275 Times November 2017

EDITION #36
NOVEMBER 2017
275 times
275
Māngere’s
times
Our stories, our people, our Māngere
Kōrero paki ō tatou, Tāngata ō tatou, Ngā Hau Māngere ō tatou
Getting
to know
Aupito
Congratulations
to Māngere MP Aupito
William Sio – the new
Minister for Pacific Peoples.
After the new Labour-led Government
was announced, 275 Times
asked the popular MP about:
Winning Māngere for a fourth term:
“It’s a huge privilege,” he says. “I’m very
grateful to the people of Māngere.”
Aupito describes the win as a
testament to the area’s loyalty to
and belief in the Labour Party. But
he knows that representing Māngere
is also a big responsibility. “I never
take the Māngere vote for granted,”
he says, acknowledging that he has
to “continually earn the respect and
confidence of the people I represent.”
Day-to-day life as an MP:
Although Aupito spends much of his
time in Wellington, he’s usually in
Māngere on Fridays, meeting people
and trying to help solve problems.
In the weekends he attends
community events. “An MP is
constantly in demand,” he explains.
“Even when spending time with
family, or shopping, someone will
come up and ask for information
or assistance. That’s part of being a
representative of our community.”
What help Māngere residents
can expect from him as their MP:
Aupito says he and the staff
in his Māngere Town Centre
office will do their best to assist
anyone by providing highquality,
confidential advice.
They will also advocate for those
who have had trouble dealing with
Government agencies, or recommend
organisations that can help –
especially when children are involved.
“Where children are affected by a
government department’s decision –
for example, a family being evicted by
Housing NZ – I will fight as hard as I
can for them,” Aupito says. “I just hate
it when a government department’s
decision places children at risk.”
Some key goals for the next 3 years:
ÊÊTo have the five main Pacific Island
languages recognised as official
community languages, and to restore
Pacific language bilingual education.
ÊÊTo establish a Pacific Immigration
Plan that recognises Pacific
climate-change refugees (people
displaced from their homes
as a result of climate change)
so they have real options.
ÊÊAnd for our young people to feel
confident and proud that they live in
Māngere. “I want them to believe in
their God-given talents – that they
are beautiful, brainy, bilingual and
gifted – irrespective of their colour,
religion, size, or gender. To use
those talents for good and make a
Celebration time in Māngere East
The annual Xmas festival will rock Walter Massey Park in Hain
Ave, Māngere East from 10am to 4pm on Sat, 18 November.
Let’s get together to celebrate our mighty Māngere East
community with a great variety of food stalls, performances by
local schools, cultural groups and live entertainment for all ages.
The festival is hosted by the Māngere East Community
Centre, supported by: Māngere East Business Association,
Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board, Auckland Council Creative
Communities NZ, and 275 Times. Bring the family!
Aupito William Sio (left) snaps a selfie
with Jacinda Ardern and Labour Party
supporters during a campaign rally at
Māngere Town Centre in August.
>> continued on page 2
Free!

Getting to know Aupito
>> continued from page 1
positive contribution
to our community.”
Aupito wants the new
government to be a
“government of action”:
one that “values the
protection of Ihumātao”
and takes “a different
approach” towards
building “a better, fairer
society for everyone.”
Son of the
Southside
Born in Samoa, Aupito
has lived in South
Auckland since he
was eight years old.
As a young man, he
managed the family fruit
shop and worked as a
printer and a trade union
organiser. Later, he
became a public servant
in both NZ and Samoa.
He was elected to the
former Manukau City
Council in 2001, and
appointed Deputy
Mayor in 2007.
Aupito has been
Labour’s MP for
Māngere since 2008.
He also holds several
family Matai titles.
Early influences
Aupito says it was his
maternal grandfather
who first suggested that
he become a politician.
He was too young to
take the idea seriously,
but at Hillary College,
his economics
teacher Wayne Smith
encouraged the
class to critique the
daily newspaper, and
Aupito began writing
letters to the editor
on political issues.
He also enjoyed
participating in debates
at college, but, even
then, it never dawned
on him that one
day he would be a
respected politician
just as his grandfather
had envisaged.
