Latest news with #ZoeWitikaHawke
RNZ News
21-07-2025
- General
- RNZ News
New kaupapa Māori health hub opens for young parents in East Auckland
Photo: Supplied A new kaupapa Māori health and social services hub will open on Tuesday in East Auckland, offering wrap-around support for young parents and whānau to "come together again". Te Whare Piringa, located on Ngāti Pāoa whenua in Glenn Innes, is the first iwi-led space of its kind in Aotearoa. A whare designed not just for parenting support but to reconnect whānau across generations. The opening of the re-designed whare will mark the first step in a broader shift for Ki Tua o Matariki, formerly known as E Tipu E Rea , a kaupapa Māori service supporting mātua taiohi (young parents), pēpi and their wider whānau. Rooted in te ao Māori, the whare offers parenting wānanga, shared kai spaces, and areas designed for kōrero, play and connection between pēpi, mātua taiohi and kaumātua. Ki Tua o Matariki chief executive Zoe Witika-Hawke (Ngāti Hako, Ngāti Paoa) said the whare represents a deeper commitment to whānau wellbeing. "Te Whare Piringa isn't just a new whare, it represents a shift in how we show up for our whānau," she said. "Being on Ngāti Pāoa whenua carries deep cultural and spiritual significance for us. It allows us to continue our important mahi supporting mātua taiohi and pēpi in our rohe, while also caring for our descendants on their own whenua." The name Te Whare Piringa was gifted by the Glen Innes community and speaks to the vision of a space for connection, and collective healing. Ki Tua o Matariki Chief Executive Zoe Witika-Hawke (Ngāti Hako, Ngāti Paoa) said Te Whare Piringa represents a deeper commitment to whānau wellbeing. Photo: Supplied "This will bring us closer to our vision of intergenerational care and reconnect us with the traditional ways our people have always raised tamariki - together, as a village," Witika-Hawke said. "In a world where so many are parenting in isolation, we're creating a space where whānau can come together again. When aunties, uncles, kuia, koroua and cousins share in care, our tamariki thrive. That's the future we're building." The transition to the name Ki Tua o Matariki - which can be understood as "beyond Matariki" - also signifies a renewed committment for the group. "Ki Tua o Matariki is about where we're heading," Witika-Hawke said. "It reminds us that the wellbeing of our mokopuna depends on the whole pa harakeke - the strength of the village around them. That's the kaupapa guiding us, now and into the future."
Scoop
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Ngāti Pāoa Health Service Condemns Hate-Fuelled Actions At Destiny Church Protest
Ngāti Pāoa Health and social service, E Tipu E Rea (soon to be Ki Tua o Matariki) has publicly condemned the hate- fuelled actions at a recent Destiny Church protest. Over the weekend, on Saturday 21 June, disturbing scenes unfolded during a protest led by Brian Tāmaki and members of Destiny Church. This protest, which publicly denounced non-Christian religions, saw individuals dressed in traditional Māori attire- maro, taiaha in hand, and adorned with stencil moko-perform a haka intended to intimidate and shame other belief systems. Twelve flags were stomped on and set alight, among them the rainbow flag representing our LGBTQIA+ whānau. E Tipu E Rea, the health and social services arm of Ngāti Pāoa, firmly condemns these actions as a harmful and disgraceful misuse of cultural identity and a blatant act of hate speech. "We continue to speak out about this as we are extremely concerned for safety and mental wellbeing of young parents in our service who are part of the Takatāpui community and others across the motu. Our tikanga teaches us to uplift, to manaaki, and to protect the dignity of all people. What we witnessed was not a reflection of our tikanga, but a weaponisation of our culture to spread hate" said E Tipu E Rea CEO Zoe Witika Hawke. The health service offers a range of wrap around services in the first 2,000 days including midwifery, WCTO nursing, and mātauranga Māori to help whānau to connect with their reo, culture and whakapapa. However, the organisation disagrees with the use of Māori cultural expressions to target minority communities-including LGBTQIA+, Muslim, Buddhist, and other non-Christian groups and states that it is a gross distortion of what it means to be tangata whenua. "We do not support the divisive rhetoric or actions of Brian Tāmaki and his followers. Their protest represents a direct attack on the values of inclusion, aroha, and whakapapa that bind our diverse communities together," said Witika- Hawke. E Tipu E Rea stands proudly alongside our LGBTQIA+ whānau, and in solidarity with Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh and all other faiths and belief systems that are part of the vibrant fabric of Aotearoa. Our kaupapa is to uplift the mana of all young parents-especially in the face of stigma and discrimination-and we reject any narrative that seeks to elevate one identity at the expense of another. "We remind Aotearoa that Māori culture is not a tool of religious supremacy".
