I’ve spent years exploring both sides of my family tree, and it’s been a rewarding journey. Not long ago, I checked Family Search, the website run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for any updates. I hadn’t visited in some time because my work in social services and advocacy kept me busy. Over the weekend, I received an email that piqued my curiosity about which famous people might be connected to my family. I was surprised and pleased to see a list of twelve well-known names. I also got a message from RootTech about a possible connection to someone I’m unfamiliar with.

I was excited to discover that some of these people are important to me as a writer and blogger, including a few of my favourite historical figures and even a politician. On my late father’s grandmother’s side, we are related to Prime Minister Norman Kirk. On my mother’s side, there are well-known rugby players. My nephew only learned about them when his mother mentioned Carlos and Payton Spencer. I have a neighbour up the road who is related to my mother’s side of the family, and her aunt, though not related by blood, is a New Zealand politician. Another neighbour who owns a share in the local farms is connected to my father’s mother’s mother’s side of the family.

I also found a darker part of our family history while reading a New Zealand newspaper. None of us had heard this story from my mother’s side before. It was about Walter James Bolton, the last person to be hanged in Auckland and in New Zealand before capital punishment ended. The death penalty for murder was abolished in 1961, but the last parts of the law were not removed until 1989. My mother’s family left Marton, in the Rangitikei district of the Manawatū-Whanganui region on New Zealand’s North Island, during the Depression years. Marton is 35 kilometres southeast of Whanganui and 40 kilometres northwest of Palmerston North. Ngāti Apa are the tangata whenua for the Marton area.

I also learned that we are connected to a royal family line dating back to the 1300s, though not to the current royal family. This connection is through my mother’s side, from Somerset, UK.

When you look into your family history, you may find both good and bad stories. There’s no need to feel afraid or worried if you discover a black sheep or someone with a criminal past. These events often happened long ago, and learning the reasons behind them can help, such as understanding why someone was sent to Tasmania, Australia, as a convict.

It’s true that finding these stories can feel embarrassing or shameful, and sometimes others might even see them as taking advantage of the past.

A few years ago, I met a Deaf woman through Facebook and Messenger who was related to the Flutey family from Canterbury, New Zealand. She only found out about this connection after researching her mother’s side. She mentioned the name “Flutey” on a Deaf Facebook page, and I recognised it because I knew her through her deaf ex-husband. I offered to help her with genealogy and shared that my father’s mother’s side included a marriage to a Flutey man. She gave me her family details, and I traced them back to Okains Bay, Banks Peninsula, near Christchurch. It turned out her female ancestor was a sister to our female ancestor from Canterbury. Among her Flutey ancestors, there are many dark stories, mysteries, troubles, and good stories.

Most people choose not to get into genealogy, and that’s completely fine. Māori people have their own genealogy, called whakapapa, for their hapu and iwi. Another reason to look into both sides of your family is to check for any genetic issues, such as whether a family member might carry cancer DNA or show other symptoms. Here are some important variations and factors to keep in mind:

• X-Inactivation: In females, one X chromosome is turned off to prevent getting a double dose of genes.
• Aneuploidy: Missing or extra chromosomes can cause conditions like Turner syndrome (monosomy X).
• Chromosomal Studies: Researchers often study X-chromosomal variants, including nonadditive effects, in genetic association studies to better understand disease risk, according to research from PMC – NIH.

The more you look into your genealogy, the more connections you’ll find, and you never know who you might be related to. There are several good websites available, though you usually have to pay to join. My advice is to be careful about whether there’s a real link to another family or DNA system, since it’s not always accurate. For example, details like birthplace, age, sharing a name with a parent, or changing a name to leave family or country can cause confusion.

For Empowerment: “Be gentle with yourself; your pain is real, your strength is unmatched”.

Even though we face pain every day, we still find reasons to smile. We keep fighting our illness and work hard to have our condition recognised. Through everything, we stay strong and live with love. This is what every endo warrior goes through.

Endometriosis is not imagined. It is a real condition that affects the pelvis.

