Taranaki hapu heads to High
Court over land claims
A
South Taranaki hapu has headed to court in a bid to have its land
rights and mana retained.
The Araukuku hapu, which falls within
the domains of Ngaruahine and Ngati Ruanui iwi, lodged an application
with the High Court at Wellington on Friday, after it was denied an
urgent hearing about its claims by the Waitangi Tribunal last week.
The hapu is seeking a High Court review of the decision.
The latest move is part of a
long-running and complicated quest by the hapu to have its concerns
addressed.
In 1995, Araukuku filed a Waitangi
Tribunal claim in relation to land confiscated from it by the Crown
in 1865. This includes the land block where the Stratford Power
Station is located.
Despite its claim, known as Wai 552,
being partially settled following Ngati Ruanui's treaty settlement in
2003, the hapu is now concerned about how Ngaruahine's settlement
deal will impact on them once it is passed into legislation. The
$67.5 million deal was formally signed in August last year....
See full artcle HERE
A submission by Nga Ruahine asked
Council to make a stronger recognition of a partnership with iwi in
the long term plan and to commit to working with iwi to help inform
policy and project development. Councillors agreed on the importance
of growing relationships with iwi and instructed staff to begin work
on a variety of consultations and representation conversations with
all four local iwi....
See full artcle HERE
Calls for tāngata whenua symbols in
flag
A
Māori artist is pushing for the National flag to display more
symbols representing tāngata whenua.
His call comes as the government asks
for submissions on a new flag design, and already there has been more
than 130 submissions.
Paul Moon, who works in its Māori
Studies Department, said some people would be happy to see even one
Māori element used, while others worry that the meaning behind
symbols, such as koru, will be lost.
However the Ngāi Tahu leader Sir
Tipene O'Regan said he was not too fussed about changing the flag.
"It's a second order issue, the
primary issue is that we consider and think about our constitution
and what we are as a structure rather than these esoterical symbols
like flags."....
See full artcle HERE
Maori land eyed for BOP growth
agenda
Maori forestry land and aquaculture
space have been indentified as being key to further economic growth
in the Bay of Plenty.
A regional growth study put together by
the Ministries of Business, Innovation and Employment and Primary
Industries in partnership with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council was
released in Tauranga yesterday by Ministers Steven Joyce, Nathan Guy
and Te Ururoa Flavell....
See full artcle HERE
Education and a cross-section approach
is needed to improve Northlanders' lives, say the region's leaders.
The comments come after the Mixed
Fortunes report released by the Salvation Army which showed
Northland ranked the poorest across education, employment, crime,
youth achievement, abuse and neglect.
The Northern Advocate asked local MPs,
mayors, a Salvation Army worker and iwi and hapu representatives
what solutions they had for these social problems.
Whangarei Mayor Sheryl Mai said these
were problems that couldn't be solved overnight. "There's no
silver bullet. I think it's a multi-pronged approach," she
said.
"For example, we've been working
hard on truancy with the Ministry of Education and police - these
partnerships are important."
Far North Mayor John Carter agreed and
said partnerships with local iwi and within local government were a
key part of solving the issues. "The issue is we have
government departments and non-governmental organisations working in
silos, so we are not getting the co-ordination or outcomes we could
be getting.
Northland is actually awash with
Government money, but it's not hitting home base."
Both Sonny Tau, the leader of
Tuhoronuku -the group given mandate to negotiate settlements, and
Pita Tipene, leader of the group who oppose Tuhoronuku -Te
Kotahitanga, said there needed to be some responsibility upheld by
the Government....
See full artcle HERE
13 May 2015
While New Plymouth is voting on the
establishment of Maori wards the regional council and iwi of Taranaki
are forging ahead with their own representation arrangement.
As part of their treaty settlements Te
Atiawa, Taranaki and Ngaruahine negotiated provisions ensuring iwi
representatives had a place on Taranaki Regional Council standing
committees.
Three individuals will be appointed to
the policy and planning committee and three to the consents and
regulatory committee, Te Korowai o Ngaruahine Trust general manager
Cassandra Crowley said.
While the representation arrangement
has been talked about since the middle of last year it took a step
closer on Monday when the Ngaruahine Claims Settlement Bill went
before Cabinet for consideration.
It could take months for Cabinet to
enact the legislation but once that process was complete it would
allow the TRC to make the appointments.
"We're one step closer. It will be
within a year," Crowley said.....
See full article HERE
Maori in regions disadvantaged -
report
A
Salvation Army report released today reveals that Māori who live in
regional areas such as Northland and Gisborne are getting what it
described as a 'bad deal'.
The report by the Salvation Army looked
at the state of life in regional Aotearoa and found they were the
most disadvantaged parts of the country.
It showed the divide between the
regions was growing, with the South Island faring well, but those in
the North Island, apart from Auckland and Wellington, deprived
socially and economically....
See full article HERE
For Whanau Ora to work we just need
to believe
Whanau Ora must not be assessed based
on reports of Te Puni Kokiri incompetence. Nor should the approach be
assessed based on Crown incompetence in establishing ineffective
infrastructure and processes to direct Whanau Ora implementation.
One hundred and seventy-five years of
Crown mismanagement of Maori wellbeing will not be turned around in
four years, it will take decades or generations to break some cycles
that have been imbedded in the lives of our whanau and in the
thinking of the Crown. This is a direct consequence of the Crown
seeking to manage according to what it has imported from its own
experience with Western models and theories.....
See full article HERE
Gate Pa first to open Maori
immersion preschool
A new early childhood centre - the
first of its kind in Tauranga - has opened at Gate Pa School with
classes starting next Monday.
Principal Richard Inder said
establishing Te Puna Reo o Pukehinahina came from an idea, about 18
months ago, when the school was exploring how it could cater more for
its Maori pupils, whose parents wanted them to learn te reo in an
early childhood setting.
There are two ways to do that - a
kohanga or a puna reo.
A puna reo is funded and supported by
the Ministry of Education. A kohanga reo is chartered through Te
Kohanga Reo National Trust.
What is a puna reo?
Puna Reo provides an education and care
environment in Maori language and culture settings.....
See full article HERE
12 May 2015
"Computers at Home" in
Papakura is the first free computing course for Māori families of
its kind and on top of being equipped with the skills needed to work
a computer, students also get their own computer to take home upon
graduation.
Computer tutor Tania Manuera
explains, "They provide free 20 hours of training and after the
training each parents walk away with a computer to take home and
that's theirs to keep forever plus they get subsidised internet on
top of that to help them with on-going learning for themselves and
their whānau at home."
It's the only programme of its kind in
Papakura but eventually Manuera hopes it will be introduced across
the country....
See full article HERE
Is the EPA up to dealing with Maori?
A
Taranaki tribe is accusing the Environmental Protection Authority of
failing to meet and talk to the region's iwi.
The claim is made in feedback to a
proposal by Shell Todd Oil Services to continue pumping oil from the
Maui field....
See full article HERE
Water claims delay 'like foreshore
and seabed'
A
Treaty lawyer says the Crown's approach to recognising Māori water
rights is no better than its handling of foreshore and seabed claims.
Calls for tangata whenua interests in
water to be acknowledged in law are at a standstill.
Claimants want the Waitangi Tribunal to
push ahead with the second stage of its inquiry into fresh water and
geothermal resources but the Crown is attempting to delay the case,
arguing it is still developing policy on water and is working with
iwi and hapū.
Lawyer Janet Mason, who acts for Te
Rarawa and Ngāti Rangitihi, said the implications ran deep.
"From the claimants' point of
view, it's actually the Crown's actions and conduct which is wasting
a lot of taxpayer resource.
"They continue to stall these
discussions. They continue to fail to recognise that there is a
legitimate interest there. And we liken this to what they have done
with Foreshore and Seabed [Act]," she said.
"It's been 10-odd years since that
Ngāti Apa Court of Appeal decision and the resources that the Crown
has spent in two lots of legislation and the ongoing cost to the
claimants and to the legal aid system by the Crown just refusing to
acknowledge that there are proprietary rights, is just putting
everyone in an impossible situation."
The highly controversial 2004 Foreshore
and Seabed law was replaced with the Marine and Coastal Area Act.
Under that legislation, whānau, hapū
and iwi can seek recognition and protection of beaches and waterlines
in their rohe.
The Minister for Treaty of Waitangi
Negotiations, Christopher Finlayson, is due to make his first
decision on those claims in the next month or so...
See full article HERE
Maori wards not an option before 2019
The question of whether or not Rotorua
Lakes Council should have Maori wards has resurfaced in recent days.
One local group is now suggesting it as an alternative to the
council’s current Te Arawa Partnership Model proposal which the
council has been publicly consulting on over the last two months. The
council is expected to make a decision on that proposal at a meeting
on 26 May.
However Rotorua Lakes Council debated
the issue of Maori wards in November last year and resolved not to
introduce Maori wards for the 2016 and 2019 elections.....
See full article HERE
Wakatu Incorporation fight to go to
the Supreme Court
Wakatu Incorporation's determined fight
over Crown land settlement in Nelson and Motueka is to go to the
Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court, in a judgment
released on Friday, has granted leave for Wakatu, its kaumatua
director Rore Pat Stafford and Te Kahui Trust trustees to appeal an
Appeal Court judgment made last December.
The Appeal Court had dismissed Wakatu's
appeal of a High Court decision with the judges saying the claim
unnecessarily strained settled legal principles when alternative
remedies existed through the Treaty of Waitangi settlement process.
The applicants argued that when the
Crown granted land to the New Zealand Company for its settlement in
the Nelson region, it inherited the company's promise to set aside
one tenth as reserves for Maori.....
See full article HERE
10 May 2015
Ending racial discrimination in
local government
At the local government level, this
dogma mirrors the pernicious misconception prevailing in central
government circles that a literal partnership exists between the
Crown as sovereign power and sundry Maori tribes which supervenes on
normal democratic processes and overturns equality of all New
Zealanders before the law.
With creation of the Auckland supercity
in 2010, the ruse to impose and normalise Treaty partnership at the
local government level was effected by way of the first Key National
government legislating into existence the Independent Maori Statutory
Board (IMSB) as the Trojan horse.
Notoriously, IMSB members exercise
unelected race-based voting rights on Auckland Council committees.
Former Act Party leader Rodney Hide was
the Minister of Local Government charged with steering through
Auckland supercity legislation and opposed formation of the IMSB.
His stand was defeated by a nefarious
pro-IMSB deal cooked up between National and the Maori Party, but Act
has earned a worthy legacy of opposing racial privilege.
As the IMSB was voted into being by
Parliament, so it can be abolished by Parliament.
Aucklanders with party votes to cast at
the general election could well take notice of political parties that
supported the IMSB’s disestablishment.
The Local Government Commission has
been promoting IMSB lookalikes around the country, especially up in
the Far North and in Hawkes Bay, a campaign unpopular with many
residents of those regions.
Rotorua is riven by the incumbent
council’s determination to ram through an undemocratic Treaty
partnership governing structure with Maori tribes.
Wherever you look around the country,
you’ll find misguided official attempts underway to racialize local
government that large numbers of party vote-wielding ratepayers and
residents oppose and want to stop.
The general election issue is there for
the taking, needing reform of local government laws that support
race-based privilege, and is an uncommon example of how local
politics can coalesce with national politics.
Muriel Newman of the New Zealand Centre
for Political Research has recently pointed out in an article
“Undermining Representative Democracy” that at one stage even
National had the gumption try and rid New Zealand of racism in local
government.
“In 2006, an attempt was made to
abolish race-based representation in local government by Bay of
Plenty MP Tony Ryall through a private member’s bill, Local
Electoral (Repeal of Race-Based Representation) Amendment Bill,”
she writes.
“The Bill would have repealed the
changes made by the Labour Government in 2001 – the Bay of Plenty
Regional Council (Maori Constituency Empowering) Bill which created
three Maori wards against the wishes of the local community, and the
Local Electoral Act which contained provisions to introduce Maori
seats in any local government area.”
“In his speech to Parliament on his
Bill, MP Tony Ryall stated, ‘The National Party view, which we
enunciated in our election policy at the last election, is that
race-based representation is no longer needed in New Zealand, either
at a parliamentary level or a local government level. We believe that
it is divisive.’”
Mrs Newman notes that although the Bill
was defeated, “National, New Zealand First, and the Independent MP
Gordon Copeland voted for it.”
The centre right could again work
together to promote a Ryall-style bill ending racial discrimination
in local government law and this time doesn’t need
Parliamentary voting support from the Maori Party as the spoiler.
Together, National, Act, the
Conservatives and New Zealand First could do it and should be held to
account by voters to achieve this reform soon after the next
election.
See full article HERE
July 6, 2014
9 May 2015
University of Otago researchers are set
to make key contributions to Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, New
Zealand’s Māori Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE), which has
been selected to receive a further five years’ funding from the
Tertiary Education Commission (TEC).
“Our vision is for Māori leading
New Zealand into the future".
Our research realises Māori
aspirations for positive engagement in national life, enhances our
excellence in Indigenous scholarship and provides solutions to major
challenges facing humanity in local and global settings.....
See full article HERE
Nga Potiki keen to pick up state
houses
Iwi in Tauranga Moana are keen to hear
the detail on the Government’s plans to sell the city's 1250 state
houses.
The Minister for Housing New Zealand,
Bill English, says Tauranga and Invercargill have been chosen to
pilot the sell down because they have a stable demand for social
housing and active community housing providers.
Victoria Kingi from Nga Potiki Trust
says buying state houses was discussed as part of the iwi’s
settlement negotiations.
She says the trust is keen to buy the
149 houses in its rohe around Papamoa, or to work with other
providers to pick up the whole package.
But she says the price and the terms
need to be right.....
See full article HERE
8 May 2015
A
Motiti Island sub-tribe has accused Heritage New Zealand of
incompetence because it hasn't dealt with an application the hapū
says it submitted more than a year ago.
Ngāi
Te Hapū said it had lodged a bid with the trust requesting waahi
tapu (sacred site) status for Astrolabe Reef, where the container
ship Rena ran aground in 2011.
A spokesperson for Ngāi Te Hapū,
Buddy Mikaere, said he was sick and tired of waiting.
He said its application had been with
Heritage New Zealand for over a year.
Mr Mikaere said the agency had mucked
around with its bid over that time and done nothing with it.
He said the agency had apologised to
the hapū over the delays and said staff were too busy or that it did
not have the resources to deal with the sub-tribe's request....
See full article HERE
Māori MPs urged to stand strong for
Whānau Ora
Iwi chairs in the Whānau Ora
Partnership Group have expressed their immense disappointment
regarding the criticism some Māori MP's have expressed regarding on
the development of Whānau Ora.
Chair of the Whānau Ora Partnership
Group, Sonny Tau says “we have been meeting with iwi
chairs from throughout Aotearoa at Whangaehu Marae, to discuss the
pressing issues impacting on whānau, hapu and iwi”
“We are dismayed that some Māori
politicians would buy into the beat-up by politically motivated
tirades which do nothing but bring this kaupapa into disrepute. We
need our people to continue to have faith in their own answers; to be
proud of the gains that have already been made in enabling our whānau
to be self-managing.".....
See full article HERE
Uenuku prepares for land claim
negotiations
A
Whanganui tribe is galvanising its members to strengthen its
negotiating position with the Crown.
Ngāti Uenuku, which is based in
Raetihi and around the middle reaches of the Whanganui River, is
running a campaign to get as many members as possible onto its tribal
database.
In February last year, it established
itself as an iwi entity and then formed the Uenuku Charitable Trust.
It's now one of the four large natural
groups within the rohe seeking to negotiate Treaty of Waitangi land
claims with the Crown.
The tribe's beneficiary registrar,
Kahurangi Simon, said it was using different ways to reach out to its
members.....
See full article HERE
Should the Māori fisheries body be
canned?
MPs
have heard iwi don't want the Māori fisheries body to be abolished.
Their views are at odds with an
independent report suggesting it should go.
It has been a while since the
Government started shifting some of the fishing quota to Māori - 25
years, in fact.
Ngāi Tahu elder, Sir Tipene O'Regan,
once described it as one of the greatest single asset transfers in
New Zealand history.
By 1992 the Government honoured its
obligations to Māori through the Māori Fisheries Settlement -
dubbed the Sealord Deal - which led to Māori receiving quota and
cash.
Now, there's a proposal to wind up the
body safeguarding that allocation on behalf of tribes - Te Ohu
Kaimoana.
Those recommendations are in a
scheduled review done by barrister Tim Castle who said iwi have
matured and are capable of being in control of the quota they
own.....
See full article HERE
Iwi dismisses fears of imported
labour
A
Far North iwi leader is dismissing fears the Chinese company
expanding a luxury resort on the Karikari Peninsula will import
Chinese labour to build it.
Ngati Kahu chief executive Anahera
Herbert said Shanghai CRED had told the runanga it planned to employ
New Zealanders, and that the holiday park would cater for tourists on
a budget.
"I'm confident they'll do what
they told us they'll do, and they haven't broken their promises to us
yet," she said.
She said a Ngati Kahu delegation would
travel to China next week to cement the friendly relationship as
guests of the company for a cultural exchange, which would become an
annual event.
"When they came here, we moved to
manaaki (look after) and mentor them to show them how we work, and
how they can work with us, and now this is their way of
reciprocating, to show how they work in their own land," Mrs
Herbert said.
"And there's the aspect of us
looking for opportunities by which whanau and hapu can benefit more
from what is, really, a new partnership with our new manuhiri
(guests)."
The Ngati Kahu delegation to Shanghai
will include Mrs Herbert; Ngati Kahu chair Dr Margaret Mutu; four
kaumatua and kuia; four young people; and several others who would
pay their own way...
See full article HERE
7 May 2015
A far north iwi leader is welcoming an
influx of Chinese investment into the region.
Hunan Dakang Pasture Farming has
announced it is buying seven dairy farms south of Kaikohe from Merv
and Cara Pinny for just over $42 million.
The deal has been criticised by former Far North mayor Wayne Brown, who says the Government should encourage Chinese and other investors to invest in added value processing rather than land.
But Haami Piripi from Te Runanga o Te
Rarawa says Chinese are a culturally aware people who are happy to
engage with Maori businesses.
"These lands were lost to us a
century ago through deceit and shonky land deals and it's really how
the country was lost to us. But what these people offer is an
opportunity for us to develop services around them that will
complement their investment," he says.
Mr Piripi says a big difference between
the new wave of Chinese investment and the early colonists is they
are bringing their own capital rather than ripping it from Maori
resources...
See full article HERE
Auditor-general questions $40
million administration spend on Whanau Ora
It is one of the Government's flagship
programmes and cost $137 million in its first four years - but the
country's top spending watchdog admits it is difficult to work out
what Whanau Ora has achieved.
Auditor General Lyn Provost also found
that $40 million of the money for the scheme - which is earmarked for
vulnerable families and children - was swallowed up in
administration.
And after an audit of its first four
years, Provost admitted: "It was not easy to describe what it is
or what it has achieved."
The driving force behind Whanau Ora was
former Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia.
But National threw its weight behind
the scheme, which is seen as a model for the delivery of some other
services.
The Government has been forced on the
defensive, however, by revelations about a lack of checks on money
handed out under the scheme, including $20,000 used by Dunedin gang
members to buy cannabis...
See full article HERE
Māori freehold land rates remission
and postponement policy (Auckland Council)
The Māori freehold land rates
remission and postponement policy was adopted by the Governing Body
in June 2013 alongside the Annual Plan 2013/2014.
There are no changes proposed for this
policy in the current Long-term Plan 2015-2025 (LTP).
The purpose of this policy is to set
out the council’s approach to the remission and postponement of
rates on Māori freehold land (MFL). The key features of the policy
are set out below.....
See full article HERE
Tribunal publishes final Rena report
The Tribunal said two Bay of Plenty
claims, by Motiti Rohe Moana Trust, the Ngai Te Hapu Incorporated
Society and the Mataatua District Maori Council, concerning the
removal of the wreck from Astrolabe Reef were well-founded.
The latest report looked at the Crown's
conduct in entering into an agreement in October 2012 obliging it to
support the ship's owners' resource consent application to leave
sections of the vessels where they were.
The Tribunal said the obligations
placed the Rena's owners in a special position in the consent process
that could significantly affect tangata whenua interest in the reef.
The inquiry concluded the Crown signed
the deed without sufficient knowledge of the rights of Maori and
without consulting affected tangata whenua.
It said the Crown damaged its Treaty of
Waitangi partnership with the claimants - although it averted primary
prejudice by partially opting to oppose the owners' consent bid in
August 2014.....
See full article HERE
Maori education provider at risk of
closure
A
kaupapa Maori charitable trust in Dunedin that provides tertiary
training to rakatahi could close, and staff could lose their jobs.
The education provider offers
programmes such as small business management, money management,
computing and hospitality.
Te Arai te Uru Kokiri Centre said
recent changes to Tertiary Education Commission funding policies had
contributed to its operations becoming unsustainable.
It has confirmed that, after 30 years,
it is going to have to make cutbacks....
See full article HERE
Iwi 'ready' for control of fishing
assets
Iwi are now ready to take full control
of Aotearoa Fisheries and its $543 million of fishery assets, MPs
have been told.
The 2015 independent review of the
Maori Fisheries Settlement by Wellington barrister Tim Castle
recommends that Te Ohu Kaimoana, which oversees Aotearoa Fisheries,
be wound down with power returned to iwi groups for management....
See full article HERE
6 May 2015
New
Zealand First has long said Whanau Ora is a serious waste of hundreds
of millions of dollars of taxpayer money, says New Zealand First.
“Now, the first time it has come
under serious official scrutiny by the Auditor-General, it has fallen
seriously short,” says New Zealand First Leader and Member of
Parliament for Northland Rt Hon Winston Peters.
“This was supposedly a flagship
policy for Maori, but it has let them down woefully. For example, a
third of total spending has been wasted on administration. Meanwhile,
scandal after wasteful scandal occurred despite initial government
denials.
“For Finance Minister Bill English to
excuse these disgraces as teething problems is itself alarming.
“There were always glaring monitoring
gaps on where the millions were going, and there was no real data on
participation.
“When struggling families needed help
in all areas, they got some airy fairy scheme dreamed up by the
race-based Maori Party.
“It is not racist to point out that
both Maori and the taxpayer are being ripped off,” says Mr
Peters.....
See full article HERE
Votes rolling in for Maori ward
referendum
The idea of a Maori ward seat has "hit
a nerve" with the public, who are returning their referendum
votes at rapid speed.
Eleven days after voting officially
opened for the binding referendum on the issue, 29.77 per cent of
votes have already been returned.
At the same stage during voting for New
Plymouth's by-election earlier this year, only 14.5 per cent of votes
had been sent back in.
New Plymouth mayor Andrew Judd, who has
been ardently behind a Maori ward seat, said he believed double the
percentage of votes had been returned for the binding referendum
because it was an emotive topic.
The 56,257 registered voters in the New
Plymouth district have until noon on May 15 to get their votes in for
the Maori ward referendum.....
See full article HERE
New rates model 'game changer'
The
Far North District Council is hailing a new rates model as a game
changer and says it will slash the tens of millions of dollars owed
by Māori.
It has been charging around twice the
amount for rates on multiple-owned Māori land, compared to land
owned by individuals and said the new structure created a level
playing field.
Figures obtained by Te Manu Korihi show
Māori in the Far North owe nearly $30 million which amounts to two
thirds of the district council's total rates arrears.
The new model writes off previous rates
debt and recalculates rates, so that a block of land owned by many
people is rated in the same way as single owners of a block of land.
The Far North District Council mayor
said the current system did not work, with landowners of unproductive
land accumulating massive debt....
See full article HERE
5 May 2015
The
Taxpayers’ Union is inviting Auckland Council officials to read the
Union’s briefing paper
on the Council’s Cultural Impact Assessment ‘Taniwha Tax’
before continuing to mislead the public. Taxpayers’ Union Executive
Director, Jordan Williams, says:
“Departing Chief Planner, Roger
Blakeley, is being very sneaky by claiming that only 30 resource
consents have required full Cultural Impact Assessments. He knows
very well that the real issue is the thousands of applicants who the
Council has forced to consult with sometimes 16 iwi groups just to
confirm a Cultural Impact Assessment is not required.”
“Dr Blakeley has confirmed that it is
up to the iwi, and not the Council, whether a full assessment is
required, including for spiritual matters. What confidence can the
public have in this process when the Council can’t tell us how it
will deal with complaints on iwi charging, conflicts of interest,
long delays and conflicting reports?”....
See full article HERE
The
Rotorua Lakes Council could face a judicial review of its actions,
according to legal advice obtained by opponents of the controversial
Te Arawa Partnership Proposal.
On Thursday the
council released its own legal opinion,
produced by Hamilton-based law firm Tompkins Wake, which stated the
proposal was "lawful and compliant".
However, members of the Rotorua Pro
Democracy Society sought their own legal advice from law firm Russell
McVeagh, which they provided to council chief executive Geoff
Williams on April 20. That advice concludes there is "a real
issue" with the legality of the partnership model, which could
lead to a successful judicial review of the council's actions.
Society members say they warned Mr
Williams of this and are asking the council to seek a third
independent legal opinion.
Society secretary Reynold Macpherson
said members decided to release their legal opinion to the Rotorua
Daily Post after the council released the Tompkins Wake opinion.....
See full article HERE
Māori tribes take on Norwegian oil
giant
A
small Māori delegation from the Far North is confronting Norway's
biggest oil company head on.
A roopu representing Te Hiku o Te Ika
tribes is travelling to the head office of Statoil to demonstrate the
widespread opposition to its oil exploration programme in Te Reinga
Basin.
Far North tribal representatives leave
tomorrow and will be meeting with the indigenous Saami Parliament of
Norway to seek their support in demanding a future free of deep sea
oil drilling.
The leader of the delegation, Mike
Smith, said Far North Māori had a very clear message.....
See full article HERE
Māori Caucus call on iwi leaders
support
Labour’s Māori caucus has sent an
open letter to iwi leaders around the country seeking their support
for meat workers currently in employment negotiations with Talleys.
“We are aware that when Talleys
locked out workers for a period of 89 days in the previous round of
industrial disputes, it was the pressure and influence of iwi leaders
who were able to convince them that a better solution could be found,
says Labour’s Māori Development spokesperson Nanaia Mahuta......
See full article HERE
4 May 2015
Treaty train rocks on to radio waves
Just when you thought it was safe to go
back into the Maori water rights issue that is fouling the National
minority government’s mixed ownership model (MOM) partial selloff
of state-owned hydroelectric power generators worse than didymo,
think again.
More serious problems are quietly
emerging, despite the apparent truce that has descended since the
hooey hui the government jacked up to pretend it was consulting Maori
over MOM-related sweetheart deals.
Swarm intelligence-driven Maori tribal
claims to enjoy privatised ownership of natural resources or rights
thereto have gone viral.
The water rights spat over legalised
corruption demanded by Maori tribes wanting payoffs for use of rivers
running through their patch of turf has leaked across to radio
spectra now that it has become apparent that prime time for applying
tribal standover tactics is when the government needs to meet
self-imposed deadlines.
The “digital dividend” 4G-700MHz
band radio spectrum is coming up for auction to mobile phone
companies by the government’s deadline of first quarter 2013.
Heartened by the water rights brouhaha,
advocates of the Maori airwaves grab like Nga Kaiwhakapumau i Te
Reoare are up in arms and convening a national hui to further their
Waitangi Tribunal claim to own the radio spectra apparently
commercially exploited by their technologically precocious neolithic
ancestors prior to the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.
These Maori supremacist militants have
a precedent in that the complaisant Waitangi Tribunal ruled in 1999
that Maori had ownership rights to the 3G radio spectrum.
The then Labour government rightly
rejected the proposition that Maori tribes owned radio spectra as a
taonga, but blundered into the feckless stupidity of appeasement by
granting Te Huarahi Tika Trust $5 million to buy a piece of 3G
spectrum at 5% discount.
The road to hell is paved with good
intentions, especially when precedents, no matter how small, are
eagerly seized on for further exploitation by Maori tribes and their
legal attack dogs such as current Treaty of Waitangi negotiations
minister Christopher Finlayson has previously been and will no doubt
become yet again upon eventually leaving Parliament.
