pay for everything ` I wouldn't be here without them. Kei aku whakateitei ki te whenua, kei aku whakatamarahi ki te rangi, whakatata mai ki te whare korero o Te Hui. Ko Mihingarangi tenei e mihi atu nei, nau mai, tahuti mai ra. Welcome to The Hui, Maori current affairs for all New Zealanders. E taro ake nei. Non-verbal, frustrated and volatile ` raising a child with autism can be isolating,... We see parents who are just so, so desperate to have a break. (YELLS) ...especially when you live in an isolated community. We meet the woman pulling whanau together to help each other. We're always crying. You know, we just talk, cry, eat. And she's The Royal Family's lady-in-waiting. We hit the floor with Psalm Cowley. I go into another world. It's crazy. Everything just blurs out. And everything just takes over. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2018 Karahuihui mai. Raising a child with autism can be isolating and overwhelming. In fact, studies show the parent of a child with autism can experience stress levels similar to that of a combat soldier. But a mother of six from Wairoa has come up with a simple solution she hopes will help other whanau coping with children with special needs. Ruwani Perera has the story. (CHILDREN LAUGH, YELL) The whole world's just too full-on for them. Far out ` you know, all the sounds, all these people. The brutal realities of raising a child diagnosed with autism. It can push some parents over the edge. The amount of people you have to gather together to help that one child, it's quite overwhelming. You know, you see parents who are just so, so desperate to have a break. But, finally, a breakthrough. Not from the medical experts, but from those who've walked the same path. And that's when all the answers started happening, and it was from all the families in Wairoa. And this is their story. I take my hat off to these parents, because they live it. They have lived experiences. They live it 24-7. (WATER GUSHES) (CALM MUSIC) Seven-year-old Kiwa Tipuna can't tell you just how much he loves swimming or cuddles with his Mum. Kiwa has autism and can't communicate verbally, and that brings with it huge challenges day to day. What did you know about autism? Nothing at all. I just thought, my children won't` you know, my children will be fine. I'm healthy. I look after myself, but it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter at all. There's no one reason. Kiwa, come, kai. For many years, early childhood teacher Susan Tipuna couldn't work out what was wrong with her son. Things progressed and got a bit worse with his behaviour and his tantrums ` banging his head on concrete steps ` and that wasn't good. At what age was that? That was... yeah, around 3ish. Around that time, he was going to kindy and just beating all the kids up and... you know, whacking me and... Oh, it just wasn't cool. I couldn't take him out in public. And now he's 7, you know, he's a lot more settled. But, you know, there's still the toileting stuff. He's scared of the toilet. Susan was a single mum and on her own, with three other kids to look after. Brings back some yucky memories. Yeah. But he's all right. He was a blessing, so... mm. (SNIFFS) With one in 68 New Zealanders diagnosed with autism, it's hard enough getting seen to if you live in the city. If you live in isolation, it's practically impossible. Susan had to travel long distances from Wairoa for Kiwa's specialist appointments. We would have been on a waiting list for a year, because being in Wairoa, we're in between Napier and Gisborne, we have to go to either Napier or Gisborne for help. Frustrated with playing a waiting game, Susan went looking for answers herself three years ago. Kia ora. Oh. Oh. Thank you for coming. Her search to help better understand what Kiwa was going through led her to disability advocate Dorothy Taare-Smith. I said to her, 'So, what do you want from me?' And she said, 'Well, I need the experts to come to Wairoa to help me with my son.' And so I said to her, 'Well, to tell you the truth, you may get experts coming to Wairoa. 'It may be 6 months, it might be 12 months. 'I would suggest you get together with other parents, and you learn from one another, 'because you are the experts of your children. 