- Whakataka te hau ki te uru, whakataka te hau ki te tonga. Kia makinakina ki uta, kia mataratara ki tai. E hi ake ana te atakura he tio, he huka, he hauhunga. Haumi e, hui e, taiki e. Kainga hau e wharoro mai ki Te Hui. Ko Mihingarangi tenei e mihi atu nei ki a koutou katoa. Welcome to The Hui ` Maori current affairs for all New Zealanders. E taro ake nei ` this Queen's Birthday Weekend ` the voice of an angel, the mana of a dame. We reflect on Dame Hinewehi Mohi's defining performance of the national anthem in Te Reo Maori. - The enormity of representing our country at that moment was not lost on me, that's for sure. - She started the ball rolling that we now accept pretty well across the board now in New Zealand, that this is the natural way that we sing our national anthem. And I'm glad she did. - And we revisit Bros For Change, the kaupapa Maori training programme transforming the lives of at-risk rangatahi. - This is a chance for them to actually just be a young man, have no pressure and have fun, and maybe a new experience. - I don't want you to see the things that I've seen... and the things that I know in the justice system, Corrections system. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Able 2021 - Tahuti mai. Dame Hinewehi Mohi is a singer, a breast cancer survivor, a campaigner and a creative, and now she can add Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit to her long list of achievements Today, Dame Hinewehi was named in the Queen's Birthday honours for her services to Maori and music, a journey that began 21 years ago when she took to the stage to sing the national anthem in Te Reo Maori and changed our nation for the better. - # E Ihowa. - ALL: # Atua. - She's one of our most adored singers. Hinewehi Mohi back in the chapel where her career began at Hato Hohepa Maori Girls' College. - # Kia hua ko te pai. These young women singing alongside her are too young to remember how she first became a household name. But for Hinewehi, the memory hasn't faded. - For 19 years, I really avoided it. I knew that it was a part of my backstory that was interesting to people. But because of that hurt and an inability to really understand why anyone could not feel the same love for our language and culture that I guess I had buried it a little bit. - The year was 1999. The All Blacks were about to take the field, facing off against England in the quarter-final of the Rugby World Cup. 80,000 spectators had packed out Twickenham Stadium. Millions more tuned in around the world. At the centre of this epic scene, Hinewehi Mohi begins to sing. (CROWD CHEERS) - # E Ihowa Atua. - The enormity of representing our country at that moment was not lost on me, that's for sure. And I just felt so proud to be there. I was really just so determined to do the very best job. # Whaka-awe-awe-awe-e. - Hinewehi was in Europe promoting her reo Maori album Oceania when she was invited to perform our national anthem. She decided to sing it in the language she'd learnt it - Te Reo Maori. - She looks so beautiful. I was so proud and had tears in my eyes, actually, watching it. And then she went, 'Mauri Ora!' I went, 'Oh, there's no English! 'OK, ka pai.' - Keith Quinn remembers watching Hinewehi hear from the commentary box at Twickenham. - She was such a wonderful figure of New Zealandness, of Maoriness, that it had a really wonderful effect on me. I thought, 'It'll go on to the English version.' And when it didn't, I can remember thinking, 'Mm. That's gonna cause comment.' - On a high from her international performance, Hinewehi was oblivious to the storm brewing back home. When did you start to realise that the feedback wasn't so great? That there was a backlash? - It had been organised for me to do an interview with the late Sir Paul Holmes. But when Paul rang me, he said there's been the most incredible backlash. - As the nation watched with pride, Hinewehi Mohi stood in front of the rugby world and sang our anthem in Maori, no English. And there's an outcry. Talkback goes barmy. Faxes have been pouring in here. - I can understand her, Paul, wanting to sing the song from the bottom of her heart. Unfortunately, three million New Zealanders wanted to do exactly the same thing, and we were unable to. - Close friend Stacey Morrison recalls watching the Holmes interview. - As a friend, I was just so proud. And then to see it all play out like she was some sort of villain. And I could tell she was upset and shocked. - And the blows kept coming from all directions. - One of the Maori members of the All Blacks squad said to me, 'Oh, you sang the national anthem, didn't you? And I said yes. He said, 'It was really wrong, what you did.' And I... I was further devastated by the fact that he was Maori and hadn't supported the singing of the Maori version of the national anthem. - If she'd asked them whether she could sing in Maori, and indeed asked any of the New Zealand authorities from the New Zealand Rugby Union, they'd have told her no. So, given the place of the Te Reo version of the national anthem in our society now, right across the board, she was incredibly courageous to start it all with the singing that day. - 20 years