Bethany Stahl

Today is Endometriosis Awareness Day. It is a time to recognise the challenges many women face with this condition.

Endometriosis isn’t always recognised as a listed disability under specific laws, but in severe cases, it can qualify if it significantly disrupts one’s ability to work or perform daily activities.12 Nov 2025 https://clintonwomenshealthcare.com/is-endometriosis-a-disability-what-patients-should-know/#:~:text=Endometriosis%20isn’t%20always%20recognized,work%20or%20perform%20daily%20activities.

Is endometriosis considered a disability in New Zealand?

Endometriosis is a long-term condition that can greatly affect daily life. However, most medical professionals and the law in New Zealand do not consider it a disability. 13 Sept 2022 in New Zealand.

Read This If You’re Asking, ‘Is Endometriosis a Disability?’Healthlinehttps://www.healthline.com › health › is-endometriosis-a-…

You are not alone. I am a deaf endometriosis survivor, and my journey took place between July and October 2000.

This is my story of moving from unbearable pain to recovery after surgery in 2000. Before July that year, my periods were not painful, but they slowly became lighter each month. After spending a month in the USA between June and July, I was asked to teach basic sign language to a group of neurodiverse young adults for a play in October called ‘Snow White and Seven Tall Dwarves’. In mid-July, I started to feel a nagging cramp on one side of my pelvis and stomach. I made an appointment with my GP to talk about it. My GP could not find the cause and sent me to a Radiology Clinic for an ultrasound. During the scan, the nurse asked if I was pregnant or had children, then brought in a specialist to check the results. They decided I needed to see a gynecologist, so my GP referred me. Since they could not find a female gynecologist, I eventually saw a male gynecologist. In August and September, I met with him to discuss the ultrasound results, and we agreed I should have surgery as soon as possible, since I had teaching duties for the play in October. I did not use an interpreter in the same room, but the gynecologist explained everything to me in detail, with pictures and information about the surgery. Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive technique that uses a camera and small instruments inserted through small incisions to perform abdominal or pelvic procedures. It reduces pain, minimises scarring, and allows for a faster recovery than open surgery.

Since I am deaf and cannot use the phone, the gynecologist called the private hospital for me. After two cancelled bookings, I scheduled my surgery for the first week of October and took five days to rest. I found a friend from church to cover my teaching duties for the play. I explained the situation to the neurodiverse students, their support staff, and the organisers. At first, they were disappointed, but they understood and accepted that I would be back in time for the play’s show night. I also received a wedding invitation from a Deaf couple that same month.

The laparoscopic surgery went well. During the operation, the gynecologist and other specialists found more cysts behind the pouch of Douglas and near the bladder. They had my permission before the surgery and made sure to remove everything. The surgery took a long time, and the nurse called my mother in the middle of the night. My mother was relieved to hear I was okay. The next day, I woke up and saw more than two specialists in the room. We talked about the results and what they found. After five days, I was discharged from the private hospital and rested for two weeks: one week at my mother’s place in Ralgan and another week at my home in Silverdale. While I was in the hospital, I received a big Get Well card and flowers from the neurodiverse students. It was a kind gesture, and they missed me. First, I attended my Deaf friends’ wedding. An ex-husband of one of them, who worked for the NZ Deaf Association Hamilton Branch, now called Deaf Aotearoa, took me to the wedding.

On the night of the show at Hamilton Methodist Social Service Hall, the place was packed with a big crowd eager to see the play. Another friend took me to the show because I was not allowed to drive for six weeks. Several weeks later, they gave me the video. I still have it and a Get Well card somewhere here.

In the following years, I was studying for a BA in Arts at the University of Waikato, and my notetaker asked me about this symptom. I replied, “Yes, I have one. Why are you asking me?” The notetaker went through a painful journey, waiting for results and looking for help from networks and books. I loaned her one of my books and gave her a contact website. In the end, she had surgery and went on a Maaori spiritual healing retreat, since she is Maaori.

Endometriosis is represented by the sunflower, a flower which, by its nature, symbolises light and life and is an emblem of hope for all women who live every day with this pathology, which is still “in the shadows” and little known.