CONNECT:
FOR A SAFER
MĀNGERE
By Toni Helleur
‘Māngere Connect’ is a
volunteer-led community
group set up to unite
the Māngere chapters
of several national
organisations – including
Neighbourhood Support
and Civil Defence.
The group’s first goal is
to help local people work
together to tackle issues
like crime prevention
and illegal dumping.
Māngere’s new Community Patrol car
Making a stand for our heritage
As 275 Times goes to print, SOUL
(Save Our Unique Landscape) is
preparing to appeal Heritage NZ’s
decision to allow foreign-owned
construction giant Fletcher Residential
to modify and destroy archaeological
and historical sites by building
480 houses next to the Ōtuataua
Stonefields at Ihumātao, Māngere.
Spokesperson Pania Newton says the
manawhenua-led SOUL campaign will also
pursue “other legal and political routes to
prevent this destruction” – including asking
the new Labour-led government to heed
UN advice to review the housing project.
SOUL will also call on the new government
to abandon the proposed housing
project, restore the Oruarangi river, and
redesignate the land as public open space.
“Meanwhile, we will remain here as ahika
and protectors of the land until the day
it is permanently protected,” Pania says.
Māngere MP Aupito William Sio,
who strongly opposes Fletcher’s plans,
told 275 Times that he expects the
new government will “bring a fresh
pair of eyes” to the issue and take an
approach “that values the protection
Māngere Connect also
supports local community
gardens and wasteminimisation
projects,
and provides resources to
promote a safer, happier
and healthier community.
Community Patrols
The recent donation of a
bright yellow Barina has
given the group another
tool to help strengthen and
empower the community
while reducing demands
on local police. Volunteers
will use the new car
to patrol local streets,
giving Māngere Connect
a more visible presence
in the neighbourhood.
The Community Patrol
was officially launched
in September at the Love
Māngere: Yates & Ferguson
Reserve Family Fun Day.
It was an especially
fitting event for the
launch; the aim of the
fun day was to empower
Yates and Ferguson Rd
residents to reclaim their
park after a near-fatal
shooting there in 2016.
The event also gave
Māngere Connect an
opportunity to thank the
donors of its first patrol
car: Philip Watson and
Jag Sidhu, owners of NZ
Cars Ltd and Immigration
Matters NZ in Papatoetoe.
Get Connected
It’s FREE to join Māngere
Connect, just email the
co-ordinator directly:
ns4mangere@gmail.com
You can also keep
informed on Facebook:
@ns4mangere, or sign up
as a Patrol volunteer.
Fighting for our heritage:
Waimarie McFarland and son Motukiwi.
of the Ihumātao lands that SOUL and
the community are fighting for.”
SOUL’s Waimarie McFarland is “very
positive and optimistic” about the
campaign, which she describes as
“capturing the hearts and minds” of
residents of Ihumātao and the wider
community. “The power to stop
this destruction is with the people
– that’s where it’s at!” she says.
Supporters are always welcome to visit
the Kaitiaki Village at Ihumātao and to
join campaign activities and gatherings.
Keep updated through the SOUL
Facebook page: @protectihumatao or
email: saveihumatao@gmail.com
2

EXPLORING
THE RICHNESS
OF SAMOAN
CULTURE
Words & pictures by Shirl’e Fruean
Inspired by a behind-the-scene’s
video, my daughter and I enrolled
in ‘Aganu’u Fa’asamoa 101’.
Aganu’u Fa’asamoa 101 has been helping New
Zealand and Australian born or raised Samoans
“understand the importance and richness”
of their culture for nearly three years.
In that time, creators Tanoa’i Tai’i Reupena
Michael Tanoai and Apulu Tu’u’u Uta’i
Mary Autagavaia of Epiphany Pacific
Trust have led community classes across
Auckland, as well as in Wellington,
Australia, the USA and even in Samoa.
“‘Aga’ means behaviour or customs; ‘nu’u’
means country,” Apulu explains. “So ‘aganu’u’
means the ways and the culture, or the
things that are common in all of Samoa.
