Ben Hana

Ben Hana (April 2006)

Ben (Bernard) Hana or "Blanket Man" (8 February 1957 – 15 January 2012) was a homeless man who wandered the inner city streets of Wellington, New Zealand. Ben was a local fixture and something of a celebrity and was typically on the footpath in the precincts of Courtenay Place which has 24-hour activity.

Hana was a self-proclaimed devotee of the Māori sun god Tama-nui-te-rā, and claimed that he should wear as few items of clothing as possible, as an act of religious observance. As a result, he was also tempted from time to time to remove all his clothing, which resulted in the consequent attendance of police officers.

Hana was an example of people who draw attention to themselves through provocative behaviour in a public place (cf. Naked Cowboy of New York). His name of "Blanket Man" was a reference to his usual mode of dress which was either a loin cloth or briefs and a single blanket, whatever the weather. His lifestyle and presence provoked a degree of public debate within Wellington.

Judicial hearings and convictions

Hana was arrested and imprisoned from time to time for offences including public nudity, possession of cannabis, and driving when drunk.

Ben Hana visited the South Island for the first time in 2010, was arrested, charged and flown home after being provided with a shower and new overalls.

In 2010, a judge ordered that Hana be made a mental health patient to be housed in Wellington Hospital's psychiatric ward 27, where "he will have clean clothes, regular meals, and no access to drink and drugs". In the same year he was released back onto the streets without any notable change in character.

Local celebrity

By virtue of his persistence and provocative stance, Hana became something of a local celebrity as evidenced by the number of web sites that present him as a subject of interest. In general, he was tolerated by the shop keepers outside whose premises he sat, and by passers-by, although there have been times of opposition from shopkeepers. Also, on occasions when he decided to push the boundaries of acceptance, police officers were likely to be in attendance. As someone who departed from the patterns of normal behaviour, Hana had become a figure of amusement, sympathy, disgust and even academic interest. Amusement was evidenced by the mimicry of him by people attending the 2006 Rugby Sevens; sympathy was shown by his continued presence on the street; disgust was shown by the complaints that have resulted in some of the court cases; while academic interest is shown below.

In the media

Hana has featured in the following works:

• "A Different Way of Life" by Marcelina Mastalerz, an interview with Hana
• Te Whanau o Aotearoa - Caretakers of the Land, a New Zealand documentary film by Errol Wright and Abi King-Jones.
• In 2007 Victoria University of Wellington sociology lecturer Mike Lloyd and PhD student Bronwyn McGovern delivered a presentation titled "World Famous in Wellington: Blanket Man as contemporary celebrity" to the New Zealand Folklore Symposium
• "The man behind the blanket" The Dominion Post - Saturday 19 June 2010 - Tom Hunt

Death

Hana, age 54, died in Wellington Hospital at 3.35pm on 15 January 2012.

Authorities had become increasingly concerned about his health in the weeks leading up to his death.

It was not known what he died from. However, he was suffering medical problems stemming from heavy alcohol use and malnutrition.

Messages were scrawled on a wall, and flowers, candles and other items have been left on Courtenay Place where Hana sat most of time to pay tribute to the local celebrity. Among those that paid tribute were Wellington mayor Celia Wade-Brown and sports athlete Sonny Bill Williams.

See also

• Vagrancy

External links

• WCC Community Health and Recreation Committee: Response to the Homelessness Task Force, PDF

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