Gentle approach shares Ma-ori worldview

Terehia Walker’s advice incorporates Post-it notes and practice to help people get to grips with Ma - ori language and culture. She tells Helen Vause about working in the community.

Terehia Walker’s passion for kotahitanga –unity and togetherness – keeps her busy on the Devonport peninsula and beyond.

Having put her hand up to help guide local learning in Māori culture and practices, and to support learners of te reo Māori, she’s been welcomed to share her knowledge in a wide range of groups and schools across the community.

It’s been less than a year since she stepped down from a decade with North Shore Hospice as a cultural adviser, and turned to working with local organisations.

But Walker feels she is already making a mark. “If it’s Monday I’m here, but if it’s Thursday I’m there and somewhere else on the other days” she laughs when the Flagstaff catches up with her.

At the same time, she is fielding a text message about her role in yet another peninsula initiative. “It’s all about people and community,” she says with her trademark wide smile.

“The time came when I felt I had done what I could in my role at Hospice and that it was time for me to step out into my own community and to do what I could, right here. The time just felt right.”

Walker is of Māori and Italian descent. She grew up in a big farming family in rural South Auckland, but has spent most of her adult life in the peninsula community she has grown to love.

Working in the military was her first career choice, and because she gets seasick, she opted for the army. As a young woman, having made a decision not to drink alcohol, she was the one to drive a group over the harbour bridge to a Navy party in Devonport. That’s where she met husband-to-be Ngahiwi Walker.

The couple settled in the area 34 years ago, when she sometimes wondered if she belonged.

But she’s enjoyed a good life here. Now aged 52, she has her daughter Nikayla and seven grandchildren living next door to where Terehia and Ngahiwi bought their first home decades ago. “I think we’re very lucky and we’re well set up to look after each other,” she says.

“And I absolutely love working in this community. I’ve been made welcome wherever I’m working and people are very interested in learning more about Māori values and tikanga.

Often I think it’s just about giving them the chance to do that and that’s what I’m doing.”

After the army years, Walker went to university and trained to become a school teacher. Running classes and working with big groups were skills she honed long before putting a focus on spreading knowledge of her own culture and language.

“But right from childhood I’d always been very interested in the language and culture. And I love talking to people. So, doing what I do now is really a natural fit for me.”

Her first chance to develop this side of her career came when she was teaching at Manukau Institute of Technology. It was at a time when no one performing formal welcomes or providing a cultural support, and Walker was more than happy to take up the role.

Locally, children, parents and teachers will know her through her kapa haka groups and workshops in schools.

With her husband – these days manager of the Navy marae and a practising artist – she’s had a long association as Māori advisor to staff and students at the New Zealand Institute of Education. More recently, she spent six months advising and teaching at the US consulate.

She is now cultural adviser (kaitohutohu) at the Depot Artspace, and volunteers for environmental group Restoring Takarunga Hauraki, as well as the Devonport Peninsula Trust and the Devonport Business Association.

And interest from other organisations in what she offers is growing all the time.

The Walkers were leading figures in the Devonport Matariki celebrations last year, when an unexpectedly large crowd wound up Takarunga in the darkness with only the dim light of their home-made lanterns illuminating the night.

Many of those lanterns had been made to a simple pattern in very popular workshops co-led by Walker in the days leading up to the event.

The interest and level of participation was a surprise says Walker. She adds that the event attracted many more people than was ideal for safety and for the preservation of the maunga.

“Honestly I nearly fainted when I saw how many people had turned up. I’d never shared Matariki with anyone in Devonport before. I certainly wasn’t expecting anything like those numbers.” build up on the words you know from there.”

This year there will instead be a series of different events for smaller crowds, including ascents of both Maungauika and Takarunga.

Down in the village, there is more activity planned over the next year. Walker will continue to engage the community in her language and culture.

She says it’s best to master a few words and then introduce them to your korero [conversation] rather than just memorising a whole lot of words without understanding the context.

“It’s not a race, it’s a journey,” she says. “You have to remember we didn’t wake up knowing how to drive a car. You have to study and practise to learn.”

Walker says understanding te reo Māori language and principles is these days an essential part of professional development in the workplace.

Having a shared appreciation of the language and culture is important for teams, guests, stakeholders and the wider creative community, she says.

Walker has a few simple tips for organisations to get started with making the changes in their workplace that she’s talking about.

She suggests practising a karakia to use when opening meetings, and to encourage the use of te reo in emails and communications. And she says an easy way to develop vocabulary is to have signage and labels on things around the office with a clear translation.

As she says, she’s following her passion to work alongside the non-Māori community, helping them to look through “te ao Māori goggles” for a change and to get a new perspective on the Māori world.

So far, says Walker, her efforts are being very well received. She believes that perspectives are shifting.

She is excited at the thought of leading a yet to be launched adult kapa hapa group that she anticipates bringing together and coaching to be performance-ready in time for Matariki in July.

