Hokitika Brigade improving their knowledge of Māori culture

Located in the heart of the Westcoast of Te Wai Pounamu (South Island) is the Hokitika Volunteer Fire Brigade, made up of 29 volunteer firefighters who are passionate about serving and supporting their community. On Tuesday 18 October each member of the Brigade was congratulated in person by Chief Executive, Kerry Gregory and DCE Kaupapa Māori and Cultural Communities, Piki Thomas, for being one of the first brigades in the country where everyone earned their wearable Tohu after completing the cultural competency resource “He Tīmatanga Kōrero”.

’The significance of your collective achievement is not lost on anyone’ said Piki Thomas.

Kerry Gregory awards Zak Neale his Tohu

It all started a few months back when firefighter and Senior Advisor Community Readiness and Recovery, Zak Neale, walked onto the station wearing his Tohu proudly. After a few questions about how he attained the pin, Zak reached out to Paki Johnson, Pou Takawaenga Māori (Māori Liason Officer) for Te Wai Pounamu to get support in running the Brigade through He Tīmatanga Kōrero. Paki saw how beneficial this extra training night would be so he travelled to Hokitika to support Zak with the kaupapa.

‘I was expecting maybe half the Brigade at most to come because it was another night of training on top of our usual night, so I was blown away when I saw them all there. It’s a huge credit to them’ commented Zak Neale.

During the presentation of Te Tohu, both Kerry and Piki took time to mihi to the Brigade.

Piki let the firefighters know that the work of his team comes to life when brigades and individuals like them pick it up and run with it.

Kerry spoke about the importance of their role as being kaitiaki, guardians of our environment and how their progression in their understanding of Māori culture will improve their ability to protect what matters to us most.

Te Tohu

Zak said the Brigade is motivated to continue learning about different cultures in order to better understand the community they serve.

Te Tohu is a wearable pin awarded to anyone at Fire and Emergency who passes an online knowledge check, after reading He Tīmatanga Kōrero(external link). Te Tohu is made of recycled rimu sourced from the West Coast, making it extra special for the Brigade as the material was coming back home.

He Tīmatanga Kōrero and Te Tohu launched in July 2021 as part of the Hiwa-i-te-rangi programme. So far over 1,750 of our people have read the resource and achieved their Tohu.