This morning, I received several newsletters from overseas. These hidden stories are being shared with others, not fake stories, as I work from home in a resilient, supportive rural environment. The post came through LinkedIn from Matthew Tukaki, Chair of the National Māori Authority, Aotearoa/New Zealand: “Just for a moment, let’s step back.

Put the politics aside.

Put the noise down.

Look around you and really see Aotearoa — the land of the long white cloud.
The beauty in every maunga and valley.
The reflection of the sky in our awa.
The quiet strength of our coastlines, our forests, our towns, our people.
We may not all agree. That’s okay.

But one thing is certain — we are stronger together.

We are not Trump’s America.

We are Aotearoa — a beautiful country with immens…..” Wish to read more and go to this link. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/matthewtukaki_just-for-a-moment-lets-step-back-put-ugcPost-7421706955297099776-T7uT?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAjOMIwBDoyWlGCoauJDu55eiFuBMvoUgY0

I took a break to refresh my thoughts and read Matthew’s post. It was calming to reflect with a cup of coffee and my two dogs beside me.

The world has been changing constantly and without warning. Global weather disasters, wars, trauma, rising living costs, lack of affordable housing, struggling businesses, and increasing poverty affect millions of people with physical and invisible disabilities.

Where is the compassion, empathy, and teamwork in leadership roles in a world full of egopaths? There are arrogant people, even among millionaires and billionaires, but only a few truly altruistic wealthy individuals. What about those who stand firmly against oppression, suppression, and tyranny? Have you thought about the true meaning of wealth, in giving to those who need it, investing in education and innovation, not in poor planning and design? Anyone can be filled with riches in their hearts.

Perhaps those who know me understand my improvisation in blogging, storytelling, mentoring, and sharing resources as a deaf person with disabilities, historian, advocate, and advisor. Their encouragement has helped me continue to grow, improvise, and learn. I am thankful to these people in my life and work.

“Just let people be wrong about you. It does not matter. Just be a good person and let them be wrong.

People will always form opinions about you, and not all of them will be right. You cannot control what they believe or say. What you can control is how you act and the choices you make. Focus on kindness, honesty, and integrity. Being true to yourself matters more than proving others wrong. Motivational Life Quotes

Recently, over the last few weeks, the D/deaf community lost their favourite teacher aide of Deaf students, the school principal of the Primary School in Hamilton, and a Deaf senior of the Deaf community and the Waikato Deaf Society Inc, from 1956 to 1999 (Dissolved in 2004). I listened to and read their comments in messages and during the funeral service. Several D/deaf students and families of Deaf seniors recalled their favourite memories to share with us. One person shared a speech from a son-in-law who remembered his Deaf mother: a strict upbringing, the uncertainty of communicating in sign language with his deaf mother and father-in-law, and the deaf mother-in-law’s famous phrase, calling someone a silly old man and giving him a clip on the head several times. A brother-in-law mentioned that his sister-in-law crashed into power poles without a seatbelt and wasn’t fazed by the police’s warning. The messages from the D/deaf students recalled their favourite teacher aide through their memories of her as a caring, warm-hearted person, compassion and empathy to many Deaf students through Waikato schools.

The disaster in Mauao, also known as Mount Maunganui, a 232-metre dormant volcanic cone, was the most significant landslide and killed six people this year. This was not the only disaster. There were several others in Welcome Bay, which killed two people, as well as in the East Coast, Coromandel, and parts of Greater Auckland, such as landslides. Mauao was the worst in many years due to heavy rain, poor understanding of soil environments, and failures in response and prevention. Mauao was a highlight of my childhood, where our family lived and spent school holidays.

What more can I put down at the moment, as I looked at the clock and the time flew by?

As 2025 ends and 2026 begins, we’re curious about what’s ahead. Now in our sixties and seventies, we live in the countryside near Hamilton. Over the years, we’ve faced ups and downs in work, relationships, money, family, friends, and health.

We have lived in Eureka, Waikato, for 12 years.

