A Manurewa-based tikanga Māori programme aptly lives up to its Ko koe te Rangatira (You are your own Master) name, by equipping offenders in the community with the skills to help build a sense of identity and reduce re-offending.
Graham Tatana works for Te Unga Waka Social Services in Manurewa and is one of the facilitators of the programme that aims to rehabilitate offenders referred by Community Probation & Psychological Services.
"Most have come in feeling a senseof uselessness and hopelessness and these are reasons why they offend," says Graham. "We work to address that and our aim is to help them establish a sense of pride in where they come from and who they are."
Up to 10 offenders attend six-week courses held at the Manurewa Service Centre. They learn traditional Māori tikanga processes and then take that one step further by applying these to their modern-day lives and problems.
Graham and tutor Laurie Tatana, who travels from Kaitaia once a week to take a class, aim to challenge the perceptions that many of the offenders hold.
"Many have grown up with crime and violence all around them and as a result they accumulate negative beliefs that they choose not to challenge. It's our job to open their eyes up to other more positive options and change these preconceived views."
Many of the offenders resort to crime because they themselves are lacking support networks in their whānau situations. As a result of the crime they devalue their own potential, which leads to disrespecting others, says Graham.
"We aim to restore the offenders' mana by giving them the tools to create a positive sense of identity. By doing this they start to empathise with others, helping them to realise that the path they have taken previously was hurting others."
Both men and women are welcomed into the course and past participants have included different nationalities such as European, Pacific Island and even Chinese descent.
"All cultures have their own tikanga as such and many protocols are very similar, which often transcend boundaries," says Graham.
One of the major barriers that Graham has come across is that many offenders who have little to do with their Māori heritage are shy and embarrassed about their lack of knowledge.
About 90 per cent of participants who have been through Ko koe te Rangatira have no established connection with their iwi according to Graham.
"Usually by the end of the programme they are embracing their own culture. They know their own whakapapa and they are even able to speak on a marae, which is a daunting task for most men."
Guest speakers are often invited to talk to the offenders to address negativity, some of which revolves around participants' belief that their lack of a secondary education is a barrier to achieving their goals.
Some of these speakers are Māori business success stories in their own right. They share stories and experiences about their own lives and try to encourage and help the offenders to follow their own dreams.
Graham says there are two forms of learning, matauranga and mohiotanga. The latter is a taught knowledge through schools and training organisations. Matauranga, on the other hand, is a wisdom which can supersede mohiotanga.
"Many people in history and even in today's society have not finished school but are successful in many areas of their lives - this knowledge has been very inspiring for some of our clients."
While the work can be draining at times, seeing offenders turn their lives around and embracing the knowledge they've been taught is a real buzz for Graham.
"There's a huge positive change from when they walk through the door at the beginning of the programme to when they leave - that's what drives me."
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