Māori represents 18% of New Zealand Defence Force personnel across the New Zealand Army, Royal NZ Navy and Royal NZ Airforce. With Māori interests at heart, the NZDF has hosted a Defence Force Experience for rangatahi in the Pūhoro STEMM Academy at Burnham Military Camp which offers military skills and a Māori worldview.
“Today's activities consisted of hearing rather than seeing. To be able to listen and converse without having to speak to each other, to put a strategy into action and see it through,” Tane Mahuta Kake from Ngāpuhi says.
“So far today we participated in putting up a tent for one of the activities, which were to build a raft and you had to try and get across the border of the pond,” Alia Robinson from Ngāti Ranginui says.
The Pūhoro STEMM Academy has operated for six years and has over a thousand rangatahi in the programme. The opportunity for rangatahi to be part of the Defence Force Experience at Burnham further strengthens their line of sight towards the diverse careers and opportunities available to rangatahi Māori in the NZDF.
“The Puhoro academy offers Māori youth pathways into science, technology, engineering or mathematics careers," Puhoro operating manager Leland Ruwhiu from Rangitane says.
“There is a lot of Defence recruitment to reach out to Māori and Pacific and in particular women, providing them with awareness of opportunity within the Defence Force as we try to grow our diversity,’ central region recruiting officer Brad Anderson from Ngāti Whakahemo says.
Family and camaraderie are the biggest motivation for young cadets.
“I do a group training called Force-fit, which is a whole lot of other recruits all doing fitness together. Done that with them for two years now and fell in love with the group and the family, which is why I want to join,” Robinson says.
“My father was in the Defence Force and I want to follow in his footsteps,” Kake says.
On completion of the course, students are awarded a certificate in recognition of their services.