Life in Eureka isn’t without its challenges, but it’s pleasant here. We’re away from Hamilton but close to towns like Cambridge, Morrinsville, Te Aroha, Matamata, and Ngāruawāhia.

Living here has meant adapting to changes in life and finances, but we’re managing. I still teach, advocate, and mentor in our communities, learning about disabilities and how they affect people in business and health. We also spend time working in our large gardens and around the property, maintaining the woods for firewood, pruning trees, fixing the fence, and planting new bulbs and plants.

Recent government decisions have made things harder for many, with funding cuts, higher taxes, less support for seniors and people with disabilities, fewer retirement options, and business closures. Across New Zealand, people feel both hope and worry about money, inflation, changes at work, health issues, and moving to retirement villages or smaller homes near family.

Many countries are facing worsening situations and deeper crises, like Ukraine-Russia, Israel-Gaza-Palestine, Venezuela, Cuba-USA, and Iran. All except Greenland have fallen into poverty because of the economic crisis.

I think Trump should step back, since he doesn’t own any countries, control resources, or have the power to stop the drug trade and other problems. The same goes for Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu, who want land and resources, build more housing for their own people, and push aside Palestinian communities as history repeats itself. It all comes down to greed and power.

Instead of focusing on the world’s chaos, I’m trying to stay positive. What will 2026 bring for us here?

“The future depends on what we do in the present.” – Mahatma Gandhi

With the New Zealand election coming up, I read about a group doing great teamwork in the Disability Sector and public communities. New Zealand relies heavily on debt, which has grown 4.7 times in 25 years—from $128.8 billion in 2000 to $608.7 billion in 2025. That’s a 372% increase, much higher than the 35% population growth. Debt per person tripled, from $33,378 in 2000 to $117,054 in 2025, a 251% rise. On January 1, 2026, net borrowing was $15.6 billion. Net worth dropped by $3.8 billion to $465.0 billion, after a $26.5 billion increase in 2024. Net debt went up $25.1 billion to $115.2 billion in the year ending June 2025. This is due to fiscal management over the past six years or more. New Zealand’s economy has faced significant challenges, including a deeper-than-average recession, low growth, and high inflation, affecting households and businesses.

Housing and jobs are the biggest challenges for many disabled people, D/deaf people, and thousands of homeless people across New Zealand. Low benefits, high inflation, and struggling businesses make things harder. It’s also tough to access skills and equipment in ways that are accessible and free of ableism.

“There is nothing like a dream to create the future.” – Victor Hugo

I am focusing on making time to keep moving on two projects: Waikato Deaf Units and Waikato Deaf Society Inc., 1956-1999 (dissolved in 2004), despite little help or support from other Deaf people in the community, except for a small number of seniors. I am updating the website domains through WordPress.com and budgeting the annual website costs. Work and Advisory Groups keep me busy as I juggle time to type stories, put photos together, upload them to the website, and store them safely in hard storage and on iCloud drive. Through spare times I was on leave for surgeries and took several weeks leave from 2 works so I can focus on my health resume last year.  I will try my best to finish these projects.

With the wild weather continuing to disrupt everyone’s holidays, the worst disasters were flooding and landslides in Northland and at Mauao in Mount Maunganui. Several people were killed in a landslide at Mauao and Welcome Bay, while one or two people died in roaring flooding that swept them away. The world is affected by global climate change, which creates man-made disasters faster than anyone can cope with the crises that follow.

“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” – Helen Keller

These words from Helen Keller can help remind us that while hardship and difficulty are a part of life, resilience is too. Even when things are difficult, there is always the possibility for growth and healing.

Having two weeks break under one Disability Organisation, and I am on the second week of the break, despite the weather not being so great for me to start with the garden weeding, planning the jobs in the garden and many other lists. That is okay!

As you’re aware, Spring has already sprung here, and we’re eagerly awaiting the arrival of Summer! The anticipation is palpable, and I can’t wait to see how the garden transforms with the change in season. The excitement is contagious, and I hope you’re as thrilled as I am for what’s to come. It’s a journey we’re all part of, and I’m excited to share it with you.