'You're actually on the ground in the community. You know one another, and you can help one another.' She empowered me to start it, and that's when all the answers started happening. And it was from all the families in Wairoa. So, it was faster than waiting in line. And this is what Susan started, Kura Precious Ones ` a support group for parents of kids with special needs. (BOTH MURMUR LOVINGLY) Thank you for coming. Mai atu. Oh, wow. Many of the parents here are like Susan, who have autistic children. They meet once a month to share their experiences, frustrations and swap advice and stories. He was in his teens before we let him cross the road by himself, because he had trouble judging how far away things were. It's a safe space where they can let off steam so they can be at their best to look after their kids who have such complex needs. Some of the children are being fostered, because the parents just can't manage anymore. You know, having one child is tricky, but having lots of children and one with a special need is actually... (TAKES DEEP BREATH) really tiring. Tiring with one, exhausting with more. 45 minutes inland from Wairoa is the tiny settlement of Tuai, home to mother-of-five Lucy Moses, who has been to one of Susan's meetings. She has her hands full with not just one autistic daughter, but four, including a set of twins. (CHILDREN CRY) Lucy remains remarkably calm, despite the sheer chaos. With four non-verbal kids under the age of 7, even the simplest of tasks is a mission. Breakfast done, getting dressed, doing everything. Even cleaning is... (CRIES) ...just really not possible. They all have their demanding little ways. This one, for example, won't leave my side. She follows me everywhere, always got to know where I am, very demanding. Lucy has to manage the morning routine on her own, while her partner is at work. She relies on the support of her eldest daughter, 11-year-old Bernadine, who's a huge help with her little sisters. They've recently got some respite, with a care worker coming in five mornings a week to help with the twins. Well, with the twins, it's mainly their behaviour people can't handle. (CHUCKLES) It's just too much. (LAUGHS) 6-year-old Armani needs to wear padded headgear to stop her harming herself during her uncontrollable outbursts. Is she violent? She can be, towards others, towards herself. That's got to be tough, Lucy? It is tough, but they all have their own uniqueness. And they're all different. Oh, I just want to hug her. Having that many autistic children, you've got to have a big heart, you've got to be one strong wahine. (CHILD CRIES) What was the one most important thing that Susan's group gave you? It just gives me a chance to talk about what goes on in my life with other people who live the same life. That was the bestest thing of attending her meetings. You actually think you're the only one in the world with a child with autism. But that first meeting, there were heaps of parents. Back in Wairoa, Tracey Te Kahu is attending her first Kura Precious Ones hui. She's come along with her daughter Renee and grandson, 5-year-old Levi, who was diagnosed with autism a few years ago. What was the attraction of coming along today to this hui? I think it's the support` basically, really, the support that most families need with children with disabilities, because it's huge, it's isolating. Levi is a runner ` a term used for autistic kids who can take off at any time, with little sense of danger. 30-year-old Renee is on high alert, constantly having to follow him around everywhere he goes. And Tracey worries about the effect it's having on her daughter. Cos this is what it is, day in, day out. This is how it is for her. She doesn't have a life, she doesn't have a social life, she doesn't have friends, she doesn't have people to go to. This is her. This is it. Tracey hopes introducing Renee to this group will help her feel a little less alone. I was overwhelmed with the amount of things we have in common. It really hit here, because... Sometimes do you feel like you're the only one living through this? Yeah, yeah, I do. I do. I feel like no one will understand. But being here today, I feel like we're part of this whanau. Knowing that you're not alone. Yeah, you know those lonely times going, 'Oh, man'? You know, you're not alone. And I always think of all those families and their stories that we share within that time. And, man, there's worse scenarios than what I'm going through, so harden up. You just want to help and go there. (LAUGHS) But at the next one, I can give you an update. Yeah, that'll be cool. And we just keep in touch. Susan's philosophy is simple ` a kai, a cuppa and a korero, and tears inevitably flow. We're always crying. You know, we just talk, cry, eat and just share experiences. Give them a break ` sit down and have a kai, have a cup of tea, and it's amazing what that can do, just that little break, that korero. You don't profess to being an expert in autism? Nah, no way. But if you live and breathe it, you know a bit more than the experts, the ones that are trained up in it. Kura Precious Ones from Wairoa. (AUDIENCE CHEERS) The lives Susan has helped change with her down-to-earth approach saw her