Great Benefit For Isolated Maoris

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31209, 5 November 1966, Page 2

Great Benefit For Isolated Maoris

Maori village communities in North Auckland —“miles from anywhere and lacking contact with the outside world”—benefited greatly from the establishment of a play centre, Mrs B. Calvert told the annual meeting of the Canterbury Play Centres’ Association.

“In the South Island we don’t think of the Maori people. We say ‘They are not a problem here; we don’t need to know about them.’ But associations in the north need our interest and understanding in coping with their problems,” she said. Flexibility should be the association’s aim, and as it believed In the importance of the family relationship so it should carry this belief into Its organisation. “I visited some play centres in North Auckland recently, with a Maori woman welfare worker,” Mrs Calvert said. “It was a fascinating experience.

“Often the roads are almost Impassable, and bad at the best of times. Twelve to 20 families live in a village where there Is land to farm and sometimes fishing, but no work for the men.

“They must travel long distances, to find work, or be away all week. The women and children have no contact with the outside world. No one has a car,—there is very little money for amenities. Very few homes have anything to read.” To the outsider it would seem these children had every opportunity for play open spaces, trees, earth and plenty of companions. The village, too, would have a strong sense of community living- , „ “This is true, but the Maori method of bringing children up is different from ours. The child is very close to its mother for the first year or two. then is given to older children to be looked after when the next baby arrives, Mrs Calvert explained. “Of course, the child’s older brothers and sisters are most concerned with seeing he doesn’t drown, or get hurt, so he doesn’t get help with any early difficulties.” Maori children were seriously handicapped by language difficulties when they started school. Usually a little Maori and a little English was spoken in the home, both often not of a very high standard.

“The play centre helps them make social contacts,” Mrs Calvert said. “The trained supervisor is always there, ready to look and listen.” Parents, particularly mothers, also needed the play centre. Association with the centre gave them confidence, and a sense of dignity and worth. “By accepting the idea, and working together to establish a centre they get a feeling of doing something worth-

while for their children’s development” she said. “They also do projects and study by correspondence, I found the welfare workers strong advocates of play centres.

“People In remote areas stand to gain most from centres, and we must give support to branches dealing with situations we can hardly imagine.”