Flaxroots News

Mana (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 10, 10 November 1977, Page 5

Flaxroots News

*Ms Whetu Rolleston, a senior research officer with the Internal Affairs Dept, will be the first co-ordinator of the Maori Women’s Welfare League. Her first task is a three-year research project to review the health, education, and employment opportunities of Maori women. She especially looks forward to beginning a “long overdue” study of the Maori family. Ms Rolleston, 30, is a member of the Maori Graduates’ Assn., and her tribal affiliations are the Ngati Ranginui and Ngai Te Rangi from Tauranga. *The Maori Women’s Welfare League says rape should be grounds for abortion, Dominion President, Elizabeth Murchie, says, “we have a policy which supports life” but the MWWL did not accept the needs of a woman should be minimised in the case of rape. *While the Grey Lynn Neighbourhood Law Office is proving to be a very successful venture in Auckland, George Rosenburg has set up his law office in Newton, Wellington. Both attempt to make legal advice more available to the public. *Some officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spent the weekend at the Raukawa marae, Otaki, earlier this month. It was the beginning of an attempt at familiarising N.Z.’s overseas representatives with Maori protocol and values. The Ministry is making up for the image too often portrayed abroad “White European” N.Z. The Deputy Secretary of Foreign Affairs Mr John Scott, expressed his feelings about the weekend as a “stimulating experience.” *Kiri Te Kanawa, opera singer, will play Violetta in “La Traviata” with the Australian Opera next August. *The N.Z. Maori Council met in Wellington last month to draft follow up submissions to the Town and Country Planning Bill. *Mr Kara Puketapu, new secretary of the Maori Affairs Dept, is keen to create a new “image” when he takes up his appointment. Maoritanga, is for national

consumption he stresses. More of the language spoken within the department. Maori telephone greetings, would be encouraged.

*Mr Witi Ihimaera, a member of the QEII Arts Council said that the Auckland City Council should look after its own marae rather than leaving it up to Maoris and Polynesians. He was referring to the emergency grant announced last month for the Orakei Marae. Multicultural programmes concerned the city and should be treated as such.

*Mere Hammond of Trentham was elected Upper Hutt Representative on the Wellington Hospital Board in the local bodies election last month.

*A prominent Maori Leader, Chairman of the Lower Hutt Maori Committee Mr Sam Ferris was critical of the Maori Affairs Department, at a meeting held at Waiwhetu marae last month. He was addressing a meeting. The further one progressed up the hierarchy the more was the tendency to become further removed from the flaxroots needs.

are advised to ensure that their youngsters have employment before leaving secondary school. Unemployment is becoming a major problem in N.Z.

*Dave Clark who is secretary of the Auckland Seaman’s Union was recently re-elected to the executive of the Auckland Trades Council. Dave is one of the few Maori trade union secretaries in the country. Anyone who was on the Maori Land March will remember Dave and his wife Rena for the outstanding contribution they made to the success of the march. He has had bad luck with ill health this year and we hope he will soon be well.

E te hoa Rangatira, kia piki te ora ki to tinana. kia kaha. kia manawanui. *A new whare kai which was carved by Morgan Puru, was opened over Labour weekend at Rawhiti. This whare kai was formerly known as the Rawhiti War Memorial Hall but with the new carving it has been renamed ‘NgatiKite’. It was opened by two bus-loads of Waikato people and blessed by the Reverend Ben Te Haara.