recently named supreme winner at Trustpower's Community Awards. I just want to thank all our whanau back home that believe in the kuapapa. And I know it'll continue, with or without money. All you need is aroha ` love. Her prize will go towards empowering parents in other remote communities who are in desperate need. She's shown that you actually don't need the experts to come and tell you how to, I guess, raise your child. As long as you've got a strong community, and you've got friends and family who love you, then... it'll get done. It will get done. Love you. Na Ruwani Perera tera purongo. Kei tua o nga whakatairanga ka korero ahau ki te minita Whakawhanaketanga Maori, ki a Nanaia Mahuta. Hoki mai ano. Well, this week, the Labour Government delivered its first Budget, with some commentators bemoaning the lack of funding for vote Maori, despite winning all seven Maori seats. It came on the heels of a hikoi, after a collection of iwi marched on Parliament protesting competing cross claims within their rohe. Noreira hei matapaki i enei take kei konei ko te te minita whakawhanaketanga Maori, ko Nanaia Mahuta. Tena koe. Tena koe, kia ora. Ka pai. Let's just start quickly with the Budget. One of the commentators I heard said, 'Where are the rehabilitation centres talked about? 'The homeless shelters? The specific targeted funding for Maori mental health?' What happened? Well, look, this is our first budget. So it's really important to ensure that we reset towards the priorities that we know have been under-invested in the last nine years. There is significant amounts of funding going to health, to education and to housing to reset the direction for the future, but build that foundation. So, we're confident that it's a good start. It's not the end. We've got two more Budgets to go. And if we think about the ways in which our families package will benefit people at an every day level ` I think that will make a huge impact. And possibly looking at those kind of funding ideas for Whanau Ora in the next round? Well, Whanau Ora ` there has been a lot of criticism about that. The minister decided to undertake a review ` it's a part of the coalition agreement ` after which time, he'll make decisions about what the model can achieve and what the future funding scenario could look like. But he'll make that decision in good time. RNZ, as we know, didn't get the funding that was touted. Maori broadcasting ` what's happening there in terms of its funding? Well, Maori broadcasting is an interesting space. Maori TV is undergoing a bit of a change. Decisions made by the previous board have been brought to a key focus, and we can come back to that, but really we're trying to ensure that in terms of reo revitalisation, there's a more aligned strategy in terms of the direction of government. That it's not only aligned to reo revitalisation, but also where public broadcasting is going. But more importantly, all the entities that are part of contributing to language growth, survival and the like will be working more closely together than they've ever done before. You say that there's been a change ` Dame Georgina te Heuheu has left, and we have a new board chair, Jamie Tuuta. In her outgoing report, what was she saying about the situation of Maori Television? Well, her outgoing letter` I want to acknowledge the leadership that she did have with the previous board, but the outgoing letter identified that there are some systemic and significant financial challenges for Maori TV in the new environment. That will be a matter for the new incoming chair, Jamie Tuuta, to reconcile, but also revisit, as he sets the strategic plan going forward with the board. But there are challenges and decisions of` Are they financial? There are some financial challenges. That was highlighted in the letter to me by the previous chair. And that is now a matter for the new board to revisit and think about how it gets itself up to play within the new broadcasting environment, which is more digital, to ensure that they're able to not only meet te reo revitalisation aspirations, but also participate more proactively in the new broadcasting space. Are people's jobs safe ` kaimahi there? Look, the letter that I received from the outgoing chair identified that some personnel decisions would have to be made, with the potential of job losses. That is a serious matter, I believe, that the board should be addressing as it reorients itself to be able to deliver on its current operating priorities, but also getting Maori TV up to speed with where they need to be, which is on a digital platform and more emphasis on programming and content. Any idea around numbers of people's jobs? Look, no, that's a level of operational detail that I don't