on, Hinewehi can look back at the articles she's kept from the time. - READS: Then we all drew breath to show the world how to sing a national anthem ` wrong! (BOTH CHUCKLE) READS: That silly female sang it in Maori to a deathly hush from some extremely angry New Zealanders. The only sound other than her rather shrill voice was a yell of, 'Sing it in English!' - Did you hear that. - No, thank goodness. - Why do you think you keep them? - Hm. Actually, that's a good question. It is a little piece of history, my history, and even though it had been, for a long time, painful to read, I can read it now and not even cry. (CHUCKLES) - Hinewehi now lives in Havelock North with husband George and daughter Hineraukatauri, who was just 3 at the time. Tonight, it's kai with the cuzzies and her 93-year-old grandmother, Joan Mohi. - # E Ihowa Atua. - 20 years on from Hinewehi's game-changing performance, singing the anthem in Maori is the new normal in Aotearoa. - She started the ball rolling that we now accept pretty well across the board now in New Zealand that this is the natural way that we sing our national anthem. And I'm glad she did. - Hinewehi.... changed the game. And I've never heard her speak of herself like that. And we know, and we actually need to make sure that our tamariki know. I tell my tamariki that, say, 'Whaea Hine did that.' 'Ooh, wow, OK.' (CHUCKLES) - # Kia hua ko te pai. - Nowadays, the vitriol has been replaced with praise. - # ... atawhai. - Hinewehi a powerful example of what one voice can achieve. - A lot of Pakeha have come to me and said, 'It was incredible what you did and made me feel very proud.' (CHUCKLES) Promised myself I was not gonna cry! - Why do you think it's so emotional for you? - Oh, I don't even know how to articulate it. I think it just... It really just went right into the nitty-gritty part of my heart, and so... to have someone come up to me years later and say how much it affected them in a positive way really gives me heart that... that we'll be OK. And our language will be OK. - # Aotearoa. # - E mihi ana ki a koe iti kahurangi. After the break, we revisit the kaupapa Maori initiative transforming the lives of at-risk youth. (SCHOOL BELL RINGS) Come on, you guys. Hurry up! (STARTER MOTOR WHIRRS) Come on! (STARTER MOTOR WHIRRS) (HORN TOOTS) (STARTER MOTOR WHIRRS) (HORN TOOTS) (HORN TOOTS) Did you call Battery Zone, bro? VOICEOVER: For expert battery advice, testing and fitment... Wait...how'd you get in my car? ..call Battery Zone, your local battery and auto electrical expert. - There's a saying that it's easier to build strong children than to repair broken men, and that's the philosophy behind a kaupapa Maori initiative for at-risk youth. Using culture, identity and tikanga, Bros For Change is a unique 20-week programme for rangatahi from intermediate school right through to more serious youth offenders. Last September, The Hui reporter Ruwani Perera went on camp to meet the men behind this transformational project. - Mango pare. - ALL: Hi! - Mango pae. - ALL: Hi! - Whakapaepae. - ALL: Hi! - Rangatahi reconnecting with their inner warrior. (SOMBRE MUSIC) - Somewhere, they still know that they are Maori, but they've lost who they actually are, that identity. And this is a chance for them to actually just be a young man, have no pressure and have fun, and maybe a new experience. - Bros for Change is an alternative education course helping troubled youth become responsible young men. - What do I want out of this programme or kaupapa? I want results. That's what I want. I like to think that we're going to have amazing growth. I already see, I guess that word potential, in all of them. It's about really unlocking it. - For some of these kids, it's a second chance to get their life back on track. - I don't want these rangatahi in the system, because it's a beast. It is a beast. - And a labour of love for the man whose own troubled youth inspired the project. - Everyone was like, 'Bro, you can't write a programme for vulnerable children 'when you've been in prison.' So my thing was that I wanted to be successful in that just to prove them wrong. - It's the dawn of a new day in Kaikoura, and new beginnings are on the horizon. (GENTLE MUSIC) At Takahanga Marae, a group of local high school students are gathering. They're the latest intake for Bros For Change, a youth education programme focused on real people, real talk and real change. - So at the moment, with all of youse, your trust is all up here. We fully trust youse. Only way you can go down is if you muck up, then it comes down, OK? And you have to rebuild that trust. So we'll treat youse as you're up here. - Have a good time. You'll be all right. - The 20-week programme is designed for rangatahi from tough backgrounds. Today, they're heading off to Wainui Valley, where they'll be spending orientation week and meeting Bros For Change founder Jaye Pukepuke. - Hey. Matua. Matua. - They must form quite a tight bond pretty quickly, right? - Yeah, that's the idea. We all sleep in the same place; we eat the same food; we all fart and snore and got stink feet. And, you know, you can't help but form a bond and build a relationship. This