It’s a delight to see the bees buzzing around the fresh flowers, diligently collecting pollen for honey and pollinating other blooms. Their presence is a reminder of the interconnectedness of nature, and I’m deeply grateful for their role in the garden. It’s moments like these that make me appreciate the beauty of our natural world.

New seedlings popped up, and it is not yet ready for planting in the vegetable garden. I need to think carefully about a rabbit-proof barrier around the seedlings in the garden. Yes, I do have rabbit-repelling stuff, such as a combination of physical obstacles and natural deterrents like certain plants, and it is working well. Mm, better throw out plenty of pumpkin seeds there and over there, anywhere.

The strawberry garden is thriving, and it’s a joy to see the urgent need for weeding and weekly fruit fertiliser. The same goes for the Blueberries garden-they’re doing well and it’s a testament to the care and attention they’ve received! It’s truly inspiring to see the results of our hard work, and it fills me with hope for the future of our garden.

I am focusing on doing plant cuttings and contacting a couple of friends I know who have dahlia bulbs before Labour Weekend. By looking at the weather forecast, a Labour Day Monday is not going to be good; however, who knows what the weather will bring for us in Waikato? The anticipation for these upcoming plans is palpable, and I can’t wait to see how they unfold.

The greenhouse needs a bit of tidying up while caspuim plants are still producing caspuim fruits through Winter to present. Kumuras are ready for digging out and preparing for the next stage of planting fresh kumuras inside the greenhouse for a long, productive period of time. Just like Potatoes, too!

No fear for my last week of the holiday break, I am looking forward to an extended annual leave under two organisations before Christmas 2025 until mid-January 2026. It is a once-a-year one-month leave.

Flowering shrubs and trees are doing well, and there is plenty of time to do pruning of old branches and trimming heights once winter flowering finishes. The Five Cherry trees field will be displayed with flowers, not fruits, in one large field. Roses are coming out, and fear not about late pruning. I will trim and remove the dead stems and branches in the rose garden. There is no harm done if anyone forgot to do the pruning of the roses or not.

The large centre garden, as I call it, the Golden Totara garden, is a special place where the beautiful display of colour of the golden totara tree stands tall and mightily displays colours of the changing seasons every year. Currently, the shrubs, Manuka shrubs and kowhai tree need attention to do jobs such as trimming, weeding and laying down mulch of old totara leaves and branches, which were trimmed back by one of my Christian friend’s sons, who is an aborist qualified and runs a business early this year. Sigh, by seeing the last chunks of logs waiting to be cut up and stored in the large barn for firewood within one to two years.

Mm, there are lots more shrubs, lavender shrubs, bottlebrush trees and many more in our large property. We bought our homes (there were two houses – one house now) with a double carport, a double garage and a large barn over 50 years back in October Labour Weekend in 2014. The gardens grew by adding more trees, vegetables and fruit trees and expanding the size to allow the control of wind breaks and privacy screening. Mm, Flaxes, a type of plant that we particularly love for its beauty and resilience, reminding me, and I need more flaxes from a large flaxes section, the point head of the intersection of the state highway road and a small public road. By putting more flaxes, we will be planting along the entrapment stream opposite the private farms – share farming. This section will control a place for many ducks, pukeos, of course, bloody rabbits, a nest and a security place while maintaining flaxen fences border lines to stop erosion of the banks, despite the ever-changing nature of Global Warming becoming increasingly alarming and destroying the environment.

We love our home and gardens until we decide to move within fifteen or twenty-five years with our dogs, because we are over 60 years old and continue to work.

Mane 6 o Oketopa (Monday 6th October)

Tūhono (Connect)

Extract from the Mental Health Foundation site NZ

Connect, me whakawhanaunga

Talk and listen – me kōrero, me whakarongo, be there – me whakawātea i a koe, feel connected – me rongo i te whanaungatanga

The ability to form relationships is a fundamental aspect of what makes us human. Positive social interactions make us feel happy, connected and secure. Building meaningful relationships with family/whānau, friends, and the community goes a long way to increasing your sense of belonging and strengthening personal wellbeing. Through sharing experiences, you can discover how you can help others. It also means that during times of distress, you have the support you need to get through. 

