Posts Tagged ‘Ka hao te Rakatahi’

Never make assumptions

Mental health awareness was huge in 2018, which was fantastic. It’s no secret the classic New Zealand culture of hypermasculinity and keeping a stiff upper lip is a fertile breeding ground for all sorts of mental health woes. Publicity campaigns and heightened general awareness of the issue can only be a good thing.

The Wisdom of Drug Testing

I write this article the day after the University of Canterbury Students’ Association Tea Party, a big dress-up-themed party on Ilam Fields where students drink in the sun and dance to bands and bass. A few friends asked me if I had put on any sunscreen. I replied that I was a “hearty brown boy” and didn’t need to, so naturally I’m pretty red – sunscreen, water, food, break-out spaces, and support workers were all provided to those smart enough to use them. All told, everyone had a great day. However, one thing was missing – drug testing kits. And by that I mean kits to check that drugs are not cut with dangerous chemicals, rather than kits to test whether you’ve been taking drugs.

Debating the Treaty

The treaty has a historically inconsistent role in New Zealand’s constitution and remains on uncertain ground. We need to understand its constitutional role in the colonial era, and the period of change from 1975 to 1985 that has so heavily influenced our Ngāi Tahu world today.

Why the treaty should be included in our citizenship oath

Ka hao te Rakatahi Nā Nuku Tau Recently, there has been debate on whether or not the treaty should be included in our citizenship oath for new migrants. In my view, the Treaty of Waitangi is critical to Māori well-being, and essential to new migrant integration. Therefore, it should without doubt be recognised in the…

Reading between the lines

Divisive media is the key to my story here, and I’m sure that’s something everyone can see when they’re reading the papers or scrolling through Facebook feeds.

Thoughts on te reo and the Green Party policy

The place of te reo was a hot topic this election. With the Green Party promising compulsion, Labour giving a watered-down version of the same thing, and National predictably shoehorning it in with other languages as an optional choice, it’s hard to see what will actually happen with the nation’s Indigenous language in terms of legislation.

Ka hao te Rakatahi
Wai ora – we need to do better!

Nā Nuku Tau In light of the 20th anniversary of the Settlement of the Ngāi Tahu claim, I thought it relevant to write on another issue Ngāi Tahu faces in terms of rights and property – water. Water is the most precious resource on Earth, and I think everyone can agree we don’t value it…

Ka hao te Rakatahi
HPV – playing it safe

So what is HPV, and what is the vaccine? To paraphrase The Guardian, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is sexually transmitted, and almost all sexually active adults carry some of the 170 different strains. Subtypes 6 and 11 can lead to genital warts, while 16 and 18 can lead to numerous forms of cancer, chiefly cervical cancer. In fact, over 90% of cervical cancers are caused by HPV and according to the World Health Organisation, in 2012 alone, 270,000 women died from it.

Gardasil is 99% effective against the four worst strains of HPV. The pharmaceutical company Merck began clinical development of the vaccine in 1997, and the vaccine passed all three phases of testing before being released to the public. In fact, our Government fast-tracked its release, believing it would be unethical to withhold it.

Ka hao te Rakatahi
Youth custody Index

A few people have been asking me questions because of my last column. Chiefly, what is the “Youth Custody Index” (YCI), and what is it all about?
The YCI is a St Thomas of Canterbury College project run by a group of senior students and is a collation of information regarding the state of youth in custody in New Zealand – both good and bad. The point of the index is to spark debate and raise awareness of any discrepancies and issues.

Ka hao te Rakatahi
Youth custody in New Zealand

It became obvious to me that we need to have a hard look at the way we deal with prisoners, youth, and our justice system in general. Before I get into what I mean let me say this: there are many initiatives in place in New Zealand prisons like opportunities to obtain trade skills and NCEA qualifications. The staff are incredible people with genuine care for the boys, and this is in no way a criticism of them or the work they do. It is more my opinion on our society and the current way we do things.