Welcome to The Hui ` Maori current affairs for all New Zealanders. E taro ake nei ` He kaupapa whakahirahira. He kaupapa whakamanawa. - If you think climate change ain't gonna affect you, you gotta be walking around with a blindfold. - And a Queen's Birthday special. We look back at some of our favourite stories. - # Where everybody knows your name. # Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2022 - It's predicted in 100 years' time, Taranaki's rugged coastline will be unrecognisable as a result of coastal erosion and rising seas. Taranaki iwi are all too aware of the threat climate change poses to their role. And they're calling for an iwi-led approach to tackle the crisis. Anei te purongo a John Boynton. (SERENE MUSIC) - The small seaside settlement of Ohawe sits under the protective shadow of Taranaki maunga. But whanau in Taranaki are in a race against time to protect their taiao from climate change. NIWA says 2021 was officially the warmest on record. Here in Ohawe on the Taranaki coastline, whanau are seeing the impacts of this rise in temperature, and of climate change, on the whenua and on the moana. - If you aren't willing to back us or let us lead, then you're complicit in the death and destruction that is happening across the globe. - Last year, our world leaders gathered at the 26th Climate Change Conference in Scotland. Ngaruahine and Ngati Ruanui lawyer Alison Cole joined them to be a voice for her people. - Every minute that I'm over here at Glasgow, I'm just thinking about my cousins. I'm thinking about aunties, uncles. All our kaumatua doing that direct kaitiakitanga work. Look at all of that. Can you guys see that? So that's all the algae buildup. - Alison's now back at home at Ohawe. And today she's with her whanau at the Waingongoro River. Sadly, I think we could have done a lot more as a country in the climate negotiations at Glasgow, and we're really drawing inspiration from our leaders here in Taranaki. - Leaders like her Aunty Mere and kaumatua John Hooker, who have long fought for the Waingongoro River. - To us, it's our link to our ancestral maunga, right through to Tangaroa. It's a source of our mana. It's a source of our food. It's a source of our recreation. - Across Aotearoa in 2019, manufacturing industries emitted the most carbon dioxide. Agriculture, forestry and fishing industries emitted the most methane. The Waingongoro already has a long history of being heavily impacted by some of these industries. - Our aim is to actually have our clean awa back. For example, right now our babies can't swim in that yet, because there's an E.coli warning in the water. - With rising temperatures, Alison says a growing concern is the source of the awa itself ` Taranaki maunga. - That pristine water is coming from the ice caps on the mountain. As climate change increases temperatures, we are losing that ice. So over the time, the source of our awa is going to be lost. (TENSE MUSIC) - Oh, rawe. - The Waingongoro River opens to dramatic sheer cliffs along the Taranaki coastline. - (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) - Much of the whenua along these cliffs is where many pa, marae and houses once were. It's now run by the Rangatapu Reserve Trust. - You'll see how that slipped away. Now, that slipped away last year. - Last whitebait season. - During whitebait season. - Trust Chair Nigel Nuku says he can't believe how quickly the whenua is eroding. - Seeing the changes, absolutely massive changes. Once upon a time, you know, that cliff there was a fair way out. Where the boulder is` you see there? It was further than that growing up as a little kid. (FOREBODING MUSIC) - Nigel says extreme weather events are becoming more common. And recent flooding carved up the river banks. - You used to be able to swim. It was quite safe. It's not safe anymore. And I'm talking, like, if you actually look in there, you can actually see the boulders in there now. Never used to be. We need support to preserve our... moana, our whenua, our awas. (PLEASANT MUSIC) - At Parihaka Pa, the effects are being seen as well, with climate change impacting the ability to grow kai. - Indigenous people who live on the land, they can feel it's changing. It's getting hotter and drier in summer, and wetter and windier in winter. And the seasons are shifting. - Climate change activist Tuhi-Ao Bailey says whanau in Taranaki are empowering themselves, but can only do so much. How important was it to start having these mara kai again? - Well, for me, it was important for me to get my hands back on the whenua, coming back from the city. But really, it's about food sovereignty and kaitiakitanga. - Tuhi-Ao says that the reality for Maori communities is climate change is just one of the many issues they are confronted with. - The problem with our people is that we've got other issues that