Ō Rangaranga with Jarred Boon

Jarred

Ko Jarred Boon taku ingoa, nō roto mai au i ngā karangatanga o Ngāti Maniapoto, ka mutu ko taku tūranga i konei, i Ō Rangaranga, ko au tētehi i waimārie kia tū mai hei kaiako wetereo mō te kaupapa o te Kura Reo.

My name is Jarred Boon and I am from the many affiliations of Ngāti Maniapoto, furthermore, my role here at Ō Rangaranga is to be one of the lucky ones to be given the opportunity to teach grammar at the language seminar.

Te āhuatanga i hirahira ai te reo me ngā tikanga ki te Māori he Māori tātou, taketake ake tēnā reo me ēnā tikanga i tēnei whenua.

The reason why language and protocols are so important to us is that we are Māori, and the language and protocols are indigenious to the country.

Nō reira, koirā te hirahiratanga e tūhonohono ai te Māori ki tōna anō whenua ki ōna anō hapū, iwi, karangaranga waka.

So, that’s it’s importance, to connect Māori to their lands, their subtribes and tribes, their sea voyaging vessels.

He taura here tāngata te reo, ā, ngā tikanga, ki te ao o uki, ki te ao o nāianei, ki te ao e haere mai nei.

The language and protocols are the binding agents to the world of the past, present, and future.

Nō reira, e hirahira ai, ā, he aha te hirahiratanga o te reo ko ēnā mea katoa.

Consequently, the significance, or why is the language significant, refer to all the reasons stated.

He pā anō ki te wairua o te tangata, he pā ki te ngākau o te tangata. Nō reira, ki te whakaaro ake ki ngā kaupapa kei runga i a Oranga Tamariki ko te nuinga he whakapā atu ki te whānau.

Spiritual qualities affect people, and also affect the emotions of the person. So, if we think about the portfolios that Oranga Tamariki are involved with, many of them affect our families.

Ko te reo Māori te huarahi, ko te reo Māori te ara, ki te pā atu ki ngā whānau Māori, ki ō rātou tūpuna, ki ō rātou mātua, o te iwi kua ngaro me ngā iwi o nāianei. Nō reira koirā te hirahiratanga o te reo Māori. He wairua anō tōna, e pā atu ai ki te tangata.

The Māori language is the avenue, it’s the pathway to relate Māori families, their ancestors, their parents, those departed, those still present. This is why the Māori language plays a pivotal role. It has a spiritual force that connects with the person.

Take Tiriti. Take Tiriti, me mōhio. Nō reira, mehemea e ū ana a Oranga Tamariki ki ngā uara o te Tiriti o Waitangi, ki ngā atikara o te Tiriti o Waitangi. Me mōhio ngā kaimahi ki te reo Māori, inā hoki koia tēnei te reo tangata whenua o tēnei whenua. Nō reira koia tērā.

The subject of the Treaty, the Treaty, should be understood. If Oranga Tamariki were to abide by the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, and the articles of the Treaty of Waitangi. Staff would know the Māori language, since this is the language of this country. So, that’s that.

Ā, I tua atu i tērā, ko te hiahia hoki kia kitea, kia rangona te ao Māori i roto i ngā mahi o te ia rā. Ā, me tō tātou mōhio ko te nuinga o ngā kiritaki ki Oranga Tamariki nō te ao Māori tonu.

In addition to that, there is a desire to see and hear the Māori worldview in our daily work. We also know that a large portion of the clients working with oranga Tamariki are Māori.

Nō rerira, he aha he huarahi i tua atu i tērā o te mōhio ki te reo me ngā tikanga, ko ngā kaimahi tonu?

So, is there a pathway more appropriate than understanding the language and protocols for staff?

Kaua ko ngā kaimahi anake e hoa, engari mai runga ki raro, mai raro ki runga me mōhio, ā, inā hoki koirā te hirahiratanga o tēnei, o tēnei ao, ā, koinā anō hoki te, te whakaaro matua.

Actually, all should have an understanding, not only for staff, we’re talking about the executive leadership to enablers and front line staff and vise versa. That’s the importance of this, this worldview, that’s the primary focus.

