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Mangere community news. In this month's issue, read more about: matariki, Mangere's history, La Coco, young leaders at Bader Intermediate, Ihumatao, Tigi's guitar and the Love Zero Waste Awards.

Mangere community news. In this month's issue, read more about: matariki, Mangere's history, La Coco, young leaders at Bader Intermediate, Ihumatao, Tigi's guitar and the Love Zero Waste Awards.

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EDITION #32<br />

JULY <strong>2017</strong><br />

<strong>275</strong><br />

Māngere’s<br />

times<br />

<strong>275</strong> times<br />

Our stories, our people, our Māngere<br />

Kōrero paki ō tatou, Tāngata ō tatou, Ngā Hau Māngere ō tatou<br />

NEW PLAN TO BREAK IHUMĀTAO DEADLOCK<br />

The SOUL (Save Our<br />

Unique Landscape)<br />

campaign has initiated<br />

a breakthrough move to<br />

secure the disputed land<br />

at Ihumātao, Māngere<br />

as public open space.<br />

This important heritage area<br />

is under threat from Fletcher<br />

Residential, a foreign-owned<br />

company that plans to erect 480<br />

private homes on the site.<br />

In a submission to the Māngere-<br />

Ōtāhuhu Long Term Plan last month,<br />

SOUL asked the Local Board to revive<br />

the former Manukau City Council’s<br />

‘Māngere Gateway Heritage Plan’<br />

and establish a multi-source fund to<br />

purchase the 32 hectares of farmland<br />

known as the Wallace Block/SHA62.<br />

A similar combined-funding deal has<br />

recently been proposed for the rebuild<br />

of the Christchurch Cathedral, and<br />

looks likely to end the 6-year deadlock<br />

over the fate of the historic church.<br />

Referring to the Cathedral deal,<br />

Māngere MP Aupito William Sio told<br />

<strong>275</strong> <strong>Times</strong>: “That’s really the ideal<br />

situation isn’t it. The Government,<br />

the Council and the locals agreeing<br />

Above: SOUL’s weekly pickets outside<br />

Fletcher’s HQ raise awareness about the<br />

company’s plans to destroy the unique<br />

open space beside Ōtuataua Stonefields.<br />

Right: Māngere MP Aupito William Sio<br />

addresses a SOUL rally at Ihumātao.<br />

to raise funds to purchase land that<br />

will be made available to the general<br />

public and remain protected, and<br />

then agreeing on what proportion<br />

each will raise.<br />

“That’s why [SOUL’s] submissions to<br />

the Auckland Council are important.<br />

Council must first recognise the cultural,<br />

historic, archaeological value of<br />

the SHA62 land and be prepared<br />

to work towards buying<br />

it, as the former Manukau<br />

City Council attempted to.<br />

“If Council can be convinced to<br />

acknowledge this and put some<br />

money aside, even if a small<br />

>> continued on page 2<br />

Free!<br />

WHAT’S INSIDE:<br />

Tigi’s guitar: good news!<br />

A big thank you to the community for your support.<br />

With your help – raising awareness, contributing to fundraising events, and<br />

donating your art work, musical talents, time and food – together we’ve<br />

raised a total of $2,000 towards a replacement guitar for matua Tigilau Ness,<br />

so he can continue to create special songs for whānau in Māngere, across<br />

the Pacific and around the world.<br />

Left: Mangere East Community Centre presents Tigi with a donation towards a new guitar.<br />

