Today Hemana Waaka of Ngāi Tūhoe, a veteran who served in the New Zealand Army in the Malaya and Borneo wars, called his wartime friends, families, and community to the Te Teko RSA for an important meeting.
He presented his report on the health and wellbeing of his comrades, both army and navy, and what effects wars have had on them and their families.
The report examined what help is in place for them and their whānau, and what cultural interventions were applied during their service overseas and at home for their whānau. Waaka aims to present these findings to the government in the hope it will address and support health issues inflicted during these wars.
Using his many years of experience as a television reporter, director and producer for television networks, Waaka travelled around Aotearoa for two years with a camera interviewing 37 veterans about their experiences and health outcomes.
Create greater awareness
“This report has recommendations such as a veterans’ hospital being established based on kaupapa Māori practices and processes and the government to fund a documentary series to create greater awareness of ‘Kanohi Kitea’.
The report will be sent to government ministers.
”In this report is the understanding straight from the soldiers. Not from doctors or families but from them about the health issues they face and the pain they now endure,” Waaka says.
When the New Zealand Health Research Council wanted a study on the effects war had on the health and wellbeing of veterans, Wakaa was quick to jump on the idea and chose to camera interview soldiers, then take the information learned and publish it in a report, with the support of the council.
Nicola Panapa from Waikato- Tainui helped in the research and also presented her findings today.
Agent Orange
“Unfortunately our soldiers and our veterans were in the jungle when Agent Orange was coming down and, in some cases, our veterans were there with their mouths wide open and drinking it,” Panapa says. It was being absorbed into the tinana, she says.
The Malaya, Borneo and Vietnam wars occurred from the late 1940s to the 1970s. Many Māori enlisted in this era.
One such soldier was Alec Waiari from Te Teko, who also served in Vietnam: “My health was affected not just by mine but by others. And I wasn’t just affected but also my children and their children and so on.”
Today the veterans listened and added their comments to this report. After this hui, the final report will be given during Matariki to ministers, families and those who were interviewed.
On Friday Wakaa will present this report at the Papakura RSA.