COMES FROM TRADITIONAL BACKGROUND

Te Ao Hou, December 1961, Page 26

COMES FROM TRADITIONAL BACKGROUND Missie herself had some misgivings at the task before her for she felt uncertain of her own capabilities and, although she loves her work with the children, says that she still feels indifferent when contacting parents.

Miss Pukepuke is showing an interest in the building activities. Her understanding of the special problems facing Maori children at their first close contact with a pakeha world is a personal one for Missie herself spoke no English until she started school at the age of five. She is the eldest of the eight children—two of them adopted—of Mr and Mrs Te Haukainga Pukepuke, of the Tuhoe tribe. Her father was farming in Kutarere ten miles from Opotiki, when Missie was born, and is now a market gardener living at Kukumoa on the outskirts of that township. Missie is also fond of gardening. Maori is still the language used in her home, and she tries to help her small brother, who will become a pupil at the kindergarten next year, with his English. After four years post primary education at the Opotiki College, Missie helped to care for the small children of a family near her home. “To earn a little money before I went away,” she says with a smile. Apart from her interest in children and gardening Missie enjoys handwork although she admits that she has no aptitude for Maori crafts. Her two years in training college were very happy ones and she made many friendships which she recalls with pleasure. She gained her diploma only one mark short of a merit. The college admits several Maori trainees each year and most of these girls are now kindergarten assistants in some of the 200 kindergartens throughout the Dominion. Muriel Herewini, another Opotiki girl, was director of the Lower Hutt Kindergarten until her marriage. When the Opotiki kindergarten opened at the end of last February there were very few Maori pupils, but now a quarter of the roll are of that race with 24 Maori names on the waiting list. Mothers tell each other of the benefits and pleasures of kindy, and Missie and her assistant, Mrs E. Collier, also of the Tuhoe and daughter of the Reverend Kihoro Te Puawhe of Waimana, who has three daughters of her own, visit homes where there are known to be small children.