P2: Māngere History P3: Bader’s Leaders P6: La Coco P7: Maramataka


PLAN TO BREAK IHUMĀTAO DEADLOCK<br />

>> cont. from page 1<br />

amount, we then have our starting<br />

point for serious negotiations<br />

with the Government.”<br />

SOUL’s submission called on<br />

the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local<br />

Board to hold urgent discussions<br />

with the Government, Auckland<br />

Council, Auckland Airport, and<br />

mana whenua, to put together<br />

a combined offer of purchase<br />

(estimated at up to $30 million)<br />

to Fletcher Residential, to acquire<br />

and safeguard the land.<br />

The Local Board was also asked<br />

to include an appropriate amount<br />

as a budget item in the Long<br />

Term Plan <strong>2017</strong> for this purpose.<br />

The proposed multi-source<br />

purchase offer would be considered<br />

a revival of the former Manukau<br />

City Council’s uncompleted<br />

project to establish and protect<br />

the landscape as the Māngere<br />

Gateway Heritage Area.<br />

The proposal noted that the<br />

Gateway Heritage project was<br />

“developed in full consultation with<br />

local communities including mana<br />

whenua.” And as the inheritor of<br />

the project, the Local Board takes<br />

on the duties of its “protector<br />

and champion.” Chair Lemauga<br />

Lydia Sosene stresses the need to<br />

“protect and preserve” the land.<br />

The submission also noted that the<br />

Manukau City Council shareholding<br />

in Auckland Airport was retained<br />

when many other Local Bodies sold.<br />

These shares, which are now<br />

controlled by Auckland Council,<br />

generate approximately $10 million<br />

per year. SOUL proposes that –<br />

combined with other funds – “this<br />

revenue source be allocated for the<br />

purchase of the Wallace Block and<br />

the ongoing development of the<br />

Māngere Heritage Gateway Area.”<br />

The Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local<br />

Board received SOUL’s submission<br />

and reiterated its long-standing<br />

opposition to the SHA62<br />

housing plan at Ihumātao.<br />

Lawyer Louis Te Kani and SOUL’s<br />

Pania Newton, defend SOUL’s injunction<br />

move in the Māori Land Court.<br />

IHUMĀTAO: WAITANGI TRIBUNAL<br />

While awaiting a Waitangi Tribunal<br />

hearing on the Ihumātao dispute, SOUL<br />

has applied for an interim injunction<br />

to halt Fletcher’s development plans.<br />

The injunction centres on the legality<br />

of Fletcher buying confiscated land.<br />

On 26 June, Fletcher and the<br />

Auckland Council asked the Māori<br />

Land Court in Whangarei to “strike<br />

down” SOUL’s injunction before it<br />

even had a chance to be heard.<br />

A strong SOUL contingent supported<br />

lawyer Louis Te Kani who argued for<br />

the right for the injunction to proceed.<br />

The judge reserved his decision.<br />

History<br />

under our feet<br />

THE GREAT NZ WAR<br />

IN MĀNGERE<br />

By Farrell Cleary<br />

Historian Vincent O’Malley<br />

brought our little-known<br />

history to life when he<br />

spoke to an audience of<br />

150 at Māngere Bridge<br />

Primary School recently.<br />

In conversation with<br />

archaeologist Dave<br />

Veart, Vincent provided<br />

a fresh and enlightening<br />

perspective on the invasion<br />

of the Waikato by British<br />

troops in <strong>July</strong>, 1863.<br />

To an attentive audience<br />

– many of whom are<br />

involved in the campaign<br />

to save confiscated<br />

land at Ihumātao from<br />

development by Fletcher<br />

Residential – Vincent<br />

explained the background<br />

to the confiscations that<br />

followed the invasion.<br />

Setting out one thesis of his<br />

new book “The Great War for<br />

New Zealand 1863–2000”,<br />

Vincent explained that the<br />

Waikato War was started<br />

by Governor George<br />

Grey and a settler<br />

government led<br />

by speculators<br />

hungry for<br />

Māori land.<br />

“WHY HAVEN’T WE<br />

LEARNED ABOUT<br />

THIS BEFORE?”<br />

The<br />

government<br />

lied<br />