A good payoff precedent, properly
parleyed, is worth millions if not billions to idle Maori tribal
ticket clippers.
The current National minority
government has become mesmerised by the thought that Maori are owed a
slice of 4G and so has gutlessly followed its Labour predecessor down
the appeasement path.
We are blandly informed that the 3G
radio spectrum payola to Maori interests has beneficially brought us
the third mobile operator 2degrees.
So where are the Maori tribal mobile
telephony technology entrepreneurs, or do we rather have a revival of
the 19th century rent seeking practice of charging access fees to
European tourists who wished to visit the pink and white terraces?
Passively charging a fee simply as a
rental return due the local Maori tribe adds absolutely nothing of
any value, let alone the slightest productivity enhancement, to our
economy.
The grim object lesson of the 3G
spectrum concession being leveraged up into 4G should be looked at
closely by those concerned to project what will happen to MOM
privatisations when Maori can pull the same kind of acquisitive stunt
over water as they have over radio bands.
An extraordinary aspect of the Maori
water rights looting in train under a National government in thrall
to its Treaty negotiations minister is the way in which prime
minister John Key could have what he now notoriously calls a “brain
fade” concerning what has happened under his leadership.
Mr Key denies that Maori can own water,
but concedes that they can own water rights.
He has conspicuously failed to explain
to the New Zealand public, perhaps due to brain fading, that under
his government and the close supervision of his Treaty negotiations
minister, Treaty claim settlement laws have been bulk-voted through
Parliament that have destroyed the ability of the Crown to preserve
water rights in public ownership.
Mr Key might have overlooked what the
Government Communications Security Bureau was doing in illegally
spying on Kim Dotcom, but he cannot have the same excuse for not
remembering what his own government has done to publicly-owned water
rights.
For example, amidst much mystico-poetic
mumbo jumbo verbiage of no discernible legal meaning, clause 23 of
the preamble to the Nga Wai o Maniapoto (Waipa River) Act 2012 baldly
states that the “Maniapoto [tribe] do not accept they have ever
relinquished their authority or rights over the Waipa River, or its
tributaries.”
There you have it, enacted in
Parliament under Messrs Key and Finlayson, who are apparently too
brain faded to explain what these words mean to the general public or
potential investors in Mighty River Power.
This from the National Party, which
espouses the core value that there should be “equal citizenship and
equal opportunity”.
http://www.nzcpr.com/treaty-train-rocks-on-to-radio-waves/
November 24, 2012
3 May 2015
Airport at Napier is in for a name change – there has been a quiet change of share ownership too
Mike Butler, a feller who contributes
to the Breaking
Views blog, alerted Alf to some fascinating
goings-on an hour or so up the road from the bubbling electorate of
Eketahuna North.
It seems there are moves afoot – if
it is not a fait accompli – to change the name of Hawke’s Bay
Airport.
This is not necessarily a popular move.
According
to Mike Butler, Hawke’s Bay residents are
hostile about this development.
The airport will be known as the
Ahuriri Airport Hawke’s Bay, he says, to satisfy a request from
treaty settlement claimants Mana Ahuriri.
But hey.
That’s what obeisance to the Treaty
of Waitangi is all about.
If indigenous persons ask for a name
change, it is considered very impolite – and racist, too – not to
comply.
Mike Butler observes:
The name-change
(the latest in a series that includes Whanganui, Te Wai Pounamu, Te
Ika a Maui, Aoraki Mount Cook and Taranaki Mount Egmont) prompted
comments on the Hawke’s Bay Today newspaper website like “why
change the name? If it aint broke, don’t fix it” and “Again, NZ
panders to a minority group of radicals.
Twenty six of
the 28 texts on the subject in Saturday’s paper vehemently opposed
the move as did six substantial letters to the editor over the
preceding days.
In one of those
letters, Hastings councillor Simon Nixon described discussions with
Mana Ahuriri as informal and “amounted to an ambush with
insufficient warning given to consider the ramifications”.
He said he
remembered claimants putting the case for including Ahuriri in the
airport’s name but could not recall the meeting the presentation
was tagged on to or whether there was a vote.
Cr Nixon, it seems, has put
considerable effort into pushing to upgrade the airport to handle
international flights.
He has drawn attention to some of the
implications of making a change.
He wrote
…“most
airports have aligned their names and IATA codes with city names.
Mangere was changed to Auckland (AKL) . . . Adding the word Ahuriri
to Hawke’s Bay Airport will be confusing and costly”.
The good councillor obviously needs a
lesson or two in the servile art of buckling to the demands of
indigenous persons.
We are supposed to put cultural
sensitivity ahead of mundane matters like money.
For that reason his health may be
seriously compromised, should he be taken to his local hospital with
a stroke, heart attack, or whatever, but his
cultural care will be in good hands.
One thing that puzzled Alf was why the
airport bosses should buckle to the request of the Mana Ahuriri
leaders, besides being culturally sensitive citizens with a high
regard for the Treaty.
Mike Butler (who probably wondered the
same thing) has
come up with the answer.
It’s because Mana Ahuriri now own
half the bloody shares.
Today Butler has posted this
explanation for what is happening.
Questions
raised by Mana Ahuriri’s bid to get their name included in that of
the Hawke’s Bay Airport led to the revelation that the government
had quietly offered that group a 50 percent shareholding of the
airport.
Mana Ahuriri
signed an agreement in principle on December 19, 2013, that includes
financial redress of $19.5-million. The Hawke’s Bay Airport posted
a net worth of $16.6-million and annual revenue of $4.01-million in
its 2014 annual report. (1)
A 50 percent
shareholding presumably would be worth $8.3-million on current
valuation with an annual 50 percent share of profit in a
near-enough-to risk-free investment in which Mana Ahuriri would not
have to do anything other than pocket the cash.
Well, bugger me, Alf muttered to
himself.
When did Chris tell the public about
this?
He was thinking, of course, about the
role obviously played by Chris Finlayson, our splendid Minister of
Treaty Beneficence.
Chris is fond of banging out media
statements to trumpet his latest settlement.
Alf can’t find a similar Mana Ahuriri
announcement, but this may well be a consequence of his own
shortcomings in the googling department.
He did find a reference to an
offer of shares in the airport company but no
mention that this would result in the new shareholders changing the
airport’s name.
Oh – and let’s pick up on this
fascinating point raised by Mike Butler:
Claimant Heitia
Hiha told the Hawke’s Bay Today last year that Maori engaging
European settlers and the Crown in settlement of their land in the
mid-19th century believed they were entering agreements of shared
development, and implied that the area where the airport is located
was “taken away”. (2)
But that area
was part of Te Whanganui a Orotu lagoon that became land during the
1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake.
Neither was the
area “taken away”. Three hundred Maori signed the deed that
transferred the 107,242ha Ahuriri block to the colonial government
for £1500 in 1851.
Now that we have made this settlement
do we get back the 1500 quid?
https://alfgrumblemp.wordpress.com/2015/04/02/airport-at-napier-is-in-for-a-name-change-there-has-been-a-quiet-change-of-share-ownership-too/#more-20889April 2nd, 2015
2 May 2015
The
Maori trustees of Northland's Poroti Springs are warning they can't
guarantee the safety or security of a water-bottling plant to be
built there.
Auckland company Zodiac Holdings has
the right to take water from aquifers above the springs for 35 years
and is looking for investors to build a factory.
But the trustees' chair, Taipari Munro,
said local hapu were angry their opposition to the proposal had been
ignored, and there have been growing calls for protest and
occupation.
He said local hapu were prepared to
take direct action as they had no faith in assurances a
water-bottling plant would not reduce the flow to the springs or
pollute them.....
See full article HERE
Maori-made food from Palmy to Dubai
An
iwi-owned company has landed a new deal to supply Dubai with
emergency food pouches.
The wealthy Arab emirate is buying
relief packs from New Zealand to dispatch to countries hit by
disasters.
The food packs look like microwaveable
rice pouches you might buy at the supermarket, and they are made at
the Prepared Foods factory in Palmerston North, a division of
Aotearoa Fisheries.
This is a big deal for the company,
with emergency rations making up five percent of the business.....
See full article HERE
1 May 2015
The
Waitangi Tribunal has called a judicial conference to sort out when a
second round of hearings will be held into Māori rights to
freshwater and geothermal resources.
The Crown wants to wait until next
February saying it is still developing policy on water and is working
with iwi and hapū.
But the Māori Council and other
claimants are fighting any delay.
The Tribunal has called a hui between
both parties for 2 June.
Chief Judge Wilson Isaac, the presiding
officer, will hear arguments from lawyers on whether the inquiry
should be put off or held some time from October....
See full article HERE
Wellington restaurant puts Te Reo on
the menu
One
of Wellington's newest restaurants is serving its diners Te Reo
Māori- as an extra language on its menu.
The restaurant, Whitebait, approached
Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission) to
translate the names of its dishes into Te Reo.
Whitebait co-director Louise Hoather,
who is Pākehā, said that besides the Wharewaka she did not know of
any other mainstream restaurant that would even consider using Māori
language on the menu.
She said they wanted to acknowledge Te
Reo as part of their kaupapa on kai.
"It's critically important because
it reflects part of what we think is important to New Zealand in a
celebration of our philosophy towards food in our restaurant,"
said Ms Hoather.....
See full article HERE
Te Arawa partnership proposal
“lawful and compliant”
New
legal opinion confirms council Te Arawa partnership proposal “lawful
and compliant”
A new legal opinion received this week
by Rotorua Lakes Council has confirmed there are no legal barriers to
implementing the Te Arawa Partnership Model proposal, if the council
resolves to do so.
The legal advice comes as Rotorua Lakes
Council starts five days of hearings for residents who have made
submissions on the proposal, following a seven week period of public
consultation.
Local government legal experts,
Tompkins Wake Lawyers, confirm that the Te Arawa Partnership Model is
“lawful and compliant” with the council’s obligations under
legislation.....
See full article HERE
Rangatira descendants get places on
Waitangi board
The Maori Affairs select committee has
recommended a change to the Waitangi National Trust to allow
representatives of four key Maori families to sit on the board.
It agreed with a submission from
Arapeta Hamilton that it was unfair the four families had just one
representative, while three Pakeha families whose ancestors were part
of treaty history have a member each.
As a consequence, the amendment bill
allows requires representation from the families of Hone Heke, Maihi
Kawiti, Tamati Waka Nene, and Pomare.
Board members will be limited to three
three-year terms.......
See full article HERE
Iwi keen to see financial benefits
return to community
A South Taranaki iwi wants financial
returns linked to gas exploration off its coast to be given back to
their community, in return for consent to keep running the Maui
gasfield.
Crowley said although the economic
benefits of the Maui field have been well documented, the
environmental risks associated with the operation were located within
the iwi's rohe.
Crowley also raised concern about the
lack of insight into te ao Maori, or the Maori worldview,
demonstrated in the application and wanted STOS management and staff
to undertake cultural training.....
See full article HERE
New Zealand Indigenous People's
Rights Need More Improvement
New Zealand’s representative to the
United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues said although
Aotearoa is often thought as a leader in recognizing the rights of
indigenous people, it was always not the case. Valmaine Toki, of Nga
Puhi, Ngati Wai and Ngati Rehua descent, is the first representative
of Aotearoa and the in the UN forum on indigenous rights.
There is always interest at the UN
forum about New Zealand’s MMP electoral system and dedicated Maori
seats. “They see that as a way forward and a model for other
jurisdictions to aspire to, but in Aotearoa-New Zealand, we think we
are doing such a great job in terms of recognizing indigenous
rights,” said Toki.
She cited Nicaragua as an example of
how autonomous zones were returned to the indigenous people. Toki
said that in Aotearoa-New Zealand, the scenario would be unlikely,
reports Radio
NZ.
She acknowledged that the Waitangi
Tribunal was often seen as an innovative system. However, Toki said
only a fraction of what was “alienated” from the Maori is
actually returned. She realised indigenous rights in New Zealand need
“more work.”....
See full article HERE
30 April 2015
Most
of Wellington region's grassroots Māori oppose the plan for a
supercity that would see them lose their voice on local councils.
Like
much of the general community, they are against the model, however
iwi leaders say there are benefits to dealing with one authority for
the greater Wellington region.
Chairperson of the Port Nicholson Block
Settlement Trust Neville Baker said the kōrero that he had heard on
the ground differed from what iwi leaders were saying at the top.
Mr Baker of Te Ātiawa said while a
supercity may work for Ngāti Whātua in Auckland, it did not mean it
would work for Wellington, Te Whanganui-ā-Tara.
Mr Baker said Māori rights must be
enshrined in the model, and the iwi trust needed to take a cautious
approach.
"The important thing is to be able
to ensure that those customary rights, those treaty rights, those
areas of the settlement that have been agreed to are enduring and,
you know, change is taking place all the time so you don't
necessarily have to commit to something because of the wider view
that's held".....
See full article HERE
Settlement process 'insufficent' on
social services
The
government has been told the Treaty settlement process is not well
suited to exploring opportunities for Maori groups to be more
involved in commissioning social services.
The finding was part of a Productivity
Commission report on the public welfare system.
The commission's report said enabling
greater rangatiratanga within social services meant the Crown would
have to step back from 'deciding for' and 'doing for' Maori.
But the commission also noted that if
the Crown were to step back too far it would risk breaching the
Treaty of Waitangi because the Crown would not be treating tangata
whenua in the same way as others....
See full article HERE
Dubai and Maori fisheries agreement
first of its kind
A new agreement between Dubai and a
Maori fisheries company is being described as a world-first.
The Dubai Government's Awqaf and
Minors’ Affairs Foundation has signed a memorandum of understanding
with Aotearoa Fisheries and its Prepared Foods division.
It is the first non-Islamic agreement
of its kind signed by the Government of Dubai.
The foundation has selected the company
to produce Halal ready-to-eat meals, because it as 100 percent
Maori-owned.....
See full article HERE
29 April 2015
Auckland Mayor Len Brown says he is
doing what he can to meet the Auckland Maori Statutory Board’s wish
list for the city’s budget.
Mr Brown will unveil his thinking on
the budget on Thursday and the council will debate it next year.
There is also pressure coming from
Maori for the council to take a lead in economic development and
jobs, to help iwi in their development of settlement assets, and to
support initiatives aimed at improving education.
"The Independent Maori Statutory
board have made it quite clear to us that they are looking for
something like $190m of deliverable's over 10 years. We're working
towards an outcome for Maori that will be satisfactory and will sit
in beside outcomes for everyone in Tamaki Makaurau in terms of how we
make this city go forward" says Mayor Len Brown.....
See full article HERE
Hauraki iwi tribe hopes for treaty
settlement
A
tribe that is part of the Hauraki iwi collective is hopeful the group
can reach a treaty settlement this year, after nearly six years of
negotiations.
The Waitangi Tribunal recently released
a report requested by one of the iwi collective, Ngati Rahiri
Tumutumu.
The collective claimed that offering a
thousand hectares in both Mount Te Aroha and Moehau to the tribal
collective was unfair but the tribunal ruled the Crown was not
unfair.
A Ngati Maru negotiator, Paul Majurey,
said the report was appropriate and he was eager to see the
collective move forward.....
See full article HERE
Whenua Kura initiative impresses
minister
Maori Development Minister Te Ururoa
Flavell is praising a Ngai Tahu initiative aimed at increasing and
upskilling the number of Maori working on farms.
Whenua Kura, which is a joint venture
between Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu and Lincoln University, has won
funding from the South Island Whanau Ora commissioning agency Te
Putahitanga.
It has stepped up from a certificate
level course to one offering a diploma in agriculture, a level 4
certificate in agriculture and a diploma in agricultural business.
Mr Flavell says he can see Whanau Ora
principles in action...
See full article HERE
'Ponytail-puller' shouldn't change
flag, says elder
A
Northland Maori elder and army veteran says the Prime Minister has no
mandate to change the flag so many people fought and died under.
81-year-old Jim Te Tuhi, whose father
fought in the First World War, referred to John Key as "that
pony-tail puller" in an Anzac Day speech he made in Hokianga.
He said the Prime Minister's
harrassment of a waitress was unacceptable -- and so is his flag
proposal.
Mr Tuhi said that for a man of Mr Key's
position and mana, it was stupid to repeatedly pull the woman's hair,
and he should grow up.
He said Mr Key should ask people first
if they mind having a new flag, before parading alternatives before
them....
See full article HERE
27 April 2015
Maori chalk up another milestone in
their journey towards 50:50 governance arrangements
Alf hesitates to say he told you so,
but the pace of craven Pakeha buckling to Maori pressure for more
political power has quickened.
Two developments this week show what is
happening.
First, Maori have been given another
50:50 partnership deal.
Second, they have been given a
race-based seat on the Nelson City Council. They did it in a hurry
without bothering to consult their citzens.
The 50:50 deal
was struck by one of five of the northern-most tribes, which is close
to resolving its Treaty claim after initialling a deed of settlement
at Parliament on Thursday.
Stuff recently
foreshadowed what would happen –
The Government
is poised to complete a Treaty settlement with four Far North iwi
worth almost $100 million which includes the co-management of 90 Mile
Beach.
The claim by
Ngati Kuri, Te Aupouri, Ngai Takoto and Te Rarawa was filed 24 years
ago by the late Matiu Rata.
Known as Wai
45, it was upheld by the Waitangi Tribunal in 1997 and the tribes
have been negotiating with the Crown since then.
The negotiations originally involved a
fifth iwi, Ngati Kahu, but they pulled out of talks in May. They are
involved in a spat over which tribe owns, or should own, which bit of
land.
Under the settlement, as Danya Levy
reported for Stuff
…the
Crown would hand over the management for 90 Mile Beach for it to be
co-governed by the iwi and local councils.
Under the agreement Ngati Kuri, Te
Aupouri and Ngai Takoto will receive $21.04 million each and Te
Rarawa will receive $33.84 million.
Radio NZ report this week reported Te
Aupouri had finalised its proposed package and
will now seek agreement from its people to
ratify it.
Under the
agreement the Government acknowledges the tribes role as kaitiaki, or
guardians, of Te Oneroa-a-Tohe – or Ninety Mile Beach.
It
means the iwi and the Crown will co-manage the stretch of coast,
while guaranteeing to keep public access.
Revenue which the Crown now collects
from tourist buses which use the land will go to a joint Crown-tribal
body.
This body will spend the money on
projects to regenerate flora and fauna.
The deal will also include an apology
and the return of seven farms and a forestry block.
Meanwhile Maori were being given a
special deal to further empower them in the top of the South Island.
Te Tai Tonga MP Rahui Katene was
chuffed – as well she might be. She
praised the “foresight and the responsible approach” to the
Treaty of Waitangi relationship demonstrated by
the Nelson City Council in its decision to create a Maori ward in
time for the next local body elections in 2013.
She said that
as a Nelson girl, it made her proud that the council had taken steps
to honour the treaty relationship and to improve Maori participation
and engagement in local decision making.
At least she conceded Maori already had
participation and engagement in local decision-making, something that
is shamelessly overlooked by Maori staking their claims to greater
political power elsewhere.
But there is something awfully smelly
about what has happened in Nelson, because –
The council
fast-tracked the decision on Thursday, driven by a November 30
deadline if it hoped to have a Maori ward established in time for the
2013 elections, if amalgamation does not go ahead.
And what do the locals think of the
idea?
A Nelson Mail online poll asked web
readers whether they agreed with the council’s decision.
The answer was an overwhelming no from
73 per cent of those who responded.
Obviously these citizens are ill-served
by their representatives, because –
The councillors
were unanimous in their support for a Maori ward, despite concerns
about the “surprise element” of the recommendation, filed as a
late notice to Thursday’s policy, planning and governance meeting.
Alf is disappointed in Councillor Paul
Matheson, who abstained from voting because of the process.
The bugger should have put his vote
where his instincts lay and voted against.
The councillors deserve to be thrown
out at the next electionl because –
Councillors
were wary of the likely backlash, despite there being no legal
requirement to consult with the public.
But the absence of an obligation to
consult does not mean the public should have been ignored.
The buggers on the council can now
ignomninously claim to have paved the way for Nelson city to become
the only unitary authority in the country to have a Maori ward. It is
the third council in New Zealand and the first in the South Island to
establish one.
As is obvious from the Nelson Mail’s
report, Maori interests thus become separated from community
interests.
Maori wards
give separate representation to Maori and are based on Maori
electoral population rather than geographic communities.
At the last
census (2006), there were 3615 Maori in Nelson city out of a total
population of 43,000.
Hmm. About 8 per cent, although we can
dilute that percentage to the extent that many of the 3615 Maori will
be part-Maori.
Only people on the Maori electoral roll
can vote in a Maori ward, but it doesn’t matter how much Maori –
or non-Maori – blood you might have pumping through your veins.
There’s just a hint of the real
objective -a 50:50 governance arrangement – in what the Maori
Party’s MP said.
Ms Katene said Environment Waikato and
Nelson city stood out as two institutions in local government
prepared to embark on structural change to enable greater
power sharing with Maori.
Keep an eye out for the next bunch of
non-Maori to buckle and further debase our democracy.
November 5th, 2011
26 April 2015
Call to repeal "racist" law
As New Plymouth begins to vote on the
controversial inclusion of a Maori Ward, the chair of a nationwide
Maori organisation believes the need for a referendum is racist.
By law, only when a council decides to
add a Maori ward, can a referendum be held to decide if it's
established.
The Chair of the Maori Committee of
Elected Members in Local Government, Bonita Bigham, says it's a law
that needs to be scrapped.
"I support Mayor Judd in his cause
for the repeal of this legislation which allows this to be the only
question around ward development to go to public referendum. Dare I
say it I think it's a racist law."
Bonita Bigham says it will be upsetting
if New Plymouth votes against the establishment of the seat.
Voting closes on May 15.
Call for all affected residents to
be consulted over gold mining proposal
Questions are being raised as to why
only central North Island Maori are being consulted about a plan to
look for gold and silver that could cause environmental damage to
waterways.
China-based Tianbao Mining Corporation
has applied to the New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals for an
exploration permit over 4526.28 hectares of land, between Horohoro
and Atiamuri, south of Rotorua.
The work programme would consist of
geological mapping, geophysical, geochemical sampling and drilling.
The Government agency has a statutory
responsibility to consult with iwi and hapu whose rohe includes the
permit area or who may be directly affected by a permit, but at this
stage no one else is to be consulted.
Twenty three Maori groups were
contacted about Tianbao Mining's plan....
See full article HERE
Charter school buys waka for
$100,000
Te Taitokerau Tārai Waka have sold
their traditional-waka at the price of $100,000.
The traditional waka known as a
waka-tēte built by tohunga-tārai waka Hekenukumai Busby was
auctioned to raise funds for the school of traditional navigation at
Aurere in Doubtless Bay.
Hekenukumai Busby says, "It's
gonna help us get our Whare Wānanga completed which will help
continue teaching our students to learn more about celestial
navigation."
Whangarei charter school Te Kāpehu
Whetū Principal Dr Nathan Mathews says the waka was bought by its
sponsor He Puna Mārama Trust and will be used as part of the
school’s hauora programme.
“It’ll help towards traditional
navigation and mātauranga Māori” says Dr Mathews....
See full article HERE
Stand-off over 'racist' artwork
A Maori artist was asked to leave a
Wellington art gallery after a tense conversation over a print she
believed was racist.
Beri, 30, said she went into the
privately-owned gallery with her baby and partner on Wednesday
morning, interested in the "indigenous art" that was
signposted on its display window.
Artist Taryn Beri said will never go
back to ORA Gallery again after a dispute over an art work.
Instead, she found a large print of a
Maori woman cartoonised with sharp teeth to look like a cannibal.
The art "disturbed" her, she
said.
Perplexed about the sign indicating
Maori artwork on the window, Beri said she turned to a gallery
assistant and asked if it was an indigenous art space, to which the
assistant replied it wasn't.....
See full article HERE
24 April 2015
The
question of whether Maori should be appointed to Whangarei District
Council standing committees or elected by their own hapu spurred a
debate that touched on tokenism and democracy.
A move to ensure decision-making was
more inclusive of Maori also ironically rattled some councillors
because they had not been "included in the process".
Some suggested the Strategic Alliance
policy approved at yesterday's council meeting, which sees hapu
representatives co-opted on to standing committees and invited on to
other forums, was undemocratic.
Others said it had come "like a
bolt out of the blue".....
See full article HERE
Reo lessons for Green
contenders
Confidence from Metiria Turei in the
ability of her next co-leader to embrace treaty and Maori issues.
Three sitting MPs, Kevin Hague, Gareth
Hughes and James Shaw, and Auckland lawyer Vernon Tava, are vying for
the role of the Greens' male co-leaders.
Ms Turei says Mr Hague in particular
had a lot of the Pakeha treaty awareness work of the 1980s and 90s.
"So he has a very good perspective
of it from that point of view. Both he and Gareth and James to a
certain extent have been working on their reo as well. All of them
have been really clear about their commitment to our treaty policy
and to our charter. They've all made a commitment and they all have
enough experience to deal with the Maori world when they need to"
she says.
The Green Party charter includes
recognition of the Maori version of Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the
legitimate treaty and the right of Maori as tangata whenua having a
different status to others in Aotearoa.....
See full article HERE
Iwi go back to Hutt Valley DHB
seeking health say
Representatives of Maori health
providers have again felt the need to confront Hutt Valley District
Health Board members on improving iwi input.
Well over 100 marae, health and
community representatives packed out the DHB's December meeting, with
proposed cuts to funding to Maori health groups drawing claims of
unfairness and institutional racism.
Board chair Virginia Hope pledged at
the time to respond to the Maori groups about how the board would
address their concerns.....
See full article HERE
23 April 2015
A
decision on Maori wards could end as a case of the tyranny of
majority, former Race Relations Commissioner Joris De Bres says.
Feelings of rejection were strong among
the crowd of about 50 people who attended the referendum forum at the
New Plymouth District Council Chamber on Tuesday.
"What happens here will reflect what happens nationally. We want to be respected and we demand to be respected but there is really no point in talking about the Maori wards as I know the vote already goes against us," he said.
See full article HERE
DOC 'red tape' delaying concession
application
Mountain man Ian McAlpine says red tape
is still delaying him from doing the thing he loves – guiding on Mt
Taranaki.
"On February 27, more than two
months after the concession was terminated, I gave my new guiding
application concession to the DOC office in New Plymouth," he
said in a letter to the editor.
"This was sent to Hamilton and in
a letter dated March 16 they told me the concession was sent back to
the Taranaki office to be sent to local iwi for consultation, giving
them a month to reply."
McAlpine said he'd since received
another letter stating the decision date had been pushed out again to
June 8......
See full article HERE
First in leave Maori dry
One of the advisors to the Freshwater
Iwi Leaders Group says the current review of fresh water management
may have to claw back some property rights that have slipped away.
There has been a sharp reaction to some
of the group's proposals around tradeable property rights, with Prime
Minister John Key saying no one can own water.
Lawyer Willie Te Aho says in fact
resource consents under the 1991 Resource Management Act have turned
out to be the nearest things to property rights going to whoever was
quick enough to apply for them first.
"Now our people are still going
through the process of treaty settlement, we weren’t the first in
line. I’ve been part of treaty settlements where we got the land
back in Manutuke in Gisborne on behalf of Rongowhakaata, only to find
we don’t have access to the water. That is held by the leaseholder.
These are all the issues we have got to reconcile through this rights
and interests debate," he says.....
See full article HERE
The Maunga Authority agreed to stop
cars driving to the summit of Maungawhau
Maunga Authority Chair Paul Majurey
explains the important decision for this ancestral mountain reflects
the serious consideration given to the initiative and says “there
was an unanimous agreement at the Maunga Authority hui last night
that a motor vehicle-free summit is the right outcome for the iconic
taonga of Maungawhau / Mt Eden.”
Mr Majurey explains that in making
their decision, the Maunga Authority placed emphasis on the spiritual
and cultural significance of the summit to Mana Whenua and the
community aspirations reflected in the long-standing public programme
that led to the 2007 Maungawhau/Mt Eden Management Plan.....
