Attending indigenous conference ‘magical’

University of Otago student Nikau Reti-Beazley was inspired after travelling to a UN Indigenous...
University of Otago student Nikau Reti-Beazley was inspired after travelling to a UN Indigenous People’s Forum last week. Photo: Peter McIntosh
A University of Otago student says travelling to a week-long UN conference on indigenous people was "magical".

Otago health sciences student Nikau Reti-Beazley (18) was chosen to take part in a 14-strong Moko Foundation delegation to the UN Indigenous People’s Forum, led by Maori health advocate Dr Lance O’Sullivan, after submitting a video entry. Listening to Bolivian president Evo Morales was the best part of the trip, he said. He was impressed by the way Mr Morales was able to flip 400 years of history "on its head" by becoming the first indigenous leader of his country.

"He’s just like this super-impressive guy," Mr Reti-Beazley said.

"There were heaps of other speakers, but he really stood out to me."

Mr Reti-Beazley was hoping to study medicine next year, and ideally he wanted to become a GP and work with rural communities, he said. Different members of the group got to present different aspects of the issues facing Maori people in New Zealand, and he got to present health issues. It was also interesting to hear what problems other countries had.

"Access [to health care] was definitely one of the things that was brought up [at the conference]," he said.

"It’s hard living far away from a hospital or a GP."

It was an honour just to meet Dr O’Sullivan, who was a role model of his, and he felt he had learned some important things, Mr Reti-Beazley said.

"Definitely a key learning that I took from the trip is that any sort of change always starts with yourself," Mr Reti-Beazley said.

He grew up in Northland and was immersed in Maori culture from a young age, going to a kohanga reo, and the other people chosen to go to the conference had all come from similar backgrounds, Mr Reti-Beazley said. The trip and even meeting the other people in his own delegation was "magical", he said.

Mr Reti-Beazley chose to go to Otago because his brother had gone there, and also because it was the only university in the country to offer dentistry, which he was also considering. 

"It’s amazing more Maori are coming down to Otago and coming out as doctors. I think it’s really, really cool."

elena.mcphee@odt.co.nz   

Add a Comment

 

Advertisement