about a socalled<br />

Māori plan<br />

to attack Auckland<br />

and used that lie as<br />

false justification for the<br />

invasion and subsequent<br />

confiscation of huge<br />

swathes of land from<br />

Māngere to Maungatautari.<br />

Vincent showed that the<br />

Proclamation justifying the<br />

invasion was not issued<br />

until after the troops had<br />

moved onto Māori land<br />

in South Auckland.<br />

The invasion destroyed a<br />

dynamic Māori economy<br />

which supplied the growing<br />

colony of Auckland.<br />

Māori grew wheat at<br />

places like Ihumātao and<br />

Rangiaowhia. St James’<br />

Church in Māngere Bridge<br />

was built by Pōtatau, the<br />

first Māori King, whose<br />

protection of the infant<br />

colony was rewarded<br />

by conquest and ruin.<br />

It has only been in the last<br />

30 years that research by<br />

Vincent and other historians<br />

has laid the foundations<br />

for Waitangi Tribunal and<br />

government acceptance<br />

that the war was a war<br />

of invasion and that the<br />

confiscations were theft.<br />

Vincent reports that the<br />

response to his book<br />

has been powerful<br />

and positive.<br />

One Waikato farmer,<br />

a descendant<br />

of a recipient of<br />

land confiscated<br />

from Māori, asked<br />

him, “Why haven’t<br />

we learned about<br />

this before?”<br />

Stephanie Tawha, principal<br />

of Māngere Bridge School,<br />

gave a warm mihi to<br />

Vincent and Dave, and<br />

led a spirited waiata to<br />

close the evening.<br />

Vincent’s important<br />

book is available from<br />

book shops and at<br />

Auckland Libraries.<br />

Above: Historian and author<br />

Vincent O’Malley (left) and<br />

archaeologist Dave Veart reveal<br />

the history of Māngere.<br />

2


COMMUNITY<br />

CHALLENGES<br />

POKIE BARS<br />

Grace’s Place in Māngere East and<br />

the Opal Lounge in Papatoetoe<br />

have lost their tavern licences.<br />

Unless they appeal, both businesses<br />

will have to close within the next<br />

few months, and under Auckland<br />

Council’s Gambling Policy, if<br />

they close, their pokie machines<br />

can’t be relocated elsewhere.<br />

These victories are the result of<br />

“years of hard work by the community<br />

to challenge the number<br />

and location of bottle stores<br />

and bars in Māngere-Ōtāhuhu”,<br />

says Grant Hewison, who has<br />

supported the community’s work.<br />

“[The wins] didn’t come easily,” he<br />

says. “At times the process has been<br />

brutal on the objectors. But the<br />

community’s concerns have been<br />

vindicated by these two decisions.”<br />

Grant also acknowledged the<br />

efforts of the Auckland Council<br />

Alcohol Inspector, support from the<br />

Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board and<br />

“excellent decisions of the Auckland<br />

District Licensing Committee (DLC)”.<br />

The DLC turned down the licence<br />

applications because it found the<br />

premises were not used mainly<br />

for providing alcohol and other<br />

refreshments – as required under<br />

the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act.<br />

In both cases, the DLC found that<br />

the main activity was gambling.<br />

Glenn McCutcheon and Selwyn<br />

Lilly represented the community<br />

objectors at the hearing. Expressing<br />

her concern about the harm caused<br />

by alcohol and gambling, Glenn<br />

said: “If I could help one family in<br />

Māngere, I would be happy.”<br />

Following the decision, Glenn has<br />

asked Auckland Council to take a<br />

hard look at all similar businesses in<br />

South Auckland. She believes that<br />

many other so-called taverns are<br />

also used mainly for gambling.<br />

Fighting for the community:<br />

Grant Hewison & Glenn McCutcheon.<br />

Wellington Trip INSPIRES Young leaders<br />

Six young leaders from Sir<br />

Douglas Bader Intermediate<br />

flew to Wellington earlier<br />

this year to visit Parliament<br />

Buildings and Te Papa.<br />

The trip was part of growing the<br />

