Turanga Māori is changing behaviours on the rugby league field in Tokoroa, according to Pacific Sharks Rugby League Chairman, Neville Takiri (Aitutaki, Ngāti Raukawa). The Cook Islands Māori coach is a Turanga Māori facilitator with his partner Tere Ford (Penrhyn) in Tokoroa. The couple were introduced to the Turanga Māori framework in Dunedin in 2018 by Dr Jean Mitaera, a pioneer in Pacific social work and family violence research and one of the creators of the framework. Since then, Neville has been applying Turanga Māori on the sport field with positive results.
“We’ve coached a Tokoroa High School team to nationals and every week we had a session around Turanga Māori and how to stop violence when it comes,” says Neville. “So, when they got into those situations where things could have got out of hand, they remembered the training and the tools we gave them. We were really proud of them.”
When it comes to his leadership style, Neville says Turanga Māori has helped him navigate his way as club chairman.
“I don’t get loud and I try to stay calm,” says Neville. “I know as a leader you have to be calm and that filters down. It’s no use trying to get loud like I used to because that unsettles everything. The wellbeing side is about balancing everything.”
Off the sports field, Tere is applying Turanga Māori in her work as the Family Violence Support Worker at SWIPICS (South Waikato Pacific Island Community Services).
Born and raised in Tokoroa, Tere works with many agencies in the family harm sector including Police, Oranga Tamariki, Women’s Refuge, Probation, Corrections, WINZ, other NGOs and Mental Health.
“If any Pacific families present at the table, I am able to make contact with them and see how best we can support them and their needs,” says Tere. “My turanga at the table allows me to offer my cultural expertise in supporting those around the table in how to work to provide safety plans and or support plans for our Pacific families.”
Tere was previously active with the ‘It’s Not OK’ family violence campaign. She says Turanga Māori is an extension of the values she grew up with as a Cook Islander.
“Having put it in a framework it actually works better for our people because our people are direction focused,” says Tere. “The framework works in a lot of amazing ways.”
Both she and Neville have raised their children to apply Turanga Māori in their own lives.
“We have raised our kids up to be mahi people, to do the work,” says Tere. “If you can walk the talk then people will respect you. Our girls have done the catering this weekend. They’re a part of everything we do, from setting up and packing down the rugby league fields to planning and prepping for catering functions.”
“They’re no strangers to having to do the mahi but that’s because of their Turanga Māori and their understanding that they have as their responsibility to their parents, community, papa’anga and to who they are.”
Neville agrees and says Turanga Māori has shaped the way they live and raise their kids.
“It’s strengthened us as a family. Our children walk with their head high because they know who they are and where they come from.”
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗮 𝗠ā𝗼𝗿𝗶 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸
• 𝗣𝗮𝗽𝗮’𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗮 – 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆
• 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗮 – 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
• 𝗣𝗶𝗿𝗶’𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗮 – 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀
• 𝗔𝘂 𝗔𝗸𝗮𝘂𝗲’𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗮 – 𝗗𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲
• 𝗔𝗿𝗼𝗮 – 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲
𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗮 𝗠ā𝗼𝗿𝗶 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗴𝗮 𝗩𝗮𝗸𝗮 𝗼 𝗞ā𝗶𝗴𝗮 𝗧𝗮𝗽𝘂 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀. 𝗔 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗸𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱, 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝘂𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀.
𝗔𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗴𝗮 𝗩𝗮𝗸𝗮 𝗼 𝗞ā𝗶𝗴𝗮 𝗧𝗮𝗽𝘂’𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘄 𝗼𝗻 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀, 𝗙𝗶𝗷𝗶, 𝗞𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗶, 𝗡𝗶𝘂𝗲, 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗮, 𝗧𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘂, 𝗧𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝘂𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂.