MANA LETTERS

Mana (Auckland), Volume 2, Issue 1, 6 April 1978, Page 2

MANA LETTERS

Friends, May I reply, as one pakeha to another to Keith Lees’ letter to Mana (February 1978 issue). I do disagree that ‘Mana’ is in a position to provide a forum for discussions of beliefs, problems and individual customs between Polynesian and pakeha. If ‘Mana’ tried to do that it would be taking on a heavy, perhaps impossible burden of responsibility for real communication. In my life, my best forum for mutual learning has been my personal contact with Polynesians, when I could watch, listen, touch, and last, speak. We pakehas tend to live too much in words and newsprint isn’t the road to our hearts, and minds. The best thing we pakehas can do is to say to Mana “You are speaking more Polynesian these days, that's as it should be, it’s been nice knowing you; here is a donation — good luck!” Then we turn around and learn one of the languages or work for a Marae Committee. Ihave just tried this, and found myself invited to a hui, which 1 am going to enjoy! What are you other pakeha readers going to do? Peace and love Nickey Negresu (nee Black) 19 Ronaki Tee Nelson South Friends, I support the stand of Mr David Williams in respect to the arrest of local Niuean youngster for the theft of one comb. I feel Mr Williams is correct when commenting on the lad “His only real crime was that he was poor and walked home from work at night.” I tell of a related experience. Mid Summer, a Saturday evening, I went to a dance with a young woman — my elder daughter. Late evening we went for takeaways in Parnell Road.

By this time I had need to relieve myself. I nipped around the corner and from the inside of the public footpath watered somebody’s front lawn. Then a policeman noticed me, mounted th’e footpath in the patrol car and stopped a foot or two from my stern. Opps! I was interviewed pretty decently, I think. Name? A strange name. Oops! Address ... in Grey Lynn. Ooops! “What are you doing in this neck of the woods?” Arrest can’t be far off, I thought. “Where do you work?” “Err, at the University.” Some disbelief. “What do you do there?”. “I teach Architecture.” Note book ecloses. Phew! “Well, you don’t need to embarrass your daughter?” And you don’t want a $6O fine?” “No, err, I don’t.” Firmly ticked off, I walked back to the takeaway bar. More or less, this is the way to deal with people who steal combs or ball point pens — the line of strong rebuke, short of arrest. Local bobbies used to be great at it — especially with the young people. Why, why, don’t we have the sense to return to the old ways — to local police with heart saving and money saving localknowledge. Vincenzo Terreni Chairman Grey Lynn/ Westmere Community Centre Tena Koe. Many thanks for the copies of your newspaper which I have received. Please find enclosed a cheque for $25 which renews my subscription for 1978 and the extra $l5 is yours to do as you see fit. Kia Ora. Kia Kaha. Hone Kaa Anglican Maori Missioner Mt Eden

Friends, Re Supreme Court hearing of Crown versus Joe Hawke, Rameka et al. It has been my experience that the press never gives more than minimal coverage to the minority groups case. Do try to have your best reporter in Court every minute of the trial and even if full coverage takes up your whole copy for an issue, do it. The story must be told the research that the Ngati Whatua lawyer has done will probably supercede ail other research on the subject of alienation of Maori land. The platform of the is the highest. May the land be held by those that inhabit it and not by those that covet it. Arohanui Tony Atkinson Coromandel Mana Reply, We acknowledge the importance of the 'forth coming trial and will mention it in the paper. We would like to send a reporter down to cover the whole injunction but we do not have full-time reporters to do these assignments. We therefore ask for anyone who is to attend the trial to contact us with a view to reporting it for Mana. Editor Thanks to sponsorship by the N.Z. Food Processing Union Mana is now being supplied to patients at Wellington General Hospital. Also thanks to the Missionary Sisters from Ponsonby for their sponsorship of Mana to the prisons; and to all others who’ve made donations since our last issue. Kia ora ano katou.

Friends, I am the Chairman of the Wellington Ethics and Practice Committee of the Life Underwriters Association — which is an Association of Life Assurance agents in New Zealand. The front page of Volume 1, No. 11, of your paper has been handed to me for enquiry. I am, therefore, writing to you in connection with the contents entitled “Insurance Ripoff for Polynesians”. I would appreciate it if you would pass my letter on to Mr Pano Tukia, asking him to write to me with as much information and documentary evidence as he can find concerning the incidents as outlined in your paper. We would then be happy to investigate these allegations and take some action if necessary. Thanking you for your assistance in this matter. MICHAEL CLEMENTS Wellington Friends, Under the heading “Did You Know” you state that some schools are refusing to enrol children, saying the roll is full, and that, by co-incidence, most of these children are Maori or Polynesian. This is a very vague statement and can only cause the opposite reaction to the aims of your paper. At Ponsonby Intermediate everyone is welcome. T. ROWSE Principal Ponsonby Intermediate School, Ponsonby