students’ understanding of leadership<br />

and how they can use their position<br />

as school leaders to support other<br />

students and contribute positively<br />

to the wider community.<br />

“Recognising and nurturing<br />

leadership abilities in our<br />

children is vital to ensuring they<br />

reach their full potential in life”,<br />

says principal Scott Symes.<br />

At Parliament, the group discussed<br />

democracy and how parliament<br />

works. In the debating chamber<br />

they saw where laws are made.<br />

The girls were shocked to learn<br />

that only a small percentage of<br />

New Zealand’s MPs are women.<br />

They students then visited Te Papa<br />

to explore the Gallipoli: Scale of War<br />

exhibition, where they read about<br />

acts of bravery and the cost of war.<br />

They learned that some leaders<br />

are elected, while others are born<br />

from adversity – such as Captain<br />

Peter Buck, who led his soldiers<br />

to many victories even when the<br />

odds were stacked against them.<br />

With the changing curriculum,<br />

Mr Symes believes students need<br />

authentic life experiences to truly<br />

grasp important concepts.<br />

“Classrooms are great places to<br />

learn, but getting out into the<br />

community, talking to people,<br />

and seeing and feeling the things<br />

going on around them is truly<br />

engaging for our students”, he says.<br />

Back home, the students met<br />

with Māngere MP Aupito William<br />

Sio, who provided further insights<br />

into leadership and service to the<br />

community. They identified some of<br />

the key issues facing young people<br />

in Māngere, and sought advice<br />

from Mr Sio on finding solutions.<br />

These issues include the need to<br />

develop respect for the environment,<br />

and to ensure that Māngere<br />

nurtures its great young talent by<br />

providing initiatives that young<br />

people can get actively involved in.<br />

The young leaders have presented to<br />

a number of schools and community<br />

groups as they continue to share the<br />

learnings from this great experience.<br />

Above: Bader Intermediate’s young leaders<br />

explore Parliament Buildings in Wellington<br />

(Back row, left to right): Sam Sau, Taliata<br />

Baice, Lexus Ah Wong & Martha Peo.<br />

(Front): Crystal Fineaso & Zac Ieremia.<br />

3


4<br />

Helen Tau’au Filisi<br />

GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY<br />

Helen is a prolific local author<br />

and artist who has selfpublished<br />

11 books since 2015.<br />

She’s also a committed educator.<br />

For Samoan Language Week,<br />

Helen exhibited her work at the<br />

Māngere Arts Centre, and held<br />

workshops for local schools –<br />

gifting each school with a book.<br />

<strong>275</strong> <strong>Times</strong> spoke to her<br />

after the launch of her latest<br />

project: ‘Fale Samoa’.<br />

When did you decide to become<br />

an author, artist and educator?<br />

I went to Robertson Road<br />

School, Māngere Intermediate<br />

and Ngā Tapuwae College (now<br />

Southern Cross Campus).<br />

At primary school I loved painting<br />

and drawing. In high school I<br />

discovered that I enjoyed creative<br />

writing too. Plus, I loved to<br />

learn. It was something that my<br />

parents instilled in me: doing<br />

the best that I could to succeed<br />

in my education. No excuses.<br />

After I left university, I went into<br />

teaching. But I knew that there<br />

had to be more, and in 2015 I was<br />

inspired by another teacher to<br />

become a writer and illustrator.<br />

What motivated you to selfpublish<br />

books with Samoan/<br />

Pasifika themes?<br />

In the 1990s, while I was teaching<br />

English at a high school in Ōtara,<br />

I realised that there were very<br />

few stories about our experiences<br />

as Pacific peoples living in New<br />

Zealand. So I started writing,<br />

producing and directing plays for<br />

South Auckland high schools.<br />

My plays were informed by<br />

the ancient stories of Samoa.<br />

I’d learned about these stories<br />