See full article HERE
Iwi partnership to purchase Crown
land
The Tūwharetoa Settlement Trust (TST)
and six other Tūwharetoa entities have partnered together to
purchase 8,500 hectares of Crown land in the Hautu-Rangipo region of
the central North Island.
The iwi partnership includes two major
Tūwharetoa forestry trusts, Tūwharetoa farm trusts, and a
collective hapū entity.
TST Chairman, Dylan Tahau, said the
deal has significant strategic and commercial benefits for the iwi
partners but most importantly the purchase sees the return of
Tūwharetoa whenua.
“There are several important wāhi
tapu (sacred areas) on the land, and two of our rivers, the Waiotaka
and Tongariro, run through it also.
“Purchasing this property and
agreeing a lease-back is a major benefit for Tūwharetoa, and will
support our economic, social and cultural development,” said Mr
Tahau.
TST through its Tūwharetoa Property
Investment Limited Partnership has also purchased the land under nine
schools in Taupō, other Corrections property, and the Taupō
Courthouse through the deferred settlement process. These purchases
make the iwi one of the largest landowners in the Taupō township....
See full article HERE
22 April 2015
Driving to
the top of Mt Eden to see the views of Auckland city could soon to be
a thing of the past.
The body that now administers
Auckland's volcanic cones is meeting to decide whether or not
vehicles will be banned from using the roads to reach the summit.
For 3 News to broadcast from the top of
the Mt Eden, we would have had to give the Maunga Authority four
weeks' notice so it could consult 21 iwi members. But this
restriction is just beginning, with early indications the public will
be the next to be affected....
See full article HERE
Almost 1900 submissions
received on proposed Te Arawa partnership model
Almost
1900 submission have been received by the Rotorua Lakes Council
regarding the proposed new Te Arawa partnership model.
According to the Council this is the
most submissions it has ever received for a single issue.
Late last year Te Arawa proposed a
model to council as a means of providing iwi with input into council
decision making.
The Council voted 10-3 to support Te
Arawa’s proposed model in principle, subject to a special
consultative procedure, to allow the community to provide feedback.
Submissions regarding the proposal were
received by the Council over the last 6 weeks.
736 were received online. Four
petitions were also received, one against the proposal with 1370
signatures; one with 250 signatures asking for Council to consider a
proposed “Democratic Governance Model” which was submitted; and
two in support of the proposal with 33 and 27 signatures
respectively.....
See full article HERE
In
the early 1980s, Ngati Hine leader Sir James Henare opposed any Opua
Marina development without consultation or recognition of tangata
whenua.
Now, 26 years since his passing, Ngati
Hine have signed an agreement they hope will honour his message.
Last Friday, Ngati Hine and
council-owned Far North Holdings signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) that would hopefully create a dialogue Sir James had yearned
for.
"The purpose of the MoU is to
allow Far North Holdings [FNH] and Te Runanga o Ngati Hine to work
closely together on matters of mutual endeavour such as the water
quality of the river, economic development opportunities and more,"
said Ngati Hine's Pita Tipene.....
See full article HERE
Boost for Maori leadership in
agriculture
A
South Island iwi-led agricultural training programme is expanding and
offering higher level qualifications as it seeks to boost Māori
leadership.
Whenua Kura is a tribal-led training
partnership between Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Te Tapuae o Rehua, Ngāi
Tahu Farming and Lincoln University.
It started last year as a one-year
certificate in agriculture providing both classroom learning and
on-farm experience at the Ngāi Tahu farms.
This year it has been broadened to
include a diploma in agriculture, a level 4 certificate in
agriculture and a diploma in agricultural business.....
See full article HERE
With Gisborne District Council’s
freshwater plan about to be publicly notified, there are concerns the
Government may have thrown something of a hospital pass to local
bodies on the issue of the role of iwi in water management.
Coincidentally, Gisborne District
Council was told last week that the district’s freshwater plan is
scheduled to be publicly notified at the end of June after a final
sign-off at the council’s June meeting. Initially the plan has
focused on the Waipaoa and Te Arai river catchments as well as the
Makauri and Matokitoki deep aquifers. The Gisborne council has
already instructed staff to look at co-management options as the
focus moves towards the Waiapu catchment.
An awful lot of work went into reaching a consensus from all the stakeholders, including Maori, on the local plan. It would be a pity if that was threatened or disrupted by a national controversy.....
An awful lot of work went into reaching a consensus from all the stakeholders, including Maori, on the local plan. It would be a pity if that was threatened or disrupted by a national controversy.....
See full article HERE
21 April 2015
As developers and property owners face
thousands of dollars in fees for Maori "cultural impact
assessments" on thousands of sites across Auckland, a Maori
academic says there is a simple solution to the situation
“There is a simple solution to these
cultural impact assessments, and it lies in traditional Maori
culture.” Says Mr Rankin. “There are karakia and rituals used to
lift the tapu off entire regions, and I propose to do this soon.
After this time, no cultural impact assessments will be needed
because culturally, there will no longer be any tapu on any site in
Auckland”....
See full article HERE
No pro-Maori line on water
rights
But
are iwi seeking ownership? The short answer is no. The long answer is
kind of. In 2012 the Maori Council took the Government to the
Waitangi Tribunal and the Supreme Court. It was concerned that the
Government’s asset sales programme would prevent claimants from
obtaining redress over fresh water rights.
The Waitangi Tribunal saw it that way
too. The Supreme Court didn’t. But an important finding emerged
from the Tribunal. It said there is no Maori equivalent to the common
law concept of ownership, but there is enough evidence to satisfy the
ownership argument.
Which is to say that iwi could make a
claim for ownership, although the actual claim is for the recognition
of their mana over fresh water resources. This is not an ownership
debate but – to use the closest common law equivalent – a debate
over rights......
See full article HERE
Māori Party letter to the
Australian Prime Minister
As New Zealand’s only indigenous
political party formed in response to discriminatory actions of a
previous government, the Māori Party shares the pain of Australia’s
First Peoples who face losing their connection to their ancestral
land and the destruction of their communities as a result of
government actions. The right of indigenous people to live on their
traditional land and to live as a community is not a lifestyle
choice, it is an integral part of our identity.....
See full article HERE
20 April 2015
'Fierce determination' from iwi to have input over water rights
The
co-leader of the Maori Party has this morning told Q+A that iwi
leaders have a "fierce determination" to continue
discussions around water rights which is matched by government
ministers.
Te Ururoa Flavell said the continuing
discussions were based around long-term sustainability of New
Zealand's water, and the role iwi could play in having input after
being "left out for far too long".
"We're talking about setting up a
regime that allows generations into the future to drink it, swim in
it and actually get some kai from it," he said.
"I think fair-minded New
Zealanders will understand the approach that is being taken by
iwi."....
See full article HERE
The
Napier City and Hastings District Councils will be asked to formally
support a controversial proposal to rename the region's airport
Ahuriri Airport Hawke's Bay.
The name change has been requested by
Treaty of Waitangi claimant group Mana Ahuriri Incorporated and has
been supported by Hawke's Bay Airport's board of directors.
But the airport company's chairman,
Tony Porter, said yesterday the board believed the renaming was an
issue that needed to be decided by the company's three shareholders -
the Napier and Hastings councils, which hold 26 and 24 per cent
stakes in the company respectively, and the Crown, which owns the
other 50 per cent.
When the Hawke's Bay Airport directors
next meet, on April 28, Mr Porter said he would table a motion that
the board ask the shareholders to formally signal their support for
the name change....
See full article HERE
19 April 2015
East Cape marae look at healthier options for feeding guests
Health Minister Jonathan Coleman has
today launched Healthy Families East Cape at Te Poho o Rawiri Marae
in Gisborne.
It’s the first community of 10 today
to have the new government initiative which encourages people to live
healthier lives by making good food choices and being active. $2.7
million is being invested into Healthy Families East Cape over four
years.
Te Whare Hauora o Te Aitanga a-Hauiti
will be the leader provider for Healthy Families,
Government funding of $40 million over
four years will be invested in the project, with time hopefully a
reduction in smoking, alcohol consumption, and smaller waistlines
will be seen....
See full article HERE
Forty young Wairarapa students helped
lay the foundations at the inaugural Wairarapa Kapa Haka Academy for
a revival in secondary school Maori arts performance in the region.
"We want to encourage kapa haka at
a secondary school level and this year we've opened up the Wairarapa
REAP contest to the colleges.
"We hope that just as the
competition has given our primary schools a reason to incorporate
kapa haka into their curriculum, our colleges will do the same.".....
See full article HERE
18 April 2015
New database for traditional Māori kai
A
new national database is being set up to help the public learn about
and grow traditional Māori kai.
The Tūpuna Kai Project has received
about $90,000 from the Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund with the
aim of reconnecting the country with the benefits of traditional
food.
The database will have information on
the whakapapa and cultivation of traditional kai such as vegetables,
berries and birds.....
See full article HERE
Fund for indigenous art
collaboration
Creative
New Zealand is inviting Maori artists to apply for a $60,000 fund to
support collaborations with other indigenous artists.
Senior manager Cath Cardiff says
projects in any art form could be supported by the International
Indigenous Artform Exchange Fund.
In 2014, the first year it was
available, it supported three projects.
Tai Tokerau Maori Collective led by
clay artist Colleen Ulrich worked with Aboriginal artists of Central
Queensland.
Tawata Productions collaborated with
Canada’s Native Earth Performing Arts indigenous theatre company on
the WAKA CIIMAN project at the Weesageechak Festival in Toronto.....
See full article HERE
Treaty
Minister Chris Finlayson says the impasse over Ngapuhi's settlement
is largely personality-driven and if NZ First leader Winston Peters
can help resolve it his help will be welcome.
Mr Peters went to Waitangi Tribunal
hearings in Hokianga yesterday, a visit Te Kotahitanga co-chairman
Rudy Taylor described as "a first step in uniting Ngapuhi hapu".
It followed Mr Taylor's invitation to
the new Northland MP to help Ngapuhi resolve the impasse over its
mandate to negotiate a settlement.
The Crown has recognised Tuhoronuku as
the negotiators but that is disputed by the Kotahitanga grouping led
by Mr Taylor.
That grouping contains 12 hapu,
including Ngati Hine.
Mr Finlayson said if Mr Peters believed
he could help, he would be happy to talk to him soon.....
See full article HERE
Brash water bomb unhelpful
Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox says
some people own water and they’re not Maori.
Prime Minister John Key has leapt into
negotiations with iwi leaders over water management by declaring no
one owns water, and he won’t do a national water settlement.
His predecessor as National’s leader,
Don Brash, has backed him up, saying the party could lose the regions
if it gives Maori preferential access in fresh-water reform.
Ms Fox says those sorts of comments are
divisive and unhelpful.
She says in most rural areas water is
already fully allocated in a way that is akin to ownership.
"Certain sectors of our rural
communities have had a monopoly over the water. Anyone who comes into
that space who is a new farmer will find themselves without any
rights to any water allocatioon, and if they think there is no
ownerhip, they are completely wrong, and we need to address that and
even out the playing field, and that is what our iwi are trying to
do," she says......
See full article HERE
Water rights deal possible under
Labour
Labour leader Andrew Little is
unimpressed with the way John Key is conducting treaty negotiations
by press conference.
The Prime Minister used his
post-cabinet press conference this week to decry an Iwi Leaders Group
proposal to resolve water claims through mechanisms such as tradable
water rights.
He says no one owns water, and he won’t
accept a national settlement, although there could be specific local
deals with regional councils about specific bodies of water.
Mr Little says the fact Maori have
rights to natural resources is clear from the Treaty of Waitangi, and
it is possible to negotiate a settlement tat can win widespread
acceptance.
"In the same way that we
successfully negotiated ways for Maori and Pakeha to have
co-governance over for example the Waikato River and Lake
Waikaremoana, maybe we have to find a way for Maori rights under the
treaty in relation to water are also observed and respected, but
understanding there is a political issue around whether people want
to pay for water or whether we should have tradeable water rights,"
he says....
See full article HERE
Iwi involvement boosts school
achievement
A University of Canterbury researcher
says high level commitments to improving Maori educational outcomes
aren’t matched by the proper resources going into the sector.
Melanie Riwai-Couch received her PhD
today for her work on how schools and iwi can work together to better
support Maori students.
The mother of five is the principal at
Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Whanau Tahi, and says her family and her
work meant she was conducting the research as an insider with all the
insights that offers.
Looking at schools and kura in both the
North and South Islands, she says it’s important to involve
schools, parents, iwi and the Education Ministry in what’s called a
community of practice.
"People are able to come together
and get a better understanding of what success means to each of those
parties and while there will be independent work that schools, iwi,
ministry carry out, it was about identifying where the commonalities
were and where those common points of interest were and how they
could be supported by the community as a whole,"Dr Riwai-Couch
says.
She says when iwi and schools work
together to make decisions about what is taught at school, Maori
students are more likely to achieve better school marks as well as be
more connected with their cultural identity.....
See full article HERE
17 April 2015
Water decisions 'catastrophic' for Māori
A
lawyer representing Māori in water rights cases says much of the
blame for the controversy over freshwater rights rest squarely on the
shoulders of local government.
Felix Geiringer said decisions by local
authorities over water allocations have been terrible for New
Zealand, but catastrophic for Maori.
Iwi leaders and the Government have
agreed on a deadline to resolve freshwater rights by Waitangi Day
2016.
He said local government had to
shoulder much of the blame for not sharing the resource fairly and
had mismanaged freshwater, causing widespread pollution and
environmental damage.
"Regional councils have really
been the problem: what happened in the 1960s is that all of the
decisions over water use were taken away from whoever had them, who
were typically the people who were sitting next to the rivers, and
they were given over to regional councils, precursors of our current
councils.
"It developed the situation we
have now under the Resource Management Act.
Mr Geiringer rejected concerns by
Federated Farmers that settling Māori grievances around water would
create new ones and said they should be reassured rather than
threatened.
"What will happen is that that
water will be used by whoever is able to make best use of it, and if
Federated Farmers are able to make best use of it they'll continue to
use it, but they might not use it for free anymore.".....
See full article HERE
A new partnership with Ngati Hine
Health Trust providing improved services for Maori will go hand in
hand with a major upgrade of the Bay of Islands Hospital at Kawakawa.
Northland District Health Board (NDHB)
and Bay of Islands iwi Ngati Hine are working together to develop a
Whanau Ora Centre at the hospital.....
See full article HERE
More than 1000 submissions have so far
been received on Rotorua Lakes Council's proposed Te Arawa
Partnership Model.
This Friday at 4pm is the deadline for
public submissions to be lodged with the council.
The council has already received more
than 1000 submissions, one of the highest responses for consultation
on any council proposal in recent years.
The proposal, which has been out for
public consultation over the last seven weeks, was approved in
principle by a 10-3 vote of councillors at a full council meeting
last December.
The proposed Te Arawa Partnership Model
is the council's response to local government legislation requiring
councils to facilitate Maori participation in council decision-making
processes.
It also supports a commitment to build
a new partnership with iwi that was part of the Rotorua 2030 shared
vision developed with the Rotorua community after the 2013 council
elections......
See full article HERE
16 April 2015
Freshwater next big fight
Greens
co-leader Metiria Turei says John Key has made it clear his
Government was never serious about talking with Maori about water.
The Freshwater Iwi Leadership Group’s
consultations with iwi on its proposals have been torpedoed by the
Prime Minister’s assertion that no one owns water and he’s not
willing to have a national water settlement.
Ms Turei says the Government’s
rhetoric is a cover for its belief that commercial interests should
always get first rights of access to water.
By not having a debate on the
environmental and cultural issues they are protecting those users.
"After the foreshore and seabed
everybody knew freshwater was going to be the next big fight. It was
going to be really hard to get government to understand what Maori
were talking about. The only word you can use in English is
ownership. Really it's about who has control who has decision making
power, what are the priorities for the use of water and who puts
those priorities in place" says Metiria Turei.....
See full article HERE
Northern hapū express firm
control over water rights
Te
Mahurehure will take care of their own water. It’s a
statement from the people at a hearing of Waitangi Tribunal in Waima
in reply to the continued debate between government and iwi leaders
over the issue of water rights.
This
week also provides an opportunity for cross-examination of historical
evidence, alleging Crown actions that dishonoured Māori leaders of
this district and being dismissive of any Māori perspective.
Mr Hohepa says, “We're now saying
that the stones that sunk below the water representing Māori
perspective have started to rise and the cork floating on the water
representing the Pākehā perspective continues to float. But
the two must talk to know which is right and that will happen through
a full understanding of Te Tiriti.”
Only in time will we understand who
owns the water....
See full article HERE
Charter schools vary approach to
Maori
Inquiries
by Te Manu Korihi into some partnership schools reveal a diverse
approach to Maori education.
The investigation follows a Bay of
Plenty Maori language advocate, Pat Spellman, calling for Te Reo to
be compulsory in all charter schools.
But that vision is not being shared in
the classrooms.
Te Kura Maori o Waatea splits its
curriculum between Maori and English.
It's a different story at two other
charter schools, South and West Auckland Middle Schools, where Maori
is only compulsory for the second term of Year 9.
The schools are Christian-based with
about 15 children per class, and academic advisor Alwyn Poole said
they taught basic Maori in their curriculum.
Over the harbour bridge at North
Shore's Vanguard Military School, Maori is an optional subject for
seniors.
Vanguard teaches years 11 to 13, and
the head of Maori, Eddie Hudson, said they offered Maori to all three
year groups.
Officially, the approach to Maori
education in charter schools is flexible, with the Ministry of
Education only stipulating that the schools have to measure akonga
attendance and achievement through school rolls and NCEA-type
standards.....
See full article HERE
Govt oil permit policy 'foolhardy'
The
Government's oil and gas exploration permit policy is ludicrous and
reckless, a leading environmental lawyer says.
Dayle Takitimu, a lawyer for Te
Whānau-ā-Apanui, has been at the forefront of efforts to prevent
exploration in the iwi's East Coast rohe and has advocated for other
iwi on environmental issues.
She is critical of the Government's
permit policy.
Mr Bridges said in a statement that he
did not accept Ms Takitimu's comments and the Government had built a
"world-class regulatory framework" to ensure any oil and
gas development was done in an environmentally responsible and safe
way.
"Dayle Takitimu should also bear
in mind the oil and gas industry is an important part of the New
Zealand economy - it has been operating for over 45 years, and brings
in over $700 million per year in royalties and taxes, which is
invested back in our communities to pay for essential infrastructure
like schools, hospitals and roads.".....
See full article HERE
$1.9m to grow Maori science and
innovation
Science and Innovation Minister Steven
Joyce and MÄori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell today
announced the third annual investment in the Vision MÄtauranga
Science Fund, which was established to grow skills and capacity in
science and innovation and support outcomes that benefit MÄori and
New Zealand.
"A total of $1.9 million will be
invested in 17 new programmes over the next two years," Mr Joyce
says. "This is in addition to the $2.4 million invested in 2013
and $1.8 million in 2014.....
See full article HEREMole News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please send to mole@nzcpr.com
15 April 2015
Taniwha tax’ to get airing
Auckland’s so-called “taniwha tax’
is the topic of a discussion forum being held in Auckland this
Wednesday.
It is being held by the Auckland
Property Investors’ Association, Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance,
Democracy Action and New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union.
It features a briefing paper about
Auckland Council’s new Mana Whenua rules – requiring anyone
seeking resource or building consents to seek reports from iwi about
what Auckland Council staff call “metaphysical” heritage.
“The report will reveal to the public
what some of New Zealand’s best known corporations have been saying
behind closed doors, and what their PR departments may not want you
to know,” is the teaser for the forum.
NZ Taxpayers' Union executive director
Jordan Williams says the problem is not about consultation but
about the assessments that may be required. He says they cost
householders about $4000 each and more for corporations.
“Auckland Council says few are being
required. The trouble is, they tell applicants they must go and ask
iwi if they are required.
“They not only cost money but can
also take weeks and months for the reports to be completed.
“We’ve gone through many of the
submissions to the council’s long-term plan which highlight the
issues.
“Even the Archaeological Association
says they are not necessary to protect heritage.
“It’s all based around
make-believe. You could substitute the word taniwha with Easter
bunny.”
The forum will be held on level 9 of
the Crombie Lockwood tower at 191 Queen St at 10.30am tomorrow
(Wednesday 15th).
NZ Mainstream media can do better -
Human Rights Commission
“The media play an influential role
in how we understand or misunderstand each other and it’s a role
that’s grown with the internet as well as our rapidly changing
demographic,” said Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy.
Dame Susan says the overwhelming
majority of news items were acceptable but we can do a lot better.
“We found fewer positive stories
about Maori issues and conversely more negative stories written about
Maori issues. It shows how inured many of us have become to negative
mainstream portrayals of Maori New Zealanders and their human
rights,” said Dame Susan.
“We encourage fairness, balance and
excellence in reporting on all communities.”....
See full article HERE
Can anyone lay claim to fresh water?
Maori leaders are vying for effective
ownership of a share of the resource.
The Government has said it won't hand
over rights to Maori forever, but it may permit regional councils to
do local deals with iwi.
This of course has sent New Zealand
farming community into frenzy - Federated Farmers' water spokesperson
Ian Mackenzie this morning joined Paul Henry to discuss the
issue.....
See full article HERE
Māori pass rate shocks universities
Vice-chancellors
say they are shocked by a big drop in the number of Māori who are
making it into university.
After entrance standards were raised
last year, the tāngata whenua pass rate plunged by about 20 percent
from 2013 to 2014.
Universities New Zealand - Te Pōkai
Tara - is worried by Qualifications Authority figures which show that
in 2013, 70 percent of Year 13 students nationally gained UE, but
that percentage fell to 40 percent for Māori in 2014......
See full article HERE
Iwi on standby to stop road
Te
Rūnanga o Makaawhio has come out against plans for a Haast to
Hollyford road, a proposal that has been around for decades.
The rūnanga said it had sought
feedback on the plan from its 3000 members; some were for but most
were against.
Its tūmuaki, or general manager, Susan
Wallace, said building a road to boost tourism would come at a cost.
She said her people were not convinced
that the proposed benefits would outweigh the fact that the area was
too special to open up.....
See full article HERE
Tribunal backs Crown action over
ancestral mountains
A
Waitangi Tribunal report has told Hauraki tribes they should fix
internal troubles over their rights to ancestral mountains, because
it is not the Crown's role.
The recommendation follows an
accusation from Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu that the Crown dealt unfairly
with conflict within the tribal collective.
The iwi claimed that offering 1000
hectares in both Mt Te Aroha and Moehau to the tribal collective was
unfair.
Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu wanted part or
all of Mt Te Aroha to be placed in its care because it said it held
the mana whenua over the maunga.....
See full article HERE
Key scotches national water
settlement, spruiks irrigation
April 14 (BusinessDesk) - Prime
Minister John Key has reiterated a National-led government will not
negotiate a national Treaty of Waitangi settlement over Maori claims
to freshwater and will not grant claims from some Maori leaders that
Maori have ownership rights to freshwater.
"There won't be a national
settlement under us and there won't be change of ownership under us,"
Key told his weekly post-Cabinet media conference yesterday. His
comments came after weekend media reports that the freshwater arm of
the influential Iwi Leaders Group had commissioned a report from a
Wellington economic consultancy, Sapere, that recommended a national
settlement and the establishment of tradable water rights.
"There are some Maori leaders who
believe that actually they own the water, iwi leaders who believe
they own water and should have dedicated national allocation rights,
and what I’m saying is that’s actually not the government’s
position," Key said....
See full article HERE
NZ First Opposes Special Privileges
Over Water Rights
“One thing New Zealanders have learnt
about the Key Government is the need for constant vigilance - in this
case, against a toxic cocktail of blind ideology and naivety,” says
Rt Hon Winston Peters.
“National Ministers Bill English and
Nick Smith have been holding negotiations behind closed doors with
the powerful Iwi Leaders Group to carve up fresh water resources.
“These discussions were forced on the
Government once the Prime Minister, against the majority view, began
privatising power companies whose only real asset is New Zealand’s
water. Maori quickly demanded that if private interests could own our
water why couldn’t they?”
Mr Peters says that like the Foreshore
and Seabed, this is one more issue that arrogant National Ministers
have blundered into.
“We say New Zealand’s fresh water
resources are the birthright of all New Zealanders. We strongly
oppose National’s deceptive, divisive, ideological and now race
based policy in relation to New Zealand’s fresh water
resources......
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
14 April 2015
Iwi leaders' water claim "nothing but corporate greed"
Iwi leaders’ water claim “nothing
but corporate greed” says Ngapuhi academic David Rankin
As iwi leaders from around the country
meet to discuss claiming commercial rights to all the country’s
lakes, rivers, reservoirs, dams and any other fresh water, Ngapuhi
academic David Rankin has questioned their motives.
Mr
Rankin, who is currently undertaking a PhD on traditional property
rights, points out that prior to the arrival of Europeans in New
Zealand, Maori never owned water. And even after Europeans arrived,
Maori never owned water. He says that there is no cultural basis or
historical precedent for the claim. Neither is water Treaty right
according to him “Water is not mentioned in the Treaty once.
‘Taonga’ are mentioned, but these are not property rights. A
‘taonga’ traditionally was something that could be acquired at
the point of a spear. Try doing that with water”, he says.
Mr Rankin believes that the attempts by
iwi leaders to grab hold of water rights is just a case of
opportunism. He sees a pattern emerging where if Maori leaders thump
their fists long enough about a resource, they will acquire it. He
points to the foreshore and seabed, Auckland’s mountains, some
national parks, mining rights, forestry rights, and radio frequencies
as examples.
“Tribal trusts boards are not about
Maori, they use the iwi names as a front for their commercial
ventures. The average Maori receives as much benefit from them as the
average European: none,” says Mr Rankin. “As proof of this, even
though iwi now measure their wealth in the billions of dollars, Maori
are poorer now than at any other time in living memory”.
Brash warns National could face
provincial revolt over water
Former National Party leader Don Brash
says the party could hand NZ First a powerful election campaign if it
gives Maori preferential access in fresh-water reform.
New details of the Crown's negotiations
with the Iwi Leaders Group over fresh-water reform, emerged on
Sunday, with signs the Government is moving towards "catchment
by catchment" negotiated at a regional -government level, that
could grant iwi preferential access.
Brash said the Crown appeared to be
trying to stop the issue becoming a national one by passing
responsibility to regional government, but he believed there was
growing anger among the public at preferential deals for Maori.....
See full article HERE
Iwis bid for permanent water rights
Maori leaders are vying for effective
ownership of a share of New Zealand's fresh waterways.
Iwi leaders have called for an end to
the 35-year water consent renewal process in favour of permanent
rights for existing consent holders – some of which are iwi –
which can be traded away.
The Government has said it won't hand
over rights to Maori forever, but it may permit regional councils to
do local deals with iwi.
"In terms of ownership of water,
the Government's position is very clear – no one owns water,"
Prime Minister John Key said on TV3's Paul Henry programme this
morning.
"So what you're really arguing now
is, do they have any use rights of water? And the answer is yeah,
they may do."
But the possibility that councils may
give iwi permanent rights over certain waterways is worrying
Federated Farmers.
He (Federated Farmers spokesperson Ian
Mackenzie) says the iwis' are also arguing for Maori rights to be in
perpetuity, but not others.
Federated Farmers isn't opposed to
Maori being allocated water per se, says Mr Mackenzie, just what
effect it might have on existing water rights.
Mr Key says the waterways affected are
"very limited", but former National Party leader Don Brash
says giving councils the right to decide could backfire on the
Government......
See full article HERE
The Maori owners of Poroti Springs are
angry local authorities approved variations to a resource consent at
the site without consulting them.
In August last year Northland Regional
Council (NRC) and Whangarei District Council (WDC) gave Zodiac
Holdings Ltd approval to expand the earthworks for a commercial water
bottling plant across the road from the springs.
Local hapu have fought for many years
to stop the granting of permits for water from the aquifer, including
through the Environment Court. Mr Ruka said it should be automatic
for them to be consulted or at least notified of any processes
affecting the site.
