We are needing some sound advice. Our family is wanting to contact the biological father of our mum as she was Whangai. We have tried through a letter but with no success - not sure if it was received. The family resemblence is uncanny and he is no doubt her father and mums maternal biological family let the secret out a few years ago...creating some other frayed relationships so any possible immediate help in this area is nealry impossible. Our question is what is the correct way to approach this.

i am an education assistant at a local primary school in albany wa, during naidoc week (last week of term 2) we are incorporating multi-cultural week, our school has asked me to create a maori/kiwi display for the week (thats easy) and to make some food for the whole school to have a taste of (around 400 including staff) i am a bit stumped as what to do and please dont say hangi

I have been in Oz now for a few months. I came here with my cousin and neice to try and make a go of it for myself and my whanau. However, every opportunity i've had has been stopped by the very cousin I came here with. When people have called to make interview appointments with me, she has told them that I no longer wanted the job or have decided to go back to NZ. 

Ko tenei te mihinui kia koe e kui, anei he patai taku? I am thinking of migrating to OZ with my small whanau but i would like some advice. I currently work for the NZ Government and i was wondering if you knew how hard it would be for me to gain a job in OZ working either for the federal, local or state government departments. I am a policy analyst, please help. It would be good to talk to other maori who currently work in these areas, if you know of any???

Anon

its just me,the boy diagnosed with HIV last week.thanks from the bottom of my heart whaea and sissy jeanie for your words of inspiration and encouragement.it means alot to me as this is the first time i have vented my anger and dissapointment about what ive done to myself.im glad i have somewhere to come to when times are tough.although its just me typing words,it helps to get my thoughts outta my head other wise i know i will explode and do something i will regret.

Dear Whaea,

i am in my mid 20's and have recently been diagnosed with hiv.i am a dad, and im scared to tell anyone cause i know that i wont be treated with the respect i deserve, from whanau and friends. i came here to sydney 3yrs ago for a better quality life, away from gangs,drugs,and abusive relationships, and i now find myself suffering from hiv. what should i do. 

i dont wanna die.i cry all day and night thinking of what i have gotten into.and hearing and watching my son play around the house breaks me to pieces.I hide in the room mostly so he doesnt see me upset, and my family are concerned and asking me questions.im not thinking of harming myself cause my son needs me. But what do i do????

Dear Whaea,

I am 38 years young, the youngest of 8 siblings & currently living in Brissy. My problem is my dad.

My mum passed away a few years ago and I feel so alone at times as she was the only one who could make me laugh when things were down. We had never really been that close at all; it was only in her last couple of years on this earth that we became close.  My brothers were her boys and all the girls were daddy's girls.

Since the passing of my mum I have come to realise what type of person my father truly is. I know that one must respect their elders and I do but I cannot respect a person who bad mouths my siblings & I to other reles.

Kia Ora Whaea, I too wish to learn Te Reo Maori, I am located in Sydney are you able to direct me to the right place.

Also, for those looking there are a couple of good sites that offer good resources such as:

www.koreromaori.co.nz

www.tewhanake.co.nz

www.correspondence.school.nz

It would be wonderful for expats and Australian born Maori if an organisation like Te Ataarangi, Hoani Waititi or even Te Wananga O Aotearoa could work together to provide Te Reo support to oversea's Maori

Dear Whaea, i am 52, aussie born, have traced my maori ancestry (long story and years to find out) to ngati kahungunu/rangitane, and have for a very very ling time wanted to learn te reo maori, but guess what, the nearest courses are in paramatta (sydney) and i live near cowra in country nsw (120km from bathurst, 105km from orange), the problem is i am not very good at learning a language by myself, (bloody dismal with english at school!!) and no one to practice with especiall correct pronunciation, so the end result is mostly not good. 

i have exhausted all avenus that i can think of and you are my last hope, can you help me at all please??  

i do not earn a great deal of money so the costs involved to travel to sydney etc are way past me not to mention the long travel times (5hrs).

any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.

atua whakapai ngia. pita.