in 1989, while researching for<br />

my first Masters degree.<br />

I also started incorporating what<br />

I’d learned into bilingual (English/<br />

Samoan) picture books. (My<br />

husband, Tofilau Fritz Filisi, is the<br />

fluent Samoan speaker in our family,<br />

so he does the translations.)<br />

This was particularly important<br />

for passing on the stories to our<br />

children and the next generations.<br />

What would you say to anyone<br />

wanting to follow a similar path?<br />

I’d encourage anyone interested<br />

in pursuing a dream in any field<br />

to learn the skills of the craft.<br />

Getting lots of experience in your<br />

chosen field will also help you<br />

learn what needs to be done to<br />

succeed. For example, teaching<br />

creative writing helped me<br />

understand themes, settings, and<br />

characterisation. It also encouraged<br />

me to write about things that were<br />

important to me and my culture.<br />

I’d especially encourage our youth to<br />

keep trying if you know that you have<br />

a talent and have been encouraged<br />

to pursue it. Success stories are<br />

about never giving up and pursuing<br />

those goals till you reach them.<br />

What have you done since<br />

achieving your goal?<br />

One of the values my parents<br />

taught me was about giving<br />

back to the community, so I<br />

often gift books to individuals<br />

or to schools where I speak.<br />

I also recently ran some free<br />

workshops for schools – not<br />

only to share my stories, but<br />

also to inspire students to go for<br />

their dreams – especially in the<br />

arts, storytelling and writing.<br />

It’s important that children see<br />

a variety of role models in our<br />

community to encourage them<br />

to strive for whatever they want<br />

to do when they become adults.<br />

And they need to know that<br />

the time to prepare is now!<br />

Helen’s books are sold at SAAB<br />

Sei Oriana, next to the ‘Fale o<br />

Samoa’ – corner Bader Drive<br />

and Mascot Ave, Māngere.<br />

Find out more about her work at<br />

www.helentauaufilisi.com<br />

or get in touch by email:<br />

helentauaufilisi@gmail.com<br />

whānau<br />

4 whānau<br />

Whānau4whānau, a<br />

parent-designed support<br />

programme is up and<br />

running at the Māngere<br />

East Community Centre.<br />

The group is for parents who<br />

have completed a parenting<br />

programme, and who now<br />

want to reach out and support<br />

each other to practice and<br />

build on their new skills.<br />

Parents already attending are<br />

enthusiastic about the programme:<br />

“I really like that it’s parents<br />

leading. And parents are planning<br />

how and who we get to come<br />

and tell us or show us about<br />

things we want to know – as<br />

well as working out what we<br />

can do ourselves”, says one.<br />

“Everyone supports one<br />

another in their progress and<br />

development – based on learning<br />

and life skills for them and their<br />

children”, explains another.<br />

Together, the group will explore<br />

opportunities in the community to:<br />

• y undertake further education<br />

– e.g. in te reo Māori,<br />

gagana Samoa, health<br />

and safety, korowai and<br />

tāniko, bee keeping, etc.<br />

• y develop skills to get into<br />

paid work – e.g. bridging<br />

courses, writing a CV, and<br />

practising job interviews.<br />

• y improve health and wellbeing<br />

for themselves and their whānau<br />

– e.g. cooking healthy meals,<br />

zumba, mindfulness, mirimiri<br />

and romiromi, mentoring other<br />

parents, or starting a garden.<br />

• y strengthen their relationships<br />

with their children and<br />

whānau whānui.<br />

Parents interested in joining<br />

Whānau4Whānau can contact<br />

Maia on 09 <strong>275</strong> 6161.


Mangere shines at Zero Waste Awards<br />

“There’s so much happening in Māngere!” That was the feeling expressed by many at Auckland’s<br />

first Love Zero Waste Awards, which were held in June at the Metro Theatre, Māngere East.<br />

