Community work offenders got into the spirit of Waitangi Day by helping to prepare and serve a massive hangi for over 900 people in Greymouth.
"The offenders did a great job," event organiser and local kaumātua Wayne Secker says. "The numbers at the event get bigger each year so we're really thankful for the huge effort that everyone, including the offenders, put in."
Offenders serving a variety of community-based sentences under the supervision of Wayne, probation officer George Nathan, and community work supervisor Les Kemp, were keen to help prepare for the day's activities.
This included collecting wood from local beaches and digging the hangi pits in the lead-up to the picnic, as well as working alongside volunteers on the day.
For four years now the Greymouth District Council has held a Waitangi Day picnic at Dixon Park. The picnic offers free food, entertainment, and fun for the whole community, and since its inception Community Probation & Psychological Services (CPPS) has been substantially involved.
CPPS staff from the Greymouth service centre see the picnic as a legacy to late kaumātua Tom Aranga, who George says, was central to the instigation of offender involvement in this annual community event as far back as 2005.
E te Rangatira,
Haere, haere ki te po, haere ki te whare o
tatou Tupuna
E te Rangatira
Moe moe ra, moe moe ra.
Before work commenced on the day, local kaumātua and George addressed the group with a karakia and a mihi whakatau, and everyone involved was given the opportunity to introduce themselves.
"It is important to acknowledge the significance of the day," says George.
A number of people from Pacific Island and European heritage have been on board, many of whom have had little experience in things Māori.
"For many this is the first time they’ve been involved in preparing a hangi and they find it a good way to interact with others in a supportive and fun environment," says George.
George finds it especially rewarding when offenders who have completed their sentences continue to return on the day to help out with the festivities.
"It is purely of their own accord and they feel that they are giving something positive back to the community as well as upholding what Tom believed in," says George.
Offenders participating in the day's work benefited in a more spiritual way.
"It is about the concepts of whānaungatanga, kotahitanga and manaaki - giving them a sense of worth by positively contributing to the community. It's about empowering the individual and their whānau," says George.
At the poroporoaki a couple of the offenders stood up and asked for more events of this nature in the future. Local kaumātua indicated that CPPS may be involved in Māori New Year celebrations, Matariki.
"Dialogue like this between CPPS and community groups is a positive sign and an indication that public events are a great way for offenders to give back to and be involved with the community," says George.
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