New Year Honours: Taranaki kaumatua gets QSM for decades of community service

Saturday, 28 December 2019

Sandy Parata has served his community for decades, but his New Year Honour is one he accepts on behalf of his iwi.

A man who has spent much of his life championing causes that affect the most vulnerable people is quick to shrug off his new accolade.

Turangapito, or Sandy (a school nickname that stuck), Parata has been awarded The Queen's Service Medal for his services to Māori, health and youth as part of the 2020 New Year Honours.

But the Hāwera kaumatua said the QSM was something he accepted on behalf of his iwi of Ngāti Ruanui, not himself.

Notwithstanding his humility, news he would receive the honour still came as a surprise.

'Probably a bit overcome is the word.'

However, he remained most proud of the work he has done with rangatahi (youth) for more than 20 years, as a volunteer mentor for the Department of Corrections.

It was a role where he took 'naughty kids' under his wing and onto the marae 'teaching them how smart their ancestors have been,' Parata said.

'The beauty of youth is that they still have a chance to change their thinking.'

The father-of-seven said much of his life has been spent alongside the 'mad, bad and sad' - championing issues related to mental health, criminal justice and suicide.

Born and raised in Hāwera, Parata was a trustee of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui between 2007 and 2018 and was at the forefront of many of its business investments, following its Treaty of Waitangi settlement.

He played an instrumental role in setting up the first Māori-owned and operated GP service, known then as Ngāti Ruanui Tahua Trust, and served as its chairman from 1998 to 2012.

Along with his mentoring work with young offenders, he and wife Lorna also ran a state-approved youth care home.

Parata has been part of a Police Advisory Board, which focused on improving relationships between iwi, hapū, Māori Wardens and officers based in the region and has sat on the South Taranaki District Council's iwi liaison committee since 2005.

Outside of work, Parata also played rugby and off the pitch, was a committee member of the Hāwera Rugby Club and the Taranaki Māori rugby team.

Now aged 76, Parata is still widely called on in his role as a kaumatua, either to bless new buildings or even to be a troubleshooter in times of strife.

'I call myself the fireman, I go around putting out fires,' he said.

Parata, his wife and two of their grandchildren will attend his medal ceremony in March.