But Northland District Council
monitoring manager Colin Dall said the council ticked off WDC's
application for a variation on a non-notifiable basis because both
councils were satisfied the effects of the earthworks would be
minimal. Despite it being non-notifiable, the council told seven hapu
groups about the application, Mr Dall said.....
See full article HERE
First Pacific Whanau Ora service
launched in Northland
Health, social services and education
provider The Fono has launched the first Northland Pacific Whanau Ora
Service at the Kaikohe Memorial Hall on Friday. Whanau Ora is an
inclusive approach to providing services and opportunities to
families, and the service is the first of its kind specifically for
Pacific families residing in Northland. In attendance were Maori
Party Co-leader and Member of Parilament Hon. Marama Fox, members of
the local Pacific community and the Te Hau Ora o Kaikohe Charitable
Trust.
The Fono provides affordable services
including medical, dental, pharmacy, health promotion, social
services, education and Whanau Ora. Bringing a Pacific Whanau Ora
service to the Northland town of Kaikohe will raise the profile of
Pacific people far more than locals realise, says Falesiu Fotu, The
Fono’s Northland Whanau Ora Navigator.
“There are more Pacific people here
than you may realise. There are a lot of mixed Maori and Pacific
families and there are a lot of Pacific people living here who would
like the opportunity to be part of a Pacific organisation,” says
Falesiu Fotu, who worked for Te Hau Ora o Kaikohe and will remain
based at their offices...
See full artilce HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
13 April 2015
Maori in freshwater bid
MAORI LEADERS have mounted a bid for
effective ownership of a share of the country's freshwater. This
would allow them, and other with water rights, to onsell it to those
who need water for irrigation, hydropower and other commercial uses.
The Government is adamant it will not
hand over rights in perpetuity to Maori — but it may compromise by
allowing regional councils to do local deals with Maori.
Farmers are worried that there will not
be enough water to go around If significant quantities of freshwater
are set aside for Maori.
The Crown has acknowledged Maori
interests and rights in freshwater but their extent and nature is at
issue.
English insisted freshwater claims
would not spark a foreshore and seabed-style controversy like the one
that engulfed the Clark Government.
A spokesman for the Freshwater Iwi
Leaders Group would say only that the group ‘‘ continues to
engage with the Crown on Iwi freshwater rights and
interests.’’.......
See full article HERE
Iwi leaders share water plans
The Freshwater Iwi Leadership Group is
holding regional consultation hui on its negotiations with the crown
over Maori interests in water.
The government is using the
consultation as an excuse to defer a promised Waitangi Tribunal
investigation into water issues until at least 2016.
Iwi advisor Willie Te Aho says the
starting point for the iwi leaders is the tribunal’s finding that
Maori rights over water at 1840 were akin to ownership.
He says they are unhappy the National
Policy Statement of Freshwater Management talks of the minimum
standard for water being wadeable.
"It’s not enough for our kids to
be able to wade in the water. We want them to be able to put their
heads underneath the water. We want them the be able to drink the
water. The other aspect is ensuring there is enough water left not
only for the sustenance of the water itself but for the life within
the water, whether it be our tuna, our inanga, all the life in that
water that is part of the ecosystem," Mr Te Aho says....
See full article HERE
Like
thousands of Aucklanders, Ngati Whatua Orakei have been disappointed
by the way Ports of Auckland has vowed to push ahead with its planned
Bledisloe Wharf extensions, despite strong public opposition.
The Waitemata is a taonga tuku iho - a
sacred treasure for Ngati Whatua Orakei and for all Aucklanders. It's
a place of cultural and social importance. It's the gateway to our
city, a treasure that needs care, for now and for our generations who
follow.
Ngati Whatua Orakei has real concerns
about the wider impact of the company's current direction. To us it
seems short-sighted.
Previously, Ngati Whatua Orakei called
for a 100-year plan for the Auckland port. We still think that is a
good timeframe for consideration. It's important we look at the
bigger picture before making decisions that could be difficult to
unwind.....
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
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12 April 2015
From the archives of Rod Vaughan (NBR)
Why other Kiwis must stop fawning to
the shrill cries of Maori
A New Zealand academic of Maori, Irish
and French descent believes the pendulum has swung too far in
redressing Maori grievances.
Dr Brian McDonnell, a senior lecturer
in film studies at Massey University, says New Zealand’s “polite
middle ground has become too fawning and the government too
accommodating to the shrill cries of extremists”.
He told NBR ONLINE: “Maori people
have certainly been marginalised in the past and there are specific
wrongs to be righted, but it’s time to draw back to the centre.
“In an effort to be nice you can be
seen as a soft touch, so who can blame Maori groups for asking for
the stars when the government and the Auckland Council seem ready to
grant power and funds while ignoring democratic processes.
“It has been the move to enshrine the
Treaty of Waitangi in a written or more formalised constitution that
I feel should be the 'bridge too far' for well-meaning, reasonable,
moderate people, both Maori and Pakeha, to say 'enough'.
“I would certainly place myself among
their number and for me it is not Maori bashing to say so.
“I am part-Maori and I want success
for all Maori people, but I think dependence on a Treaty-burdened
constitution will not help Maori, as its advocates claim.”
Dr McDonnell believes such a
constitution will trap Maori in a “suffocating self-definition as
in need of special pleading and a special status”.
“True equality comes with being
treated as responsible adults who shoulder responsibilities as well
as crying out for rights.
One standard of citizenship
“We must have one standard of
citizenship for all and the over-arching identity in the progressive
New Zealand state must be unified citizenship, not class divisions
based on 1840 groupings.
“If a Maori and Pakeha marry and have
children, why call the children Maori and not Pakeha?” he asks.
“I can whakapapa back to my Tuhoe
forebears and am proud of that, but a huge part of my make-up is
Irish, those first 'sufferers' of British colonising zeal.
“Children of mixed parentage should
not increase the census count of one ethnicity at the expense of the
others.
“I experience consternation when
academic speakers at conferences parade their iwi affiliations but
are mute on the subject of their European ancestry.
“Just because a Waldorf salad calls
itself an apple doesn’t mean it actually is an apple!”
Exasperated and amused
Dr McDonnell says that working in a
university has by turns “exasperated and amused me as one
witnesses:
- The opening of anything bigger than a broom cupboard ceremonialised with a Maori blessing at dawn.
- The imposition of grace before meals with staff bent forward silently, hands clasped while someone prays, all this in a supposedly secular institution.”
“I enjoy the haka done well and have
performed it myself while playing rugby overseas but, like Valerie
Adams, I’m haka’d out.
“It's over exposed and overdone as
with Maori welcomes, even to people who’ve been to the place often
before.
“And I tire of the self-indulgent,
meandering rants of self-aggrandising old men from any ethnic group,
especially when few present know what they are talking about.”
Dr McDonnell says he bases his ideas on
a strong wish for New Zealand to progress and prosper in the future
“and to look forward, not back, to be united in what will be a
trying world environment and for people to have equal opportunities
to succeed and prosper”.
He believes personal advancement should
be the result of merit and not the consequence of gender, ethnicity
or socio-economic status.
“Constitutionally, we cannot have two
types of citizenship, two groups of citizens depending on your ethnic
group – one made up of people like myself who whakapapa back to iwi
and hapu and those who don’t.
“The order in which your ancestors
arrived as migrants, settlers to this country cannot give you a
constitutional status that is different from anyone else.
“To embed this in some permanent way
is intolerable. People who are born here belong to the land
equally.
“We are at a risky time in our
nationhood and are like a boat being rowed by people looking fixedly
towards the past.
“We need someone looking ahead to
steer us where we need to go, not onto the rocks or off-course.”
January 17, 2013
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
11 April 2015
Settlement may involve airport
A claimant group that could be offered
a half-share in Hawke's Bay Airport is unlikely to want to on-sell
its stake in the business, a Treaty of Waitangi settlement expert
says.
Mana Ahuriri Incorporated has been
offered "right of first refusal" for the government's 50
per cent shareholding in Hawke's Bay Airport Limited as part of its
ongoing $20 million-plus Treaty of Waitangi claim settlement
negotiations with the Crown.
"Although this might be a
precedent in terms of that type of public infrastructure, it doesn't
surprise me and it doesn't seem extraordinary to me in any way,"
he said....
See full article HERE
Call for more Maori archaeology
students
There's
anecdotal evidence of tangata whenua ditching their archaeology
courses for Māori studies.
And with 85 percent of archaeological
sites believed to be Māori, the trend is causing some alarm in the
sector.
A professor of archaeology at Otago
University, Richard Walter, said it was critical for for tangata
whenua to be involved.
He said there was an increasing threat
on archaeological heritage - mostly coastal zones because of climate
change and rising developments projects.
"Most Māori communities have a
knowledge of what they might call significant sites [or] wāhi tapu,
places of figure in their cultural history and stories [and]
traditions.
"But those sites are only a very
very small fraction of the sites that are actually present on the
landscape. In order for us to really be able to make sure that these
sites continue into the future, it's really important that Māori
communities are aware of the full range of sites that are out
there.".....
See full article HERE
Owners consider legal action over
springs
Maori
trustees are considering legal action against two councils who have
given planning consent for a bottling plant at Poroti Springs near
Whangarei.
Auckland developer Zodiac Holdings has
resource consent to take water from the aquifer that feeds Poroti
Springs for export to Asia.
Whangarei District Council said there
was no need to notify Zodiac's application publicly - or consult the
Whatitiri Trustees - because it was simply a variation of the
original land use consent.....
See full article HERE
Ngati Hine and NorthTec have committed
to provide education pathways for Ngati Hine iwi members after an
educational partnership between the two was made official.
Representatives from NorthTec and Ngati
Hine recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoE), Te
Kimihinga, to formalise their already existing partnership.
"For Northland to thrive, Ngati
Hine needs to thrive. If Ngati Hine does not thrive, then Northland
will not thrive.
"One thing we're really looking
into is te reo Maori courses, and it's mainly looking at the quality
of te reo Maori. ...
See full article HERE
Wairarapa iwi favour super city
A
Wairarapa iwi authority supports the creation of a super city council
for the Wellington region - a position at odds with the views of the
region's local mayors.
The Local Government Commission
proposes to merge all nine councils from Wellington to Kāpiti Coast
and Wairarapa.
Chair of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa,
P.J. Devonshire, said his rūnanga supports the move so long as the
iwi voice is not diminished.....
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
10 April 2015
Crown twists Maori concepts say academics
The
Crown has adopted Māori concepts to fit its own agenda, Māori
researchers say.
At a recent hui in Ōtaki academics,
lawyers and researchers came together to discuss the meaning and
usage of two important words for tāngata whenua: Mātauranga and
Rangatiratanga.
One of the criticisms made was the way
in which Western society uses and appropriates the terms 'tino
rangatiratanga' and 'mātauranga'.
"The Crown definition is a
definition that suits Crown ideas about sovereignty so they turn
rangatiratanga into a subset of Crown sovereignty. I think it's
deliberate and it has the unfortunate effect of muddying the waters
for Māori ourselves. So that's one of the reasons why we have to
remind ourselves we're the ones who must continue to define it and
say what it means."
Dayle Takitimu, an indigenous rights
and environmental lawyer, said the Crown had its own agenda in
defining tino rangatiranga.
"The Crown has interpreted to fit
within their constitutional matrix which has Parliament as sovereign
and supreme and everything else subordinate to that and therefore
rangatiratanga can't possibly in that mindset mean sovereignty or
self-determination because that would be seen by the Crown and others
to be a challenge upon their authority, and so I think they've had a
vested interest in redefining it and reading it down and trying to
convince us of the same.....
See full article HERE
Taranaki joins $35m training scheme
A boost to an initiative designed to
get more Maori and Pasifika into the trades will benefit Taranaki
students.
Employment Minister Steven Joyce has
announced the expansion of the Maori and Pasifika Trades Training
initiative.
As a result, Taranaki Futures, along
with two Bay of Plenty providers, have joined 12 others who will
co-ordinate and deliver trades training in their area.
Taranaki Futures chairman Graham Wells
said it provided real benefits to the region, especially as the
population aged.
"The focus on Maori and Pasifika
learners is important as Maori and Pasifika populations are younger,
so will represent a greater proportion of the workforce in future
years," he said....
See full article HERE
The potential for business partnerships
with local iwi is behind the Wanganui District Council's plan to
increase its iwi liaison budget.
The prospect of multimillion-dollar
Treaty settlements being reached with three iwi has seen the council
budget $150,000 for cultural advice each year over the next 10 years
in its draft 10-year plan.
That figure represents an increase of
$124,000 per year on previous years.....
See full article HERE
Crown's Maori oilman joins private
firm
The
government's first Maori oil envoy has jumped ship and joined a
private oil company.
Pieri Munro is now representing Mont
D'or Petroleum.
The former police superintendent was
appointed iwi relationships manager in 2011, and travelled the
country in an attempt to get tribes on side with the Crown's plans
for firms to search for fossil fuels....
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
9 April 2015
Maori call for totara protection in Takaka
Māori
in Golden Bay are calling for more protection of ancient indigenous
trees in the rohe to stop them from being felled without
consultation.
An environmental group has been
demanding action by the Tasman District Council to stop 100-year old
totara being felled in the Takaka Valley to make way for dairy
farming and irrigation systems.
Now, the umbrella entity for the three
Māori Trusts in Golden Bay who act as kaitiaki (guardians) for the
rohe: Ngāti Tama, Te Ātiawa and Ngāti Rārua, have raised concerns
about the felling.
Manawhenua ki Mohua's kaumatua, John
Ward-Holmes, said manawhenua only hear on the grapevine once totara
trees are felled.
"It's very sad, but if a farmer is
not going to be fined, or there's no regulations in place to ensure
that they're not cut down, the farmer is going to do whatever they
want."
Mr Ward-Holmes said manawhenua would
prefer the 100-year old trees to stay put if possible, but if they
can't be kept, they would like the opportunity to use the wood for
customary purposes.......
See full article HERE
Call for heads to roll at More
FM
A
call has gone out for heads to roll at More FM as a result of the
radio station’s latest photoshop joke that has gone viral and that
belittled some of the most respected performers in New Zealand’s
kapa haka circle.
“They are a bunch of thieving, silly
and stupid people who need to get their heads inspected, perhaps even
drug tested,” said Willie Te Aho of Aotearoa Kapa Haka Ltd which
manages copyright issues over images taken of performances at Te
Matatini - Aotearoa’s prestigious Maori performing arts festival.
“More FM never asked for permission
to use our images. Then they have a cheek to steal them then chop a
few heads off, skewer and bend them.
“I’m disgusted with how More FM
deginerated kapa haka and the mana of performers from Te Whanau A
Apanui.....
See full article HERE
Rangitaane iwi calls wants sewage
ponds lined
An
iwi group has laid down a $2 million challenge to Palmerston North
City Council to take more responsibility for looking after the
environment.
Tanenuiarangi Manawatu Inc, a group
mandated to speak for Rangitaane, is insisting the council put
synthetic liners in the Ashhurst sewage ponds which are used to hold
wastewater before it is pumped to the Totara Rd treatment plant.
The council stopped discharging
Ashhurst's wastewater to the Manawatu River in June last year after a
$4.6 million pipeline project to connect to the city's sewer mains
.
Water and waste services manager Rob
Green said council staff thought there was an agreement with
Tanenuiarangi to monitor the ponds for three years to find out
whether there was any seepage that showed lining was necessary.
It was "a little bit of a
bombshell" to find its stance now was that it would resist a new
consent being granted to allow the council to continue discharging to
the ponds unless it undertook to do the lining anyway, Green
said.......
See full article HERE
Kauri in way of bridge upgrade
The so-called Darby and Joan Bridge in
the Waipoua kauri forest is on the list of 10 one-way bridges to be
upgraded - an announcement National made during the Northland
by-election.
Te Roroa Treaty settlement negotiator
Gary Hooker said no one from National asked what iwi thought.
He said if they had, they would have
discovered the bridge was flanked by two iconic kauri.
"The only way it could be done, as
far as I can see, is for one or both of the trees to be moved, which
in itself could be quite an undertaking," Mr Hooker said.
"There's no way we would agree to
that."
The government is obliged to consult
the iwi about anything affecting the Waipoua kauri forest, under the
Te Roroa agreement......
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
8 April 2015
Now
that a Taranaki tribe has settled its Treaty claim including
receiving a Crown apology, it says it will meet with its neighbours
to discuss a collective claim over Mount Taranaki.
Chair of Ngāruahine, Dr Will Edwards,
said it brings the eight Taranaki tribes closer to making a
collective claim over Mount Taranaki.
Lead Treaty negotiator Daisy Noble
presented a gift, a portrait of Te Rere o Kapuni, or Dawson Falls to
the Minister of Treaty Negotiations, Chris Finlayson, which
symbolises the tribe's desire to claim back their ancestral
mountain.....
See full article HERE
Te Reo plan 'overlooks' urban
Maori
Urban
tangata whenua are being overlooked in the Government's plans for a
new agency to lead the kaitiakitanga of Te Reo, the Māori Language
Commission says.
It
also says dialects are not being given enough attention, in the drive
to put the guardianship of the language under a mostly iwi-led group
called Te Matawai.
The opinions are contained in a Māori
Affairs Select Committee review of the Māori Language Commission.
The Māori Development Minister Te
Ururoa Flavell has refused to comment on the Commission's views, or
explain how the proposed strategy would be inclusive of urban
Māori....
See full article HERE
Call for national day to remember
all NZ Land Wars
As the country takes a break over the
Easter holiday, a few Māori MPs are turning their thoughts to
support another national holiday in remembrance of the NZ Land Wars.
A petition has been established calling
for all land wars to be commemorated with a national day and the
signatures have almost reached the level needed to present it to
Parliament....
See full article HERE
Govt announces expansion of Māori
and Pasifika Trades Training
Today the Government announced the
expansion of the Māori and Pasifika Trades Training initiative.
Three new consortia have joined the 12 providers who are
already with the programme.
Last year, 12 groups were chosen to
provide training in the Hawke's Bay, East Coast, Auckland, Northland,
Canterbury, Rotorua, Waikato and Wellington.
Now, three more groups have been added
to give trades training to Taranaki and the Bay of Plenty.
Ultimately, the initiative aims to
support young Māori and Pasifika people and assist them in gaining
qualifications, apprenticeships and employment in trades......
See full article HERE
Maori Spectrum Trust brings on heavy
hitters
As part of the establishment of the Te
Huarahi Tika, the Crown provided preferential rights to radio
frequency spectrum with a $5 million cash contribution. Subsequently,
the Hautaki Trust was formed as the entity which used the funds to
secure international investment of over $350M for the establishment
of our third mobile network, 2 Degrees Mobile. As well as its own
shares in the Company, Hautaki holds in trust shares held by both the
Tūaropaki Trust and Wairarapa Moana Inc......
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
7 April 2015
A range of reserves, historic places,
cultural sites and scenic spots around the Taupo district will be
transferred to Ngati Tuwharetoa when a settlement between the iwi and
the Crown goes ahead.
Those include sites at Huka Falls, the
Taupo Landing Reserve in Ferry Rd, the Tongariro National Trout
Centre, Craters of the Moon, Tokaanu Thermal Recreation Reserve and
the Taupo Courthouse Historic Reserve.
The settlement includes free and full
public access to all but part of one site at Five Mile Bay Recreation
Reserve, and existing third party interests will be maintained.
The agreement in principle also
proposes renaming some of the features in the Ngati Tuwharetoa rohe,
subject to agreement of both parties and the New Zealand Geographic
Board.
That would include renaming Mission Bay
to Otaiatoa, Bulli Point to Te Poporo, and Cherry Island to
Motutahae.....
See full article HERE
Input wanted on electoral system
Public input is being sought as an
independent panel works to overhaul the Dunedin City Council's
electoral system.
The panel, headed by Associate Prof
Janine Hayward, a political studies lecturer, has called for public
input on the future size and shape of the system.
That could include whether the city had
the right number of councillors, wards and community boards, the need
for guaranteed Maori representation and the system used to elect
each......
See full article HERE
Rural dole can build
traditional communities
An
economic historian is calling for the benefit system to become more
flexible to allow people to function within traditional subsistence
economies.
Keith Rankin from Unitec was responding
to a challenge from Mana leader Hone Harawira that the Abbott
Government’s removal of support from remote Australian Aboriginal
communities was similar to Work and Income’s policy of not paying
benefits to Maori who return to their home rural villages.....
See full article HERE
A Hawke's
Bay iwi divorced from its land since a dodgy Crown purchase and the
Omarunui and Petane massacres of 1866 hopes a Treaty settlement
signed on Thursday will bring some closure to grief and suffering
dating back more than a century and a half.
Originally based in the Te Haroto and
Tarawera - now midway on the Napier-Taupo highway - Ngati Hineuru
signed a Deed of Settlement with the Crown in an emotional ceremony
at the Beehive in Wellington on Thursday.
All that remains is an act of
Parliament for the completion of the deal which, in land, assets,
cash and cultural redress, is valued at more than $25 million.....
See full article HERE
Te Arawa seeks new partnership model
Rotorua Pro-Democracy says they
acknowledge Te Arawa as mana whenua but the current proposal to give
Te Arawa Standing Committee the right to vote for non-elected members
to sit on important boards within the Rotorua Council is not right.
However, the Chair of the Te Arawa
Standing Committee, Arapeta Tahana says what they are trying to
achieve relates back to the Treaty of Waitangi and hopes Rotorua
Pro-Democracy can sit down with his group.
Mr Tahana says, “They should approach
us so we can sit as one and understand what they really don't like
about the proposal. The reason behind this, is so all people who live
here in the Rotorua region are joined as one.”
Submissions on the Te Arawa Partnership
proposal closes on the 17th of this month.....
See full article HERE
Northland councils accused of racism
A
Northland hapu is criticising local councils for failing to tell them
about plans for a water-bottling plant that could pollute their
waters.
Auckland developer Zodiac Holdings has
long-standing approval to take water from aquifers that feed Poroti
Springs, west of Whangarei.
Last year, the company gained consent
from the Whangarei District Council to double the size of its planned
factory.
The local hapu, who are the legal
owners of the springs, said the Northland Regional Council also just
approved earthworks and stormwater discharges from the plant that
could pollute the Springs.....
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
6 April 2015
From the NZCPR archives By Dr Muriel Newman
Crime – it’s about demography
not race
The Maori Party is claiming that New
Zealand’s justice, police, courts and corrections processes
systematically discriminate against Maori. Co-leader Pita Sharples
says that he has based his stance on a series of top-level reports.
But it is clear that he is ignoring overwhelming evidence that show
his claims of prejudice to be not only blatant electioneering, but
blatant racism as well!
Last week’s release of Police crime
statistics show that in the year to June 30, recorded offences across
the country have fallen by 25,636 to 416,324, a drop of 5.8 percent.
The number of recorded murders fell by almost 50 percent, from 65
last year to 34 – the lowest level since fiscal year reporting
began in 1986. With recorded crimes presently at 947 per 10,000 head
of population, down from the peak of 1,325 per 10,000 in 1993, there
is no doubt that overall crime rates have been trending downwards for
some years.
This same
downwards trend is evident in the Ministry of Justice’s Justice
Sector Forecast 2011-2021, which has just been released. It shows a
continuing fall in all justice-related areas. This includes the rate
of imprisonment which is expected to fall by 6.2 percent over the
next decade, reducing the prison population from the current 8,708 to
8,165. This will lower the incarceration rate per 100,000 people from
198 in June 2011 to 170 by June 2021 – a fall of 16 percent over
the decade.1
In addition to the improvements in
policing and rehabilitation practices that have been made over the
years – as well as advancements in personal and property security –
the fall in crime can be largely attributed to demographics.
The most crime prone group in any
population is young people aged from 15 to 24 years old. That means
that the number of young people in this age group is a key
determinant of crime. The more of these young people there are, as a
percentage of the population as a whole, the higher the crime rate.
Put simply – the fewer the number of 15 to 24 year olds in our
population, the lower the crime rate.
Following World War II, the rise of the
Baby Boomer generation dramatically increased the number of young
people in this crime-prone age group. As this Baby Boomer cohort has
aged, so the number of young people in the 15 to 24 year old age
group has reduced – and with it crime.
According to Census data, in 1971,
young people in the 15 to 24 age group made up 17.3 percent of the
general population, but by 2006, the number had fallen to 14.4
percent – a 20 percent decrease. However, the proportion of Maori
in that 15 to 24 age group, which was 8.5 percent in 1971, had more
than doubled to 19.2 percent in 2006. That obviously means that Maori
will feature much more often in crime statistics than they used to.
This does not in any way suggest Maori are being discriminated
against by our policing and justice systems as Pita Sharples would
have us believe.
But while demography explains some of
the disparity, it clearly doesn’t tell the whole story.
According to Statistics New Zealand, a
key determinant in the way official information involving Maori is
reported was altered in the mid-seventies when government definitions
were changed from being based on ancestry and blood quantum (someone
had to be half-caste or more to be classified as Maori) to being
based on ethnic affiliation and self-identification.
In his
seminal work, Maori Socio-Economic Disparity, Simon Chapple, a Senior
Research Analyst with the Department of Labour used census data to
explain the implications of this change: “In the 1996 census there
were 273,693 New Zealanders who identified ethnically as Maori and
Maori only. In addition to this, there were 250,338 New Zealanders
who identified as members of another ethnic group, usually
Pakeha/European, and also as Maori. Currently Statistics New
Zealand’s official policy is to arbitrarily classify mixed
ethnicity individuals who have Maori as one of their ethnic groups as
Maori and not as the other group or groups to which they also belong.
This sole plus mixed group is the Maori ethnic group as officially
measured. In addition the 1996 census reveals another 56,343 New
Zealanders with Maori ancestry but who do not identify ethnically as
Maori. Adding these ancestry-but-not ethnicity people gives around
580,374 Maori in 1996.”2
He suggested that a more accurate
reflection of the real situation could be obtained by retaining half
of those classified as Maori as part of the Maori ethnic group, with
the rest allocated to a non-Maori groups using their other primary
stated ethnicity.
The bottom-line impact of all of this
is that official statistics relating to Maori massively overstate
their numbers. Given the high rates of intermarriage that have always
been a major feature of New Zealand’s population mix, the notion
that Maori are a distinct and growing population is not based on
reality, since the number of ‘true’ Maori under the old blood
quantum definition is in serious decline. Instead it has become a
political construct aimed at fulfilling elite tribal ambitions for
power and resources.
Clearly, under the current
classification, where almost one in five of the young people in the
high risk 15 to 24 year old age group are classified as Maori, it is
inevitable that a large proportion of the young people who are
arrested and imprisoned are going to be Maori. If the classification
was changed to better reflect the true situation – as was suggested
by Simon Chapple – the number of Maori falling foul of the law
would drop sharply.
But there is another story here, and
that is the huge influence that family has on crime. New Zealand’s
Chief Youth Court Judge Andrew Beecroft has described the majority of
the serious youth offenders that he deals with in his court as boys
who have had no contact with their father; 80 percent do not go to
school and have chronic drug and alcohol addictions; most have
psychological or psychiatric issues; 50 percent – up to 90 percent
in some courts – are Maori; and all of them have been seriously
abused as a child. He explains, “14, 15, and 16 year-old boys seek
out role models like ‘heat seeking missiles’. It’s either the
leader of the Mongrel Mob or it’s a sports coach or it’s a Dad.
But an overwhelming majority of the boys who I see in the Youth Court
have lost all contact with their father”.
In light of these comments the
statistics on birth rates paints a rather bleak picture for the
future. In 1971, Statistics New Zealand data shows 31 percent of
Maori children were born to unmarried mothers, compared to 11 percent
for non-Maori. However, by the end of June 2011, a massive 79 percent
of Maori children were born to unmarried mothers – compared to 35
percent for non-Maori.
This collapse of marriage signals a
tragic start for many Maori children. While the causes of crime are
complex, in reality it is a story of family. Children growing up in
strong families with a mother and father who provide for them and are
fully committed to helping them achieve their potential in life, are
unlikely to become involved in crime. On the other hand, children
growing up in unmarried families – especially where their mother is
dependent on welfare – where there is no father to protect them,
where violence and abuse are commonplace, and where there is no role
model of a breadwinner who works for a living, are disadvantaged from
the day they are born. They are far more likely to eventually find
themselves on the path to criminal offending.
