Stewart | Glenholme, Waikato

“Someone died in our family. Our mother and our father, a long time back. Year and years before then when we’re going to Waka School, my sister died. I regret all those things and I think about it all the time.

We’ve got photos of them. I can always look at the photos, and see the photos of my mother, my father and my sister.

Life is very precious, and my friends are very good to me. My friends are kind and good to me. They let me have tea with them, and they take me home after in their car. Have respect for your friends, and stay close to your friends and we always say a prayer before we have our tea. So have respect for your friends, because they’re the closest, and your family is the closest because you’ll be with your family. They’re the closest ones to be with. Your family and your friends.

I grew up in Rotorua. We lived up there on a farm when we were young, and all my brothers and sisters used to go the Waka School, and we grew up there, and then we rented houses. That’s where my sister died, she went to Maketū on the beach holiday and she drowned. But we’ve still got photos of her. I see photos of her. We’ve got a lot of photos of us up the farm and all that. All the family’s got all the photos of us. They bring back the memories of all my family. 

My family, they tell me to ring up every day, or ring up every so often. Ring my brother up. See what’s happening. In fact, I’ve got a sister now that’s going into hospital. She had a little stroke and she’s got to see a specialist, and go to hospital. I stay close to my family. Most of them are in Rotorua, and close to me. 

My father was the manager for the Māori Affairs. We had to lease the whole block up there. A sheep farm. 

Try and stay close to your family and your friends, because your friends are the ones that help you. They give you things and are kind to you. They look after you and are kind to you. They look after me and they’ll look after you. But if you go away from them and you don’t keep in contact with them they won’t think much of you. Stay close to them and be with them, even if by the telephone. Ring them up and be close to your family and your friends.”