MANA LETTERS

Mana (Auckland), Volume 2, Issue 3, 4 May 1978, Page 2

MANA LETTERS

Tena koe, In regard to an article, in MANA April 6-20, 1978, titled “The Ponsonby Reshuffle”. One could more aptly describe the situation as the “Ponsonby Rebuttle”. A committee has recently been formed in Ponsonby calling for the appointment of a Maori Woman as Community Advisor for Ponsonby. This committee is comprised of some fifteen community organisations within Ponsonby as well as individuals who have for a number of years been the Community “workers” in Ponsonby. The committee demands that a Maori Women be appointed as Community Advisor to Ponsonby for the following reasons; the population with which a Community Advisor in Ponsonby should be working is largely Maori and Pacific Island Women from a lower economic class background. The present appointee, in stark contrast, is white, male, and middle class, and despite any protestations about work experience and “suitable qualifications” unsuited to the needs of the job. The selection process for the job ensures that a Maori Woman is immediately disqualified upon application for the job because her most valuable credentials are considered irrevelevant. Our committee sent copies of our demands to all members of the Community Development Committee of the Auckland City Council and arranged a meeting with the Chairman of that Committee, Mr Barnaby at which we were to present a full and detailed account of our demands and our proposed activities. We were duly “stood up” by Mr Barnaby who did not even attempt to notify us of his refusal to keep the appointment. The high turnover of advisers in Ponsonby cannot be attributed to “stressful occupation”, as much as inadequacy to deal with stressful situations because one is totally alienated from such situations by the pure fact that they are not Maori or Pacific Islander, not Woman and not from a lower class background or experience.

The need for a Maori Woman as Community Advisor to Ponsonby has, as with several other Community Advisor positions for similar populations, long been ignored. Our committee does not demand a token Maori Woman to be appointed, but we demand affirmative action for Maori Women in employment so that Maori Women have full, meaningful and well paid jobs in which they can share and participate in deciding our own future for once. Na Kia ora mai ano, Rebecca Evans for Committee for Affirmative Action for Maori Women in Employment

Mana, Koe pule’anga Nusila oku ikai ke mau lotofie malie kihe hau ae kau ailani ki Nusila. Oku ua pe e ’uhnga ’oku nau fie o mai ai kii Nuusilani, Uluaki ko ’e nau feinga moui mo’feinga moui mo ’enau fie sio ihe fonuani. Kihe kakai Tonga koe lahi aupito ae kakai tonga oku nau fie hau ki Nu’usilani ka hei ke lava ke nau hau he oku ikai loto fiemalie ae pulea’nga Nu’usilani iakiai. Koe ha hono ’Uinga ’oku ’fkai kenau loto ai kiai ka nauloto pe kinau tolu kihe kau e Europeans FAKAKAUKAU KIAI. LANGIFRAMPTON Ponsonpi Aukalana E nga hoa, Tena ra koutou nga kai tohu i nga ara hei haerenga ma nga whakatipuranga e piki ake nei. Ma te Atua ra koutou e manaaki, e awhina, e tiaki, e waitohu, a, e arahi hoki i te huarahi e tumanaakohia nei e tatou katoa. Kei te aroha atu ra ki a koutou i a koutou e whakamatau nei kite whakaatu i nga whakaaro o te hunga e manako ana ki a rangona ratau. Otira, e tika ana kia kaha matau te iwi kite awhina i a koutou, ina hoki, kua ngaro katoa nga karere whakatakoto i nga whakaaro Maori. Heoi ra e tama ma, e hine ma, h nui nga korero a nehera mo te ahua e rauhangatia nei koutou. “Tuohu iho te mahunga ka ara ake a ka whakamau atu o koutou kanohi ki nga maunga.” Tena ra koutou a, kia kaha mai, a, whitikiria o koutou hope kite maurea whiritoi. Heoi ano, Naaku na ta koutou pononga, Te Rangihau Mana, In Grey Lynn as far as I can remember, there has been no organised youth clubs, that has lasted the whole year. Many were started but were not good enough for the kids parents. There were some that did succeed, but very few, and was lost through interstrife in the group.

These that did get over the barriers, were to become 3 lost cause beause the aid they sought from the A.C.C. and the bureaucratic Polynesians that are employed as community advisors, was not given freely nor were the ideals and the ideas of the youth movement recognised and carried out properly. Until the Grey Lynn community and the A.C.C. give help with no strings attached, the youth will be a bigger help than ever. Open your eyes A.C.C. and Grey Lynn committee. The youth in Grey Lynn are growing up and are wanting control of their own affairs and their own recourses. If an agreement can’t be made

whereby they are not talked down to nor have decisions, important decisions, made for them by people who adhere to the rule that they are to advise the young what to do. Concerned Youth, Grey Lynn Mana, I have written a short poem to contribute to Mana which I hope you will publish in your next edition. I would like it to be in the Samoan section of your newspaper. Thank You, Perenise Tapu 8 Athelston Place, Otara 1. Dear Mana, Congratulations on your good work and best wishes .... I will go on sending you what news clippings I can (some obviously just for information other than possible publication. Sorry I can't do much fund-raising (due to my age and other commitments). But again congratulations on keeping going in such difficult economic times. Arohanui Ruth Lake