We are a Constitutional Monarchy

I affirm and pledge allegiance to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of New Zealand.

Her right to sit and reign as the Head of State, is given her by her ancestors and by God.

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On the 6th of February 1840, her ancestor, Queen Victoria became Queen in this Realm.

Through her representative, She made an agreement with Maori.
This agreement, known as Te Tiriti o Waitangi, gave her British subjects, the legal right to reside in this land.

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From that time until this, this sacred, foundational, primal relationship has been in it's many manifestations what we call 'New Zealand' today.

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I affirm and uphold Her Royal Highness's right to stand and have dominion over this land.

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All officers, all members of the defence forces, all Police officers, all members of our Westminster-style Parliament, swear allegiance to OUR Head of State.

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I have already blogged about this, but needed people to know my feelings.

Re-examining Sexual identities and Practices

This is a personal blog, open to scrutiny, debate, probing, and investigation.

More importantly I want people to talk.. I want people to elaborate. I want people to openly share their views.

I invite people to blog, do Facebook statuses, Keek and Vine videos, Tweets, what ever form of social media works for you.

This is possibly a great thing to examine and research academically, to do a Thesis and/or Doctorate on.

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Kinsey says

Males do not represent two discrete populations, heterosexual and homosexual. The world is not to be divided into sheep and goats. It is a fundamental of taxonomy that nature rarely deals with discrete categories... The living world is a continuum in each and every one of its aspects.

Klein devised;

 KSOG uses a seven-point scale to assess seven different dimensions of sexuality at three different points in an individual's life: past (from early adolescence up to one year ago), present (within the last 12 months), and ideal (what would you choose if it were completely your choice).<sup>[10]


And Storm</sup> 

ascertained from this that bisexuality seemed to somehow incorporate total heterosexuality and total homosexuality in a way not indicated by the Kinsey Scale.

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BUT!!!!

Hang on... 1 thing that they all seem to say is that for all their scaling, theorising, graphing etc etc..

There is still alot more that can be said.

[Note that this was what I quickly got for Google and Wikipedia]

NOW!!! The thing for me, is in the most part we are all Adults or will become Adults [I'm not shutting children out of this discussion but advise that rational adults discuss surrounding issues before such a discussion is had with Kids]

As Adults, at some point in our live's we will most likely engage in sexual practice in SOME form.

We may even assume a form of sexual identity. We may not.

That all being said, if we are all having sex....

My question.. why did only 3 guys theorise about it.

Shouldn't we ALL have a theory. Shouldn't we all have and share our ideas about the crux of human existence and the Only thing physically keeping the Whole human race going.
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Of course, this is wishful thinking.

Prejudices, misinformation, ignorance, heightened emotion, choices, experiences etc. all inform our ideas about and of sex.

They also inform our identities and practices around, in and of Sex.

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Now I am Maori. I am Polynesian. I am Young.

I have my own ideas about Sex.

And you in your life, you as you, have your ideas, practices, theories and thoughts on sex.

I am in the main open to your talk about all of that.

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My thoughts are that, Kinsey and others did well to leave their theories open.

Because I don't believe enough has been said.

Polynesian ideas/practises of Fakaleiti, Fa'afine, Mate Tane, Mate Wahine....  Are these part of the theories of western models and scales??

Has enough been written?

Are people open to talking?

These are the questions I want to explore.

Kohanga Reo Affairs

 

Without even watching the Native Affairs show... I'm thinking to myself... Here we have ... one of the most influential.... ground breaking models language revitalisation.... A pinnacle of Early Learning... not only envied but duplicated across the indigenous world.... THAT... Is the concept of Kohanga Reo to me... And it will always be that IMHO..... And we KNOW that Kohanga Reo have been fighting for their Tino Rangatiratanga... and Now... a story ... that attempts to distract from ALL of that....

Now.. true or not.... [alleged] financial mismanagement is obviously unacceptable and not to be tolerated... neither is [alleged] inadequacies in Governance is also EQUALLY Unacceptable... and Not being party to the full facts I can not and do not seek to justify such [alleged] actions...