By Justine Skilling<br />

Talking Rubbish, ME Family Services<br />

Funded by Auckland Council and organised<br />

and hosted by The Auckland Guardianship<br />

Group, the Love Zero Waste Awards<br />

recognise the work of organisations,<br />

businesses and individuals who<br />

are reducing waste and diverting<br />

it away from landfills in our<br />

city, or showing leadership<br />

and innovation in the<br />

zero-waste sector.<br />

A whopping nine<br />

nominations from Māngere<br />

were received, including:<br />

• yMāngere Old School<br />

Teaching Gardens<br />

(picture 5) – for<br />

using community<br />

waste as a resource<br />

in the gardens, and<br />

teaching others to do<br />

the same at home.<br />

• yPapatūānuku Kōkiri<br />

Marae (picture 6) –<br />

for collecting waste<br />

fish heads and frames<br />

from boat clubs and<br />

redistributing them to locals.<br />

• yDenise Balmain of ‘Divert’<br />

(picture 3) – for upcycling waste<br />

fabrics into beautiful products<br />

that she sells at local markets.<br />

• yTeau Aiturau, Māngere Bikefit (picture 2) – for<br />

teaching people to fix bikes and rescuing hundreds<br />

of bikes from landfill to give back to the community.<br />

• yMāngere East Community Centre (picture<br />

8) – for showing leadership in reducing<br />

waste at their community events.<br />

• yNgā Iwi School (picture 1) for creating and using<br />

gardens and recycling/composting systems, and<br />

for showing leadership in working with other<br />

schools in the area to share their learning.<br />

• yTalking Rubbish (picture 10) for leading waste<br />

education and support in Māngere/Ōtāhuhu.<br />

2<br />

1<br />

3 4<br />

5<br />

• yFriends of the Farm (picture 9) for leading waste education<br />

and waste reduction initiatives in Māngere Bridge.<br />

Local winners<br />

Reverend Ifalame Teisi (picture 4) from Taulanga<br />

U Trust, Pacific Vision Aotearoa was the overall winner of<br />

the Te Uru O Te Rangi – Lone Ranger Award, for sharing<br />

the waste reduction kaupapa everywhere he goes!<br />

9<br />

10<br />

6<br />

7<br />

A special recognition award went to<br />

the family of Māngere waste and<br />

gardening champion Angela<br />

McLean (picture 7), who sadly<br />

passed away last month.<br />

8<br />

Angela had a long<br />

association with both<br />

Papatūānuku Kōkiri Marae<br />

and Talking Rubbish, ME<br />

Family Services, and her<br />

passion for reducing<br />

waste and getting<br />

people into growing<br />

their own healthy food<br />

has inspired many<br />

in our community.<br />

Congratulations to all<br />

of the Māngere award<br />

nominees and winners<br />

from our community!<br />

With Auckland moving<br />

towards being a zero-waste<br />

city by 2040, there are some<br />

great opportunities out there<br />

for our community to draw on<br />

our resourcefulness and<br />

find ways to turn our<br />

waste into treasure.<br />

Talking Rubbish would<br />

love to hear from<br />

you if you have an<br />

idea and need support<br />

to make it happen.<br />

Get in touch with me on 022<br />

102 8195 or justine@mefsc.org.nz<br />

Who knows, we might see you at<br />

next year’s Love Zero Waste Awards!<br />

ENROL<br />

NOW<br />

free PARENTING<br />

PROGRAMMES<br />

Incredible Years<br />

For Parents<br />

Call Shalya<br />

09 263 0798<br />

Mellow Bumps<br />

Antenatal sessions<br />

Call Tawera<br />

021 297 0994<br />

Hoki ki te Rito<br />

Oranga wha _ nau<br />

Mellow Parenting<br />

Call Shalya<br />

09 263 0798<br />

Day & evening programmes begin in August <strong>2017</strong><br />

at Ma _ ngere East Community Centre, 372 Massey Rd, Ma _ ngere East<br />

ph. 09 263 0798 | e. admin@ohomairangi.co.nz | www.ohomairangi.co.nz<br />

5


Watching La Coco’s<br />

performance at the<br />

Vodafone Pacific<br />

Music Awards last<br />

month, I was in tears.<br />

I couldn’t stop telling<br />

her parents how good<br />

she was. We were all so proud.<br />

6<br />

An opportunity for you to come meet our staff, explore our facilities,<br />

and talk to staff about why we believe Bader Intermediate is the right<br />

school for your child. Enrolment packs will be available on the night.<br />

There will be a free BBQ, so don’t worry about dinner,<br />

just come on down and say Hi, check us out and make an<br />

informed decision about the next steps for your child.<br />

By Shirl’e Fruean<br />

Her given name is Latoia Virginia Sasa-Tepania, but<br />

her granddad nicknamed her ‘Coco’ when she was just<br />

a week old – “because she looked more Samoan than<br />

Māori”, her mum says with a chuckle. That’s how she<br />

came up with the stage name ‘La Coco’.<br />

Her love of music was evident from a very young age.<br />

