You don’t have to listen
“Why are we listening to this monkey language?” Said the racists in Paraparaumu standing next to our tamariki.
He aha tō whawhai?
It’s not just pride in overcoming that anxiety when I kōrero Māori. It’s hope for the future and respect for the past. Every time I stumble slowly over te reo Māori instead of the language caned into my Nana, it’s for her. My words pay respect to the price she paid for the chance to speak our tongue, going back. Those words reach out in hope for you and maybe your tamariki and uri, to feel that connection and place in the world, going forward.
Be anti-racist
If you watched George Floyd’s death earlier this year, or the riots and thought how lucky we are to live in Aotearoa where we don’t have systemic racism, you’re in the privileged position of not being subjected to it.
Masculinity & strength – what the world tells our boys
As we were driving from Otaki a few months back, a swarm of Mongrel Mob bikers roared past us. Kāhu, you stared wide-eyed as you do at every motorbike. I watched because I’ve been told all my life that the physical power they carry is strength – wide shoulders, tough fists, and leather – and that I should look up to strength. Society tells boys like you especially, Kāhu, that being a man means being strong: don’t cry, be brave, fight, never back down.
Pukapuka Episode – Why books matter: Warena, David & Pera (#4) – Paperback Guerrillas Podcast As Māori especially, it’s worth our time talking about books. We discuss benefits we’ve found in reading, Māori literacy and why Books matter.
Check out episode four of our Paperback Guerrillas Podcast with Dr. Ben Walker. We talk about performance-based-identity, parenting, career and more. Visit here for the episode, or search Paperback Guerrillas in your podcast app: https://bit.ly/2WMfe0t from Pera Barrett https://ift.tt/3bO8h3y via IFTTT
“(He say) Think of me when you think it’s hardest, live your dreams don’t take freedoms for granted, (he say) drink that sweet creek water spit them bars, It makes me feel like this steel ain’t no cage, that’s what art is.” Little snippet of something me and @tommyvza are working on over the weekend …
Welcome to the first Saturday of #lockdown! For those of us able to work from home, I hope you’re still looking for, and finding, those bits of the mahi/work you love and enjoy. Libby Hakaraia and Tainui Stephens are inspirations for me when it comes to prioritising the work they love. So I felt privileged …