“‘Fa’a’ is to be ‘like’ or ‘of’ something,” she says.
‘Sa’ means the clan, ‘Moa’ means the centre,
and ‘101’ are lessons for beginners – which
is why it’s called Aganu’u Fa’asamoa 101.”
On the first day of the programme, you get
to choose one aspect of three customary
scenarios to learn, memorise and rehearse.
Then you perform it live on the last day.
My favourite part was meeting all the
talented and lovely people on the course
– and preparing a traditional feast for
our fiafia (celebration) together.
It was wonderful to scrub our taro and peel our
green bananas happily as a class, then prepare
our umu (earth oven) using traditional methods.
These activities brought back some great
memories of growing up in Samoa. And seeing
my daughter experience them for the first
time made me a very proud Samoan mother.
Throughout the course, the tutors
shared their own experiences, weaving
their words of wisdom into the
programme and making it unique.
“Just give it your best”, Tanoa’i told us. “Picture
your parents who are still with us, or gone,
and just thank God for giving us our parents
who tried their best to do what they could do.
“Even our parents who have hurt us,
parents who have left us: forgive them.”
To enrol in Aganu’u Fa’asamoa 101, or
find out more about the programme,
visit www.epiphanypacifictrust.com, or
follow @aganuu101 on Facebook.
REPPING
PUKAPUKA
&MĀNGERE
Kia Orana everyone, my name
is Ernestina Maro. I’m of Cook
Island and African descent.
This year I was selected
to represent my Pukapuka
community at the Miss Cook
Islands pageant, which was held
in Rarotonga in September.
It was the first time in a long
time that Pukapuka has been
represented at the pageant.
There were seven contestants
competing this year. Each
represented a different beautiful
Cook Island – including Atiu,
Aitutaki, Tongareva and Takitumu.
I represented not only my island,
but my Māngere and South
Auckland communities as well.
The support and love I received
from everyone throughout
the event was amazing.
I really enjoyed the experience
– especially going back to my
homeland in the Cook Islands
to speak and perform.
I was fortunate to be placed
second in the competition and
earn the title of “Maine Tapairu”
for 2017. I also won the chance
to represent the Cook Islands
at the Miss Pacific Islands
pageant in Fiji in December,
where I’ll be joining nominees
from all around the Pacific.
Follow my quest on Facebook
@mainetapairu2017
Atawai Wolo, Metaki
Maata (Thank You)!
3

MO ARTS JAM ARTISTS:
‘THERE ARE
NO LIMITS’
By Nivique Rasmussen
With more than 20 live
performances, as well as workshops
and demonstrations, this month’s
MO Arts Jam is a chance to celebrate
Māngere and Ōtāhuhu through
arts and culture. And it’s all FREE!
Here are three local acts that
you won’t want to miss:
KEN VAEGA
DANCER | CHOREOGRAPHER | BATTLER
CREATIVE ARTIST
23, Samoan/Māori
Full of passion, energy and light, Māngere local Ken Vaega
is a creative force to be reckoned with. Mentoring South
Auckland youth by day, and pursuing his dance dreams
in his spare time, Ken is all about living with purpose.
He was recently placed second out of more than 500
contestants in the first Kinja Bang World Tournament,
an online dance competition that allows dancers to pit
their video entries against others from around the globe.
Ken’s filmed his original choreography in locations
around South Auckland, including Māngere Mountain.
“I rep nothing but the South,” he says. “It’s a natural
thing. When they see me dance, they see a product
of who I am and everything that I’ve
been through… how
I grew up; my
culture; what
I believe
in.”
Photo: Nivique Rasmussen
4

This latest success is just one of Ken’s many personal
achievements, which include running dance
workshops and camps, and travelling to the USA
to work alongside YouTube star Brian Puspos.
“That was sick,” Ken says.“I used to watch him growing up,
and to be in one of his videos was super crazy.”
Ken is planning a dance tour in 2018, but to finish this
year strong, he’s going to share more of his behindthe-scenes
training videos online to encourage
other dancers to keep chasing their dreams.
