Leading from the front issuu

NUI & THE TRUST LOSE A BRILLIANT WAHINE TOA
PAT PAYS TRIBUTE
Minnie was unique. She totally understood the community
and how vital it was to build communities not
prisons. Her mahi was a determined fight to try and
unravel the damage of inter-generational harm caused
through colonisation and urbanisation, and she had
the ability to draw Pakeha in to support her as she
worked to address needs.
Where did this come from, her extraordinary ability
to affect change? By being in the same place herself
a few years back, as the people who she came to later
help. She had been there herself. It was about 13 years
ago when life and whānau issues started piling up
for Minnie. As a young Māori mum she realised she’d
missed out along the way and so had her kids. She was
a party girl but the attraction to the fun times started
to fade; the veil that hid the consequences of her good
times had slipped. She started to think, surely there
was a better, easier way and that’s when opportunities
started to appear for her.
I met Minnie at a housing crisis protest in Wellington
about eight years ago. She was a staunch campaigner
for social justice and it wasn’t long before she joined
the Trust. Initially she was out of her comfort zone but
it wasn’t long either before the fearless campaigner
appeared — fearless and always hopeful, for Māori,
Maraenui and the wider community.
When I met her she was so enthusiastic to try new
things. She wanted more of what she’d never had. Anywhere
there was a chance of an outing, she was there.
She really took to walking, she saw the sense of it and
desperately wanted to get fit and explore the world of
nature. In total we went on six Te Araroa Offers Hope
hikoi and it was her goal to walk to Bluff eventually.
She loved meeting different people and when she
started attending meetings she soon became a valuable
voice. We supported her in getting a job and then
MSD came through with funding from Te Roopu a Iwi
where she worked for two years. Then sadly she became
unwell. I think she simply burnt herself out — she
was unstoppable in responding to crisis and that takes
its toll.
I owe a lot to Minnie. About eight years ago we
struck a rough patch at Pilot City for various reasons,
and thanks to Minnie’s influence and integrity we were
able to get through some really challenging circumstances.
I’m sure we wouldn’t be here today without
her gentle guidance.
Any organisation or trust involved in community development
and social justice needs to have a Minnie,
someone who really understands the people and the
challenges. Groups need to listen to the Minnie’s too
or they won’t achieve what needs to be done. Minnie
was not only a brilliant foot soldier she was a brilliant
strategist too, a Wahine Toa like no other. But rather
than lament her passing, she would want us to get out
there and find the other Minnie’s who are just around
the corner, eager for opportunity and with encouragement,
keen to step up.
Aroha nui Minnie,
RIP Shipmate
Minnie Ratima - 1964 - 2020 217