Connect with people who make you feel valued and appreciated. This might include your whānau/family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. Here are some examples:

• Smile at someone else.
• Take the time to find out something you didn’t know about someone you know.
• Contact a friend you have not seen or spoken to for a while.
• Reach out to someone who may be lonely and invite them to spend time with you.
• Connect with someone you’ve lost touch with on social media and share a happy memory you have of them.
• Introduce yourself to a new parent or family at your child’s school.
• Eat dinner with the whānau. Play a game of ‘table talk’ where each person reports about their day’s events, including the best thing that happened, the funniest thing and anything they didn’t enjoy.
• Take time to read your local newspaper or newsletter – find out what’s going on in your area.
• Host a potluck catch-up or BBQ with neighbours, friends or whānau.
• Join a group: it could be your local sports team, book club, choir – whatever interests you most!
• Organise a baby photo competition with friends or colleagues – match the person to the baby!
• Connect with the whenua; grab some mates and get into the great outdoors – go on a bush walk, go surfing, or mountain biking.
• Have a family WiFi, TV, and text-free day and bring out the old board games.

The theme is Unique and United, celebrating what makes every member of this community special.

It is a global day dedicated to celebrating the remarkable resilience of people with cerebral palsy (CP), raising awareness for CP, and advocating for a more accessible and supportive future for those affected by this common lifelong physical disability. 

#UniquelyCP

World Cerebral Palsy Day is about recognition, inclusion, and action for the 50 million people worldwide who live with cerebral palsy. It’s a day to celebrate the achievements of the CP community, challenge barriers, and strive for a more accessible and inclusive world. We all have a role to play in this. https://worldcpday.org/

It’s important to remember that people with CP are a diverse group, often living with more than one disability, such as being deaf, blind, or a wheelchair user.

To celebrate and support the CP community, raise awareness about the condition, and advocate for policy changes, research, and lifelong care for people with CP and CP with disabilities.  CP360 was born from a desire to transition from awareness to action. It is a global movement for accelerating change for the millions of people living with CP. It advocates for more current global data on CP, earlier screenings and interventions, evidence-based services, and equitable access to care and services, particularly for individuals living in underserved areas.

 #WorldCPDay

#UniqueAndUnited

In my workplace, I have three Deaf people with CP and other disabilities, and I stay in touch with them through daily and weekly video calls/home visits and text messages. They have different types of CP – two females in wheelchairs due to their advanced age (Diplegia), one male senior with a walking stick, speech impaired and slow walking mobility (dyskinetic/hemiplegic/ataxic) and a middle-aged man who regularly stays fit (spastic and diplegic CP). They lead different lives in the D/deaf community. Now, the male senior is facing a couple of new health issues, which have led him to struggle for the rest of his life alone with the hearing boarder.

Let’s ask a couple of questions about whether the D/deaf people in their own community understand their friends, ex-schoolmates, or friends with CP well enough or to what extent? For example, many D/deaf seniors know their ex-schoolmate as in the above list; however, they did not realise his full disabilities and found his communication with them hard to understand what he was saying.

There is one young lady, and she has a mix of cerebral palsy, which is Triplegia/ataxic/dyskinetic. She is very bright, bubbly, and tries to do the work as well as she can. She is not deaf like us.

Support many people with CP in the community to live fulfilling lives, be inclusive, and allow them the opportunity to choose where they would like to be, whether at home, in a resthome, or with their families. Let them try out new activities they can enjoy.

The essential tools for them and you to make more accessible, equal Human Rights for all, and to effect policy changes for equality. Listen to them, not ignore them, and set aside any concerns if you’re unsure of what to do or feel embarrassed.

