Tauranga's Anson St is where a group of Australian indigenous advisors learned what is possible with the right support.
They're touring New Zealand to see how they can combat indigenous hardship at home, using Kiwi groups as a shining example. On their schedule was Te Tuinga Whanau, a local support service offering to help those in need to reach higher potential.
Its chief imagination officer, Tommy ‘Kapai' Wilson, felt the visit last week was a great opportunity to help them on their mission. At the welcoming ceremony, the Australian group addressed their inability to speak in their own native tongue. 'My family was sent to be raised with Catholic missionaries. Sadly, we have lost our dialect. Our language is sleeping, and we are working to wake it up,” says one of the advisors.
Tommy believes Te Tuinga Whanau has worked out a special formula to help aid hardship with indigenous peoples, which can be applied by the advisory group back in Australia.
He says connecting indigenous people back to their culture is the first and most important step.
'We have about 4000 interventions every year. 'I've been here 10 years, which makes up for about
40,000 in total. Out of all those interventions, you could count those who are connected to their culture on one hand,” says Tommy.
Indigenous advisor Tikarra Looke says embracing her indigenous culture is a big takeaway from their trip. 'Reconnecting people to our culture will build opportunities and spaces. There's also the element of pride which people get from culture, which is really important.”
Tikarra says the Australian Government often sets up programmes that come with checklists and quotas, which can feel out of touch or unrealistic. 'I feel like here the checklist really comes from the community, rather than Government always having their say.”
Shaylee Matthews is inspired by how Māori work with their youth. 'There's an element of shared decision-making with young people here, and helping understand what they want. It is something I definitely want to take back home.”
In Australia, Shaylee says there is 'about 50” languages to bring back to her people. She knows the road ahead will be challenging, but the group as a whole is leaving NZ inspired.