In light of the reality of what is
going on it’s surely time for Maoridom to turn its back on
grievance as the path to power and privilege and instead concentrate
on doing what others do – help to grow strong and caring families
that cherish their children and place a strong focus on education as
the path to the future.
Pita Sharples does not address these
issues of demography, statistics and family in his call for reform.
Instead he prefers to slur the Police and the criminal justice system
with accusations of racism. He says he wants to remove the so-called
bias against Maori by adopting the ideas of Moana Jackson,
“restructuring the Justice system upon the basis of the Treaty of
Waitangi and the foundation of partnership”. He also wants to
indoctrinate the whole of the public service “to cover every
ministry and department across the whole of government” with his
race-based ‘cultural competency’ propaganda.
This week’s NZCPR Guest Commentator,
Garth McVicar, is the founder of the Sensible Sentencing Trust, a
voluntary organisation that has changed the crime and punishment
landscape in New Zealand over recent years by tirelessly campaigning
for victims’ rights and tougher penalties for violent crime. Garth
is appalled at the Maori Party’s claims of racism and in his
article Tough policies reduce crime explains:
“For
Pita Sharples to suggest that the Police have an ‘ethnic bias’ or
pick on Maori is an insult to Police and every law-abiding New
Zealander – no matter what race. Most Maori – like most other
people do NOT commit crime – to suggest the Police are to blame for
the high level of Maori offending is typical of the tactics used by
opponents to discredit any threats to their agenda. So what is Pita
Sharples’ agenda? The answer can only be that they do not want
criminals caught.”
Claims of racism against the Police and
the justice system are politicking of the worst kind. This slur is
being used by the Maori Party as a political ploy to justify their
attempt to take control, not only of the criminal justice system, but
the whole of the public service as well. Not all at once, of course,
but incrementally: a cultural competency programme here (to ensure
that all public servants embrace the ‘Maori World View’), and a
claim of Treaty partnership rights there – to give Maori privileges
that other New Zealanders don’t have.
It is all, of course, a self-serving
agenda. Dr Sharples believes that the ultimate solution is to have a
Maori Justice system – one land, two peoples, two laws. Everything
the Maori Party and other Maori activists do is designed to advance
Maori privilege and power. The self-serving manipulation of crime
statistics and the orchestration of the notion of racial prejudice
when there is none, is just another example.
October 9, 2011
5 April 2015
From the files of Alf Grumble
If you are indigenous (and special)
you get to sit on a board – others have a scant say through panels
Spare a thought for Feroz Ali, a bloke
who has become sadly disillusioned.
He has resigned as chairman of the
Auckland Council Ethnic People’s Advisory Panel after just 11
months on the job, saying the panel is a “token” body.
Feroz Ali said the panel had no real
status and he was unhappy about what it was costing ratepayers.
This cost happens to be bugger all,
compared with the cost of accommodating the demands of indigenous
persons to exercise power without having to bother with the irksome
business of getting elected. The council said the budget for running
the ethnic board was between $70,000 and $85,000 a year.
The NZ Herald today records
Ali’s disappointment:
“As chair, I found that the panel is only there for token
consultation and frankly a waste of ratepayers’ money,” he said
in an email to panel members after tendering his resignation on
Wednesday.
He had “serious
concerns about the governance in Auckland Council”.
Mr Ali said
yesterday he had attended five meetings since being appointed, but
felt uneasy about getting $500 for each meeting he chaired. Other
members received $200 for each meeting they attended.
“For what’s
happening, if you look at some of the decisions coming around the
council now, I think it’s morally irresponsible for
me to collect $500 to chair a meeting and to make very subjective
views,” Mr Ali said.
“There are
about half a dozen panels that has been created, costing ratepayers
about half a million dollars, that money could be put to better use.”
Alf strongly suggests Ali have a chat
with others sitting on these panels and advisory boards and
persuades them to follow his splendid example......
Continue reading Alf's splendid blog
HERE
March 21st, 2015
Mole News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please send to mole@nzcpr.com
4 April 2015
Māori Standing Committee concerned Wairoa iwi have no say in local survey
A
telephone-based survey seeking views on the proposed amalgamation of
Hawke’s Bay authorities has generated concern from the Māori
Standing Committee of the Wairoa District Council.
The Committee believes the independent
survey breaches the Treaty of Waitangi by denying Wairoa iwi the
ability to participate and the concerns raised have been forwarded to
the Local Government Commission (LGC).....
See full article HERE
Iwi's water dispute with
council ongoing
Ngāti
Kahungunu says its litigation of its regional council is not a good
example of what a partnership should look like.
The
tribe took Hawke's Bay Regional Council to the Environment Court over
fears officials would allow contaminants to run into the Heretaunga
and Ruataniwhā aquifers.
The iwi won the case, meaning the
council can not abandon its responsibility to maintain water quality.
The chair of the tribe Ngahiwi Tomoana
said he was disappointed the iwi had to end up in court when they
would prefer to sit at the decision-making table with local
authorities......
See full article HERE
NZ slipping in human rights issues -
report
A
new report warns New Zealand's poor handling of human rights issues
and Parliament's failure to act is harming the country's reputation.
Co-author and former Parliament
Speaker, Margaret Wilson, said the report highlighted serious faults
in areas such as child poverty, gender equality, systematic
disadvantage of Maori and disabled people's rights.
She said there needed to be more focus
on how the country implements recommendations made by the United
Nations.
The report, which has made 13
recommendations, has also suggested a more proactive role for the
Maori Affairs Select Committee in helping to close inequality
gaps....
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
2 April 2015
Iwi
authority Ngati Kahungunu is celebrating an Environment Court
decision it says is a victory over Hawke's Bay Regional Council's
attempts to reduce water-quality standard provisions for the region's
aquifers.
In a decision on Friday, the
Environment Court sided with Ngati Kahungunu, saying its bid to
retain the objectives was in keeping with the provisions of the
Resource Management Act.
"To not aspire and attempt to at
least maintain the quality of water abdicates the functions of a
regional council," Judge Craig Thompson and commissioners Kevin
Prime and Anne Leijnen said in their judgment.
Ngati Kahungunu chairman Ngahiwi
Tomoana said the decision was pleasing after the iwi had spent more
than $100,000 and months preparing the challenge.....
See full article HERE
Ngāti Hineuru to sign settlement
worth nearly $50mil
Located in the Te Haroto region on the
Napier-Taupo Road, Ngāti Hineuru is looking forward to meeting
with the Crown tomorrow.
This also means that after
more than 170 years, that Ngāti Hineuru will be officially
recognised as an iwi.
The settlement is worth approximately
$50 million.
Ngāti Hineuru negotiated a $25 million
quantum, and a $2 million cultural fund as well as $15,000 to erect
pouwhenua in their district.
The iwi will also receive a portion of
the Esk Forest. Hineuru will receive a further sum of $16
million for the redress in the Central North Island Agreement.
“For a small iwi of only 1500
registered members, this is a very large settlement. Per
capita, we understand that the value of our settlement is one of the
highest,” says Tuhuiao Kahukiwa, Chair of Ngati Hineuru Iwi
Incorporated.....
See full article HERE
Iwi offered airport share
The claimant group that lobbied
for the region's airport to be renamed Ahuriri Airport Hawke's Bay
could become a half-owner of the facility through its treaty
settlement.
Mana Ahuriri Incorporated has been
offered "right of first refusal" for the government's 50
per cent shareholding in Hawke's Bay Airport Limited as part of its
ongoing $20 million-plus Treaty of Waitangi claim settlement
negotiations with the Crown.
Asked if the group was interested in
taking up the airport share offer, Mana Ahuriri deputy chairman Piri
Prentice said yesterday it was too early to say because negotiations
were continuing.
If Mana Ahuriri were to pick up the
Crown's half of the airport - worth several million dollars - it
would become a joint owner with Napier City Council and Hastings
District Council which have 26 per cent and 24 per cent stakes
respectively......
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
1 April 2015
The
lower North Island tribe, Ngāti Toa, wants all of its members to be
speaking or learning Te Reo Maori in four years' time.
And, in about 25 years, it aims for the
language to be used in at least half of all tribal homes.
The iwi has developed a strategy to
help people learn Te Reo at home and integrate it into their daily
lives.
Ngati Toa chair Taku Parai said the
plan would lead to members being more culturally active and bring
them closer to the tribe......
See full article HERE
Fish & Game Welcomes Landmark
Water Quality Win
Fish & Game is describing the
Environment Court decision on Hawke’s Bay water quality as a
“landmark” which will have an impact nationwide.
The Hawke’s Bay iwi Ngati Kahungunu
took the case to the Environment Court to challenge the Hawke’s Bay
Regional Council’s proposal to change the way it manages water
quality in its regional plan.
Ngati Kahungunu argued that the
regional council could not allow groundwater quality to be further
degraded and that the council must also recognise and provide for
Maori culture and traditions with taonga such as water.
Ms Jordan said the decision is
important for all Maori.
“The court has told the Hawke’s Bay
Regional Council that it must not only protect water from further
degradation, but actually improve its quality if it is to meet its
obligation to Maori.”....
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
31 March 2015
The
former MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Hone Harawira, is accusing the
Government here of similar tactics to the Australian Government,
which is proposing to shut down remote Aboriginal communities
Mana
Party leader Hone Harawira, who lost his Te Tai Tokerau seat in the
last general election, said the Australian Government's proposal was
'blatant racism', which denied indigenous people there the right to
live on their customary land.
He said New Zealanders should be making
a strong statement about the fact this country's government operated
a similar denial of service to remote communities by cutting off the
unemployment benefit to Maori who wanted to return home.
He said they were unable to go back to
certain communities without having their benefit removed.
Mr Harawira said that was a different
way of handling it, but had exactly the same effect of denying Maori
the right to live where they lived in their own country.....
See full article HERE
Northland result: Maori Party wants
to leverage its new power
The Maori Party says homelessness in
the regions is an issue, and is vowing to use its new power in the
House to tackle it.
The support of the party is more
critical to the government from today, with National's majority in
the House reduced in the wake of Winston Peters winning the Northland
seat off National's Mark Osborne yesterday....
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
30 March 2015
The
Auckland Council says only 36 bids to carry out work on sites of
cultural value have been identified by local iwi, which need further
scrutiny, something that's surprised the authority.
That is out of a total of 300
applications in the past year to March.
The involvement of the 19 local iwi is
through the council's rule book, the Proposed Unitary Plan, which
required the tribes to play a part in the cultural impact
assessments.
The council's chief planning officer
Roger Blakeley said the process provided an assurance that it was
doing what was needed......
See full article HERE
The debate
over the controversial Te Arawa Partnership Model continues, with the
Rotorua Pro Democracy Society hosting its own information and debate
sessions.
About 50 people attended the first
Rotorua Pro Democracy Society information session last night at the
Ngongotaha Hall, with about 40 people attending the tenth and final
Rotorua Lakes Council information session on the proposed partnership
at Lynmore School earlier that evening.
The council meeting was led by Strategy
and Partnerships group manager Jean-Paul Gaston.
Rotorua Pro Democracy Society
co-founder Reynold Macpherson emphasised the group was not anti-Te
Arawa or anti-Maori.
"We are not anti-Te Arawa and we
are not anti-Maori but we are pro democracy.
"Te Arawa Maori and Maoridom
broadly have not been consulted. This is an agreement by a small
group of people."
The society has a 14-member committee,
which includes district councillors Mike McVicar, Rob Kent and Glenys
Sereancke, who introduced themselves to the group.
Committee member Blanche Kingdon said,
"I am afraid to say I am one quarter Te Arawa but I am
definitely pro democracy."
Mr Macpherson told the group the
society had plans to march to the submitter hearings in purple
colours.
"We will march at the hearings in
a mass, a colourful mass, and our t-shirts will be chosen because
it's the colour of power in ancient Rome. Purple is also the colour
of Rongopai, the Christian peace that came to New Zealand with the
missionaries.".......
See full article HERE
More than 450 submissions have been
received by the Rotorua Lakes Council regarding its controversial Te
Arawa Partnership Proposal.
As of yesterday the council's Strategy
and Partnerships group manager Jean-Paul Gaston said a total of 467
submissions had been sent to the council.
He said a complete analysis of the
submissions had not yet been done, but of the 420 submissions
registered, exactly 50 per cent of submitters had answered "yes"
to the first question, "Do you support in principle the
intention to effectively partner with Te Arawa", with 50 per
cent saying "no".
The submission period ends on April 17
with hearings for those who want to be heard in person to support
their submission being heard on April 22 and 23....
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
29 March 2015
What’s really going on in our
schools?
If history has anything to teach us,
it’s that we should never take anything for granted. We need to be
vigilant in protecting what’s good about our society.
New Zealand has so much to be proud of.
We have led the world by ensuring equality of all citizens before the
law, introducing universal male and female sufferage, and we’ve
largely had great and integrated race relations. So when the Ministry
of Education starts demanding that schools give people of one ethnic
descent superior rights to all others, the hackles ought to be
rising.
We were forewarned when the Maori
Party’s Pita Sharples (Associate Minister of Education in the
National-lead Government) began talking about “cultural education”.
Little did we realise he intended systematic brainwashing of our
young people in schools.
The Ministry of Education’s
Curriculum Update entitled “Treaty of Waitangi Principle”
encapsulates this process. This edict was sent out last year after an
Education Review Office report (2011) claimed that many schools were
finding this “Principle” difficult to implement. Now their
difficulty may be because this “Principle” is indefinable, let
alone impractical, goes against the grain and all New Zealanders’
customary rights in our multi-cultural democracy – but that hurdle
hasn’t stopped our radical bureaucracy.
Our schools are being told:
- The Treaty
affords Maori a dual set of rights.
- Schools must
consult with the local Maori community about the school’s
direction.
- Te reo Maori
should be promoted in school management (i.e. in day-to-day staff
communication and admin), as well as teaching and learning.
- All pupils need
to learn Maori, gain knowledge and experience of important Maori
concepts and customs, and understand and celebrate the place of Maori
as tangata whenua.
- Schools will
learn to share power, control, and decision-making while validating
the unique position of Maori and recognizing the contribution Maori
make to education.
And the Update provides useful examples
of how other model schools successfully carry out their
indoctrination.
Why We’re Concerned
The Ministry’s Update is very
disturbing because it goes way beyond the teaching of Maori content.
It is a blatant attempt to change and control the behaviour of
schools, teachers and students, to promote the “Maori world view”
and to elevate “Maori” to a superior status not afforded anyone
else.
Race-based Discrimination
Equality before the law and democracy
(along with property rights) have long proven to be the foundations
of strong and prosperous economies. Yet here at home and certainly in
this Ministry, these tenets are being aggressively and persistently
undermined.
Increasingly we see that anyone with a
teaspoon of Maori blood are being given greater rights than any other
member of the population (with no corresponding emphasis on their
responsibilities). Meanwhile other New Zealanders are required to pay
tax to fund the double-dipping, dictatorial control or free ride of
Maori advisory boards, consultants, politicians, activists,
guardians, and the recipients of numerous race-based grants and
subsidies.
Control by Consultation
Consultation with iwi is increasingly
becoming a noose around our necks. It adds significant costs, delays
and complexity to any process, on anyone’s land, often to no
reasonable or democratic purpose. It is also a misnomer in
that we are obliged to meet any iwi demands.
Traditionally, schools have worked
closely with their communities but to suggest they need to “share
power, control, and decision-making while validating the unique
position of Maori” is discriminatory, onerous and asking for
trouble. Think of John Key’s “sweet, little old lady”,
Titiwhai Harawira and her family’s history of bullying behavior at
Waitangi and elsewhere. They are just one example of what we can
expect should a school and its entire community be made subservient
to forces within the local marae.
Effective Communication
Learning the Maori language is a nice,
cultural activity but it isn’t going to help New Zealanders get
ahead. The purpose of language is to effectively communicate with as
many people as possible. Being competent in te reo Maori may help get
you a job with an iwi corporation and seems to be becoming a
prerequisite for work as a government employee, but it certainly
won’t help much anywhere else in the world.
English is considered the international
language of business. Along with other high-growth languages such as
Mandarin and Spanish, it’s what people choose to speak if they want
a career and opportunities in an increasingly competitive world. Just
as Gaelic is of cultural rather than commercial value, so is te reo
Maori.
Our Future Depends on Quality
Education
Education should be all about preparing
children; giving them the skills to progress independently through
life as adults capable of critical thought, earning a living, caring
for families and contributing to society and the economy.
Will Maori-directed and dominated
schooling adequately prepare our children for the future? Competency
in English, Mandarin, maths, the sciences or woodwork could be mighty
useful……. but Maori?
Don’t get me wrong. All learning can
be beneficial – but not at the expense of the truth, day-to-day
realities and subjects necessary to living a self-supporting and
rewarding life. Maori language and culture are an inherent and
enjoyable part of our homeland but away from select parts of New
Zealand, it is simply not in demand. So should it be given
this compulsory status, above everything and everyone else – above
community, scientific and commercial realities in 2013?
Indoctrination an Unscrupulous Tool
We are certainly not alone in being
subjected to those wanting to take control of our thoughts and
opinions. Dictatorial political and religious movements have strived
to control the masses for centuries, accounting for many a “third
world country”.
But do laid-back (and oh so tolerant)
Kiwis have the will to resist this mind control? Some school children
are stifling yawns and moaning about the force-feeding of all things
Maori. Some students are complaining that academic rigour
and open debate are casualties in Maori Studies’ departments. Some
hardworking young people are seeing those claiming any Maori ancestry
at all getting preferential treatment (i.e. funding, reserved places,
lower course entry criteria and generous leeway over meeting term
requirements) in tertiary institutes and are feeling resentful.
But will they, alone, have the will or
the power to restore some balance to our education and political
system? Or will they be like the rest of us – simply comply for the
sake of not rocking the boat?
It takes a lot to stir we Kiwis up and
we generally want to please or appease. With the pressure to earn a
living, raise a family and pay more and more taxes, most do not even
realise that we are well on our way down a very slippery slope. The
constitutional reform being driven by the Maori Party will entrench
an ever-expanding apartheid system and commit those without Maori
blood to a permanent, second-class citizen status.
Time to Speak Out
For all the sake of New Zealanders, it
is time to end this crusade for Maori domination. We need to face
reality and go forward as one united country. While we should
definitely celebrate our many cultures, it is vital to the health of
our nation that we operate equally under the same rights and
obligations. If we persist in trying to revert to 1840 tribalism,
re-write history and make economic slaves of those with no Maori
ancestry, our problems will only magnify and our futures will become
very bleak.
Reference: The New Zealand Curriculum
Update: The New Zealand Curriculum Treaty of Waitangi
Principle” “nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/content/download/…/NZC-update-16.pdf
February 18, 2013
Mole
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28 March 2015
Auckland
Council is sticking with a new rule requiring owners to seek iwi
approval for work on their land.
The council has confirmed its support
for the "cultural impact assessments" in the proposed
Unitary Plan, or new planning rulebook for the city.
Lee Short, spokesman for Democracy
Action, an organisation set up to oppose the rules, said: "The
cost of cultural impact assessments is imposed by Mana Whenua, the
decisions are made by Council and property owners are left to pick up
the bill."
"The 3,600 designated sites of
value to Mana Whenua have, to date, not been verified by the
Council."
"The council appears completely
unwilling to verify if these sites of value to Mana Whenua even
exist. The designation of these sites as being of value simply has no
basis in fact. Many sites have been disturbed, destroyed or no longer
exist."....
See full article HERE
Threat 'impacts all indigenous
peoples
A
Maori researcher says the threat of shutting down remote Aboriginal
communities impinges on the rights of all indigenous people around
the world.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott
announced his government could not afford to keep funding indigenous
communities that were too far away from amenities, such as schools or
hospitals.
Director of Te Kotahi Research
Institute at Waikato University Leonie Pihama called on people to
speak out.
She wanted tangata whenua there to do
all they could to help Aboriginal people because they're were living
on their homelands.
Supporting their struggle meant Maori
and supporting the global indigenous people's struggle, she said.....
See full article HERE
Whenua in need of restoration
Ngati Whatua o Orakei and Auckland
Museum are enlisting scientists and community members to conduct a
bio blitz.
Entomologist Ruud Kleinpaste says the
aim of the 22-hour event is to identify and record all the species
living in Pourewa Reserve and Kepa Block.
The land on the side of the valley
running inland from the Orakei Basin was returned to the hapu as part
of its historic treaty settlement.......
See full article HERE
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27 March 2015
Maori representation of the Hawke's
Bay District Health Board's (DHB) workforce continues to increase as
it works towards a more "culturally competent workforce".
At the end of January, 12 per cent of
the workforce described themselves as Maori, up from 11 per cent for
January 2014, a report states. The DHB, Hawke's Bay's largest
employer, aims to help increase its engagement with Maori through a
more representative workforce - Maori comprise 25 per cent of the
region's population - as well as staff training.
We continue to promote the recruitment
of Maori to all hiring managers and utilise our Maori networks to
promote roles to Maori," the report said.
All staff have training courses
available such as Engaging Effectively with Maori and on the Treaty
of Waitangi.
Ms McKenna said about 27 per cent of
Hawke's Bay nursing graduates were Maori but many went into other
health sectors or left the region......
See full article HERE
Canterbury DHB 2015 Maori and
Pacific Scholarships
To be eligible for a Canterbury DHB
Māori and Pacific Scholarship you must:
- be a student enrolled at a Christchurch tertiary institution. Year 3 medical students intending to come to Christchurch for Years 4 and 5 will be considered
- be studying a health-related, NZQA accredited course, of at least 12 weeks duration; and/or
- have whakapapa and cultural links with Māori communities
- have genealogical and cultural links with Pacific communities...
See full article HERE
Wellington's new national War
Memorial Park opens
Wellingtonians can now access the new
National War Memorial Park after its Maori Blessing this morning.
Pukeahu Park is the biggest project in
the Government's First World War centenary commemorations.
Around 220 iwi representatives from
around the country attended the dawn blessing this morning, with
groups moving around different parts of the park to bless it.....
See full article HERE
Māori and Pacific University
students unite against racism
Over 40 Maori and Pacific University of
Auckland students were interviewed regarding the everyday colonialism
and racism they face while at university.
"You're only here because you're
Māori and Pacific and you qualified for the Tertiary Admission
scheme" - an alternative admission scheme for applicants of
Māori and Pacific ancestry into tertiary programmes.
These are just some of the racist
remarks lecturer David Mayeda says Māori and Pacific students face
while being here at the University of Auckland.
"Learning to cope with every day
racism in kind of modern forms of colonialism was something that
helped them succeed in higher education," says Mayeda.
Te Rarawa and Ngāti Kahu descendant
Chloe Manga who is in her final year of studying a Bachelors in Law
and Arts says she joined the "I, Too Am Auckland" campaign
because it is important to address what she says is personal and
institutional racism at the University of Auckland.
"It's more about raising awareness
about racism here at the University for Māori and Pacific students
and also talking to non-Māori and Pacific about what they can do to
benefit our people and for our future," says Manga.....
See full article HERE
Maori representation omissions spark
complaint
A flyer circulated by the Local
Government Commission prompted a further complaint to the Auditor
General today, this time alleging misrepresentation of the nature and
role of the Maori Board and the Regional Planning Committee on the
proposed Hawke’s Bay Council.
Napier ratepayer Sarah Taylor, who
lodged the complaint, said a full-page diagram depicting the future
composition of the amalgamated council on the flyer titled "Hawke’s
Bay Councils - proposed changes" completely ignores the iwi
appointed representatives on the Maori Board and Regional Planning
Committee.
"Any reader of the document
scrutinising the full page diagram would easily be led to believe
that recommendations for special representation of iwi interests
within the amalgamated council structure had been shelved", Ms
Taylor said.
Moreover, placing the Maori Board and a
Regional Planning Committee under the heading "elected
representatives" is a material misrepresentation because members
of these panels are appointees and were not elected, she said....
See full article HERE
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News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
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26 March 2015
Tamaki
Makaurau MP Peeni Henare is questioning how councils and government
agencies are engaging with urban Maori.
He says constituents have come to him
to express their disappointment with the way Auckland Council has
managed consultation on its 10-year plan.
"A lot of people talk about how
the council and other agencies are really good at engaging with iwi,
but my question on that is what about the fastest growing iwi in the
country which is urban Maori? We just don't seem to be able to fins a
voice in this iwi-ccentric agenda being pushed not only by regional
councils or local bodies but also in central government and that’s
a big concern," Mr Henare says.
See full article HERE
The timing of Hawke's Bay Airport's
name-change to Ahuriri Airport Hawke's Bay could coincide with the
completion of a $5 million terminal upgrade late next year.
But the airport company said yesterday
its board was keeping an open mind on exactly when the name would
change.
The decision to add Ahuriri to the
airport's name followed a request from local treaty claimant group
Mana Ahuriri Incorporated and was supported by company's shareholders
the Crown, Napier City Council and Hastings District Council.....
See full article HERE
Two new Māori Language
Commissioners have been appointed
Two new board members to Te Taura Whiri
i te Reo Māori, the Māori Language Commission, have been confirmed
by the Māori Development Minister, Hon Te Ururoa Flavell.
“Ms Poutu is an outstanding example
of the new generation of Māori language speakers who have grown up
immersed in Māori culture and language.
The two new board members will join
Chair Mr Ērima Hēnare, Dr Kātarina Edmonds and Te Awanuiārangi
Black on the Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori board...
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
25 March 2015
Should
political parties consider strategic deals in Māori seats? It's
a manoeuvre which is usually seen in general seats, including the
Epsom deal between National and Act, but is rarely seen in Māori
electorates.
As
the Northland by-election nears closer, it's no secret Labour is all
but backing Winston Peters. But how well does that sort of
strategy go down with Māori voters and what would it look like in
Māori electorates?
Willow-Jean Prime is still out
garnering votes, despite the Labour Party backing Winston Peters.
She says, “In the past that type of
strategy has been heavily criticised but perhaps the political
playing field is changing.”.....
See full article HERE
Far North electors have voted against
establishing Maori wards for the 2016 and 2019 Far North District
Council elections.
The council resolved last year to poll
electors on whether dedicated seats for Maori should be provided at
the council table. Voting documents were sent to 38,946 electors on
the General and Maori Parliamentary electoral rolls in February,
just over 35 per cent of them being returned. A strong majority, 68
per cent (9315 votes) were opposed, with 31.5 per cent (4309) in
favour.
"We made a decision as a council
to be guided by the community on this issue. The result does not
diminish our commitment to improving our relationships with Maori,
or involving them in our decision-making processes."
The Council would now seek feedback
from Maori about other non-electoral representation options.
"There are a number of options
available, including the establishment of a Maori standing
committee, representation on standing committees of council through
to advisory board appointments. We will fully explore whichever
options are preferable to Maori," Mr Carter added.
The council would also continue to
korero with Maori about non-electoral engagement options such as
developing strategic partnership agreements with iwi and hap,
communicating more effectively with Te Kahu o Taonui (Tai Tokerau
iwi chairs) and promoting more collaboration between the Northland
Councils' Chief Executive Officers' Forum and the Iwi Chief
Executives' Consortium......
See full article HERE
Iwi 'bypassed' on Maori ward
vote
Locals
have rejected the option, with two thirds of respondents saying no to
dedicated seats.
Post-settlement group Te Runanga Nui o
Te Aupōuri said there was poor promotion of the poll and few Māori
knew about the ballot.
Its secretary, Peter-Lucas Jones, said
the council failed to take advantage of the tribal networks to spread
the word about the poll.
"They've kind of bypassed iwi with
this process that gives initiated and completed," said Mr Jones.
"In hindsight, I believe that this
could've been communicated more clearly through working with iwi
around opportunity to tribes and how to raise awareness of
voting".....
See full article HERE
Māori growers a strong voice in
kiwifruit industry referendum
A record number of Māori
growers participated in the grower referendum for the
Kiwifruit Industry Strategy Project (KISP) and Te Awanui Huka
Pak is praising their efforts.