At three years old, she was already singing in church<br />

services, and since then there’s been no turning back<br />

from pursuing her dreams.<br />

Luckily, the Māngere singer is also passionate about<br />

learning. To make the most of her natural talents, she<br />

studied both music and performing arts after leaving<br />

school – as well as earning a Bachelor of Education.<br />

I remember meeting La Coco at a hip-hop gig on Ponsonby<br />

Road in 2010. Her bubbly personality was the first thing I<br />

noticed, but after hearing her sing, I fell in love with her<br />

beautiful, soulful voice.<br />

Listening to her sing, it’s hard to believe that she has<br />

achalasia, a rare disorder of the aesophagus that affects<br />

her ability to do simple things like eat and drink. The<br />

condition is tough to deal with, but<br />

she gets through with the support<br />

of close family and friends, her<br />

faith, and her focus on her music.<br />

The results speak for themselves:<br />

at this year’s Pacific Music Awards,<br />

La Coco was nominated for Best<br />

Pacific Artist, Best Gospel Artist<br />

and Best Produced Album.<br />

It was a massive achievement.<br />

“To have even performed<br />

on the stage in my first<br />

year – with all my music<br />

family – was an answered<br />

prayer”, she says. “There’s<br />

nothing I wanted to do<br />

more than to perform<br />

my testimony piece,<br />

with the man upstairs<br />

at the centre of it all.”<br />

If you want to hear<br />

this talented artist for<br />

yourself, you’ll find her<br />

first EP (Love and Other<br />

Things), on iTunes<br />

and Google Play.<br />

She is currently working<br />

on a video for ‘Enough’,<br />

her next single from the<br />

forthcoming EP Love and<br />

Other Things Part 2.<br />

La Coco performs at the <strong>2017</strong> Vodafone Pacific Music Awards<br />

in Manukau. (Photo: James Ensing-Trussell / Topic)


MARAMATAKA<br />

Te Rua Hongongoi (<strong>July</strong>)<br />

By Ayla Hoeta<br />

The moon is shining high<br />

and bright in Māngere<br />

as we celebrate Matariki.<br />

This is traditionally a<br />

time for planning out the<br />

year ahead and preparing<br />

for Aponga (August).<br />

Our tohu from the sky show<br />

the beautiful Matariki and its<br />

seven sister stars. We also<br />

see Whakaahu Rangi and<br />

Whakaahu Kerekere (Castor<br />

& Pollux). These two stars are<br />

signs of spring (more on that<br />

in next month’s column).<br />

The matariki stars are:<br />

• y Puanga – Rigel in Orion<br />

• y Tautoru – Orion’s Belt<br />

• y Takurua – Sirius<br />

• y Putara – Betelgeuse<br />

• y Taumata kuku – Aldebaran<br />

• y Matariki – The Pleiades<br />

This month’s key dates are:<br />

High Energy days<br />

8 <strong>July</strong> Te Rakaunui<br />

(Highest energy day)<br />

9 <strong>July</strong> Rakau<br />

matohi<br />

Fishing days<br />

15 <strong>July</strong> Tangaroa a Mua<br />

16 <strong>July</strong> Tangaroa a Roto<br />

17 <strong>July</strong> Tangaroa Kiokio<br />

Planting days<br />

4 <strong>July</strong> Mawharu<br />

18 <strong>July</strong> Otane<br />

planting day and give<br />

back to the forest<br />

29 <strong>July</strong> Tamatea a Io<br />

30 <strong>July</strong> Tamatea Kai Ariki<br />

Reciprocity/give back<br />

and reflecting days<br />

5 <strong>July</strong> Atua<br />

11 <strong>July</strong> Oike<br />

12 & 13 <strong>July</strong> Korekore te<br />

Whiahia and Korekore te Rawea<br />

PICTURES: Celebrating Matariki<br />

at Māngere East Hall on June 24<br />

Top Right: Haumia with his<br />

manu aute (kite). Above: Applying<br />

temporary ta moko. Right: Fiveyear-old<br />

Makayla Mihaere-Marshall<br />

performing with Te Kura Māori o<br />

Ngā Tapuwae’s kapahaka group.<br />

How to use your<br />

MARAMATAKA:<br />

1. Cut out the two circles.<br />

2. Place the small circle inside the<br />

large one and put a pin through<br />

the middle of both.<br />

3. Set the month. (Each month<br />

starts on Rakaunui, which<br />

falls a day before the full<br />

moon (West Coast) or on<br />

the full moon (East Coast).<br />

4. In <strong>July</strong>, the full moon<br />

is on the 9th, so rotate<br />

the small dial until<br />

the number ‘8’ lines<br />

up with ‘Rakaunui’<br />

on the big dial.<br />

7


Community Notices<br />

FRESH, CHEAP FRUIT & VEGES<br />

Get a bag of fruit plus a bag of vegetables for just $10. Each bag<br />

has three-to-four types of seasonal produce. Order by 4pm each<br />

Monday for pick up on Tuesday afternoon. For more info, text<br />

Val: 027 6688 111 or call the Māngere East Community Centre:<br />

09 <strong>275</strong> 6161. (Pick up is from the Community Centre or Māngere<br />