is the start of a six-month programme. So there's going to be a lot of things come up and a lot of challenges. So we just need to roll with the punches and support each other and make sure we are all sitting here at the end. Ready, ready? One, two. (GRUNTS) - A former up-and-coming rugby league star, Jaye developed this unique programme five years ago with the goal of unlocking the potential in troubled teens. - I had opportunity to play rugby league professionally and make heaps of money, but I couldn't cos I went to prison. I came here to try and help fullas like yourself, like myself. If there's an opportunity that comes up in life, whatever it may be, that youse can then go and do it and not miss out. - Oh, too fast! - As a teen, Jaye was tipped to achieve big things on the league field. But at just 16, his demons got the better of him. - You know, they said a lot of things even when I was young. You know, they labelled me ` stupid, hori. You know, they said 'You're going to go to jail.' And I went to jail, and I went, 'You were right.' - Jaye ended up serving six years in prison for his part in armed robberies. But the experience made him determined to change his life and to help others to do the same. - Everyone was like, 'Bro, you can't write a programme for vulnerable children 'when you've been in prison.' So my thing was that I wanted to be successful in that just to prove them wrong. - Jaye couldn't do this without the background and what he's been through. What better tuakana could you ask for? - 44-year-old Damien Kamana is the latest member of the Bros for Change team, and today is day one in the new job. - I don't want you to see the things that I've seen... and the things that I know in the justice system, Corrections system. (SHOUTING, YELLING) - Damien too had a tough upbringing, growing up in a home where domestic violence was the norm. - We had a very dysfunctional family. As long as I can remember, my mother was abused. She was exposed to a lot of violence, a lot of drugs, a lot of alcohol. Different men in and out of our lives, had no father figure. - And he found himself treating his wife the same way his mother had been. - My mother always thought that I'd never do anything like that. And I told her, well, I did. Pretty hard probably owning that and pretty hard telling my mother that as well. - But through his work rehabilitating offenders, Damien began to understand his own behaviour. - Essentially I was sitting with men that were perpetrators of family violence, and I knew I was exactly the same. So over the last four and a half years, I guess I've learnt a lot, a lot about myself. - And these experiences are used as teachable moments for the boys. - We all have a story of some sort. All those stories will come out over the next six months, when appropriate, to keep these boys on track, motivated and going in the right direction. - The aim of the course is simple ` getting kids outdoors and keeping them out of jail. Maori under-18-year-olds now make up a larger proportion of those taken into police custody. - All right, wanna play a game? You have to be in this area. I'll give youse a minute, and I'll turn around, and I don't wanna see anyone. - While it might look like pure entertainment, the activities are all designed to improve behaviours, like increasing their self-esteem and confidence. - Ooh, I can't see anyone. This is a chance for them to actually be a young man and have no pressure and have fun, and maybe a new experience. - Do you see yourself in some of those boys? - Oh, all of them. You know, there's potential in all of them. That famous word 'potential', but it's whether we use it or not. Hopefully they can start from a level playing field, rather than having to come out a hole, like we did. - After the break ` the key role matauranga Maori plays in restoring the boys' self-belief. - Think about what your ancestors gave up for you guys to be here right now. Your tipuna gave up a lot for you to be here right now. - Auraki mai ano. Bros For Change is an alternative education programme that's achieving an 89% success rate for rangatahi. The project creator says they're saving taxpayers around $1 million dollars a year and keeping young men out of the criminal justice system. Anei te wahanga tuarua o tenei korero. - Bros for Change encourages rangatahi to get out of their comfort zone. - (MAN YELLS) - (CHEERING) - This 17m-high swing isn't just a thrill ride; it's a chance to challenge themselves to dig deep. - Scared, very. (CHUCKLES) - The giant swing, I knew it would be something that would put the boys in a situation where they would have to really search for courage and working outside of their comfort zone. - (CHEERING) - You go through all these emotions in your head, and it's you battling it, and you want to give up. - Go to the top, eh? - Nah. I'm only gonna go up, like, just a little bit. - But if you just push that barrier,... - BOYS: Two, one. - Yeah! - Far! (SCREAMS, LAUGHS) - ...then it's worth it. A sense of achievement, it's a small win. If you do it once, then you know you can push again. It's installing more belief. (BOYS GRUNT) - Just as important as