Ka haere mai ana te tangata ki tēnei ao, ka hui atu rānei te whānau Māori ki Oranga Tamariki, me kite, me rongo, me wheako te ao Māori me ōna āhuatanga katoa.

Whenever anyone enters our Oranga Tamariki space, or when meeting with Māori families, the Māori worldview should be seen, heard and experienced.

Mai i te tīmatatanga, mai i te tīmatatanga, mai i te ekenga mai ki runga ki tēnei papa, ā, i kite au i a rātou e whakakotahi ana i ō rātou whakaaro e tutuki ai te kaupapa.

From the outset, from the time we made our way onto this venue, I observed the staff unified in their intention to successfully complete the language seminar.

Ahakoa nō iwi kē, kāore rātou e mōhio ki a rātou, koirā te tīmatanga. Ko te whakarite i ō rātou whakaaro kia tika ai ngā mahi.

Despite being strangers, and not knowing who was who, that was the beginning. To mentally prepare themselves to carry out the work appropriately.

Nō reira, koirā te, te whanaketanga tuatahitanga.

So, that was the first development opportunity.

Nā, ka tae mai ana ki tēnei, ki tēnei kaupapa, āe, hāunga te reo, hāunga te taha tikanga,

We’re here, here at this seminar, and yes, besides the language, besides the cultural aspects,

ā, ki ahau nei, he momo rongoā, tēnei kura. Kei te mōhio tāua ki ngā toimahatanga kei

for me, this is therapeutic, this language conference. We both understand the difficulties

runga i ngā, i ngā kaimahi o Oranga Tamariki. He toimaha i ētehi wā. Nō reira, ko te kimi i

that Oranga Tamariki staff go through. At times it’s heavy. That’s why, it’s about searching for

ētehi wāhi e hāneanea ai te noho, ki roto i tētehi kaupapa, ehara i te kaupapa mahi,

safe spaces within a programme, that is not work related,

engari e hāpai ana i ā rātou mahi.

but supports their work.

Nō reira, koinei, koinei tāku i kite ai i te wā poto nei. He momo rongoā, te whakapakari i ō rātou reo, te tūhonohono i te taura here tāngata.

Again, that’s what I have observed here in this short space of time. This is a type of healing, developing thgeir language skills and working together.

Nō reira, ko te mea aroha, mehemea he harore rangi tahi tēnei. Me tū anō, haere ake nei ngā tau, haere ake nei ngā tau.

What would be sad is if this was a flash in the pan programme. It should be facilitated again, each and every year.

Ā, he pai te whakatū kura reo, he nui ngā kura reo, he nui ngā wāhi e ako ai te reo, ā, engari ko tētehi mea hei whakaarotanga ake mā koutou ko te whakawātea i te huarahi e tūhonohono ai ngā kaimahi o Oranga Tamariki ki ngā iwi o ngā rohe e mahi nei rātou.

Holding a language seminar is commendable, there are plenty of them around, and plenty of places where you can learn the Māori language, however one thing for your consideration is to find a way for Oranga Tamariki staff to engage with the tribes of the districts in which their office is located.

E, E kitea ai te nohonga tahitanga a te iwi me Oranga Tamariki kei ngā rohe, e tūturu ai te whanaungatanga.

How great would it be to see the collaboration of the tribe and Oranga Tamariki in the regions, to authentically live into this thing called an enduring relationship.

Ki au nei, kaua noa iho hei whakapā atu ki ngā iwi mehemea kei te hiahia koe ki tētehi mea, engari, me kaha noho ki te whakapā atu, te whakamōhio atu, ā, ki te tono āwhina, ki te āwhina anō hoki e mau ai, ā, e mōhio ai te iwi, āe, he wāhanga ki a rātou ki roto ki ngā mahi a Oranga Tamariki.

In my view, don’t merely engage with tribes when you want something, however, through meaningful relationship building, and understanding, when seeking support, when offering support, to uphold, and for tribes to fully understand that they have a part to play with the Oranga tamariki pipeline.

Nō reira, koirā pea te, ko te iwitanga tāku e kōrero nei ki roto ki ngā mahi.

As I see it, that is perhaps the tribalisim I’m talking about within the work environment.