East Hawks Rugby League Club. Text to arrange a pick up time).<br />

FREE PARENTING SUPPORT<br />

Hoki ki te Rito – Oranga Whānau/Mellow Parenting: 14-week<br />

course on Mondays 9:30am to 2:30pm. Starts in August.<br />

Incredible Years: 14-week parenting course start in August.<br />

Morning and evening sessions. Mellow Bumps: Next free<br />

course starts in August. For more information, email: admin@<br />

ohomairangi.co.nz or ph. 09 263 0798. All courses are run by<br />

Ohomairangi Trust at the Māngere East Community Centre.<br />

MUMA BBM BOOTCAMPS<br />

Every Mon & Wed, 6.30am & 11am. Ngā Whare Waatea Marae,<br />

31 Calthorp Close. Open to all ages & fitness levels. For more<br />

info contact: Donna Jean Tairi, Pou Hakinakina / Healthy<br />

Lifestyles Coordinator, Manukau Urban Māori Authority, ph. 021<br />

583 555 or 09 277 7866 or email: donna-jean@muma.co.nz<br />

MANGERE BRIDGE LIBRARY<br />

These school holidays, explore ‘What lies beneath…’! The<br />

programme includes: Within the earth – Monday 10 <strong>July</strong>, 10:30<br />

– 11:30am. Have fun with science and grow your own geodes.<br />

Beneath the sea – Wednesday 12 <strong>July</strong>, 2:30 – 4pm. Help make<br />

a giant mural of the ocean world to display in the library. (Could<br />

be messy!) Beneath our soils – Friday 14 <strong>July</strong>, 3:30 – 4:30pm.<br />

Join Hari to find out more about worms, compost and how to<br />

grow your own greens. Children under the age of eight must<br />

be accompanied by a parent. To find out more, ask at the<br />

Library, ph. 09 636 6797 or email: mangerebridge.library@<br />

aucklandcouncil.govt.nz<br />

FREE CLASSES IN MANGERE EAST<br />

The Māngere East Community Centre runs FREE and lowcost<br />

community education classes in te reo Māori, Samoan,<br />

English, sewing, literacy and numeracy, korowai and tukutuku,<br />

drivers licence theory, tai chi, zumba – and more! Visit www.<br />

mangereeast.org, email: fiona@mangereeast.org, ph. 09 <strong>275</strong><br />

6161 or drop in to the Centre at 372 Massey Road, Māngere<br />

East to find out more.<br />

CONTRIBUTORS WANTED<br />

We’d love to hear from local writers, photographers and anyone<br />

else interested in volunteering for the <strong>275</strong> <strong>Times</strong>. Get in touch at<br />

www.facebook.com/<strong>275</strong>times or email <strong>275</strong><strong>Times</strong>@gmail.com<br />

Community Notices are FREE for community groups. Send us<br />

a 50-word summary of your group or event for the next issue!<br />

<strong>275</strong> times<br />

<strong>275</strong><br />

Māngere’s<br />

times<br />

Design: Belinda Fowler Editor: Roger Fowler<br />

Publisher: Māngere East Community Centre<br />

<strong>275</strong>times@gmail.com<br />

www.facebook.com/<strong>275</strong>times<br />

www<br />

www.<strong>275</strong>times.com 09 <strong>275</strong> 6161<br />

Hospitality<br />

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Welding<br />

BUILDING &<br />

CARPENTRY<br />

Forces<br />

Pre-Entry<br />

Recreation<br />

& Sport<br />

NCEA<br />

Level 2<br />

Warehousing &<br />

Forklift Operations<br />

Automotive<br />

Don’t<br />

just dream it.<br />

BECOME IT!<br />

FREE<br />

Learners or<br />

Restricted Licence<br />

(conditions apply)<br />

ZERO FEES &<br />

TRAVEL SUBSIDY<br />

FOR 16-19YRS<br />

FREE SELECTED<br />

PROGRAMMES FOR<br />

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Conditions apply.<br />

59 TIDAL RD, MANGERE<br />

(09) 257-5732<br />

Text 021 740 807<br />

Registered and Accredited with NZQA<br />

NZQA provider rating: Category 1, ‘Highly Confident’ in both<br />

Educational Performance and Capability in Self Assessment<br />

Contact: Tuhin Choudhury<br />

TWR000874<br />

Unit 7/17 Airpark Drive

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