this test of mental strength is teaching the boys basic life skills,... - Left hand to left hand. - ...like waking up bright and early. - For a week, they wake up at 6.30, and they train every day, all day. The idea behind it was that if you're young and you've got no skills and no qualifications, usually the type of job you may get requires you to start really early. - And just as vital ` how to cook a meal. - So, tonight we're making nachos. So it's real easy. - While serving his jail sentence, Jaye Pukepuke worked in the prison kitchen. - Always keep your eyes on the knife at all times, all right? I always wanted to be a chef. I did a bit of an apprenticeship, and then did the theory side, and then worked as a chef. I think that was the start of... when I started having self-belief ` is when I wanted to do something, I could do it. And I was like, 'Hey, I'm not stupid.' Don't put the onions in until the pot is hot. I think that translated into other things in my life. I carried that on, and things got bigger and bigger and bigger, including, you know, this programme. - It's the matauranga Maori elements of the programme that are truly life-changing for these young men. - The idea of standing up and giving your pepeha is to connect with people in the room. But it's actually also to gloat about who you are. - If we can give these guys their identity and know their whakapapa and where they actually come from and who they actually are, I think that's important, cos they need to keep that. We should never lose it. - (EXCLAIMS IN TE REO MAORI) - Today, they're learning the traditional art of mau rakau ` Maori weaponry ` - Mango pae. - BOYS: Hi! - Whakapaepae. - Hi! - developing their discipline, strength and identity. - The more energy you put into this, boys, the better you're gonna feel. - The whole programme is based on kaupapa Maori and in te ao Maori ` the Maori world. Small things, without shoving it down your throat, all helps. It's all foundations to build on. - Matau. - And those foundations can lead to big things. An independent study of the programme found that culturally-based learning resulted in significant behavioural changes in rangatahi, improving their attendance and engagement at school. Jaye believes a stronger connection to his culture may have prevented him from going to jail. You were ashamed of being Maori. - Yeah. My grandfather is Tuhoe. It was only two years ago I went to his marae. So going back to Tuhoe and meeting the family and visiting all where my grandfather went was just, you know... putting more of me back together. They need to know who they are, not be embarrassed of anything. This is all things we're trying to do. - Despite being just 15% of the general population, Maori are more than 50% of all prisoners. And that's part of the motivation for ensuring the Bros for Change programme is accessible to kids who need it, free of charge. - If we charged all the families, we would have had no kids. We don't want to do that. We want to charge the government. (LAUGHS) I mean, you could give us 10% of what it costs to hold them in prison for a year, with better outcomes. - Finally, after 5 years of hard slog, Bros for Change has been recognised for its remarkable results, receiving $500,000 from the government to get more rangatahi into training and employment. Has it been tough for you to get that recognition? - Yeah, to start with. To start with, but no one wanted to be the first to jump in and say, 'Yeah, we'll back you,' cos we were just a big risk. The idea was we just wanted to help people, and I think, well, it's working, isn't it? - In fact, it's working so well their Timatanga Hou programme is booked out until 2022. - My favourite highlight so far is probably the swing. - Yeah. - The final evening at camp, and the boys reflect on the week's highs and lows. - What do I want out of this programme? Oh, memories and tight connection with the boys. - Get an eight-pack and get muscles. - We're in the dugout with them at the moment, eh? So they see us as equal... and someone they can trust and someone they can talk to, and that's the whole idea. - What are you prepared to change to move forward? You know, conversations and communication are the two key things to stop anyone from making a bad decision. - The boys have made it through orientation week ` the first step towards realising their potential and a better future. Are you excited to see where these guys end up in 20 weeks? I am. I have visions of them standing there in 20 weeks in a nice shirt and being proud of what they've achieved with a full CV. I feel like some will be in full-time employment and ready, equipped with more life skills and experiences and some built resilience to cope with things that will come up in their life. And they will come up. - (CHEERING) - It's never too late. You can do whatever you want. And that's what we're projecting on to the kids. - Ki runga nau e te koutou. Kua hikina Te Hui mo tenei ra, e hoa ma. Noho ora mai ra. Captions by Ellen Sinclair. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2021 - ALL: He mea tautoko na Te Mangai Paho. - The Hui is made with support from New Zealand On Air.