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But please whanau ma.... I'm probably preaching to the converted when I ask you to Not forget... that Kaupapa are always bigger than people...

Bad Governance or Not...

This Model ... which has produced arguably the most respected ECE Curriculum in the World.... Has taken indigenous concepts and insights in to the field of Education... and has served as the springboard for OUR version of Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Education.... That.. again is what Kohanga Reo.

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Again this is all just my humble opinion...

Homeland

This is my first blog post in over a week.

I have changed locations.

I've travelled 4 hours North from my usual location [Auckland NZ] to the Hokianga.

I'll be here for 4 weeks.

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This is where I was raised, where I went to school.

This is my community. I get my sense of self and my sense of belonging from this very place.

I was born here and have an innate, intrinsic connection to this land stretching across the centuries, when my ancestors landed on these shores to find their piece of Paradise.

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Being here, I love seeing stars at night. I love knowing that it's not the planes overhead, but the cows on pastures near that wake me in the morning.
I love how sound echoes around the mountains. I love being just metres from the shore.

I love the closeness of the people here.

For me, in all the earth, nowhere is as beautiful as my home.

This is MY Home.

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This is a personal blog entry, and may seem rather parochial to some of my more international readers.

But if you did take the time to read this, Kia Ora, Thank you.

Political Strategy

Good evening Reader


I usually blog in the day [in NZ]. But today I devoted 10 beautiful hours to the Maori Party,  and to the Member of Parliament for the Tamaki Makaurau Electorate, Hon. Dr Pita Sharples.

Today he opened a new office in order to be more effectively accessible to both his constituents and his electors


I have been a Member of the Maori Party since 2008, and have  been active in my membership since 2010.

I believe in this Party, and in the kaupapa for which it stands.

With about 16 months until the General Elections here in New Zealand, I have relearned today
how important it is to be politically involved.
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We as a Nation are a comparatively young democracy.
Our nation is not even 2 centuries old.

And yet this young nation is unique in our region and throughout the world.

Born of a partnership forged by over 500 noble signatures, our ancestors could not have even begun to imagine the implications of putting their inked marks on a parchment which would form a nation.

That partnership is alive today, at tribal levels, at municipal levels and at national levels.

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We MUST remember as a nation, as citizens, but most importantly as Electors....

What ever problems we find in our nation, in the government or anywhere.... [all of which we are all acutely aware]

We must BE THE Change we wish to see.

It is up to us to make impressions that will last.

Because as those 500+ noble signatories were aware, over 170 years ago...

What we do now, will echo down the years making impacts greater than we can yet imagine....

Reaffirm Life

It seems that when I have a blog post with a controversial title and/or subject matter I get more views.

Well I have to say, There is NO Social issue closer to my heart, no more important an issue, no more relevant to the lives of thousands every day then the issue of 'Suicide', and especially how to prevent more and more suicides.

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You may be reading this, and someone you know has lost their lives to suicide.

You may be comforting a friend, associate or another member of your family, who may be dealing with a recent suicide.

Or, like me you have nobody immediately close to you who has died in this way, but you are passionate enough, and have enough compassion to care and do something about this.

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If you are contemplating this as an option LISTEN TO ME.

The good that you do.. DOES MATTER. Honestly, it may seem small to you, but it is NOTICED.

You DO Matter. I Truly know it doesn't seem like that, but you do matter. It's so hard to see, hear and know, but those around you in the main, DO CARE.

Ohhh and here's the smile you want to see :)

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If you have lost somebody to suicide, I extend my love and care for you.

I don't pretend to know what it's like, but know that I am here.
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I do have to say that if you are one of the people who Just want to do something about suicide in your community... PLEASE Keep reading.