She takes a gentle approach to teaching. “People are often shy or a bit scared of making a mistake or looking foolish if they try with te reo Māori, and so they hesitate to try. But of course it’s okay just to try and then

With these basic changes, everyone can soon learn a few words and build on what they know. Using Post-it notes around the office works a treat, she says, in getting people familiar with the names of everyday objects.

Offices and organisations can step up the pace of their commitment to increase te reo speaking and learning by adding in resources and workshops and taking the opportunity to open meetings and events with karakia.

And for those who may have a speaking role coming up, Walker’s advice is to get prepared.

“Don’t leave it to the last minute. If you’ve had a bit of practice with using a few words of the language you will be more confident when it comes, to standing up and saying them. You just have to give it your best. Just making a start and having a go really does make a difference.”

“All we strive for is community unity. It’s a natural saying for me: Kotahitanga – unity!”

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Either one can be rented out while the other is lived in, or the separate dwellings provide the ideal opportunity for extended families. Alternatively, the home can be utilised as a six-bedroom family haven. Business - Neighbourhood Centre zoning also means that options can be explored for running a business downstairs, while you live upstairs.

Crafted in the late 1800s, the much-admired building was one of the earliest corner shops in Devonport and remained so until the 1980s, when it became a private residence. Known locally as Domain Dairy, it takes pride of place as a feature on the Heritage Walks of Devonport. Cheltenham beach, Devonport Domain and North Head are just footsteps away, with the village and CBD a pleasant stroll along the waterfront.

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Community groups face money pressure

With council budget cuts looming, the focus has fallen on services provided by community groups.

The Devonport-Takapuna Local Board is assessing its funding priorities for grants rounds, while waiting to find out how much money it will get to distribute. Janetta Mackay reports.

Extra costs are on the cards for sports and community groups that own properties and currently enjoy council rates relief.

Six groups, including North Shore Rugby Club and the Michael King Writers Centre in Devonport, and the Stanley Bowling and Petanque Club in Stanley Bay, are among those in the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board area that have regularly received rates grants from the board.

Other beneficiaries have included Takapuna Bowling Club, Milford Cruising Club and North Shore Squash Club.

Faced with yet-to-be-finalised but large funding cuts of its own, the local board was asked by Auckland Council officers at a workshop last week if it wanted to discontinue rates grants or roll them over for a year.

The grants amounted to $95,000 over the past two financial years, with $64,518 having been set aside for the 2023-24 year. Council officers suggested a sum of $26,986 remaining from the 2022/23 budget could be diverted to pressured general-grants budgets

The leftover amount is due to Stanley Bowling and Petanque Club and Takapuna Bowling Club being the only groups applying to take advantage of their grants this year, being awarded $9481 and $25,863 respectively.

Groups that lease their sites from Auckland

Council for peppercorn rents do not have to pay rates. A desire for fairness led to the introduction of rates grants for property-owning groups.

Board chair Toni van Tonder said the legacy arrangement paid around 85 per cent of groups’ rates bills, but she noted change had been signalled in the past.

Member Gavin Busch said more detail was needed about the financial position of the groups. “Some clubs and organisations might be sitting on substantial sums,” he said.

Member George Wood noted that the North Shore Rugby Club was paying rates on a building used as a gym, and the Milford Cruising Club’s rates covered a slipyard it could make money from.

Van Tonder said another workshop with staff should be held to help guide members.

“There’s a piece missing here, which is our budget,” she said.

Indications are the board’s discretionary spend will be cut by 60 per cent to around $500,000 as part of Auckland Council’s $295 million citywide budget cuts, drastically reducing the amount it can allocate

Public consultation on the budget is underway, with the board and local groups urging people to have their say. This is open until 28 March.

Tougher grants regime suggested

Stricter grants eligibility criteria are needed, says the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board, as it deals with reduced funds to allocate to the community.

This would bring more scrutiny around how often groups get grants and what they can apply for.

Board members advocated this course to Auckland Council grants advisers when asked for feedback to proposals on how to deal with budget cuts.

They also suggested condensing the number and type of grants rounds held each year, which would save on staff and board time.

Council staff recommended sticking with an $8000 cap on individual grants for the 2023-24 year, which is already down from the $10,000 which applied previously, and to limiting grants to any one group to two a year

Board member George Wood suggested dropping the cap to $5000, which member Peter Allen supported.

Allen predicted “a lot more applications from community groups” given how tight funds were everywhere.

Wood said it was still important that the board continued to fund a range of groups. This also gave those groups credibility when they applied to other funding sources.

Officers suggested building-maintenance grants could be an area to tighten up on, but board members said the likes of heat pumps and security cameras were a one-off cost that made groups more sustainable.

Member Terence Harpur said giving a community group $5000 for the upkeep of its facility could often be money well spent, with volunteers able to do painting, for instance, at a much reduced rate. This should be encouraged.

