Reflection written by Darlene Rastrick, Ministry of Social Development
At this point in the journey, Va Kainga was the retreat that I enjoyed the most for a few reasons.
Many of the speakers are warriors that have worked, and/or continue to work, within the ‘system’, and understand the context of the environment that we each have to navigate. This made their sharing and their openness about what they have encountered even more realistic to us.
We explored our relationship with New Zealand born Pacific, island born Pacific, Māori and Palangi, which was a powerful exercise in itself, especially when looking at where we each sit with that. I explored this myself, in the context of how I am perceived by others and what that vā is like. For me, some of the experiences people spoke of I hadn’t experienced personally, but I had observed some of the behaviours spoken about, which I found hard—realising a lot of trauma is still happening today.
Karlo shared some of the work from her thesis where she interviewed many people to gain understanding of their perspectives. A number of us could relate to the experiences she spoke about.
Through sharing, there were moments where the group were able to see each other’s strengths and share what had been experienced or tried before, to help us rise up.
Nourishment is always what we gain from the retreat, but this felt very different: more than kainga but a connection back to the work we all do. I walked away feeling empowered to speak up and rise up: we can’t go on facing the same challenges that have happened to many generations.
There is something about our cohort and the opportunity and power we possess. I think the ability to influence change is unwavering with our group, and we have to be deliberate in our workplaces that are part of the ‘system’ and speak up when it is right to do so.
Darlene wrote this following Vā Kainga, the fifth retreat of seven in Tū Mau Mana Moana.
Tū means to stand, arise, be, to be upright in 48 of our languages – it is Austronesian in origin and one of our most ancient source languages. At its zenith, Tū or Kū is the archetype of humanity - of the god of war, of the realm of humankind.
Mau is in 47 of our languages and is linguistically categorised as Polynesian in origin. It refers to seeking, finding, persisting, holding on to, firmly and tightly. Mau is a well-known movement of liberation and a calling cry to reclaim power.
Together, these words create Tū Mau – to stand and hold, to be firm and seek. The approach and orientation of this programme is designed specifically for Pacific peoples seeking to lead in the public sector.
Find out more about Tū Mau Mana Moana here.