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If you have done anything in any capacity to try prevent suicide.. I greatly commend you and your intention.. and ask you to keep reading on order to make sure that from now on you'll do the BEST job possible to truly help the most people.
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You need to know, especially if you are in New Zealand, that in the main, the current 'Mental Health' based model of suicide prevention is... INHERENTLY FLAWED.

It is unworkable. Suicides are not reducing. Any statistics to suggest that they are have been skewed.

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The idea that one needs to medicate his thoughts and feelings, especially with Psychiatric medication... is not based in ANY Scientific fact.

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A person contemplating suicide IS NOT Mentally Ill, Is not disordered, is not sick.
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But your question may be, 'If they are not sick, then what are they?'.

The simple answer.. is they are a person. A beautiful person in need of your love, in need of your care.

They are in need of the basic human touch.

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A person who wants to die, may have lost their fear of death.

The solution is not take away everything that can be used to bring about that death.

The solution is to help them see the Greatness of life.

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A person who no longer believes in themselves and their contribution, has not been told enough that they are worth it.

It is that simple. YOU Need to tell them. You need to show them that they are.

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A person who believes that their problems are too much and need to escape from them....

That person needs YOU... You need to be there for them and show them that yes,, they CAN face what is happening and can go on.

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The simple act of smiling at a sad stranger, taking a cuppa to your Nan, making your friend a sandwich, going with your cousin to the mall, going fishing with your brother, taking your sister out to town to sing at kareoke, high-fiving your dad, kissing your mum...

These are all simple but POWERFUL examples of how you can reaffirm life.

These are all ways to prevent suicide.
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Know that when you just be there for the ones you love [or even the one's that you dont] you are doing something to strengthen life.

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That is the BEST Way to reaffirm life.

Please open another tab or window and visit https://www.facebook.com/Caspercommunity/?fref=ts immediately

You can also email me terata@hotmail.com for more information

Young Parents

Today's post looks at a topic that I am terming 'Young Parents'.

There is another term to describe Parents under the ages of 20, 18 or 16.

I won't use that term here today.

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I only raise this issue because I had watched some youtube videos and then saw a Facebook post about this Very topic.

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My views about this have adapted as I have grown up.

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I'll admit, that at the writing of this post I am not yet a parent, and possibilities don't yet exist for me to become a parent.

But I want to express my view. So here goes.

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Some people may say that young people, under 20, or 18 or even 16, who become Parents are irresponsible.

I do not take this view. I have seen in different families and communities, where young people have become parents.

I do not say that it is 'irresponsible' to do so.

I can't take this view.

The reason why I can't take that view is because I honestly view EVERY single child on Earth, as a gift.

I can not comment on all the positive and negative circumstances surrounding the arrival of these gifts in to our world.

They are many and varied.
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I will say this.

There is a 'lack of responsibility'. But is doesn't rest solely with the 2 young parents.

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My question is... For the parents of those young parents.. and indeed the wider whanau AND community...

What relationships.. What communication... What aroha was fostered and created in That whanau?

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Because for me... Young parents may only become young parents [and I'm specifically addressing the issue of it happening withOut the knowledge of their own parents]

If... Communication... Cohesion.. Cooperation.. Aroha and a strong dynamic relationship WAS NOT extant.

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Yes.. I'm saying.. If people become young parents 'secretly' and without the knowledge of their wider whanau...

I'd say it is ONLY because that wider whanau was NOT strong... was not fully and properly communicating.. and not providing a safe environment for those Young People.
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The opposite is ALSO True... Young parents who become young parents .. with their wider whanau knowing

Are likely to have open, frank and full communication with that wider whanau.

Strong bonds and relationships are probably extant in that whanau also.

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So there it is...

My own views.. my own opinion about 'Young Parenthood'.

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I neither actively discourage nor encourage people to become parents Under the age of 20, 18 or even 16.

I only say.. that if this happens it is important for the wider families [ON BOTH SIDES] to be fully supportive... in knowledge... in nurturing... in care AND in understanding.

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This is the only way that we can foster stronger families, through full and open communication, through cooperation, through cohesion

AND AROHA!!!