Rue-Jade Morgan initially assumed he must have done something wrong when a prison psychologist greeted him with the words, "So you're Jade!" the first time the two met.

"My first rule of thumb is to say, 'I didn't do it'," laughs Jade.

But it quickly became clear that far from doing anything wrong, the psychologist simply wanted to meet the person making such a positive difference inside Otago Corrections Facility.

"He said he just wanted to put a face to the name because he sees the guys in the prison all the time and they're usually pretty antisocial. But some days they're fizzing with energy and positivity, and when he looks at their notes he sees 'Saw Jade' written in them."

That impact led to Rue-Jade receiving the Māui Tikitiki ā Taranga Award at Te Putanga Toi Arts Access Awards 2020. The award recognises an individual who demonstrates the qualities of Māui – innovation, creativity and leadership – while delivering arts programmes in New Zealand prisons that reflect cultural inclusion and diversity.

Jade's programme, Te Hōkai Manea Tīpuna (The Glowing Footsteps of Our Ancestors), is an eight-week tikanga programme offered several times each year. Combining mau rākau, mau patu, tī rākau, kapa haka, waiata and whaikōrero, it encourages participants to reconnect with their culture, strengthen their sense of identity and build positive pathways for the future.

Unlike many people delivering similar programmes, Jade also brings lived experience. Having spent time in prison himself during the 1990s, he understands the 

challenges participants face and uses that experience to guide others on their rehabilitation journeys.

A right, not a privilege

"If you want to find redemption and to rehabilitate then it's essential to have access to arts and culture," Jade says. "It's a right, not a privilege, to have access to your culture."

In selecting Rue-Jade for the award, the judging panel said:

"Rue-Jade Morgan epitomises the qualities of Māui. A former prisoner, he shares his life experience and self-awareness with others through his Te Hōkai Manea Tīpuna programme. The heartfelt feedback from the men in Otago Corrections Facility is testament to the tremendous value of his work, where he inspires and guides the men on their rehabilitation and reintegration journeys. An outstanding role model!"

Jade says reconnecting with his own culture was central to his rehabilitation, and that same journey now shapes the programme he delivers. Since Te Hōkai Manea Tīpuna began in 2017, participant feedback and early evidence have suggested it is helping men reconnect with themselves, their culture and their communities.

Transforming lives through culture

The programme has developed a long waiting list, and the feedback from participants speaks to the difference it is making.

"Not one programme I have done in jail has ever had such an impact on me like Te Hōkai, and that's not only because of the content but Jade's ability to connect with his students, share his life with us and inspire us to look within ourselves."

Jade says humour also plays an important role.

"Laughter is a huge tool in my kete."

For Jade, his own experiences are fundamental to the programme's success.

"It means I'm able to speak straight and challenge them. I haven't read it in a book. I've experienced it. I'm also able to role-model the changes I have made in my life that I believe will help them with their family dynamics."

Through Te Hōkai Manea Tīpuna, Rue-Jade Morgan demonstrates how reconnecting people with culture, identity and creativity can support rehabilitation, strengthen communities and inspire lasting change.