“Nah, she isn’t into her culture”-

- On being Māori in a Youth Forensic Service

Lisa Cherrington, Clinical Psychologist

Ngati Hine, Ngapuhi,

Nuiean, Samoan, Pakeha

Scriptwriter, Novelist, Mama and Iron Maori and Iron Man competitor

Lost Visionz

Are you educated in your cultural history ?To be honest I am not and all I wanna know is why?

Past histories

Young futures

Even though I live in another country I still acknowledge my Tongan ancestry

And even though I don’t know it a lot or as much as I should know about my culture, just like many other people ….

POLYNESIA

Being Māori is....

“Being here makes me feel more Māori” – the nightshift at Ihumātou

I am proud to be Polynesian and I take pride in being Tongan but because I don’t know much about my culture does that make me any less of a Polynesian or Tongan?

Here's an insight to a timeYou got to step back to before the springbok toursSocial circumstance conditioned minds had to adapt to surviveOur people at the frontlinesMāori response a resistance formed to challenge the systemNga Tamatoa had heads on the block

Māori language they petitionedSuffered they did ignorant of implications ostracizedAgainst what they knew was wrongFor what they knew was rightBlood shed flowing tears bearing scars from the years can't even explain the entirety of what they didConnections the past and to the landWounded links between those gone and who now stand

Revitalisation of Te Reo Māori – Kohanga Reo

Comprehend the 10 seconds beforeBecause the line is never straight

And it ain't ever what you sawWouldn't you call them soldiers?

Wouldn't you bow your head?Wouldn't you raise your hands?

Instead of closing your ears

Wouldn't you seek the knowledge?Wouldn't you wake the dead?

Wouldn't you applaud the cause?Instead of fearing what is

Past histories

Young futures

81%

9%9%1%

New Referrals Youth Prisons (CCDHB) by ethnicity, Jan to Sept 2019

MaoriNZEPIOther

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Youth Court contacts for regions by ethnicityJan to Sept 2019

Maori NZE PI Other

67%

25%

6%

2%

Youth Court CCDHB contacts by ethnicity Jan to Sept, 2019

Maori

NZE

PI

Other

“I don’t have the reo”“I don’t know where I am from.”

“I don’t know what the name of my iwi is.”

“I don’t go to our marae.”

“My great grandmother is Maori but that’s all I know”

“I’m not into that Māori shit.”

E kore au i ngaro he kakano i ruia mai

i rangiatea

I will never be lostFor I am a seed

Sown from Rangiatea

Do not ignore culture

Connecting to culture is fundamental to wellbeing – a holistic

approach honouring Te Whare Tapa Wha

CASE STUDY:

HINEAMARU-WOMAN OF THE

MANY

How connected is Hine to her culture?

How much Maori are you?

How Maori are you Hine?

Very /somewhat/ average/ not at all

1. What’s your go to question regarding culture and identity?

2. What question (s) might you consider asking with Hine?

Te Hoe Nuku Roa (1995)

Do you identify as Maori?

How would you rate your overall ability with Maori language?

How many generations of Maori ancestry can you name?

In terms of your involvement with your whanau, would you say your whanau plays...a very large part in your life, a large part etc

Have you ever been to a marae (if yes) how often over last 12 months

In general would you say your contacts are with – mainly Maori, some Maori, few Maori, No Maori

Do you have financial interest in Maori land?

.

Identity continuum

Compromised- no identification as Maori, colonised, assimilated

Notional – describe self as Maori but do not have any contact with te ao Maori

Positive – strong sense of being Maori but not good access to Maori cultural and social resources- estranged...

Secure- good access to lnaguage, land, whanau and te ao Maori

What does being Maori mean to you? Is it a good or bad thing? What do you like the most about being Maori?

Te Whare Tapa Wha – wairua, whanau, hinengaro, tinana

Where do they connect with in the world – the elements, atua – at home in bush? Sea? concrete jungle? Music? Art?

Being Maori is Poem – this is my go to....

Being Māori is…

Being brownBeing yourselfRepresenting yourselfShowing your culture and how important it is.

What are other creative ways you could assess culture and identity with a rangatahi?

Will you?

Or will you take the easy way out and reply ‘nah, she isn’t into her culture.’