Indigenous Rights & Social inclusion: Kōkiri centres in New Zealand
The urgency of establishing Kōkiri centres resulted from creation of the Tu Tangata policy which identified that Māori customs and traditions were in very real danger of becoming extinct through lack of concerted development amongst an increasing Māori population who were entrenched in a non Māori social and economic environment.
National initiatives were necessary to decrease the number of Māori mortality rate due to ill health, increasing numbers of Māori leaving school with little or no qualifications and opportunities, unemployment and lack of cultural knowledge and direction.
Kōkiri Marae Seaview was the first Kōkiri Centre, a community based facility to address and confront these issues by conducting employment based training schemes in a Māori environment: discover more about they do on their official website!