“Seeing how it can really encourage and impact someone,
I feel encouraged to just keep going,” he says.
His bigger message is about “connecting people
with different backgrounds and how that plays a
part in our identity.”
KING
HOMEBOY
BEATBOXER
34, Māori/
Cook Island
Six-time
NZ beatbox
champion, and
current world
record holder
for the longest
individual beatboxing
marathon, the
internationally acclaimed King Homeboy has truly
lived up to his name as king of the beatboxing world.
Photo: Nivique Rasmussen
Hailing from Wellington, King now lives in Māngere.
Using his musical flair in the community, he runs
beatbox workshops at the Māngere Arts Centre to
help aspiring young locals explore the art form.
He encourages his mentees not to be confined by
what he teaches, but to express the techniques
they learn in their own unique way.
“You live your life,” he says. “There are stories
and experiences that only you can grab from
and [they] will be relevant because that’s
you. Only you went through that.”
His motto is to not compete against others,
but to compete against yourself; to be
the best possible version of yourself.
Building on his own creative talents, this
year the successful beatboxer has delved
into the art of dance with the Auckland
Popping Community (APC); competed
in the Freestyle Rap Battle Olympics in
Ōtara; and exhibited his graffiti art from
his own stand at the Armageddon Expo.
King Homeboy’s future plans include
continuing to develop his musical skills
to break down barriers, and fulfilling
his dream of mastering the four original
elements of hip-hop: b-boying, turntablism,
graffiti art and mc-ing or rapping.
ANTONIO ELLIS
(A.K.A MUSIQAL GENIUS)
MUSIC PRODUCER | SONG WRITER
23, Māori
A super-chill, humble and determined Antonio Ellis –
who also goes by the name MusiQal Genius – is gearing
up to make his mark on the New Zealand music industry.
The ex-Onehunga High School student is now an
independent music producer, musician, and song writer.
Antonio has been in the producing game for seven
years. In that time, he’s worked with popular artists
such as Konecs and Lomez Brown, and he currently
manages New Zealand reggae artist Triller.
At the Māngere Community Café’s Open Mic
Nights this year, Antonio has been giving back to
his community by running workshops for those
interested in beat-making or producing.
He reassures his students that there is no set
way to make music. He also advises them
not to be afraid to push the boundaries.
“That’s the cool thing about music: there’s no right
or wrong. There are no limits to where you can
go with it,” Antonio says. “You might not know
where it’s going, but then it becomes something
that you never knew it was going to be.”
Going into the new year, Antonio will be working
on releasing some fresh, original music with his
own artists. He’s also aiming to head to Hawaii
to connect and network with other musicians,
and to continue building his brand.
Ken, King and Antonio will all be performing at MO Arts
Jam on Saturday, November 11 at Māngere Arts Centre.
MO Arts Jam is a FREE one-day festival funded by
the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board and delivered
by The Hefty Agency. For more information,
visit www.heftyagency.com/moartsjam.
Photo: Diederich Hettig
5

MARAMATAKA: Whiringa-ā-rangi (November)
By Ayla Hoeta
Kia ora e te whānau!
Wow, we’re in Whiringaā-rangi
already. Did this
year fly past or what?!
Those veggie gardens
should be blooming
by now as we head
into the second phase
of summer – Matiti
Hana. That’s when the
puawānanga or puareinga
(clematis) flowers turn
the forest canopy white.
There are seven phases
of summer in all: Matiti
Kura, Matiti Hana,
Matiti Muramura, Matiti
Kaiwai, Matiti Raurehu,
Matiti Rautapata and
Matiti Rauangina.
Each phase is identified
by patterns of flowering
trees, ripening berries,
weather changes and
so on. I’ll tell you more
about each phase as
we move into it.
For now, let’s look at the
tohu for this month:
Ngā tohu o te rangi
(Signs in the sky)
Whitikaupeka (Spica)
will rise at 5:30am
on 4 November
at approximately
100 degrees.
Ngā tohu o te whenua
(Signs on the land)
The pohutukawa start
to blossom! Most
pohutukawa trees should
be in flower by mid-
December to celebrate
Matiti Muramura – the
third phase of summer.