Thursday 24th September 2025

Deaf Rights in Crises

Effective disaster planning for deaf communities hinges on strong leadership and collaborative efforts. The use of national sign languages and D/deaf-centred strategies significantly bolsters crisis response. It’s vital to bear in mind that Article 11 of the UNCRPD and the Sendai Framework are not mere guidelines, but legal mandates that necessitate states and organisations to ensure that D/deaf people have access to information in sign language during emergencies. Extract from the World Federation of Deaf People and amended by Jean.

file:///Users/jeanmasters/Downloads/WFD-WASLI-Guidelines-on-Access-to-Information-in-SL-During-Emergency-Broadcasts_Final.pdf

Consider the ongoing crises in Gaza vs Israel, Ukraine vs Russia, where wars have persisted for years. The long-term impact of these conflicts on deaf communities is dire, with millions of people exhausted, striving for peace, and seeking to rebuild their lives, well-being, and mental health to achieve long-term recovery. The reality of people becoming permanently disabled from bombing, malnutrition, and starvation is stark. They are gradually adapting to new disabilities, relearning to navigate their lives, and finding ways to be independent in their new lives or in safe environments

Regrettably, there is no perfect tool of technology to alert millions of D/deaf people, D/deaf with disabilities and Hard of Hearing people to evacuate or escape from humanity’s disasters and wars. While several sponsorship companies have developed watches that alert them to flee, the current aid efforts and technology are insufficient. There is a pressing need for innovation and improvement in this area.

Consider the challenges faced by the deaf community in accessing interpreters, as highlighted through breaking news on media and social media. Without assistance and access to the best information on where to obtain food parcels, medical supplies, hospital supplies, shelter, and other resources, it is a daunting task to support thousands of people.

https://remix.aljazeera.com/aje/PalestineRemix/stronger-than-words.html#/13

https://actionaid.org/news/2024/i-dont-hear-sirens-war-ukraine-intensifies-people-disabilities-face-deadly-toll

https://www.cufoundation.ca/support-for-the-deaf/

Mā te kimi ka kite, Mā te kite ka mōhio, Mā te mōhio ka mārama

Seek and discover. Discover and know. Know and become enlightened.

Māori myths (pūrākau) 

In Aotearoa, Te Iwi Māori (people) speak of their traditional stories explaining the origins of the world and cultural practices. Often they speak of their ancestors in their marae.

https://eng.mataurangamaori.tki.org.nz/Support-materials/Te-Reo-Maori/Maori-Myths-Legends-and-Contemporary-Stories/Kupe-s-travels-around-Aotearoa

Our past Education has been enriched by the profound teachings of Māori myths (pūrākau). These stories, such as Maui and the Sun, Ranginui, the Sky Father, and Papatūānuku, the Earth Mother, are not just tales, but the very fabric of our cultural identity. They are the primal parents of the world, the Fish of Maui -Te ika a Māui: The creation of the North Island, Hinemoa and Tūtānekai, Paikea the Whale Rider, and many other Myths.

What about the stories of the te hunga hauā Māori (disabled Māori people)? Yes, there were several stories, for example, the blind god Tāwhirimātea; however, they were not widely taught in Primary Education until higher Education and universities. Who is Tāwhirimātea? In Māori legend, Tāwhirimātea is the god of weather, controlling winds, storms, thunder, and lightning.

“The way Māori view being disabled is tapu (sacred), and Matariki is a good example. Matariki is named after Tāwhirimātea, a blind god.”  

https://www.acc.co.nz/newsroom/stories/finding-the-meaning-of-matariki

Let’s go back to the Te hunga turi Māori (Māori Deaf people). I sourced any video in NZSL Māori concepts of the Myths for everyone to learn in Education, at the libraries, online resources and in the communities. The resources I have found are waiata (songs) and fun, entertaining waiata that incorporate Te Reo Māori sign language concepts.

https://www.nzsl.govt.nz/nzsl-community-grants/previous-nzsl-community-grant-rounds/2023-recipients/a-maori-legend-story-told-in-vr360

Regrettably, my search for YouTube videos about NZSL Te Reo sign language concepts in the myths has been in vain. This morning, I spoke to one of the iwi turi, and it became clear that there is currently no plan to create Māori myths in Te Reo sign language concepts. This underscores the urgent need to bring these stories to the communities, Education, and whanau (families) communities, and the only platform available for this is a Facebook Page.

