news

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Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Wananga takes on police pre-training

A partnership programme between the Police and Te Wananga o Aotearoa looks set to change the face of New Zealands police services.

The pilot, which launched today and will roll out nationally in 2010, is expected to boost police numbers to fill up to 400 new recruits required in the Counties Manukau region.

Yvonne Hawke, the Wananga's Tamaki Makaurau manager, says the idea was to increase Maori police recruits to better reflect the community they served.

“In lots of our whanau, hapu and iwi, being a police officer is not something historically that Maori aspire to so a big part of this is around transforming the perception of the police service,” Ms Hawke says.

The Certificate in Vocational Preparation (Police), Level 3 runs over 18 weeks, and is modeled on a successful programme run by Unitec.

SPECIALIST MAORI BUDGETING SERVICE NEEDED

The CEO of Waipareira Trust believes there is a need for a specialist Maori budgeting service.

John Tamihere says there are Maori health, social and education providers but what whanau need in this recession is a place that offers sound budgeting support and advice.

At all our Maori health organisations and elsewhere, if you haven’t got the service inside the engine room they’ll be able to refer you to helpful and supportive service outside it. You’ve got to go to credible services,” Mr Tamihere says.

The Waipareira Trust regularly sees whanau who are in desparate need for financial assistance.

RUGBY TOUR SUBJECT OF SHORT FILM

The short film Warbrick, by Ngati Raukawa brothers Mahana and Pere Durie, will debut tonight (Tues) at the International Film Festival in Auckland.

Mahana Durie says it is based on Joe Warbrick, the captain of the New Zealand Natives' rugby tour of Britain in 1888-89.

Mr Durie says the Natives team lay the foundations to Aotearoa being recognised as a great rugby nation.

“I think for my brother and I it’s really that the story in many respects remains largely unknown. Part of our kaupapa has been to try to tell the story to a wider audience, mainly so people can appreciate the enormity of their contribution not only to rugby but to the history of our country as well,” Mr Durie says.

The brothers are working on their next production which will also have a kaupapa Maori theme.

LOW PRIORITY FOR OBESITY WILL AFFECT MAORI

Labour leader Phil Goff says Maori will be particularly affected by the government's decision to scrap fighting obesity as as a top priority.

Phil Goff says according to the OECD New Zealand is the third worst country in the world as far as obesity is concerned.

“That relates directly to heart disease and diabetes. These are two major causes of death and particularly in the Maori community. Labour was trying to address that as one of the 10 top health priorities. National scrapped that. Well, that seems real dumb,” Mr Goff says.

Labour also brought in the "fruit in schools" programme to feed kids coming to school hungry and to teach good eating habits which is another thing the government has scrapped along with guidelines for tuck shops to provide healthy foods.

SMACKING NOT PART OF TRADITIONAL MAOIR CHILD REARING

A West Auckland child advocate says abusing tamariki is a custom brought to Aotearoa by pakeha and is encouraging whanau to tick yes in the upcoming referendum on smacking.

Sue Ngawati Osborne from Tu Wahine Trust says the history of legally being able to physically discipline tamariki was legislated by the first Pakeha settlers.
Ms Osborne says those settlers were amazed at how Maori raised their tamariki with patience and aroha.

“There was surprise by those who observed how tolerant they were how loving they were and particularly Maori men to their tamariki mokopuna, so those accounts are well documented and they are documented because they were seen as unusual,” Ms Osborne says.

SPONGEBOB GOES TO THE KOHANGA

One of the world's most famous children's cartoon characters SpongeBob SquarePants is learning Maori.

And he's set to make his debut in te reo Maori next week on Sky TV's Nichelodeon channel as part of Maori Language Week.

Nicole Hoey of Cinco Cine Films which has produced te reo episodes says Sponge Bob and his sea-dwelling Bikini Bottom friends, including Squidward, Mr Krabs and Patrick, will be speaking in Maori all next week.

Nicole Hoey says Maori is the 25th language that SpongeBob has learned, and translation costs are coming from Te Mangai Paho, the Maori Broadcasting Funding Agency.

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