In a press release today, Te Awanui
Huka Pak Chair, Neil Te Kani said, “Māori are a key driving
force in the kiwifruit industry, and the KISP process was about
ensuring that this industry creates wealth for Māori both now
and for future generations.”
He says that, "With over 90%
support for all recommendations, the kiwifruit industry is in a
strong position to deliver a strong economic growth platform for
Māori."
As a result of the KISP process, the
grower representative body, New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers
Incorporated (NZKGI), will establish a dedicated seat for Māori
representation.
Te Kani affirms that Māori are an
integral part of this industry and deserve a seat at the table. He
says, "We have a responsibility as kaitiaki to ensure our future
generations inherit a vibrant and successful industry. I am
proud of the way Māori have made the most of this opportunity to
have their voices heard."....
See full article HERE
A Rotorua primary school has celebrated
its Maori heritage with the announcement of a new name.
Otonga Road School will now be jointly
known as Te Kura o Tihiotonga, with its new sign officially unveiled
on Friday.
The school's kaumatua, Dr Ken Kennedy,
joined principal Linda Woon for a special assembly to mark the
occasion.
After a haka led by pupils, Dr Kennedy
spoke about the history of the school site, which sits on the
intersection of four blocks of Maori land in Springfield......
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
24 March 2015
Wai 262 empowers Maori elite
Saturday’s
release of the Waitangi Tribunal’s long-awaited report on the Wai
262 indigenous flora and fauna claim is packed full of
recommendations designed to empower the Maori elite.1
While the Tribunal is careful to avoid suggesting that Maori should
have ownership rights to native plants and animals – something that
would evoke a strong public backlash – they have proposed a series
of wide-ranging and powerful rights that taken together effectively
result in ownership by the back door!
The Tribunal has based their
recommendations on the premise that Maori and the Crown are in
partnership with shared decision-making responsibilities to promote
Maori interests above those of other New Zealanders. Accordingly,
their proposals are designed to create new co-governance arrangements
for Maori.
The Tribunal would like to see:
- A new Maori Cultural Board to control the commercial uses of intellectual property such as the haka, carvings, tattoos, songs, and so on, with an official register to ensure proper control.
- A new Maori Advisory Commission to control Patents and Plant Variety Rights, with the power of veto over applications.
- Maori having joint authority with the Crown over the bioprospecting of native species for commercial application on all Department of Conservation lands.
- A new Maori Conservation Authority established that has equal status to the New Zealand Conservation Authority for dealing with all conservation matters.
With regard to existing laws and
policies, the Tribunal has recommended that:
- All decisions made by Maori under the Maori consultation processes of the Resource Management Act should be compulsory.
- The Wildlife Act should be jointly administered by Maori and the Crown.
- The role of the Maori Language Commission should be expanded to require, amongst other things, all public sector agencies to prepare Maori language plans.
- Health system funding to be made available for traditional healing services. (I wonder whether that would include the practice of mokutu or exorcism, which was responsible for the agonising death of Janet Moses in 2002)
- The role of Maori consultation in the negotiation of international treaties be expanded and strengthened.
In effect, the Waitangi Tribunal is
pushing for many of the rights found in the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – a treaty that the
Prime Minister assured New Zealanders was simply aspirational. While
the government may not immediately adopt the Tribunal’s
recommendations as a whole, as is often the case, such proposals will
probably become the agenda and be quietly implemented over time.
When will this race-based lust for
power and control stop, you might well ask? It won’t – at least
not unless there are major changes. As long as there are special
Maori seats in Parliament with governing parties willing to offer
those MPs powerful coalition partnerships, it won’t stop. Not only
will it not stop, but the demands are gaining momentum to the point
where non-Maori New Zealanders are beginning to realise they are
being increasingly marginalised by the cunning strategies of a greedy
tribal elite, that now has its hands on the levers of power and its
fingers in the public purse...............
Continue reading HERE
July
3, 2011
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
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23 March 2015
“Well bugger me – now I’m a
judge I find I have the confidence to declare that I’m a Maori too”
A curious thing happens to lawyers –
apparently – as they progress up the pecking order to become
judges.
They discover they are indigenous
persons – or become confident about declaring they are indigenous
persons.
Alf learned of this phenomenon while
listening to some members of the Maori legal profession questioning
why the Government’s data on the number of judges who identify as
tāngata whenua is out-of-date.
It should be a matter of no concern, in
a land with one rule for all, if a judge can identify as tangata
whenua, or as Chinese, or as Hottentot… or as anything.
The law is the law is the law and a
judge is a judge is a judge.
If we passed the appropriate exams and
followed the right career path, we could all be judges. And we should
be colour-blind judges.
Trouble is,
indigenous persons in this country are obsessed with counting how
many of them are involved in any form of activity, which includes the
number of indigenous persons engaged in the judging caper.
Radio New Zealand
seems keen to get them the numbers.
They found justice officials weren’t
as obsessed the indigenous persons are and don’t keep tabs – at
least, not too closely – on the ethnic makeup of the judiciary.
Officials first
told Radio New Zealand there were 28 judges of Māori descent, but
later conceded the tally was wrong.
Radio New
Zealand originally reported there were no tāngata whenua judges in
the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Environment Court or Employment
Court.
In emails,
officials then explained there was one in the Court of Appeal –
Justice Cooper.
In addition,
after more emails and stories, Te Manu Korihi was told to change its
figures as there were in fact five High Court judges who identified
as being Māori rather than three.
There are
approximately 243 judges in Aotearoa and the new figures show 31 of
those are of Māori descent.
Well, now we know.
So what?
For most of us, so nothing.
But Radio NZ’s hacks were able to
winkle out some indigenous persons whose perturbation is extreme.
Māori lawyer
Tai Ahu said it reflected badly and the Government needed to be more
vigilant.
He is urging it
to adopt a new way of establishing the number of Māori judges.
“It
demonstrates a lack of monitoring so there needs to be systems in
place that monitor the number of Māori judges.
“It sends a
signal that it’s not a particularly important issue for the
Ministry of Justice and for the judiciary and I think it’s wrong to
think of it in those terms.”
So – he thinks it’s wrong.
But if indeed the lack of monitoring
sends a signal that it’s not a particular important issue for
officials – then the officials have got at least this matter right
in their priorities.
Tai Ahu hadn’t finished, of course.
He said it was
vital to know exactly how many there were as an increased
understanding of tikanga, or Māori culture and tradition, is
becoming a necessity in addressing issues that arise in the
courtroom.
“There does
need to be increased monitoring and vigilance around not just
recording numbers.
“Definitely
if there are issues in relation to the numbers and if the numbers are
not being accurately counted then there are bound to be issues in
relation to whether Māori judges are bringing critical Māori
thinking to the bench, which is at the end of the day what we’re
after.
“If there’s
no system in place to monitor even the number of judges who associate
with being Māori then there’s some deep issues here.”
So we will have to hire more monitors
and we can be camned sure Tai Ahu and his ilk will then be demanding
more indigenous persons be given jobs in the monitoring department.
But the story gets more fascinating.
Let’s bring in Māmari Stephens, a
senior lecturer in the School of Law at the Victoria University of
Wellington. She said personal information should be updated every two
years because some judges only start to recognise and become
confident to identify as Māori as their career progresses.
“At this
level, if we don’t even know how many judges we have that are
Māori, there’s a fairly good bit of evidence there that we’re
not actually developing the sense that being a Māori judge is a
normal thing or a legal career even is a normal thing.
“What is
shows is a lack of systemization of the gathering of that
information. I wonder if they’ve ever been asked that question [of
how many Māori judges there are] because of the fact that they’ve
had to go back and change the information they’ve provided suggests
that they may not have been asked this too many times before.”
Alf is bound to say he finds it
difficult to translate the quoted passage into simple English.
But he thinks this woman is saying we
should be encouraging a system in which a judge with a bit of Maori
blood pumping proudly through his or her veins can stick his or hand
up and declare: “I am a Maori judge.”
If it is not obvious that a judge is a
Maori judge, Alf wonders what the big deal is.
If a judge has to declare he or she is
a Maori judge, he is disquieted.
Does this mean all the other judges
should declare themselves non-Maori judges?
Or should ethnicity be specifically
declared for all to see?
Another issue: if Alf were to appear
before a judge (this is improbable and the question is only being
raised for hypothetical purposes) could he reject the judge who says
he is a Maori judge and insist on the case being heard before an
English/Scottish/Danish judge?
Hmm. Damned good idea.
Pressing the argument further, Alf
should be able to insist on the case being heard before a judge with
the same mix of English/Scottish/Danish blood as is pumping through
his veins.
And if the right judge can’t be found
– obviously, the case should be thrown out.
Yep. Our indigenous persons are on to
something.
March
18th, 2015
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
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22 March 2015
This is a tale of a breath-taking
rip-off.
It's about a decent hard-working guy
merely trying to build a house.
He is being gouged financially as part
of the planning and consent process.
Remember this bloke is just trying to
get a resource consent to build his home.
He doesn't have it yet. And then it got
even more farcical.
Under local planning rules and the
Resource Management Act he must consult with local iwi groups.
They must be notified of his plan to
cut down some of the native bush.
All six interested iwi groups have to
be contacted.
Some of these iwi groups live hundreds
of kilometres away from the building site, but have historical
connections to the area.
Three of these groups have so far asked
for initial site visits.
These don't come cheap either. One of
the iwi is charging $240 an hour, plus travel costs (and excluding
GST).
This iwi goes on to say should a proper
cultural impact assessment be needed they will provide the details of
the costs involved.
Another iwi group say they see the
trees as "taonga in need of protection from climate change,
disease and ongoing development and they generally oppose the removal
or felling of native trees".
They also want an initial site visit to
assess whether a wider cultural assessment is needed - but the
kaitiaki (guardian) can't do it till April.....
See full article HERE
Te reo Maori should be compulsory in
New Zealand schools, Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy
says.
Being bi-lingual would be "a real
added advantage" to young Kiwis, she said, and would help race
relations....
See full article HERE
Archaeologists discover pā
site
Preparations
to start work on the Waikato Expressway has provided an opportunity
to uncover a past.
A team of archaeologists have found
evidence of burrow and storage pits as part of a large pā site
believed to be dated back to the 15th Century.
For these archaeologists, it's like a
gold mine.
Hohepa Barton says, “This use to be a
garden. These were three other pā sites that connect to this
garden, Te Uapata, Te Pā o Mahuta Te Pā o Tahou and also Tara
Heke.”
Archaeologists and Waikato Tainui have
started collecting and preserving items from New Zealand's buried
past, in preparation for work to start on the $458 million Huntly
section of the Waikato Expressway....
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
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21 March 2015
Parliament
has debated the Feed the Kids Bill, however, it won't pass the first
reading as it’s failed to gain support from the Government.
Around
60 children at Windley School are fed breakfast every morning, and
the principal says it's a similar number for children without lunch.
Rhys
McKinley says, “There's breakfast on every morning at 7.30 - 8.30
and children just turn up. Some parents turn up and have a kai
with their whanau and so it makes it more of a family atmosphere and
no pressure on them to be embarrassed for having no breakfast in the
morning.” ......
See
full article HERE
Ministers meet with Taranaki
Māori to discuss important issues
A
ministerial delegation including Prime Minister John Key is being
held in Taranaki over the next few days meeting with local whānau,
hapū, iwi, and Māori organisations.
The events are part of the 2014
Relationship Accord, Te Tatau ki te Paerangi, between the Māori
Party and National.
The agreement creates more engagement
by key ministers with Māori, regionally.
Those on this particular visit includes
Prime Minister John Key, Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson
and the Māori Party Co-leaders Marama Fox and Māori Development
Minister, Te Ururoa Flavell.
This engagement events allow the
Prime Minister the opportunity to share at a local level progress
being achieved for Māori across priority policy areas. Eight
Taranaki iwi will meet with the ministerial group tonight to discuss
the important issues in their region.
A closed meeting will also be held
today between the Crown and local iwi at Parihaka Pā to discuss
ways in which the historic village can be acknowledged and supported
in the future. Once discussions have formed an agreement,
details will be made public.....
See full article HERE
Iwi fears mining will pollute
waterways
A
Hauraki iwi, Ngāti Tamaterā, fears its tribal waterways could
become polluted because of mining work by a company running tests at
Karangahake, south of Paeroa.
Members of the iwi have rallied
alongside a small group called Protect Karangahake, with both
opposing New Talisman Gold Mines' operation.
They protested outside the Waikato
Regional Council.
The group of about 15 people sang
before its chair, Duncan Shearer, presented the council with water
from the Waitawheta River, in what looked like a cup and corked jug
made from clay.
He said they were there because of
water.
He told members of council, including
the chair, Paula Southgate, that the water he held was clean enough
to drink, and is consumed by people of Paeroa.
"I want to make sure it stays like
this for future generations."
After the proceedings, 26-year old
Rebecca Brownlee, who is a Ngāti Tamaterā descendant, had some
strong words for the council.
"I just want to say, use your
common sense. I mean, you've already raped this country enough.....
See full article HERE
Parihaka redress on the table
Parihaka people hope yesterday’s
visit from Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson will kick
start progress towards acknowledging the crown’s past actions
against it.
The village on the western slopes of Mt
Taranaki was sacked in 1881 by armed constabulary trying to end a
campaign of passive resistance to land confiscations.
Ruakere Hond says Parihaka falls
outside the government’s treaty settlement process because it is
not an iwi or hapu.....
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
20 March 2015
Seven
Te Tai Tokerau iwi have asked to be allowed to trade their fisheries'
assets on the open market.
The unnamed northern tribes made the
trading suggestion in a submission on the way Māori fisheries could
be governed in the future.
They argue the quota could be bought
and sold in the same way as are other treaty assets.
Waikato-Tainui, however, has a
different view, arguing the quota needs to be kept in Māori hands.
And the third largest iwi by population
- Ngāti Kahungunu - does not want tribal-owned quota to be sold to
non-Māori......
See full article HERE
$15,397 unpaid rates write-off
More than $15,000 of rates arrears is
expected to be written off as unrecoverable by the Clutha District
Council at its corporate services committee meeting today.
Chief executive officer Steve Hill said
the approach was common for councils across New Zealand and the
amount of money was ''minor in the scheme of things'' for the
district.
The council would need to take action
against each owner individually and with up to 200 owners per parcel
of land, it would cost more to collect arrears than what was owed.
The corporate services committee
decided total rates arrears of $11,481.50 on 21 blocks of Maori-owned
land should be written off in 2011.
The total outstanding rates for 22
blocks of multiple-owner Maori land to June 30, 2013, was $14,436.47,
the total outstanding to June 30, 2014, was $15,397.64.....
See full article HERE
Messy data on Maori judges
The
Māori legal profession is questioning why the Government's data on
the number of judges who identify as tāngata whenua is out-of-date.
Officials first told Radio New Zealand
there were 28 judges of Māori descent, but later conceded the tally
was wrong.
There are approximately 243 judges in
Aotearoa and the new figures show 31 of those are of Māori descent.
Māori lawyer Tai Ahu said it reflected
badly and the Government needed to be more vigilant.
"It demonstrates a lack of
monitoring so there needs to be systems in place that monitor the
number of Māori judges.
He said it was vital to know exactly
how many there were as an increased understanding of tikanga, or
Māori culture and tradition, is becoming a necessity in addressing
issues that arise in the courtroom....
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
19 March 2015
Far North voters have voted more than
two to one against the introduction of Maori wards.
Mayor John Carter called the poll over
the opposition of iwi, who expected today's result.
Just over 35 percent of electors voted,
with 9315 votes against the introduction of Maori wards and just 4309
for the proposition.
The result means the issue can't be
brought up for another two elections.....
See full article HERE
Iwi select Hokitika as site for
apologies
The Government is set to say sorry to
South Taranaki-based iwi Ngaruahine in a South Island town close to
its historical heart.
As part of its Treaty settlement deal,
the Crown agreed to deliver its official apology to the iwi at a
venue of their choice.
Ngaruahine's lead negotiator Daisy
Noble said it was decided the most appropriate place for that to
happen was in Hokitika....
See full article HERE
Close to one million spent on Māori
commercial fisheries structure review
Close to a million dollars was the
total cost for a report reviewing the Māori commercial fisheries
structure.
A figure which has been criticised by a
number of people, as well as the main recommendation to get rid of Te
Ohu Kaimoana.
The MP for Te Tai Tonga says Te Ohu
Kaimoana has landed the big one.
Rino Tirikatene says, “$600,000 for
five months work, 135 page pretty half-baked report is
unjustified.”....
See full article HERE
New resource for teaching maths in
Te Reo
A
new resource for teaching maths at primary school has a particular
focus on teaching the subject in te reo Maori.
The book 'Mathematics and statistics in
the middle years: Evidence and practice' has been published by the
New Zealand Council for Educational Research and edited by Robin
Averill, a Senior Lecturer in Victoria University of Wellington's
School of Education.
Dr Averill said the book was a joint
project between researchers and teachers that gave teachers access to
a wealth of academic research.
She said each chapter gave practical
advice on how to achieve the Ministry of Education's Maori teaching
standards.....
See full article HERE
Age, education puts Maori behind in
self-employment
A report has found Maori were half as
likely to be self-employed as the total population.
Analysis of 2013 census data by the
Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment found just 10
percent of Maori were self-employed, compared to 19.8 percent of
non-Maori.
This could be because Maori are
relatively younger, with lower qualification levels than other New
Zealanders.
More than 21,000 Maori ran their own
business, of which two thirds were sole traders and 6800 were
employers.
The total self-employed for all ethnic
groups was 365,000, including almost 130,000 employers.
Over 60 percent of self-employed Maori
work in the service sector, a quarter are in the goods-producing
sector and 11 percent in the primary sector.....
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
17 March 2015
The Catholic church says its plans to
restore an historic central Auckland building are in doubt because
the site has been classed as significant to local Maori.
The church's Auckland Diocese owns
Newman Hall, a 150-year-old listed building in Waterloo Quadrant near
the High Court.
The Diocese aims to develop the land
behind it, thus funding conservation of the grand old house.
But the property is also home to a
fresh water spring that was essential to life at two local pa and
their surrounding gardens.
Called Wai Ariki, or chiefly waters,
the spring has been listed as a Site of Significance to Mana Whenua
under the incoming unitary plan, and the church says it now does not
know what it can do with the site.
Mana whenua scheduling, requiring
property owners to seek iwi approval for work on their land, has
been controversial.....
See full article HERE
The asset base of one of the country's
biggest Maori businesses is up $3 million, from rising land
valuations and a new farm purchase.
Tauhara North No 2 Trust, listed fifth
on the Deloitte top nine Maori business entities, declared assets of
$317.8 million for the year to June 30, 2014, up on 2013's $314.5
million.
Trust chief executive Aroha Campbell
and chief executive of Ringa Matau (the trust's commercial
subsidiary) Kevin McLoughlin, said land values had risen and a 900ha
sheep and beef farm has been bought at Te Whaiti in the latest
period.....
See full article HERE
Donna Awatere-Huata's involvement in
Maori fisheries report may 'unnerve' industry
Convicted fraudster Donna Awatere-Huata
was on the committee which agreed to pay a barrister $600,000 for a
six-month review of the Maori fisheries body.
Fairfax last week revealed Wellington
barrister Tim Castle received almost two-thirds of the $915,000
review of Maori fisheries' commercial structures.
Castle was selected by 11 members of a
panel of representatives.
Awatere-Huata is a former ACT MP,
jailed in 2009 for two years and nine months for fraud after taking
more than $80,000 from a government-funded trust for under-privileged
children.
After eight months of her sentence she
was released on home detention.
She was paid $4000 to represent unnamed
"Maori organisations" on the panel.
The news will further trouble iwi and
fishing industry representatives who meet Monday to discuss Castle's
contentious report......
See full article HERE
First Nations Visit To Swap Ideas
With Iwi
If anyone wants to see what Tino
Rangitira could look like Paul Stanley urges a visit to the First
Nations Listuguj clan.
Stanley (Tainui/Mataatua) is chief
executive of the Listuguj Mi’gmaq Government in Quebec, Canada
where he has management responsibility for the police force,
emergency services, river and forest rangers, road maintenance, water
supply and waste water, education, health, welfare, as well as for a
range of businesses run on behalf of the Listuguj people.
He points out that many of the services
that would come under central or local government control in New
Zealand are the responsibility of the Listuguj Mi’gmaq Government.
“Our advantage in Canada is we
control the integration of health, schools, policing and social
services ourselves.”.....
See full article HERE
Newspaper inspired by Te Arawa
success
A
Māori newspaper editor says she was so inspired by the success of a
Te Arawa newspaper she decided to launch a local Whanganui version.
Te Putake Whanganui Region Māori News
published its first edition in January and is a joint venture with
the Wanganui Chronicle.
Co-editor Kiritahi Firmin said her team
felt it was important to keep Whanganui iwi informed, especially
after signing its Treaty settlement, Te Ruruku Whakatupua, with the
Crown last year......
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
16 March 2015
Section
102 (4) of the Local Government Act 2002 states that a local
authority must adopt a policy on the postponement of rates on Māori
freehold land.
Section
102 (3) of the Local Government Act 2002 states that a policy adopted
may be prepared and adopted as part of the long-term Council
community plan.
Section
87 of the Local Government (Rating) Act 2002 allows a local authority
to postpone all or part of the rates on a rating unit if the local
authority has adopted a postponement policy, the rate payer has
applied in writing for a postponement and the local authority is
satisfied that the conditions and criteria in the policy are met.
The
Council may provide 100% rates remission of any rates except targeted
rates on Māori freehold land to all ratepayers who meet the
objectives, conditions and criteria of this policy. This remission of
rates on Māori freehold land policy is prepared pursuant to Sections
102 (4) (f), 108 and schedule 11 of the Local Government Act
2002......
See
full publication HERE
Innovative new youth court for
Tauranga
A new youth court for Tauranga will
place a stronger focus on addressing offending by young Māori says
Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams.
Ms Adams today spoke at the opening of
the Rangatahi Court at Hairini Marae in Tauranga.
The Rangatahi Courts, a judiciary-led
initiative, were established in 2008 to provide a better
rehabilitative response to Māori young offenders by encouraging
strong cultural links and involving communities in the youth justice
process. The Tauranga court is the thirteenth to open.
“For many young people, appearing in
court can be a foreign experience. Because of that fundamental
disconnect, it is all too easy for some of them to dismiss the
process,” says Ms Adams.
“The Rangatahi Court does things
differently by placing young offenders in a setting where they can
take ownership of their offending, with the support of whānau, kuia
and kaumātua. It’s an environment that helps them reconnect with
their culture.”.....
See full article HERE
See full article HERE
From the files of Alf Grumble
No shite – the world’s biggest Maori cultural event is being held now, but in which country?
He has revisited the news item and it confirmed that the buggers who write the stuff for Te Manu Korihi News just love to portray the country’s indigenous persons as achievers of the the biggest, the brightest and the best.
Not only in this country. They are big globally.
And so the listening audience was told this morning:
The stage is set; the kapa haka crowds have booked out accommodation, and Hagley Park in Christchurch is the venue for the biggest Maori cultural event in the world – Te Matatini – which begins today with a massive powhiri just before midday.The biggest Maori cultural event in the world?
No shite!
Now – stand up anyone who thought the biggest Maori cultural event in the world might have been held in – well, let’s say Bosnia, or Syria, or maybe China.
https://alfgrumblemp.wordpress.com/2015/03/04/no-shit-the-worlds-biggest-maori-cultural-event-is-being-held-now-but-in-which-country/
March 4th, 2015
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
14 March 2015
Māori politicians show support for Aboriginal communities
Māori
politicians are weighing into the debate and controversy over a
proposed plan to close more than 100 of Western Australia's remote
Indigenous communities.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott
publicly supported the plan and late last year Aboriginal elders lead
a protest outside of state parliament against the move.
According to Australia's ABC News, Tony
Abbott believes that if people choose to live in areas where
there are no schools or jobs, there is a limit to what they can
expect the state to provide.
"What we can't do is endlessly
subsidise lifestyle choices if those lifestyle choices are not
conducive to the kind of full participation in Australian society
that everyone should have," Abbott says......
See full article HERE
Ngā Whenua Rāhui celebrates 25
years
"Ngā Whenua Rāhui exists to
protect the natural integrity of Maori land and to preserve
Matauranga Maori, so that the values, stories and history associated
with our natural taonga are not lost to the world."- Sir Tumu Te Heuheu, the foundation chair of this Fund....See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
13 March 2015
Few votes on Maori Far North council wards
Less
than a third of Far North residents have so far voted on whether to
create Maori council wards for the district.
The council has put the idea to a
binding poll which closes next Tuesday.
Dedicated Maori seats have become a hot
topic for councils, most recently splitting New Plymouth district and
being rejected by the public in Nelson.
Yet after two weeks of the Far North
District Council referendum, only 30 percent of eligible voters have
sent in their ballots.....
See full article HERE
Hawke's Bay hapū concerned
over granting of water consents
With
two water bottling plants in the Hawke's Bay area recently being
granted water consent to draw millions of litres of water a year
that is destined for the overseas market, it has local iwi and
hapū concerned over the numberof water consents being granted
to draw from the areas main aquifer.
This site is owned by One Pure
International, and is being turned into a 24 hour a day water
bottling plant, that will fill around 30,000 bottles of water an
hour, with consent granted to draw just over 400,000 cubic metres of
water from the Heretaunga aquifer.
Iain Maxwell of the Hawke's Bay
Regional Council says "There's no indication at the moment that
the takes that in the area where these water bottling plants that
suggests there are concerns."......
See full article HERE
Iwi regain Aupouri forest
Part
of Northland’s Aupouri forest in New Zealand has been returned to
local iwi by the Crown after leasing the land for almost half a
century. Source: Radio New Zealand
The Crown leased the land for 99 years
in 1966 but that was later negotiated down to the end of the first
forest crop.
The Parengarenga Incorporation manages
the $42 million worth of assets for 3000 Far North iwi members and
works mainly in farming and forestry.
The return of the almost 750-hectares
of land to Parengarenga will allow the business to replant and
continue forestry development in the area......
See full article HERE
Wave wall about to take shape
“We are working with local iwi to
find a suitable motif to put on the front of the panels that
symbolises the three iwi and Mauao's association with Te Awanui,”
says Tony.....
See full article HERE
Kura lack teaching technology
A
Victoria University lecturer says schools are missing out on digital
resources to help boost the use of Te Reo.
Tabitha McKenzie said when it came to
technology, kura lag behind.
Every fortnight, Ms. McKenzie holds a
lesson for teachers of Natone Park School where Te Reo is spoken
regularly. Her job is to increase their Te Reo and work to develop
the use of Māori in the classroom.
But her lessons don't have your
traditional lines on the blackboard approach, with each teacher
issued an iPad.
"So we've moved away from the
traditional method of just being face to face and are moving towards
using a blended approach so using mobile devices."
"I try to use apps as well as
videos or podcasts. So in that way when they aren't with me in the
off weeks, they are still able to have access to the material and to
the learning, so it's going to that idea of language on the go:
anywhere, anytime."......
See full article HERE
Police, health, courts most trusted
by Māori
Māori in general trust the police and
health system more than other institutions, Statistics New Zealand
said today.
New research from Te Kupenga 2013, a
survey of Māori well-being, showed police and health are the
top-rated institutions by Māori, closely followed by the courts and
education. The ‘system of government’ and media institutions are
rated lowest......
See full article HERE
Maori fisheries body review cost
almost $1 million
A review of the Maori fisheries body
cost almost $1 million – with two thirds of that paid to one
barrister for six months' work.
The report recommends Te Ohu Kaimoana
(the Maori Fisheries Trust) be scrapped and assets transferred to
iwi.
Wellington lawyer Tim Castle charged
$600,000 for his 135-page report. There was just over $37,000 in
disbursements. The total bill for the review was $915,000, with
$278,000 going towards fees and expenses for the trust's committee of
representatives, production and distribution of the report and a
meeting....