have, but I do have a letter from the outgoing chair highlighting some of the challenges. Ka pai. Can I just quickly go to` There was a protest that landed on your doorstep at Parliament this week. You have signalled that you will hold a hui between Tauranga Moana and Hauraki. What do you think you'll achieve there? Look, this` it's of concern to me that both Tauranga Moana and Hauraki have some unresolved issues. If you enter into the Treaty settlement process, you would hope that it would be a step towards reconciliation, not a step towards further grievance. So these ongoing issues indicate to me that there are some unresolved matters around customary interests and rights. I have offered to hold a hui. I know that kaumatua and rangatira have been meeting since that hikoi to try and determine a way forward. At the end of the day, the success of the Treaty settlement will rely on the ongoing relationships across the border, because there are whakapapa connections. And I think there's an intent, in the economic sense, to try and work with your neighbours to ensure that you're securing more opportunity, not only for your own iwi, but those across the border as well. So you've got your eye on over there. Have you also got your eye, as local government minister, on Te Mata Peak and what's happening there? Well, look, this is an issue that has gained some media attention. It's quite regrettable that Ngatikahunu, who has a significant contribution to make in the ongoing economic and social opportunity within their region, feel shut out from the decisions that have been made from Te Mata Peak. I think local government probably needs to step up and ensure that its primary relationship with tangata whenua, mana whenua, is not overshadowed by a broader narrative. Why does this matter? Because the story of a region relies on iwi contributing to enhancing what that region has to offer. And Ngatikahunu has a lot to offer on that front. Ka pai. Time has gone, but I really want to ask you a question. The Australian Labor Party says that if they get into power, they're going to back the indigenous flag flying from the Harbour Bridge there in Sydney every day. Would you do the same? Are you supportive of the same here ` the Tino Rangatiratanga flag on the Harbour Bridge every day? I think that our country's identity and our national identity has broadened to the point where we can certainly have that debate, but would we put more money into a flag, rather than into people? We'd probably go for people first and changing the outcomes of people` You'd support the flag` I think it's a debate whose time has come. Ka pai. Kia ora. Ka nui te mihi ki a koe. Kia mau tonu mai ra te titiro ` a ko ake nei ko tetahi o nga tou tirairaka o te ao kanikani. Parris Goebel's dance studio, The Palace, is a breeding ground for success. For the past decade, it has consistently produced top-class dancers and countless world titles. One of its up-and-coming young Maori dancers is hoping to follow Goebel and take on the world. (HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYS) They're hip-hop royalty. Whether it's at the nationals or the worlds, The Palace commands the stage. Teenager Psalm Cowley is among the young crop of talent at the studio. It's such a massive honour, especially for the studio, being one of the top studios in the world. At just 13 years old, Psalm is chasing her dreams and turning heads on stage. She's amazing. I can definitely say that Psalm has improved so much over the past three years. Under the guidance of Parris' off-sider, Corbyn Taulealea Huch, Psalm's training schedule is similar to a professional athlete, with sessions everyday. The hours that we train are crazy, and you don't understand that until you join. For Psalm, this means a very long and tiring day. After school, she catches a bus to the city, then hops on a train so she can make it to the studio for training. During training, sometimes we get tired and drained. And we just remind ourselves, like, any other kid all over the world would want to be in our spot. Right by her side, from the early starts to the late finishes, is mum Kataraina. It's 100 per cent commitment. You have to be giving as much effort as they are in the studio, because at the end of the day, they're there to dance, and they're not there to think about money, uniforms ` you know, that's for us to look after. So we send them there to dance, and that's what we expect them to do. And we'll take care of the rest. Are you a dance mum? I'm a proud dance mom. I say it wherever I go. We are committed and passionate` as passionate as our kids are about dance and about seeing young kids achieve. They definitely do encourage me a lot to keep going. I get times when I feel