Ngā tohu o te moana
(Signs in the water)
Like last month, the tohu
for Whiringa-ā-rangi is
‘ngā tama korowhiti o
Tangaroa’ (the leaping
of the mullet).
Kanae (mullet) were once
plentiful in the Kaipara
Harbour. There are
reports of people catching
740,000 back in the 1800s.
That’s a lot of fish!
Kaumatua tell us that
kanae leap into the air
after they’ve laid their
eggs, so watch out for
leaping kanae this month.
For a maramataka dial
contact @275Times
on Facebook or
email: ayla.hoeta@
aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.
Have a great month!
KEY DATES IN
WHIRINGA-Ā-RANGI
3 Nov: Rakaunui –
Highest-energy day.
2 & 4 Nov: Oturu
and Rakau Ma Tohi –
High-energy days.
5 Nov: Takirau –
Plant root crops.
7, 8 & 9 Nov: Korekore
Te Whiawhia, Korekore
Te Rawea and Korekore
Piri: Reflecting and
low-energy days.
10, 11 & 12 Nov:
Tangaroa A Mua,
Tangaroa A Roto
and Tangaroa
Kiokio – Fishing and
planting days.
14, 15 & 16 Nov:
Orongonui, Omauri
and Mutuwhenua –
Kai-planting days.
17 Nov: Whiro –
Another low-energy
day, best for reflecting
and planning.
6
Māngere peace drive
Did you know that New
Zealand will spend $20
billion on the military
over the next 15 years?
Can this kind of spending
be justified when so many
families in Māngere live
in overcrowded houses
– and even in cars?
A group of Māngere
residents don’t think it
can. Last month they
drove to the annual ‘Arms
Expo’ in Wellington to
voice their concerns.
Roger Gummer, Alan
Worman, Delwyne
Roberts, Rev. Emily
Worman, and Brendan
Corbett joined groups and
individuals from all over
the country to take part
in a peaceful blockade
of the Expo venue.
Alan wanted to raise
awareness of Kiwi businesses
that profit from
weapons. “I don’t think
this is a good look for
New Zealand,” he said.
“I don’t want to watch
bodies of children being
washed up on beaches
on my TV, wondering:
did New Zealand have
a hand in this?”
The group said that
being part of local action
groups had given them
the confidence to join the
protest. They gained new
skills from the experience
that will help them with
ongoing local campaigns
like saving the heritage
land at Ihumātao.
Want to get involved? Find
out more @roccmangere
and @protectIhumatao
on Facebook.
On a mission for peace: Roger
Gummer, Alan Worman, Delwyne
Roberts & Rev. Emily Worman

Old School
275 PROJECT:
COMPOST
SOLUTIONS
By Justine Skilling
Talking Rubbish, ME Family Services
Is food waste filling
up your red bin?
Residents of the Naylors Drive cul-desac
in Māngere are creating a solution
to this problem for themselves – in
collaboration with the Old School
Community Gardens in Kirkbride Rd.
Local resident Toni Helleur (coordinator
of Māngere Neighbourhood
Support) is leading the Old
School 275 Project, which aims to
establish a bokashi composting
bin and a small household-waste
drop-off depot at the gardens.
Neighbours helping neighbours
Toni came up with the idea after
connecting with Talking Rubbish
(ME Family Services) last year, and
finding synergies with her plan to
start a Neighbourhood Support
group for residents in her area. She
was also keen to encourage her
neighbours to “visit the amazing
facility of the Old School Gardens that
was literally right next door to us.”
“When I heard about the new red
bin roll-out and what actually
happens to our waste, I needed
to let as many people know about
this as possible,” says Toni.
Community workshops
With funding from Auckland
Council’s Waste Minimisation and
Innovation Fund, and support from
Talking Rubbish and other groups,
Toni organised a series of wasteminimisation
workshops for the
Toni Helleur: helping her neighbours deal with food waste
Naylors Drive community, and helped
to create the ‘Love Māngere’ event
at the Cook Island Development
Agency (CIDANZ) in August.