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
12 March 2015
Wellington
Police Maori Advisory Board | Iwi Representative – Seeking
Registrations of Interest
We are seeking registrations of
interest for an iwi representative to sit on the Wellington Policy
Maori Advisory Board. This group is made up of 6 Wellington regional
members consisting of iwi and wider Maori community representation.
The board meet quarterly, invited to
attend special meetings on as needed basis.
Should you have the capacity to
represent Ngati Toa in this position please send your CV
reference.........
See full article HERE
What is even scarier is this
ever-growing push to have unelected people making decisions that
should really be made by those we have voted on to council.
Those councillors should listen to all
groups before making a decision, but that decision should only be
made by elected members.
In Tauranga, we have a constant push
for a Maori ward.
That is unacceptable to most voters
because it takes us out of the equation. I certainly believe in one
person, one vote, and all votes being equal.
Because the idea of a Maori ward is so
unpopular among most voters, some clever clogs seem to be switching
the angle of attack to completely take it.........
See full article HERE
Maori and Indigenous Researcher
Directory launched
MÄori Development Minister Hon Te
Ururoa Flavell is proud to have launched Te Hononga PÅ«kenga - the
MÄori and Indigenous Researcher Directory today in Wellington.
"This online and interactive
directory is a milestone in MÄori scholarship. It gives MÄori,
public and private interests the opportunity to connect easily with
some of the nation’s leading indigenous experts," says Mr
Flavell.
The new directory has been initiated by
NgÄ Pae o Te MÄramatanga - New Zealand’s MÄori Centre of
Research Excellence.
To date, NgÄ Pae has over 500 MÄori
doctorates working with whÄnau, hapÅ«, iwi, MÄori and
indigenous communities around the country and internationally.
It has supported a diverse range of
research projects crossing areas such as architecture and design,
biology, biotechnology, business, economics, education, environment,
health, law and media.....
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
11 March 2015
The Māori Development Minister
supports the call for consideration of more Government funding for Te
Matatini.
Te Ururoa Flavell told Native Affairs, he will continue to attempt to influence other Government Ministers to increase the support and funding provided to the world’s largest Māori Performing Arts Festival.
Te Ururoa Flavell told Native Affairs, he will continue to attempt to influence other Government Ministers to increase the support and funding provided to the world’s largest Māori Performing Arts Festival.
Recent figures released by Māori Television show that over 1 million viewers tuned in to watch the online and television broadcast of the event this year. Thousands more also attend the biennial event.
Native Affairs investigated the amount of funding provided to Te Matatini by the Government in comparison to funding received by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Royal New Zealand Ballet.
The Ministry of Culture and Heritage provides Te Matatini with $1.2 million dollars a year. The Royal New Zealand Ballet receives close to $4.4 million a year and The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra receives $13.4 million a year.....
Māori approaches to Māori health
issues are required to improve the health of the Māori population
which is a national priority, a University of Canterbury researcher
says.
Health sciences lecturer Annabel Ahuriri-Driscoll says there are nationwide concerns about Māori health and it comes as no surprise that Māori are at the top of the statistics for poor health.
She says the current state of Māori health is a product of inequities fostered in the settlement and colonisation of Aotearoa New Zealand, perpetuated in prevailing social structures. Statistics New Zealand figures for 2010 to 2012 show that Māori could expect to live seven years less than non- Māori.....
Health sciences lecturer Annabel Ahuriri-Driscoll says there are nationwide concerns about Māori health and it comes as no surprise that Māori are at the top of the statistics for poor health.
She says the current state of Māori health is a product of inequities fostered in the settlement and colonisation of Aotearoa New Zealand, perpetuated in prevailing social structures. Statistics New Zealand figures for 2010 to 2012 show that Māori could expect to live seven years less than non- Māori.....
With the council's 8-5 dismissal of our
attempts to remove bias and predetermination from the consultation
documents, the Rotorua Pro-Democracy Society urges all citizens to
make a submission. Each of us must decide to defend or dump
democracy.
The Te Arawa Partnership Plan, Option 2, is not democratic. The proposed Te Arawa Board will recommend unelected nominees to be appointed to committees of council. These nominees will sit alongside elected councillors with the same voting rights. Together, these nominees and Te Arawa-affiliated councillors will have disproportionate power......
The Te Arawa Partnership Plan, Option 2, is not democratic. The proposed Te Arawa Board will recommend unelected nominees to be appointed to committees of council. These nominees will sit alongside elected councillors with the same voting rights. Together, these nominees and Te Arawa-affiliated councillors will have disproportionate power......
The Human Rights Commission is urging
young Northland people from all cultures to take part in or attend
the upcoming Race Unity Speech Competitions taking place at the end
of March.
“Our changing face is younger and more ethnically diverse than ever before. Positive race relations shouldn’t be things our young people read about in class: they must live it every day,” said Dame Susan.
“We live in one of the most peaceful nations on earth but can’t afford to take this for granted: it’s something we’re all responsible for.”
Statistics indicate that 14.2 per cent of people in Northland were born overseas, with England the most common birthplace. After English, te reo Maori is Northland’s next most common language which is spoken by 28.5 per cent of Maori people.....
“Our changing face is younger and more ethnically diverse than ever before. Positive race relations shouldn’t be things our young people read about in class: they must live it every day,” said Dame Susan.
“We live in one of the most peaceful nations on earth but can’t afford to take this for granted: it’s something we’re all responsible for.”
Statistics indicate that 14.2 per cent of people in Northland were born overseas, with England the most common birthplace. After English, te reo Maori is Northland’s next most common language which is spoken by 28.5 per cent of Maori people.....
See full article
HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
10 March 2015
Monkey Business in the Town Hall
Strict Maori
powhiri protocol was imposed on Auckland Council’s inauguration
last Tuesday (29th Oct). Women councillors were directed into the
back row behind all their male colleagues, then to the end of the
line-up for the hongi. One councillor said she was “shoved” into
the back, while another explained that the women simply followed
each other. It’s hard to imagine these strong, assertive women
willingly being so meek and submissive – especially as their ranks
contain at least one ex-MP, two ex-mayors and a deputy mayor.
Wherever the truth lies, the appearance of discrimination and
rudeness towards our democratically-elected councillors (and, by
inference, all women) was shocking.
Whoever was responsible is obviously unaware that: 1) sexual discrimination is illegal in New Zealand workplaces and government, and 2) in politics, one must be seen to be doing the right thing.
Over and above that, this was a local government event, on public land, in a western democracy, representing Aucklanders of every ethnicity and gender. So why was Maori protocol even an issue?
The Town Hall is not a marae and it is not iwi-owned. Even if it had been Maori property, the councillors were not visitors to Auckland; nor were they first time visitors to the Town Hall who needed to be welcomed; nor did the women need protection (unless the organisers were worried that Len might continue to display poor judgment). So the use of Maori protocol made no sense culturally anyway.
To make matters worse, this sexist and undemocratic treatment had been dished out in council events before. Consequently, it had been purposefully discussed and agreed beforehand that the women councillors would not be discriminated against in the seating arrangement this time – although only because the swearing in ceremony would be preceded by a mihi whakatau (a message of welcome) and not a full powhiri!
Then, to add insult to injury, the speeches in English were translated simultaneously into sign, while those in Maori were not translated into English or sign, making the Maori content meaningless to the majority. And the powhiri went on for 40 minutes, which was way too long for the occasion. Many guests, including some councillors’ young children or grandchildren, were bored and disappointed.
The Council’s cultural sycophants enjoy western standards of living, status and great salaries, yet they are insisting on imposing inappropriate rituals and third world bullying tactics on our representatives. What’s more, I bet ratepayers cough up great sums for this privilege.
Western values, as they have evolved through time, are the reason New Zealand and many countries have prospered while others remain impoverished. It is unbelievable that any of us now allow our inclusive principles to be subverted, all for the sake of kowtowing to a bunch of bullies lurking behind a "cultural" façade. It’s time for this farcical nonsense to stop.
http://breakingviewsnz.blogspot.co.nz/2013/11/monkey-business-in-town-hall.html
November
3, 2013
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
9 March 2015
New
Zealand's richest man has reneged on guaranteed public access across
his land to one of the country's most beautiful beaches.
To get approval to buy his $50 million
farm in Northland's Helena Bay, Russian mogul Alexander Abramov
promised to provide a legal right of way to the Walking Access
Commission.
The Overseas Investment Office (OIO)
allowed the billionaire steel magnate to buy his 215-hectare farm,
north of Whangarei in January 2009 - on condition he provide public
walking access over his land in partnership with the WAC. But
instead, he has granted the right of way to local iwi Ngatiwai.
The troubled Mokau Marae, about 5km
from the estate, will in practice manage access to most of the route.
One large section of the track will be only for the Mokau hapu and
"special guests".....
See full article HERE
An
urgent hearing into processes the Crown used in the establishment of
Tuhoronuku and the Ngapuhi Treaty of Waitangi settlement led to a
busload of Ngapuhi hapu members travelling from Kawakawa to
Wellington.
The Waitangi Tribunal hearing, held on
Wednesday and Thursday, comes after a series of conferences and
hearings were held looking into the Ngapuhi settlement. At a two-day
Waitangi Tribunal judicial conference in June last year, submissions
were made as part of an application for an urgent hearing by key
groups opposing Tuhoronuku, the group whose mandate to negotiate
Ngapuhi settlements was recognised last year by the Crown.....
See full article HERE
Iwi plans Rotorua Lakefront casino
A proposed casino/hotel comprising
between 150 and 200 beds sited on Rotorua’s Lakefront has been
described a game changer for the city.
And it appears the Pukeroa Oruawhata
Trust, valued at $180 million, is close finalising the deal,
television news programme Te Karere has reported.
If approved, if could bring in some
$500 million annually.
The trust, which owns the bustling
central mall east of the core of the CBD, has confirmed it is looking
into a 5-Star hotel/casino.....
See full article HERE
Proposal to abolish Te Ohu Kaimoana
A
proposal's in place to abolish the fisheries body - Te Ohu Kaimoana.
It's one of a number of plans from a
review of how the Māori quota is managed.
Iwi are no small player in the fishing
industry; the tribal-owned company Aotearoa Fisheries owns half of
the consumer brand Sealord.
The review - by the Wellington
barrister, Tim Castle - was always on the cards; the timing of the
evaluation is locked into fisheries legislation.
He said the single most significant
finding and recommendation he makes is that Te Ohu Kaimoana should
now be wound-up.
The nature and funding of any new body
would have to be decided by iwi.
Other suggestions include giving iwi
greater control of Aotearoa Fisheries, and that its board directors
are appointed by tribes.
Iwi have been calling for more clout
over the firm....
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
8 March 2015
Little’s your man if you fancy
further dividing the nation by giving Maori more law-making powers
Something in the air at Waitangi has
addled Andrew Little’s brain.
Or perhaps he has been infected with
the cravenness bug that afflicts the Mayor of New Plymouth.
Whatever got the better of him, he has
declared himself in favour of giving Maori greater
self-governance, possibly including the ability to make some of
their own laws.
Little declared his readiness to take
this further step towards creating a Maori New Zealand and the other
New Zealand yesterday, apparently influenced by a Waitangi
Tribunal finding last year that Northland Maori did not cede their
sovereignty when signing the Treaty.
This posturing would have won him lots
of brownie points among Maori elders at Waitangi.
They had criticised The Boss when
he stated the obvious – obvious, at least, except to people
without a normal cluster of brain cells or to some indigenous
persons who lust for greater governing powers to show they are
“special” in this country.
According to
this
NZ Herald report:
Mr Key said
allowing some iwi the ability to make their own law would be
“divisive” and he did not support the suggestion.
But Little declared his
inclination to divisive governance arrangements by going along with
the Waitangi Tribunal report which found Maori should be able to
make their own laws on matters affecting them.
While that
would be “highly problematic” he said it should be looked at.
Mr Little
acknowledged it could concern some New Zealanders. “The fear is
always that these things turn into a ‘they are getting special
privilege’ or ‘they are getting a control we would never be able
to have’. We have to be sensitive to that, but we’ve also got to
understand for iwi now and those who have had their settlements and
developed their own economic base, there are some things we might
want to say they can be responsible for that is consistent with
historical obligations.”
He said it was
time to look at what would happen after the settlements were
completed.
He said some
Native American tribes had law-making powers over their territories
in the United States where recognised tribes were exempt from some
laws – including taxation – and could create their own laws in
many areas. Mr Little said allowing separate law-making was “highly
problematic”.
“But we
shouldn’t be so dismissive of any claim by iwi over what they do.
We do have to function as a nation-state and we don’t want to
compromise that. But let’s have a look at it.”
But here’s the thing.
If he is to agree that Maori should be
able to make their own laws on matters affecting them, how will he
respond when Chinese citizens say they should be able to make their
own laws on matters affecting them? Or Indians? Or Indians? Or –
dammit – Scots, Irish, Welsh and Poms?
The absurdity is plain.
But Little wasn’t finished with
tearing up the treaty arrangement between Maori and the Crown.
Mr Little also
pinned his flag to the republican tent yesterday, saying New Zealand
should move to sever the apron strings with the monarchy before
Australia.
It is not plain to Alf that we should
move to sever the apron strings with the monarch, full stop.
It is much more bewildering why we
should want to beat the Aussies to declare a republic.
Mr Little said
he supported changing the flag but it was mere “window dressing”
and should be done as part of wider constitutional change – change
which also included ditching the Queen as the head of state.
“If we want
to assert our independence, changing the flag won’t do it.
Changing our head of state will.”
As the Herald reminds us, New Zealand
will vote on whether to change the flag in a referendum next year. A
second referendum will be held on the new flag if the vote is for
change.
Frankly, Alf thinks The Boss has gone
much too far simply by wanting to shake the Union Jack out of our
flag and replace it with with some cheap form of Kiwiana.
But at least he draws the line there
and says changing the flag is his limit as far as a nudge toward
republicanism goes.
Key describes himself as “the
biggest constitutional monarchist you’ll meet”.
Alf is content to him on this point,
but he regards the claim as nonsense, because The Grumbles beat him
hands down in the claim to the title of biggest constitutional
monarchist you’ll meet.
February
7th, 2015
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
7 March 2015
Maori
Television’s award winning children’s show Pukana intends to slip
in some English language in a bid to widen its audience.
Co-producer Alecia Haua says Pukana now
has the freedom to weave in a small amount of English naturally and
subtly into the Monday programme.
She says it will allow the show to grow
its audience base and hopefully excite enough of its non-fluent
audience into taking the next step into learning Te Reo...
See full article HERE
NZTE Powers up Māori Business Team
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE)
is increasing its support for Māori businesses wanting to grow
internationally, with two new appointments to its Māori business
team.
Dale Stephens and Tina
Wehipeihana-Wilson have both been appointed customer managers.
NZTE Director of Māori Business Liz Te
Amo says that NZTE is focused on unlocking the power of the Māori
export economy by working with more Māori companies, collectives and
leaders to create more successful international companies....
See full article HERE
Discharge site on island could give
Maori access
A controversial decision to use
Matakarapa Island as the discharge site for Foxton's wastewater could
have a silver lining for Maori opposed to the plan.
Horowhenua District Council voted 7-4
on Wednesday night to endorse the island as the discharge site after
five hours of discussion.
The move is opposed by Ngati Whakatere,
and other Horowhenua and Manawatu iwi, as they have several urupa on
the island.
The iwi are opposed to it being used
for the discharge of Foxton's treated waste because of concerns
graves will be sprayed. At present they are unable to access the
sites to maintain these graves because they are on private land...
See full article HERE
Rangitāiki River document now
published and released
Prepared by the Rangitāiki River Forum
- a partnership between iwi and local councils - the document will
guide future management of the Rangitāiki River catchment through
the vision, desired outcomes and objectives for the river and its
land....
See full article HERE
Criticism over pass rate drop
Education
leaders are unhappy with the big drop in the number of Maori and
Pasifika students getting University Entrance (UE).
Only a third of last year's Maori and
Pasifika Year 13 students got the qualification, down from half the
previous year.
COMET Education Trust chief executive
Susan Warren said poor UE results would worsen the
under-representation of Maori and Pasifika students at universities.
"We've already got not enough
Maori and Pasifika kids coming through to university. This is going
to make that worse......
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
6 March 2015
A
group of lawyers says the Crown shouldn't be in charge of funding the
Waitangi Tribunal.
The Human Rights Lawyers Association
complained of what it called a power imbalance between the Crown and
Māori groups.
The lawyers said there was an inherent
tension because the Crown must contribute funds to Māori in order to
prosecute claims against the Crown.
They said the Crown should take a
hands-off approach to paying for the Tribunal's operations.
In a feedback document to the Ministry
of Justice, the association said the Waitangi Tribunal and Crown law
were under considerable pressure to cut costs.
It claimed the system worked to the
detriment of whānau, hapū and iwi, who have suffered prejudice
through past actions of the Crown, which now funds their attempts to
remove that prejudice.....
See full article HERE
Maori Party calls for racism
inquiry
Following
the quashing
of Teina Pora's convictions,
the Maori Party is pushing for an inquiry into the justice system
over what it calls institutional racism.
The party has joined the discussion,
with co-leader Marama Fox saying Mr Pora's case was another example
of how convoluted, expensive and difficult it was to have injustices
like this rectified.
She said an inquiry would find out why
Maori were treated differently in the justice system.
Ms Fox said they suffered from
institutional racism, and that in fact nobody wanted to hear those
words; that every time someone did hear those words, they would start
jumping up and down.
She said they would rather call it
structural discrimination, which she called institutional racism in
itself...
See full article HERE
Iwi-owned fishery reports profit
A
business owned by the King Country iwi Ngati Maniapoto has made yet
another profit, making almost three-quarters of a million dollars
last year.
Te Kupenga o Maniapoto holds and
manages the tribe's settlement fish quota and draws its income from
Aotearoa Fisheries.
The company has recorded a surplus
every year since it started seven years ago....
See full article HERE
Solving access issues to Rangitikei's
land-locked land is seen as having an economic spin-off for the
region.
Such land, much of it Maori-owned, is
surrounded by other properties and not able to be accessed by road
and therefore difficult to use productively.
Mr Watson met Treaty of Waitangi
Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson last month to discuss the
process.
About 20 per cent of Rangitikei's total
area was land-locked and full use of it could generate up to $40
million in GDP, Mr Watson said.
"The absence of free and formal
access to these lands has presented the Maori owners with an
insurmountable challenge in terms of their ability to utilise their
whenua for traditional proposes and to unlock the inherent
development potential that exists in these properties," he wrote
to the minister.
Maori had asked for council help, and
it wanted to work with them and other land-owners to do so.
Much of the land is in the north of the
district.
"It's very much going to be a
long-term process ... There's a very, very complex Maori land court
process," Mr Watson said......
See full article HERE
Aotearoa Fisheries launches $30m
fleet renewal
New Zealand's biggest Maori-owned
fisheries company has announced a $30 million fleet renewal
programme.
Aotearoa Fisheries announced today it
had signed a deal with Nelson boat builder Aimex to build a state of
the art fishing boat that will improve productivity and reduce
environmental impact.
Aotearoa Fisheries does not own a fleet
but contracts fishing companies to catch its quota.
It will help those companies purchase
new "technologically advanced" boats with transitional
funding, long-term access to quota and secure financing, chief
executive Carl Carrington said....
See full article HERE
Forestry leases returned to Maori
owners
Associate Primary Industries Minister
Jo Goodhew joined Maori owners and the community in Northland today
to celebrate the surrender of a 740 hectare forestry lease.
The ceremony included the felling of
the final trees to mark the end of what was originally a 99 year
Crown lease. The trees are to be replanted by the landowner,
Parengarenga A Incorporation.
The initial Crown lease had a term of
99 years from July 1966. In 1999 a variation to the lease was
negotiated between the Crown and the Incorporation with the lifetime
of the lease reduced to the end of the first crop.......
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
5 March 2015
Labour MP Adrian Rurawhe would like to
see cross party support among Maori MPs for changes to the way
councils deal with Maori representation.
Under the law, if councils opt for
Maori wards, the decision can be overturned if opponents petition for
a referendum on the issue - the only aspect of local government
reorganisation where such a referendum is binding.
Both New Plymouth and the Far North
councils are running polls on on Maori wards, which are widely
expected to be lost.
Mr Rurawhe says Maori representation
should be standard in local government, but it won’t happen without
changing the rules....
See full article HERE
Smoking ban on volcanic cones
The
Tupuna Maunga o Tamaki Makaurau Authority has voted to make
Auckland’s volcanic cones alcohol and smoke-free.
Chair Paul Majurey says the sight of
cigarette butts and discarded bottles and cans is not conducive to
the living connection communities have with these important places.
He says the decision has the unanimous
support of mana whenua, Auckland Council and the Crown co-governance
parties who lead the Maunga Authority....
See full article HERE
Centre to be school's Maori heart
Motueka High School has raised
$468,000 toward building a new cultural education centre that will be
the heart of the school's efforts to raise Maori student achievement.
In May, the school will learn if the
Lottery community facilities committee will fund the balance of the
$1.1 million centre.
The school has 80 students in the
whanau class, a Maori form class that includes about half of the
school's 140 Maori students as well as a few European New Zealanders
and some international students. They meet in the whanau class at the
beginning and end of the day and when they do, they occupy a standard
classroom: 44 square metres of classroom painted orange and built 60
years ago.
The concept of a Maori cultural centre
has been part of the school's strategic vision for the past decade
but only gathered momentum with the appointment of its new head of
Maori language in late 2013.
He said the school would continue to
hold significant events, such as the whanau class prizegiving and
teacher development days, at Te Awhina.....
See full article HERE
Waatea kura puts culture and
identity to fore
South Auckland’s newest kura
hourua-partnership school was opened this morning by Education
Minister Hekia Parata.
Manukau Urban Maori Authority’s Te
Kura Maori o Waatea in Mangere is enrolling tamariki aged 5 to 8.
Ms Parata praised MUMA for taking up
the opportunity that National's coalition with ACT made possible, and
doing it in the context of culture, language and identity.
MUMA chief executive Willie Jackson
says the authority wants to inspire aspiration and educational
achievement in the community.
He says the kura meets the needs of
some South Auckland whanau eager to see their tamariki thrive and
prosper in a supportive holistic environment that incorporates Maori
pedagogy and proven teaching methods....
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
4 March 2015
A
Taranaki Maori leader wants the New Plymouth District Council to
challenge the need to hold a referendum on whether it can create a
Maori ward.
Grant Knuckey says the referendum,
which was triggered by a petition opposing the Maori seat plan, could
turn the city into the centre of white supremacy in the South
Pacific.
He says having proper Maori
representation on council is about ensuring Maori interests get a
fair hearing, not about giving any special privileges.
" In the last 150 years it hasn't
been very pleasant being Maori with a brown face, certainly in this
community because we've lost a heap of stuff from the
confiscations....
See full article HERE
Maori support picked for flag change
" When Maori were asked which
flag did they want to represent them, the blue ensign, our current
New Zealand flag was put up as an option. And I think somewhere
between 80-90 per cent of Maori said 'no', they didn't feel that
represented Maori interests. So in terms of gauging where Maori are
at, I'm picking that some of that sentiment may spill into this
process in this debate. And I wouldn't be at all surprised if Maori
actually wanted change " he says.
Malcolm Mulholland says anyone
including Maori is free to make suggestions on a flag design, with
the panel choosing four to put to a first referendum.
The winner of that vote will then be
matched up against the current flag in a second and binding
referendum.....
See full article HERE
Council poll could bar far north
Maori ward
The Far North District Council has sent
out postal voting forms on whether it should introduce Maori wards.
Iwi have opposed the poll, saying if
the council was serious about having Maori at the table it should not
have to get permission from the wider public.
Mayor John Carter says the council
doesn’t have a view on Maori wards but it’s a decision that needs
to be made by the community rather than the council...
See full article HERE
Special privileges for Maori
replace doing the right thing
Howie Tamati, sole Maori councillor on
the New Plymouth District Council, sees the granting of Maori wards
on local councils as a step in the right direction, telling Radio New
Zealand it is "not the right answer but a start". He is
wrong, very wrong.
New Zealand is a democracy and
democratic rights of the individual should be sacrosanct.
In no way is such a course an
acceptable substitute. Democracy in our country is something we
should never, ever sacrifice in the name of meeting some other
objective...
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
3 March 2015
Bach
owner Jim Harre and his family have been coming to their west
Auckland holiday spot for more than 40 years.
Others came before them; the property
at Te Henga (Bethells Beach) has been there since 1934.
But according to Mr Harre, planned
Treaty of Waitangi Settlement legislation would mean the building
would become 'landlocked'.
Te Kawerau a Maki is returning to the
area and reclaiming some land, some of it shouldering the bach.
Of course, the iwi occupied the land
long before people built seaside baches with spectacular views. But
raiding northern Maori forces ran the tribe out of its rohe (area)
and forced descendants into exile in Waikato. Colonials then swooped
in and bought swathes of ancestral land.
Jim Harre says what is contentious here
is not what the tribe is getting back, but instead the Crown's
provision of access to his bach, as arranged through the Treaty
negotiations.
"I support the settlement. I'm
personally delighted that Te Kawerau a Maki are formally returning to
Te Henga and will continue to be the tangata whenua in this area,"
he says.
"The first time we became aware of
this settlement was August 2014, six months after the Crown has
signed the settlement".....
See full article HERE
Wastewater discharge site
'short-sighted'
The preferred location for future
discharge of Foxton's wastewater is a short-sighted and insensitive
choice, critics say.
Staff at Horowhenua District Council
have named Matakarapa Island, which lies inside the Manawatu River
Loop, as the best option for disposing of the town's treated sewage.
One of those present told the Manawatu
Standard two-thirds of those in the public gallery had opposed
Matakarapa Island as the discharge site during consultation.
It has historical importance to iwi in
Horowhenua and is home to both a former pa and several burial sites.
Ngati Whakatere spokesman Troy
O'Carroll said the site was especially important to iwi, as many
Maori are buried there.
"We've got people, who are alive,
who have siblings in there."
A marae was once at the site too, he
said....
See full article HERE
Police coming to a kura near you
The
police are planning to dispatch fluent Maori speaking officers to
Kohanga Reo, Kura Kaupapa and secondary schools in south Auckland.
Inspector Nga-Wati Chaplow said
officers want to get closer to Maori at an early age.
"By the use of Te Reo we are
starting to touch our Maori youth at the very earliest point in their
lives. The presence in itself, which we've never had, is going to
make a difference".....
See full article HERE
Submissions show discontent at
claim process
Te Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis, who was
seconded onto the committee for consideration of the bill, says the
majority of submissions are in favour.
" People are in favour of the Bill
moving forward but they aren't happy with the process, they're not
happy with the length of time it's taken, they're not happy that
they're only getting a fraction of what the settlement should be. But
they're prepared to accept it in a sake of progress and moving
forward for our people up here " he says...
See full article HERE
Marae pay price of poor insurance
check
A
Maori financial broker says some insurance assessors are listing
Marae as public halls, which drives up the cost of cover for pa.
Chief executive Tina Wilson said Marae
sometimes had to pay more because insurance assessors did not
understand what tangata whenua value.
She said they did not understand what
Marae want and need, and sometimes classed them as a public hall.
Ms Wilson said there need to be more
Maori working in the industry.....
See full article HERE
2 March 2015
Tauranga
Maori are checking the numbers to decide whether a poll is necessary
in relation to a Maori ward seat on Tauranga City Council.
City
councillors voted unanimously against the measure in November last
year.
However, the council decision can be challenged if five percent of the roll demand a poll.
The petition must be finalised and
submitted by February 28, Tauranga Moana Tangata Whenua Collective
chairperson Puhirake Ihaka told the Tanga Whenua/Tauranga City
Council Committee.....
See full article HERE
New Plymouth to spend $80k on poll
New
Plymouth is to spend about $80,000 to conduct a poll over whether
Maori should have an automatic right to a council seat.
The district council this week
validated a petition calling for a binding citizens-initiated
referendum on the establishment of a Maori ward and a ballot will be
held in May.
Last year, the council voted 7-to-6 to
establish a Maori ward at the local government elections in 2016.
A resident, Hugh Johnson, then
organised a petition to force a referendum on the issue.