are kind of more urgent, like housing and unemployment and health, and, you know? So it's` it's hard. - But whanau here in Taranaki are taking a stand, demanding change for future generations. - You have to (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) - If you think climate change ain't gonna affect you, you gotta be walking around with a blindfold. Until we develop changes, yeah, get into it and say we're going to make a change, only then will it work. - For Alison Cole, the rongoa is Maori communities leading climate change action in Aotearoa. - So if we have a climate` Maori climate ambassador who can bring those policies into fruition, I think we might actually have a chance to try to really avert the climate crisis. - Ka hui ano tatou akuanei. to those who have passed on since the constellation last appeared. Last year our reporter, D'Angelo Martin, commemorated Matariki in a very special way ` receiving his puhoro. The Hui followed D'Angelo as he went under the needle. (ENIGMATIC MUSIC) - (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) (SOMBRE MUSIC) - (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) - (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) - (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) - (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) - How you feeling today? - Ah, feeling tau ` feeling calm. - We're proud of you. And Papa would be too. - You're doing something to heal whakapapa. - (RECITES KARAKIA) (TATTOO MACHINE VIBRATES) - (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) - (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) (INTROSPECTIVE MUSIC) (TATTOO MACHINE VIBRATES) - (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) (CHILDREN SING WAIATA) (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) - (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) - (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) - Pound it. - Yeah. - (CHUCKLES) - (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) - (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) - (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) - (EXHALES SLOWLY) - (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) - Daddy see you later, eh? - (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) - (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) (CALM MUSIC) - (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) - (PERFORMS KARANGA) - (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) (UPLIFTING MUSIC) - (SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) - I love you, my bro. Always. - We'll be back after the break. where a person with developmental disorders has an amazing ability or talent. For 32-year-old Patrick Te Pou, that talent is television trivia. Te Pou, who has autism, is a walking Wikipedia on the topic of television. Ruwani Perera met the Kawerau local with remarkable recall. - In my opinion, um... oh, that's a blooper. Can we do that again, please, Dean? - No worries. - 32-year-old Patrick Te Pou knows a lot about TV. - When television started, it was based in Auckland. - Which is surprising since he actually doesn't watch much of it. What do you think it is about television that you absolutely love? - Providing an escape from everyday life. Oh, are we still filming? - Kia ora, brother. - Hi there. - For Patrick, what's on the box is a full-time obsession. Are you an autistic savant? - Yes, I am an autistic savant. - Yeah. Autistic savants exhibit exceptional skill or brilliance in a particular area. It's a rare and special talent that affects one in a million people. And Patrick's speciality is TV. Now, we hear that you love television. - Right. - Now, what do you know about The Hui? - Um... they're doing very well. And it's been on for seven years. And it's hosted by Mihi Forbes. - Fantastic. Cool. Let's talk television. - OK. Sure thing. - (CHUCKLES) And in the short time we spent with Patrick, we got to witness his uncanny, encyclopaedic knowledge of television trivia. - Well, TV3, New Zealand's first private television network, began transmission on the 26th of November, 1989. It started at 8pm with a two-hour grand preview. - It's remarkable Patrick knows this, because he was barely a month old when TV3 launched. - Good evening. An Auckland man... - First it was Philip Sherry. Then came Joanna Paul, because when Philip Sherry left the network, because of bad ratings. - He wasn't even born when this British soap first screened. - My favourite show is Coronation Street. - Coronation Street happens to be one of my favourite shows, so I know a little bit about it as well. Can you tell me who plays Bet Lynch? - Played by Julie Goodyear. She was with Coronation Street for 25 years ` 1970 to 1995. And about seven years later, Bet returned to the cobbles of Britain's favourite street. - Can