The event provided a fun way for
locals to learn about composting,
recycling, gardening and biking
– as well as an opportunity to
sample locally made products.
Bokashi bucket challenge
Next up is a series of composting
and bokashi workshops from The
Compost Collective, followed by
some one-on-one support for 20
Naylors Drive families who want to
start bokashi systems at home.
“Bokashi is a great way to deal with
food waste for homes that don’t
have big backyard gardens,” says
Toni. “By connecting residents with
the Old School Gardens, the project
will enable people to get rid of the
contents of their bokashi bucket
once it’s full and ready to go.”
Positive changes are already being
seen. “We’ve had lots of great
feedback from people attending the
workshops. Now that we have our
red bins, only five out of 200 homes
on our street are needing extra
help, which is fantastic!” she says.
“The awareness of waste disposal
has increased, and the desire from
the community to have their own
gardens shows that a new (but
old!) trend is starting in Māngere.”
Finding answers
in our own backyards
Toni encourages people from
other areas of Māngere to look for
solutions to the challenges they’re
facing with rubbish by “connecting
with neighbours and talking more,
as you’ll find everything you
need is right here in Māngere.”
Her hope is that more of us will
“visit a local community garden,
start gardening, and continue to
think about where our rubbish
ends up at the end of the day.”
The next FREE composting
workshop is on 16 Nov, 6–8pm at
Old School Hall on Kirkbride Rd.
To register, visit:
www.compostcollective.org.nz
ENROL
NOW
for 2018
free PARENTING PROGRAMMES
Hoki ki te Rito
O – ranga wha _ nau
Mellow Mums & Dads
Mellow Bumps
Antenatal sessions
Incredible
Years
For Parents
Wh – anau
4Wh – anau
Whakat – okia
te Rongomau
Day & evening programmes begin in February 2018
Ma _ ngere East Community Centre, 372 Massey Rd, Ma _ ngere East
ph. 09 263 0798 | e. admin@ohomairangi.co.nz | www.ohomairangi.co.nz
7

Community Notices
MA – NGERE EAST SUMMER NIGHT MARKETS
Food, arts & crafts, fresh local produce, entertainment. Every
Thurs in November, 5–9pm. Māngere East Village Green (next
to the library, 370 Massey Rd). Ph. 09 275 6161, email: hone@
mangereeast.org or follow @MangereEastVillage on Facebook.
FREE VEGETARIAN DINNERS
Life Vision Society is offering free Indian vegetarian dinners to
those in need. Mondays, 6:30–7:30pm at 39 East Tamaki Rd,
Papatoetoe. Ph. 027 777 4477 or visit Lifevision.nz for more info.
TARARATA CREEK CARETAKING DAY
Volunteers are needed to help weed around the 2,000 plants
that were planted in August. Sat, 25 Nov: 1–4pm. Wear covered
shoes and bring a drink bottle. Gloves, sunscreen & a snack will
be provided. Access from Elmdon Rd bridge, Māngere. Find out
more at: www.facebook.com/groups/1947178058889289/
MA – NGERE ‘HAVE A TRY’ TRYATHLON
For 9- to 12-year-olds who can swim, run & ride a bike, and who
want to give triathlon a go! 17 Nov, 9am–1pm, at Moana-nui-a-
Kiwa Pools, Māngere. 150m swim, 4km ride, 2km run. BYO bike,
helmet, togs & running shoes. Registrations close 10 Nov. Email
brendanb@cmsport.co.nz or ph. 029 437 0873 for more info.
MA – NGERE BRIDGE LIBRARY WRITERS’ GROUP
Friendship, support & encouragement for writers who want to
improve their skills. New members welcome. The group meets
on the third Sat of every month. Join them at Māngere Bridge
Library, 18 Nov at 10am. Ph. 09 636 6797 for more info.
Community Notices are FREE for community groups.
To list your group or event in the next issue, just send
us a 50-word summary by 15 November.
275 times
275
Māngere’s
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Design: Belinda Fowler Editor: Roger Fowler
Publisher: Māngere East Community Centre
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