Aussie Maori may not miss out through Whakatipuranga Whanui

Tu Tangata, Issue 32, 1 October 1986, Page 41

Aussie Maori may not miss out through Whakatipuranga Whanui

A generation of Maori who missed out on their maoritanga and now live in Australia are now learning fast. Whakatipuranga Whanui of Poihakena, Sydney, a cultural group under the able tutorship of Paora Te Rangi and Matea Tutaki is meeting that need.

Paora, whose nickname among the group is Poto, says it was bad enough that a generation missed out on the reo, but those in Australia missed out on maoritanga completely. He organised Whakatipuranga Whanui to get to these younger people. He says he saw that cultural clubs in Australia had few young people in their ranks, it was more young adults and older ones. He felt something had to be done to encourage the youth to turn to their taha maori. It was the death of a young Maori girl in a car accident at the Melbourne Maori Festival last year that revealed to him that 70% of Maori deaths in Australia were people aged under 25, a great number through drugs and vehicle accidents.

He says these young people need their taonga to return to their ancestors. “I have no difficulty in being able to communicate and relate with the young Maori. I thought perhaps I could do something and help.” Paora acknowledges that the backbone of the club has been Te Ruakohunui, a Ringatu minister in Sydney. “He believes in what the young people have set out to do, that is better themselves and grasp our taha maori. He and his wife have opened up their home to many of the members of our club, who at times were homeless. Many relied on our practices at Te Rua’s house in his little tin garage, our turangawaewae..” Paora says for many it became the marae for Whakatipuranga Whanui. So far the cultural side of things has netted

the club six trophies out of eleven in this year’s Sydney Maori Festival. However Paora believes success is better measured by the way club members say their lives have changed since learning the maoritanga. Barney is one, he says, who was on drugs, the needle, but now through culture and everything else had straightened himself out. “He’s realised that there’s a lot more to life than relying on the needle, and that’s achievement to me.” But he’s one case of many, says Paora. All members have matured in their respect not only for their elders, but also for themselves, as people to be proud of, he says. The Hahi Ringatu has played a big part in the club also, with members respecting religion says Paora.

Many of the young Maori who talked about themselves to Tu Tangata had been in Australia anything from four to ten years or more, but few had travelled out of Sydney. Paora helped changed that with a visit earlier this year to the Brisbane Maori Festival and the festival in Melbourne. The horizon is even further than that with a trip home scheduled for this Christmas.

Paora’s hoping that Whakatipuranga Whanui can travel around New Zealand so that many tribes represented in the club will have home audiences. “We want to learn each other’s kawa.” He’s hoping that those who then want to come back to Sydney will in their turn encourage other young Maori to

come off the streets and turn back to their maoritanga. Because that’s where he says Whakatipuranga Whanaui started from, streetkids, who were mainly unemployed when he met them. He says their confidence 'has enabled them to look and find jobs.

He’s on the lookout for a community hall to be a base from whch other young Sydney Maori can learn to carve and practice their maoritanga. He’d like it to be used to provide hospitality for other interstate cultural clubs visiting Sydney.

Paora says Whakatipuranga Whanui has been wary of applying for funding assistance from organisations within Australia because of the bad reputation Maori have for being dole bludgers etc. He says all the work done so far has come from their own pockets, their own effort.

Whilst in New Zealand he intends checking out any possibility of support. He also wants to scotch myths in New Zealand about Australia being a land of sugar and spice. He says for the Maori it’s the same as it is at home with the street kid situation, something he can’t remember being told about at home. Paora works as a counsellor at Dover Heights High School where he has twenty six Maori children. He also takes physical education there. He also teaches maori language at the Bondi Beach Public School. In between times he tutors Whakatipuranga Whanui.

In speaking with Tu Tangata, Paora hopes to tell of a picture of hope for the Maori youth in Syndey and for their whanaunga back home. He believes it’s the first time culture has been used to combat the hopelessness of the streetkid existance, and it’s working.