Whānau success – a pathway to the future

We have much to learn from stories of whānau success; a new report by the Families Commission has found.

Whānau Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow  looks at Māori achievement from a whānau perspective, highlighting culture as a pathway to success.

Families Commissioner Kim Workman said the time had come to recognise whānau success and heighten its visibility.

“For decades in this country, the prevailing message we have received about Māori has been one of failure and defeat. Most of the messages we hear have been about Māori over-involvement in in such things as child abuse, family violence and poverty, and Māori under-achievement in such things as education and employment,” Mr Workman said.

“The problem is, if you concentrate solely on what’s wrong, you perpetuate it. If we really want to do something about enhancing whānau wellbeing in New Zealand we have to concentrate on the strengths. When we understand what underpins Māori success, we can then help grow and spread it so that success and wellbeing becomes the default option for whānau,” he said.

Mr Workman said that Whānau Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow  records an astonishing renaissance that has unfolded within Māoridom during the last 35 years.

”The report provides valuable insights into the way whānau connection and immersion in kaupapa can nurture success in education, entrepreneurship, environmental stewardship and rich expression of culture.”

“Māori have the highest PhD rate of indigenous peoples in the world,” he said. “We are the third most entrepreneurial people on the planet.”

“This new report contains tremendous stories of achievement, deeply rooted in the premise that being Māori is an asset and strength.”

He said the Families Commission developed a whānau strategy, which was launched last year, to ensure the Commission met its commitment to the needs, values and beliefs of Māori as tangata whenua.

“Whānau, Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow feels like a very significant milestone in terms of what we set out to do with that strategy.”

The publication will be officially released at a wānanga at Pipitea Marae on 4 August, which will be attended by the Hon Tariana Turia, the Minister responsible for Whānau Ora, and the Hon Hekia Parata, Minister of Women’s Affairs and Ethnic Affairs.

Mr Workman said discussions held at the event will examine the roles of iwi and whānau and the contribution of te reo Māori and literacy toward building better pathways to the future, together.

“This wānanga is more than the launch of a new research paper, it is the first step into converting the knowledge in that paper into action, by engaging people of influence in practical discussions about how we can grow the success identified, and bring about positive changes for whānau rangatiratanga (empowerment) and whānau ora (wellbeing).”