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We both work with youth in our area doing different events to spread our message of "Keep  Tobacco Sacred."

Aotearoa, New Zealand Diary: October 15-25, 2005
By Nicole Toves and Lori New Breast

"A 5% drop in Maori prevalence rates validates the largely by Maori for Maori approach to tobacco reduction initiatives. For a culture that has a 1 in 2 smoker ratio it is crucial to see a break away from the perception that this is 'normal' Maori culture." Shane Kawenata Bradbrook, Director Aparangi Tautoko Auahi Kore (ATAK) – Maori Smoke free Coalition www.auahikore.co.nz

Read diary for October 15 - 19

October 20, 2005
Ruia Aperhama was the Master of Ceremonies for the first day of the Hui.  He is one of the top Maori recording artists.  He provided music, icebreakers to help the conference go along smoothly. Waiata (song) is a very important aspect of Maori culture, and it is included in all events at the Hui. All the researchers, speakers, community workers and everyone at the Hui, participated by singing, it was really a holistic/culturally based approached to health.  The hui was bilingual and many presentations were in Maori, the language differences did not matter and by the end of the first morning the meanings were becoming more and more clearer. http://www.toiiho.com/artists/getArtist/97/showartist.html After the opening, Dr. Heather Gifford presented and she showed so much heart and passion about the research she is doing in her community.  You can tell that she loves to be with her people and among her traditional lands.  She discussed what their strengths were as an Iwi (Tribe) and tobacco cessation intervention frameworks for her community. 

Regional updates from the community based programs throughout Aoeteaora were a fabulous segment of the conference.  Southern, Central, Midlands and Northern tobacco researchers and service providers all participated in each areas presentation. It was so neat to see how united they were and how they presented on behalf of their communities, and then end with a song.  All the presentations were engaging, and the love and commitment to all their communities was evident. The over riding message was tobacco reduction services for Maori by Maori from a cultural Maori perspective, and that commercial smoking is not traditional. (Sound familiar?)This was validating aspect of the conference, since it mirrors our approach to “keeping tobacco sacred,” using our cultural based values and strengths to reject commercial/colonialized tobacco products.

After the regional updates, a korero (discussion) was conducted.  Many critical issues were discussed about the challenges they encounter in their country and we found these were very similar to our work.  The Maori and American Indians have similar historical colonial experiences, and similar strategies to reconcile and reclaim the health of their communities. The korero is an open floor discussion, where everyone can participate and is used to reach a consensus and it was a privilege to witness this process.

A highlight of the Hui was the attendance of Mary Assunta from the University of Sydney who spoke about international perspectives on Tobacco Control.  She is the Chair of Framework Convention Alliance and a Malaysian tobacco researcher and advocate.  She provided so much insight on the tobacco industry targeting to the women in Asian countries and put things into a perspective that you could understand.  Mary’s research is important to the international tobacco reduction strategies. Mary shared a basic affordable research/advocacy strategy that will be used in Indian country, since her knowledge base is from working with international indigenous communities that operate in political, social and legal environments where inequity and disparities in health resources are prevalent.

Lawrence Shorty (Dine, US) and Shane Kawenata Bradbrook presented on the Tobacco Industry depictions of Indigenous Peoples:  American Indian and Maori.  They shared the items they had acquired from the internet participating in “tobacco memorabilia” trading on sites such ebay and trademe.   American Indian and Maori imagery have both been exploited by the tobacco industry in the marketing of their products; and some of the items presented were:  Jacket, Pipe, Trading Cards, Cigarette Boxes all containing sacred imagery to Indigenous Peoples. The strength of their presentation was to advocate for reclamation of the images of our ancestors and sacred symbols that have been used globally to market tobacco products.

October 21, 2005
Matai Smith was the Master of Ceremonies for second day of the hui.  He is Maori and a leading New Zealand performer and we must add - very handsome! The Korero was continued from the previous afternoon about how to continue their work at base funding levels and uphold their culture: sound familiar? Again to be a witness to the korero, as communication mechanism of empowerment was exciting.

This was the morning of our presentation, so we had a giveaway of items that we brought from our communities to share with them to express our gratitude for their generosity. To honor our hosts we wore our cultural dresses. Our presentation was about our work as American Indian tobacco advocates in Montana, regional, nationally and internationally. We shared about our challenges, and more importantly about our victories in the passage of the Blackfeet Tobacco Free Act and Ft. Peck Smoke-free resolution, the formation of the Native American Tobacco Coalition of Montana, success of Native Fusion, and the strength of coalition building with other tobacco advocate partnership organization regionally and nationally. There were many questions and comments about doing “Maori Fusion,” sovereignty, cultural identity, about living on the reservation, and how we view our partnership with the Maori as indigenous people working to end the tobacco industries exploit of our people.

Our presentation was followed by Maori researchers Tane Cassidy and Anaru Waa, who presented a culturally based plan on reducing smoking initiation, which includes a tobacco reduction model based on Maori world-views and values.

The Ministry of Health representative Brendan Baker gave an update on what the ministry strategy is to continue tobacco reduction efforts in New Zealand.  An interesting initiative is the changes to displaying graphic health warnings on cigarette packs as a strategy to further prevent smoking and as part of a long term strategy for more product control.

Nicole and I were interviewed for a documentary on Maori smoking and pregnancy by filmmaker Chelsea Winstanley. We shared about our strategies to do outreach and advocacy in our communities, and the successes of work by other American Indian advocates, including La Donna Blue Eye, Cynthia Coachman and the Indigenous People’s task force of Minnesota. Chelsea also wanted to know about the role of woman in policy, so you know we gave a lengthy answer on that one! (www.kiwafilm.com)

The fantastic, inspiring and educational Hui had to end, and the ending was just a beautiful as the opening. The Hui was closed following Maori cultural protocol, and included gift-giving of a beautiful carved paddle: we totally were in sync with the program. 

October 22 – 25, 2005
On Saturday we had to say good-bye to our fabulous, witty, intelligent, and a man not afraid to get his groove on - host Shane Bradbrook.  We then flew to Auckland and met up with Deirdre Nehua and her family.  We had met Deirdre during the Many Voices, One Message – Keep Tobacco Sacred Conference in Coeur d’Alene Idaho in 2003.  Deirdre Nehua was instrumental in many of the early Maori tobacco advocacy initiatives. Deidre shared many of her lessons learned in Maori tobacco efforts, and provide technical assistance to us on culturally specific advocacy strategies; we once again found many similarities between the Maori and American Indian efforts.

Deirdre introduced us to one of the Maori Auahi Kore national role models, Gordon Toi Hatfield, a renown carver, actor and ta moko (practitioner of the traditional skin carving). The Maori Auahi Kore national role model campaign was a self-sustaining media campaign, that produce Maori specific health promotions items and merchandising to the Maori communities. Deidre and her family welcomed us to their home, and her wisdom and courage to promote Maori rights is inspirational.

While we were in Auckland we also had the opportunity to visit many cultural sites at Arataki, Rangitoto (a blacksand volcano), Sky Tower, beautiful breathing taking waterfront and many other places.

Aotearoa is a magical wonderful and peaceful place. We met so many beautiful, generous, and loving Maori, who made the visit enchanting and inspirational. The lesson we learned is that no matter what part of the world you are in there are always opportunities to meet new whanau (family), and give support to each other and exchange our knowledge to work for the return of indigenous people’s health and wellbeing.