Taangata/Iwi Turi needs to understand the myths of their generation as treasures, as depicted in murals on the marae walls and carvings, and traditions to pass on to the next generation over many years. Today, we have amazing technology, especially AI, that offers a beacon of hope. It allows tamariki turi Māori (Māori Deaf children) to utilise their skills and ensures that our myths are not only preserved but also made accessible to all.

“manaaki whenua, manaaki tāngata, haere whakamua”. Which translates to “if we take care of the land and take care of the people, we will take care of the future.”

Many of you may know or be unaware that there are many ancient languages, like Manx Gaelic, that are nearly dying around the world. The last native speaker, 97-year-old fisherman Ned Maddrell of the Isle of Man, passed away in 1974. This language is a poignant example of the global issue of language endangerment.

What about Manchu – is the Chinese language native to Northeast China? From 1636 to 1911, the Chinese Qing Dynasty announced Manchu as an official language. Manchu is becoming endangered because its native speakers have been replacing it with Mandarin, primarily due to social and economic pressures. This is a common trend in many language endangerment cases.

Examples of Dying Languages

• Ainu (Japan): Critically endangered, spoken by a few elderly individuals, and subject to long-standing assimilation policies. 
• Nǀuu (South Africa): A critically endangered language with only about eight speakers remaining, although revitalisation efforts are underway. These efforts, which include language classes and cultural events, are a testament to the resilience of the Nǀuu community and the importance of preserving their language. Lengilu (Indonesia): Spoken by only four people in the northeastern region of Kalimantan. 
• Tehuelche (Argentina): The language of nomadic hunters, now spoken by the last four speakers in Patagonia. 
• Ainu (Japan): Critically endangered, with only a few fluent speakers remaining. 
• Ter Sami (Russia): Spoken by only two older adults in the Kola Peninsula, a language that was once prohibited in schools. 
• Kayardild (Australia): Flown by only four elderly Aboriginal people on Bentinck and Mornington Islands. 
• Yarawi (Papua New Guinea): A language from the Morobe Province used by only one person, with most natives preferring the Binandere language. 

According to Ethnologue, 3,193 languages are endangered today. However, with concerted community efforts, we can work towards preserving these invaluable linguistic treasures.

“He iti te mokoroa, nāna i kati te kahikatea” (The caterpillar small, though it felled the kahikatea tree), which encourages persistence and significant achievements from small beginnings.

Today, we are learning to speak Te Reo through daily life, while many Tāngata Turi Māori are slowly learning to read and understand Te Reo before applying it to Te Reo Sign language concepts.

Here are two different Te Reo sign language concepts from two other organisations. Take a good look at the sign language differences between these two Karakia (Prayers) – Timatanga. Timatanga means ‘new beginning,’ a phrase that embodies life, introduction, commencement, and start.

In Ko Taku Reo Education for the Deaf Timatanga –

Te Reo sign language concept.

First line – sign for peace and widespread

Second line – sign for sea, glisten and a different sign for glisten (as greenstone in the bottom hand as a stone, while the top hand is glisten)

Third line – sign for the day and the pathway

Fourth line – sign for respect for each other

fifth line – sign for all together

Second Timatanga from Deaf Aotearoa

first line – sign for peace, wide and spread

second line – sign for whakapapa, precious/treasure/sacred/value/worth and sea

third line – sign for pathway, all and day

fourth line – sign for show, love (Aroha) and respect

Fifth line – sign for all, each other, and show instead of one hand toward outward, then the second hand toward outward, and finally both hands outward, as in pural.

“tātou” means “we” or “us” and katoa means all, we, completely

“With your contribution and mine, the people will thrive. “

Nā tō rourou, nā taku rourou, ka ora ai te iwi.

A proverb of shared abundance. It reminds us that a community thrives when each of us brings what we can.