you tell me where the fascination with television` where do you think that came from? - To be honest, I don't know. - Patrick and his mum, May Te Pou, share a unique bond. - What do you know about your mother? - Because, um... because you are very special to me. - And you know what I love about you? - What? - You never judge people. - Mm-hm. - You will go in there and help anyone. - Mm-hm. - Their closeness is forged in the struggles of a single parent raising a child with undiagnosed, complex needs. - I tell you what, there was some dark times. He wasn't sleeping normally. One hour a night. That was enough for him. So I had to end up locking ourselves in the house. When I went to sleep, I would tie a rope around my foot to his foot so I could feel him moving, or he would get out. I was tired. I was really, really tired. I wanted to find him dead. That sounds wrong from a mother, but that's` oh my God. I'm tearing up now. But that's how tired I felt. - And, so, all the while, you're knowing that there's something not right. But are you getting any answers? - No. You got to remember, this is back in the day where autism wasn't talked about. Didn't know about it. It wasn't spoken about. I was called a bad mother. I was told I should put him in a mental home, cos there's something not right with him. - Yeah. - It was hard, but we continued. And because I kept on seeing little sparks. Oh my God. Sparks in my son's eyes, you know? So I continued. - Finally, at age 3, a child psychiatrist diagnosed Patrick with autism. A life-changing moment for a mum desperate for answers. - It gave me something to go research and look at. He is the only one that actually listened to me. And he told me it's not my fault. And that's the first time I ever heard that from anyone, you know? - Patrick has lived all his life in Kawerau in the Bay of Plenty. He makes the most of his limited independence, and for exercise, visits the local pools for a swim. So since you were diagnosed as a type two diabetic, staying healthy is really important for you? - Mm-hm. And I try to do at least between 20 and 50 laps. Although it's very hard, I give it a best shot. (UPBEAT ELECTRONIC MUSIC) - Autistic savants can be overwhelmed with feelings of anxiety and struggle with communication and social interactions. But Patrick never tires of talking TV. You've got another talent that we discovered while filming this story, about TV themes. Yeah? - Yeah. - OK. Shall I start? K. # Making a way in the world today # takes everything you've got. - BOTH: # Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot. # - Cheers. And it ran for 11 years. 28 awards from over 100 nominations, and one heck of a hellover. Oh, sorry, hangover. (RECORD SCRATCHES) We'll start that again. Can we started that again, Dean? - Yep. - BOTH: # Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your naa-a-ame. # Bom bom bom. # - Ah, Cheers ran for 11 years. 28 Emmy Awards from over 100 nominations. And one heck of a hangover. - (CHUCKLES) I see what you did there. Superior memory recall is an autistic savant superpower. - Regular day transmission started at 7am with the Early Bird Show. Patrick committing decades of television listings to memory. - And the first evening bulletin started at 6 o'clock. Philip Sherry, who died recently. - Is it that you read it first and then that sticks in your brain? - Just read it first and put that in my brain. - And he plans to put his TV knowledge to good use. Because Patrick has big ambitions. - PTV Network New Zealand. And that's the trade name for Patrick Te Pou Enterprises Ltd. - You've created your own TV channel. What do you want to do with it? - Well, if PTV Network becomes a reality, I hope to bring back some of the most iconic New Zealand made programmes like Sale of the Century, Wheel of Fortune. - You're not so keen on reality TV. Why is that? - Because, in my opinion, many New Zealanders choose not to watch television, because reality television is all rubbish. - Patrick's devotion to TV is only rivalled by the aroha of his whanau. He's surrounded by a loving family who are proud of all he's achieved. May's advice to parents of autistic children is to not be afraid to get the support they need. - It's gonna be long and hard, but keep on going. The rewards are endless. Do you want to cuddle and give me a kiss and a hug? (BOTH CHUCKLE) I love you my darling. - Thank you, Mum. I love you too. - OK. - And it's only fitting that the last word on this story goes to Patrick. - And that's a wrap. - BOTH: # You want to be where everybody knows your name. # - Awesome. - Yeah. - You're awesome. - Rawe te waiata, korua. Kua kewa te ahi korero e hoa ma. Noho ora mai ra. Captions by Jordan Waetford Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2022 - Ko te reo te take. - Na Te Puna Whakatongarewa Te Hui i tautoko.