like I'm falling. They don't give up on me. Last year, Kataraina travelled with Psalm to the States for the hip-hop world championships. It was Psalm's first taste performing on the world stage with Bubblegum, The Palace junior crew. Yeah, surreal feeling. She was on a world stage in Phoenix, so, like, yeah. Incredible. But I react the same way kinda any performance she does, kapas, you know, whatever. Her bedroom? Balling. Yeah. (BOTH LAUGH) At the start of each year, everyone's spots are up for grabs. This year, Psalm choreographed her own set for the studio auditions and made it into the teenage crew, The Royal Family Varsity. You're competing right from the very beginning at The Palace, cos you're competing to get into the crew. You know, you're constantly competing with yourself to improve. And that's how Parris Goebel wants it. (HIP-HOP MUSIC) The award-winning choreographer who's worked with Rhianna, Beyonce and Justin Bieber runs a tight ship at The Palace. Her brand is so successful, it sells itself. But their secret is hard work. If wasn't for her, we'd be like every other company. It's her style, the way that she has brought us all up to train and, like you said, our work ethic. She taught us how to train hard, how to work for what you want, how to always have passion. And, yeah, if it wasn't for her, we'd definitely be like every other company in the world. Parris was the drawcard for Psalm to come to her first hip-hop class back in 2013. Just being able to work with her and knowing that other people around the world would pay money to see her. It really pushes me to push my limits and try and get up to their level. She's just grown into such a confident and strong young woman, which is really cool for me to see, cos when she first joined she was like a shy little girl with long hair, always covered her face. And now, when you see her on stage, it's a completely different person. (HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYS) Kataraina agrees, her daughter has blossomed at the studio. That was probably one of the first changes that I saw in her. The way she dressed, the way she kinda stood, she was more... about the way that her body could serve her, and what her body could do, as opposed to how it looked. As a single mother, Kataraina juggles all of Psalm's dancing commitments with her mahi and caring for her young son, Aio. Yeah, I had to reprioritise this year, for the betterment of Psalm, and to spend more time with Aio, because, you know, we haven't been able to spend much time with Aio. And, actually, that's a massive sacrifice that we've made over the last two years. Her support is just... it's crazy. It's, like, indescribable. I don't know how they do it. Pick me up early mornings, stay up until I've finished training, take me here, there, everywhere, pay for everything ` I wouldn't be here without them. It's another early morning start for Psalm and her mum. Me nga hoa, ae amen. Psalm is heading off with The Palace crews on their national tour. This weekend ` three shows in three cities to fundraise for their international competitions later in the year. So, everyone go to the end of drip. Two lines, two lines. The Palace crews are preparing for their Wellington gig at Wellington High School. Ta, ta, ta, ta, and one. It's quite overwhelming, even though I've done it, like, probably 10,000 times now. It's quite a stressful experience, but really fun. I love it. Yeah. And when it's show time, all that stress turns to gold. (AUDIENCE CHEERS) (HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYS) I go into another world. It's crazy. Like, all of us, we say the same thing, like, everything just blurs out. We can't see anything. And everything just takes over. (HIP-HOP MUSIC CONTINUES TO PLAY) It's actually been a tricky few years for our whanau, but she's just really powered on and reached new heights all the time, stayed a hard worker. Hard work is paying off for this Ngati Whatua teenager. (HIP-HOP MUSIC) She's got such a bright future ahead of her. And I told her that not long ago ` like, a couple of weeks ago. I said, 'You've improved so much.' And then, after that, she just kept growing. While Psalm is improving daily, the dream is to follow in Parris' footsteps. It's great, like, knowing that there could be a set pathway for me if I continue to do this. Being here just gives me a fair idea of where I want to go. Gives you a purpose? Yeah, yeah. It gives me a life. Kua hikina te hui mo tenei ra e hoa ma. Newshub Nation's next. Pai marire ki a tatou katoa. Captions by Elizabeth Welsh. www.able.co.nz Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2018 ALL: He mea tautoko na Te Mangai Paho. The Hui is made with support from New Zealand On Air.