Work on the pump track at Woodall Park was cited as an example of where a facility was delivered for much less than the council would have had to spend.

Harpur also called for more consideration to be given to funding activities in well-placed locations, especially where this might encourage participants to spend money in town centres.

An activity at Cheltenham, compared with one on Windsor Reserve close to a transport hub, would have a lesser return, he said.

Van Tonder said the board needed to become a little more critical in considering how well applicants met the board’s priorities.

A previous grant for speech therapy for a small group of people was an example of the board not delivering as well as it could. It also needed to be stricter on groups that kept coming back for more funding.

The board suggested reducing the general grant amount that could be applied for, to a minimum of $500 from $1000, would also help to lower expectations.

Board dished out $227k for this year

Latest figures show around threequarters of grant applications are approved by the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board, although not always for the full amount requested.

In 2020-21, 161 applications were made to the board for local grants, along with a much smaller number of multi-board and quick-response grants. That figure dropped to 120 applications in the 2021-22 year, mainly due to Covid interruptions and carryovers, especially in the arts and events sectors.

In 2021-22, $554,413 was requested and $227,831 allocated. The previous year, $1.046 million was sought and $235,177 granted.

The biggest beneficiaries last year were community groups ($92,072 granted of $210,631 sought in 53 applications), followed by sports and recreation ($47,002; $149,298; 27) and arts and culture ($45,029; $88,399; 22). Trailing behind was spending on events ($21,228; $66,085; 12), historic heritage ($12,000; $20,000; 2) and the environment ($10,500; $20,000; 4).

Arts and environment groups have had more regular access to other region-wide council funding, though this is being reduced in wider council cuts.

Top 10 grants

The largest Devonport-Takapuna Local Board grants for 2021-22 went to: Rotary Club of Devonport Charitable Trust, $9240, towards the Woodall Park pump track project.

North Shore Budget Service, $7200, to extend support into the community. The Lake House Trust, $6000, Arts Wood Sculpture Symposium.

South Island Light Orchestra Ltd, $6000, for Takapuna Winter Lights.

The Lake House Trust, $6000, east and west side restoration.

Victoria Theatre Trust, $6000, foyer restoration.

Auckland King Tides Initiative, $5000, for beach monitoring.

Glass Ceiling Arts Collective, $5000, for inclusive youth theatre at the Rose Centre.

Ngataringa Tennis Club , $5000, renovation of changing, toilet and showering facilities.

North Shore Budget Service, $5000, building financial resilience.

20 years ago in the Flagstaff

• Devonport residents brace for big rates hikes.

• Phillipa Bentley wins the painting section of the Devonport Arts Festival competition with her work Big Red Chair

• North Shore premier cricketers are poised to win the Auckland two-day competition.

• Save the Devonport Cinema asks Prime Minister Helen Clark to support a blanket heritage protection order for the building.

• Vauxhall and Devonport Primary schools share a North Shore City environmental award for their commitment to the Travelwise to Schools programme.

• The future of the council-owned Wikitoria building on Takarunga is under review.

• Mike Austin’s concept of a tunnel from Kelly Tarlton’s to Devonport is judged the best fantasy “doodle” in a competition between Devonport architects judged by Stanley Bay School pupils

• Speeding hoons are using Takarunga as a racetrack, residents tell the Devonport Community Board.

• Devonport Rotary pledges to give a bigger slice of the money raised at the Devonport Food & Wine Festival to local community groups.

• The family of 17-year-old Max Raos say he was saved from serious injury in a car crash on Lake Rd because he was driving a late-model car with safety features.

• Devonport actors Richard Parmee and Donna Franks star in the Company Theatre production Tons of Monday

• North Shore City Council’s appeal against the Department of Conversation’s plan to slash the marginal strip at Bayswater Pt, from 20 metres to 9 metres, goes to the Environment Court.

• St Leo’s edges out Vauxhall in a peninsula swimming competition.

• Russell Holt wins the 2km Cheltenham Sea Swim, with Tom Elton first junior.

• Former Devonport Community Board chair Paddy Stafford-Bush is interviewed.

Devonport shot-putter Jacko Gill threw a personal best to again beat rival Tom Walsh – for a second time in as many weeks.

Having taken the national title from Walsh, he followed up with a throw of 22.12m at the Sir Graeme Douglas International meeting in West Auckland on 16 March.

This added nearly 22cm to his previous best throw, set when he won silver behind Walsh at the Commonwealth Games last year.

Walsh’s best throw of the night was 21.79m, well below his personal best of 22.90m, set in 2019.

Gill credits Nerida and Walter Gill, his parents and coaches, for much of his recent success, saying he is happy in his training and has improved his technique.

“I’m stoked, I can’t believe it. I’m very happy.

“I have wanted to throw 22 metres since I was 16. It was always the dream.”