Mr Johnson says the issue is too
important to leave to councillors alone.
"I believe we are one country and
I believe in democracy. I believe there are changes to go on in local
government in this sort of nature that people should have a say.
Hence this referendum."
The Mayor, Andrew Judd, said he would
respect the result of the referendum but would continue to seek
improved engagement with Maori regardless of its outcome.
See full article HERE
Far North residents have until March 17
to have their say on whether the council should bring in dedicated
Maori wards.
Voting forms in the postal ballot have
been sent to all Far North electors and arrived in most letterboxes
this week.
Last year, the council decided to hold
a binding poll about setting up dedicated Maori seats at the council
table for the 2016 and 2019 local elections.
If a majority of votes are in favour of
Maori wards, the council will determine the number of general and
Maori wards - as well as the number of councillors for each - when it
conducts a representation review later this year.
Mayor John Carter said the council was
committed to working more closely with Maori but it did not have a
view on dedicated Maori wards.....
See full article HERE
1 March 2015
Whangarei Leader 17/2/15
REWRITING HISTORY
Your report on Treaty teacher Moea Armstrong (Leader, February 3 P7) misleads the public to believe what she and others are teaching on the Treaty is the truth.
No! They are rewriting history to support their political view and agenda.
Your report on Treaty teacher Moea Armstrong (Leader, February 3 P7) misleads the public to believe what she and others are teaching on the Treaty is the truth.
No! They are rewriting history to support their political view and agenda.
As your report stated: Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson says there is no question the Crown has sovereignty in New Zealand.
That is why we have the Union Jack flag flying at the [Waitangi Day] ceremony, the Royal Navy being the honour guard and the Governor-General representing our Sovereign Queen.
If the public read the book Twisting the Treaty, that is in our public library, they would be made aware of the true history of the Treaty and its meaning.
The chiefs who signed it and met again in 1860 at Kohimaramara agreed the Queen was the Sovereign of New Zealand.
I think these rewriters of history and false teachers of Treaty meanings are pulling the wool over the public’s eyes...not opening them.
C C
Morningside
Wanganui Chronicle 14/2/15
FLAVOUR OF MONTH
It appears that preserving the Maori language is flavour of the mouth. Despite offering three obviously unacceptable submissions to the editor on this subject, I have decided to have one last go. If this fails, I may have to give Susan Devoy a call — mind you, she is busy trying to avoid the duties of her office over a pakeha coach of a Maori basketball team causing that team to be refused entry into the National Maori Basketball Tournament. Apparently Ms Devoy needs a formal complaint before she can act or even comment
The Chronicle of February 6 sort of sums it up... First, the cartoon of Gareth Morgan (leader of the NZ branch of the KKK —Kiwi Kat Killers) shows his idiocy, although his calls for compulsory force feeding of te reo in schools is not mentioned.
Then the "Another View' column succinctly addresses biculturalism The only problem is that while the majority of the population want to achieve this, a small vocal radical mob of part-Maori want a dominant position and special treatment. Turn over the page and Lynette Archer is pushing the "bilingual barrow" in the parenting column. To show her proficiency in te reo she manages to insert the occasional Maori word but her comment that "in NZ we are fortunate to be able to speak and understand two languages" is not only patronising, it is also total rubbish unless referring to a minute portion of the population. Again, her hypothesis that bilinguals are more creative thinkers and posses sharper brain functions in older age beggars belief.
So, the creators of the seven wonders of the world, the historic masters of art and sculpture, mathematics, medicine and philosophy were all bilingual youngsters? I think not.
As for teaching te reo at an early age in schools, I have it on good authority that there are very few te reo fluent qualified teachers available to utilise the material previously provided to schools at great cost. I can see no practical reason for forcing te reo on the general public. It has no place in global economics and the chances of three NZ citizens, a Samoan, a Pakistani and a Chinaman standing on the footpath on Queen Street in Auckland having a conversation in te reo are as remote as me catching a great white shark in Virginia Lake on a fly rod.
D P
Wanganui
It appears that preserving the Maori language is flavour of the mouth. Despite offering three obviously unacceptable submissions to the editor on this subject, I have decided to have one last go. If this fails, I may have to give Susan Devoy a call — mind you, she is busy trying to avoid the duties of her office over a pakeha coach of a Maori basketball team causing that team to be refused entry into the National Maori Basketball Tournament. Apparently Ms Devoy needs a formal complaint before she can act or even comment
The Chronicle of February 6 sort of sums it up... First, the cartoon of Gareth Morgan (leader of the NZ branch of the KKK —Kiwi Kat Killers) shows his idiocy, although his calls for compulsory force feeding of te reo in schools is not mentioned.
Then the "Another View' column succinctly addresses biculturalism The only problem is that while the majority of the population want to achieve this, a small vocal radical mob of part-Maori want a dominant position and special treatment. Turn over the page and Lynette Archer is pushing the "bilingual barrow" in the parenting column. To show her proficiency in te reo she manages to insert the occasional Maori word but her comment that "in NZ we are fortunate to be able to speak and understand two languages" is not only patronising, it is also total rubbish unless referring to a minute portion of the population. Again, her hypothesis that bilinguals are more creative thinkers and posses sharper brain functions in older age beggars belief.
So, the creators of the seven wonders of the world, the historic masters of art and sculpture, mathematics, medicine and philosophy were all bilingual youngsters? I think not.
As for teaching te reo at an early age in schools, I have it on good authority that there are very few te reo fluent qualified teachers available to utilise the material previously provided to schools at great cost. I can see no practical reason for forcing te reo on the general public. It has no place in global economics and the chances of three NZ citizens, a Samoan, a Pakistani and a Chinaman standing on the footpath on Queen Street in Auckland having a conversation in te reo are as remote as me catching a great white shark in Virginia Lake on a fly rod.
D P
Wanganui
Northern Advocate 11/2/15
MANIPULATION
Reading Minister of Education Hekia Parata’s opinion piece (Northern Advocate 9/2/15) has made me despair for the future of children of Maori descent. They, their parents and their fellow Kiwis are constantly being manipulated by propaganda designed to make them useful pawns in the machinations of power hungry politicians and activists.
I agree that, years ago, children weren’t able to speak te reo at school. But Ms Parata fails to mention that this was because Maori elders wanted them to have the best possible future opportunities. Kamatuas knew then that being able to communicate well, with as many people as possible, would make life easier and more prosperous for Maori. That perspective is still valid today.
These same elders were the ones wanting punishments for children caught speaking Maori, as verified on the website: http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-BIM873TeHa-t1-g1-t2.html
Ms Parata also fails to explain that, historically, most students were subjected to teachers slapping and hitting them (with a ruler, belt or cane) for minor demeanours. Physical punishment at school was standard practice and was certainly not focussed on any ethnicity – ask anyone over 55!
And finally, the treaty has achieved everything such a document would have been intended to achieve in 1840. New Zealand led the world in delivering legal equality, independent of race, gender or religious orientation. Unfortunately there is no document on earth that can make people value their own education and health, or take up the opportunities available to them.
Ms Parata fails New Zealand and all children of Maori descent by her efforts to keep them confined in “a Maori World”.
G P
Kamo
Reading Minister of Education Hekia Parata’s opinion piece (Northern Advocate 9/2/15) has made me despair for the future of children of Maori descent. They, their parents and their fellow Kiwis are constantly being manipulated by propaganda designed to make them useful pawns in the machinations of power hungry politicians and activists.
I agree that, years ago, children weren’t able to speak te reo at school. But Ms Parata fails to mention that this was because Maori elders wanted them to have the best possible future opportunities. Kamatuas knew then that being able to communicate well, with as many people as possible, would make life easier and more prosperous for Maori. That perspective is still valid today.
These same elders were the ones wanting punishments for children caught speaking Maori, as verified on the website: http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-BIM873TeHa-t1-g1-t2.html
Ms Parata also fails to explain that, historically, most students were subjected to teachers slapping and hitting them (with a ruler, belt or cane) for minor demeanours. Physical punishment at school was standard practice and was certainly not focussed on any ethnicity – ask anyone over 55!
And finally, the treaty has achieved everything such a document would have been intended to achieve in 1840. New Zealand led the world in delivering legal equality, independent of race, gender or religious orientation. Unfortunately there is no document on earth that can make people value their own education and health, or take up the opportunities available to them.
Ms Parata fails New Zealand and all children of Maori descent by her efforts to keep them confined in “a Maori World”.
G P
Kamo
NZ Herald 10/2/15
IWI EXEMPTION
Iwi businesses are forming a significant and growing part of the economy. But I will withhold my congratulations until iwi corporations such as Ngai Tahu and Tainui find a sense of civic responsibility and start paying their fair share of taxes on their commercial activities.
Iwi-owned corporations are excused paying income tax because they are registered as charities, yet very little of their profits is distributed for charitable purposes.
When tax privileges such as these exist, the revenue burden must fall on others. Consequently, their businesses are being subsidised by the taxpayer. Being income tax exempt they also gain a considerable advantage when competing against other businesses.
A review of the tax treatment of iwi owned business operations that are registered as charities is urgently needed.
L S
Meadowbank.
Iwi businesses are forming a significant and growing part of the economy. But I will withhold my congratulations until iwi corporations such as Ngai Tahu and Tainui find a sense of civic responsibility and start paying their fair share of taxes on their commercial activities.
Iwi-owned corporations are excused paying income tax because they are registered as charities, yet very little of their profits is distributed for charitable purposes.
When tax privileges such as these exist, the revenue burden must fall on others. Consequently, their businesses are being subsidised by the taxpayer. Being income tax exempt they also gain a considerable advantage when competing against other businesses.
A review of the tax treatment of iwi owned business operations that are registered as charities is urgently needed.
L S
Meadowbank.
Dominion Post 7/2/15
EMBEDDED POLICIES
HAVE NEGATIVE EFFECTS
Helen Clark's Labour Government embedded policies such as sustainability and social justice into our school curriculums. But it was over the Treaty of Waitangi the most blatant political manipulation is seen.
The Treaty is now interwoven in all subject areas at all curriculum levels. But as if that is not enough, the Maori Party announced last year that as part of their coalition deal with National a stronger Maori focus would be brought into the curriculum through the spending of $1.6 million over three years to strengthen the teaching of Maori "history" in both primary and secondary schools.
The official promotion of what amounts to Maori supremacy in schools, sends a signal to students and families that the only culture that matters in New Zealand is Maori. This rejects the curriculum's Cultural Diversity principle stating "The curriculum reflects New Zealand's cultural diversity and values the histories and traditions of all its people."
The symptoms of a failing education system are already starting to show: We have lower than expected international test scores, school leaven without basic literacy and numeracy skills, increasing numbers of tertiary dropouts, excessive political indoctrination. If this concerns you raise your voice.
D S
Cambridge
Helen Clark's Labour Government embedded policies such as sustainability and social justice into our school curriculums. But it was over the Treaty of Waitangi the most blatant political manipulation is seen.
The Treaty is now interwoven in all subject areas at all curriculum levels. But as if that is not enough, the Maori Party announced last year that as part of their coalition deal with National a stronger Maori focus would be brought into the curriculum through the spending of $1.6 million over three years to strengthen the teaching of Maori "history" in both primary and secondary schools.
The official promotion of what amounts to Maori supremacy in schools, sends a signal to students and families that the only culture that matters in New Zealand is Maori. This rejects the curriculum's Cultural Diversity principle stating "The curriculum reflects New Zealand's cultural diversity and values the histories and traditions of all its people."
The symptoms of a failing education system are already starting to show: We have lower than expected international test scores, school leaven without basic literacy and numeracy skills, increasing numbers of tertiary dropouts, excessive political indoctrination. If this concerns you raise your voice.
D S
Cambridge
NZ Herald 6/2/15
BICULTURAL REALITY
It is pleasing to see the Herald editorialising about issues around the Treaty of Waitangi but I think your analysis is flawed. I believe the reason the majority of New Zealanders with Maori ancestry either never supported racebased parties or are moving back to mainstream parties is that, like the rest of us, they recognise that the end result of any “bicultural” or “partnership” accommodation in government will be the imposition of tikanga defined by a small minority of separatist zealots.
Put simply, the biculturalism you speak of is, in reality, a euphemism for separatism.
C L,
Tauranga
It is pleasing to see the Herald editorialising about issues around the Treaty of Waitangi but I think your analysis is flawed. I believe the reason the majority of New Zealanders with Maori ancestry either never supported racebased parties or are moving back to mainstream parties is that, like the rest of us, they recognise that the end result of any “bicultural” or “partnership” accommodation in government will be the imposition of tikanga defined by a small minority of separatist zealots.
Put simply, the biculturalism you speak of is, in reality, a euphemism for separatism.
C L,
Tauranga
Wanganui Chronicle 5/2/15
A NATIONAL DAY
Waitangi Day is a sad day, as it reminds us that the tribes/iwi of New Zealand are dead in the water, locked into a feuding dog-eat-dog past. It's time we stopped the intertribal warfare (that includes Ngati Pakeha as well as all the smaller iwi) before we end up like Afghanistan or tribal parts of Africa and the Middle East.
The name Wanganui has a life of its own, independent of any language. It's a west coast New Zealand city populated by people from all over the world. Wanganui is a "Kiwi" word and one all the peoples of Wanganui, New Zealand and the world can be proud of. It has lost any links it had to the Polynesian languages.
One suspects Maori has done the same, shown by the need to establish a Maori Language Commission, one of whose roles is to invent "new" Maori words. To add insult to injury, we pay millions of dollars a year to invent and support the Maori language — Maori Language Commission/ Te Taura Whiri i to Reo Maori receives $3.204 million in baseline funding annually when fewer than 25 per cent of Maori homes have access to a Maori speaker (http://www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz/englishpub_e/bim.pdf p28). Money better spent on supporting/ intervening with poor families and those that maim and injure their own offspring of whatever race but Kiwis all).
Think how many jobs for Kiwis could be created instead of new words almost nobody uses. New Zealand itself is an anglicised Dutch name for a place discovered by Polynesians (and others) and colonised by the British.
The Treaty of 1840 was, among other things, an attempt by the British to stop the tribes/iwi killing each other (read a history of the 1820-30 musket wars). Any problems with the Treaty should be taken up by the people of New Zealand with the Queen and people of Britain, as we are an independent nation (Statute of Westminster adopted by the people of New Zealand on September 25, 1947). If we want a national day to celebrate our birth as a nation, this is the day we should celebrate.
T O'C
Wanganui
Waitangi Day is a sad day, as it reminds us that the tribes/iwi of New Zealand are dead in the water, locked into a feuding dog-eat-dog past. It's time we stopped the intertribal warfare (that includes Ngati Pakeha as well as all the smaller iwi) before we end up like Afghanistan or tribal parts of Africa and the Middle East.
The name Wanganui has a life of its own, independent of any language. It's a west coast New Zealand city populated by people from all over the world. Wanganui is a "Kiwi" word and one all the peoples of Wanganui, New Zealand and the world can be proud of. It has lost any links it had to the Polynesian languages.
One suspects Maori has done the same, shown by the need to establish a Maori Language Commission, one of whose roles is to invent "new" Maori words. To add insult to injury, we pay millions of dollars a year to invent and support the Maori language — Maori Language Commission/ Te Taura Whiri i to Reo Maori receives $3.204 million in baseline funding annually when fewer than 25 per cent of Maori homes have access to a Maori speaker (http://www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz/englishpub_e/bim.pdf p28). Money better spent on supporting/ intervening with poor families and those that maim and injure their own offspring of whatever race but Kiwis all).
Think how many jobs for Kiwis could be created instead of new words almost nobody uses. New Zealand itself is an anglicised Dutch name for a place discovered by Polynesians (and others) and colonised by the British.
The Treaty of 1840 was, among other things, an attempt by the British to stop the tribes/iwi killing each other (read a history of the 1820-30 musket wars). Any problems with the Treaty should be taken up by the people of New Zealand with the Queen and people of Britain, as we are an independent nation (Statute of Westminster adopted by the people of New Zealand on September 25, 1947). If we want a national day to celebrate our birth as a nation, this is the day we should celebrate.
T O'C
Wanganui
28 FEBRUARY 2015
Christian camp fails to block wāhi
tapu status
A
campground north of Wellington has lost its fight to stop land being
declared wāhi tapu.
Waikanae Christian Holiday Park - which
is known as El Rancho - had argued against the Māori Heritage
Council's decision to designate some of its whenua as sacred to
Māori.
But the Court of Appeal has sided with
Heritage Council and the High Court, which earlier blocked a bid for
a judicial review.
The campground argued against on a
number of issues, including unsuccessfully asserting that the
heritage body did not consider the adverse effects of the
registration of the wāhi tapu site on the value of the land.
But the Court of Appeal said the
legislation did not require or suggest that economic effects on
landowners need to be considered....
See full article HERE
A
two-week ban on using the Pandora pond has shut down Pandora Kayaks.
The rahui, issued by Napier claims
settlement entity Mana Ahuriri after discussion among kaumatua, said
there should be no swimming, waka ama training or similar water
sports for the next two weeks, and no gathering of seafood for three
months.
It is a traditional Maori mark of
respect for the man found dead in the water on Tuesday, and for the
area where he was found....
See full article HERE
The public consultation period for the
Rotorua Lakes Council's controversial Te Arawa Partnership Proposal
is set to begin.
In an extraordinary meeting of the
council yesterday, Rotorua Lakes councillors voted 9-4 in favour of
approving the proposal for public consultation.
An extension of the consultation period
from March 27 to April 17, as well as an increase to 10 public
information sessions, were among the key changes made to the original
proposal process.....
See full article HERE
Language loss due to colonisation -
Iwi leader
A
Māori language leader in the Far North says Professor Timoti
Karetu's comments blaming iwi for the loss of Te Reo is unreasonable,
and it would be unfair to blame the victims of colonisation.
But, Te Rārawa Chief, Haami Piripi,
said there were historic and legitimate reasons why some iwi were
struggling to keep their language alive.
"That's more like blaming the
victim, you can't blame the victim for the circumstances we find
ourselves in" Mr Piripi said...
See full article HERE
Te Arawa to draft cultural values on
water
The
central North Island iwi collective of Te Arawa is talking about
developing a list of cultural values to help explain why water is
important to the tribes, which it hopes to share with other iwi.
Te Arawa members have met twice already
to discuss values, as part of a project to identify what those are.
Tribal leader Sir Toby Curtis said he
planned to deliver the information to the Iwi Chairs Forum to take
back to their iwi, before passing it on to the Government.
He said the Crown saw water as a
commodity to be sold on, while Maori saw the water as a commodity to
pass on to future generations.....
See full article HERE
The
introduction of bilingual signage on emergency service vehicles in
the Tairawhiti region is a first for the country and something we can
be proud of.
It is also the sort of thing we should expect more of, and want more of . . . as the only district with half its population Maori, and the highest proportion of Maori able to speak te reo — a third, along with plenty of non-Maori.
In launching the initiative, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori (the Maori Language Commission) spokesman Wayne Ngata said government departments and agencies were being asked to support the revitalisation of the language, “and bilingual services and signage is a critical part of that support”. He acknowledged Gisborne District Council’s commitment to this, as well as the local emergency services — which will roll out the bilingual signage over coming months.
Naturally, not everyone supports this kaupapa. Someone who commented on the story online, but opted for it not to be published in the paper, said: “Too much Maori!” “Maori is a second language, it shouldn’t be on emergency vehicles,” they wrote. “Every New Zealander speaks English . . . if you don’t then you can identify the vehicles by their colours/patterns.”
Mike Loftus responded: “Thank you for confirming that ignorance is alive and well in Gisborne. Maori is an official language of Aotearoa and was indeed the only language here for hundreds of years. Te reo Maori is something special to the people of this country regardless of their being Maori or Pakeha. It’s something we should be proud of. It’s usage does far more to bring all New Zealanders together than divisive remarks will ever accomplish.”
Many children in this district are being educated bilingually, and benefiting from this across all their learning. They will also pick up other languages more easily.
The district’s children in general are also fortunate to be introduced to te reo at our early childhood centres, kindies and primary schools.
Over time, the acceptance and celebration of the beautiful first language of Aotearoa will grow.
See
full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
27 FEBRUARY 2015
Hana
O’Reagan has been appointed by the Government to a panel charged
with engaging the public on a possible new flag for New Zealand.
The academic and te reo Māori advocate
is one of a few notable Māori to have been chosen for the panel of
12 New Zealanders nominated by a cross-party group of MPs.
The Ngāi Tahu descendant said today
that she is honoured to be appointed, and is pleased that indigenous
representatives will be included in the discussion......
See full article HERE
Te Arawa entity wants to develop new
leaders
The
fear that valuable knowledge will be lost when the present generation
of Kaumatua die is prompting a confederation of tribes to develop new
leaders.
"There are some within Te Ao Māori
[Māoridom] who on any Marae would be able to hold their own. But
flicking into Te Ao Pākehā [modern world] some would struggle.
Similarly those who are in Te Ao Pākeha, who are business leaders
may not necessarily have the skills to cope in Te Ao Māori. The
object of the exercise is to bridge that gap," he said.
Te Arawa leader Sir Toby Curtis
supported the programme but stressed that Te Reo was important
because it helped give a leader credibility and enabled them to see
the world differently.
"If we don't convince our young
people that they need the Reo to help them in their development in a
Māori economy, [then] they're only helping pakeha [to] become pākehā
orientated in the economy....
See full article HERE
Support Needed for Maori Education
Relationships
New Zealand First is demanding more
than talk from the Ministry of Education on building relationships
between schools and whānau.
“The Auditor-General’s report on
Māori education released yesterday confirms that Boards of Trustees
need more support from the Ministry to build relationships between
schools and whanau,” says New Zealand First Spokesperson for Māori
Affairs Pita Paraone.
“The Ministry has declared the future
success of Māori education relies on schools and whānau working
together....
See full article HERE
Academic places loss of language at
feet of iwi
A
former Maori Language Commissioner is blaming some iwi for the loss
of the Maori language.
Professor Karetu said in Te Reo that
the school system was not to blame for the Maori language dying out,
but with some individual iwi.
"Instead what I'm saying is, and
it follows what you said Nanaia.... there is still a place for iwi
(in the Māori language strategy) but they can't do it by themselves,
right? because, and I've said this before, it is iwi that have caused
the language to be lost, it isn't the schools, it is because (some)
iwi aren't speaking the language"...
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
26 FEBRUARY 2015
Waihoroi Shortland from Ngati Hine says
a national language hui last week head real concerns about former
Maori affairs minister Pita Sharples’ plan for a new body, Te
Matawai, to oversee the Maori language commission, Maori broadcast
funding agency, Maori television and other language-related
initiatives.
He says creating a new bureaucracy to
oversee other bureaucracies doesn’t seem a wise use of resources.
Te Matawai needs to be seen as a
government strategy, rather than the expression of rangatiratanga Dr
Sharples claimed it would be.
" Is this thing called Matawai
doing the job we might want it to do. If it is a job about
championing Maori rights and we are putting Maori people into it,
then it ought to be the tool that we use to bang the government over
the head with. It shouldn't be the other way around, that it ends up
being the tool the government uses through it's strategy, through
it's laws to bang our heads " he says.....
See full article HERE
Charter schools part of
Maori development
She says Maori have seized on the
charter school model as a way of addressing what they see as problems
in the mainstream system.
" Our people have got to a point
where they are tired of being dictated to in the education sector and
they want to do it themselves. Some of them are ready to do it and
some need to think long and hard about why they want to do it. But I
think you are seeing it across the board in Maori development. We are
ready to do these things ourselves and we are tired of being told how
to be Maori and how to be Maori in the education sector " she
says.....
See full article HERE
Hawke's Bay Regional Council work to
build stronger tie's with local iwi.
A recommendation is being put to
Wednesday’s Hawke’s Bay Regional Council meeting asking
for a working group to be set up to help review how the Council is
doing with its relationships with iwi and incorporating Tangata
Whenua views into its work.
Members of the Council’s Maori &
Regional Planning Committees are asking for the review to determine
how HBRC can best incorporate Tangata Whenua values and support the
Regional Planning Committee...
See full article HERE
NZQA defends Maori exams
The
Qualifications Authority is defending criticism from a kura body over
how two Maori language exams are credited.
Nga Kura a Iwi o Aotearoa, which
oversees 25 tribal schools, said Te Reo Maori and the total immersion
paper, Te Reo Rangatira, were worth 12 credits each, and was unfair
to students sitting the Reo Rangatira exam.
He said the Maori exam assessed a
students' ability to learn it as an additional language, and in this
context there was a need for the instructions in the examination to
be in English.....
See full article HERE
Indigenous food sales fall short
A
Crown-run indigenous food brand has missed its takings target,
earning four times less than it wanted.
The Storehouse turned in $83,549 - well
below an annual budgeted forecast of $417,481.
The business is operated by the New
Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute, which also trades as Te
Puia, the large visitor attraction in Rotorua....
See full article HERE
How well does the education system
support Māori?
The
Auditor General says some schools believe they have better
relationships with whānau than whānau think they do.
It suggested higher decile schools and
those with low proportions of Māori students might have to work more
on their relationship with Māori whanau.
It said Maori needed to know who the
people behind the school gate were.
The Auditor-General said teachers
should not be surprised to learn that small things, such as regularly
meeting whānau at the school gate, could affect the quality of
relationships....
See full article HERE
Northland touring route to get Maori
makeover
The
Northland Twin Coast Discovery route will undergo a Maori makeover as
part of a regional strategy to boost the economy.
The $1.5 million proposal to modernise
the touring route will focus on a Pou trail and information hubs
throughout Northland to form a more authentic Tai Tokerau experience
for visitors.
George Riley from Northland regional
council's economic development division, said it was an opportunity
for Maori to overlay the Twin Coast Discovery route with their own
stories.....
See full article HERE
$60,000 for Maori development up for
grabs
$60,000
is up for grabs on the Kāpiti Coast for projects that develop Māori
economic activity.
The fund is available yearly to assist
local whānau, hapū, iwi, mātāwaka (Maori from outside the area)
and Māori businesses in getting off the ground.....
See full article HERE
Ngati Maniapoto contemplate court
action
Calls have gone out for King Country
Maori to have their say on a plan to take the government to the High
Court but tribal heads are staying tight lipped.
Rongo Wetere, the former head and
founder of Maori tertiary institution Te Wananga o Aotearoa, planned
to take over the Ngati Maniapoto treaty claim and pursue a settlement
in the courts estimated to be worth billions.
Last week, a leaked email from Wetere's
son Willie Wetere said previous settlements, like the Waikato-Tainui
and the Ngai Tahu settlements, were a fraction of the actual value
lost to Maori.
"We believe that's unfair and
given the Crown ignores Waitangi Tribunal recommendations, that the
High Court is where we should commence settlement negotiations,"
the email said.
Maniapoto losses could dwarf them and
their losses "will be in the tens of billions of dollars"...
See full article HERE
Connecting to the environment for
better health outcomes
“Exploring Māori health from our own
indigenous knowledge base, rather than as a reaction to prevailing
Māori health crises is what we call a ‘kaupapa Māori approach’
for Māori health outcomes” says Leonie Matoe, Managing Director
for Toi Tangata, an Auckland based Māori health provider providing
advocacy and coordination for kaupapa Māori based approaches across
the public health nutrition and physical activity sector....
Three Toi Tangata Innovation Awards
worth $1,000 each will also be given to providers who demonstrate
awesome nutrition and physical activities that enable whānau to
flourish.
Toi Tangata will also be giving a
Tauira Presentation Award worth $500 to a tertiary student who is
conducting research or projects in nutrition and physical
activity....
See full article HERE
Lincoln steps up Maori support
Lincoln University has appointed a new
Maori and Pacific support coordinator as it targets increasing
numbers of Maori students.
Under its new Whenua strategy, Lincoln
is offering its Diploma of Agriculture course within the Whenua Kura
intitiative, a Ngai Tahu-led partnership which seeks to grow Maori
leadership in agriculture.
It has also created a new position of
Professor in Maori and Indigenous Development as it positions itself
alongside the growing Maori economy...
See full article HERE
Maori Responsiveness Manager
Welcomed in Powhiri
The community of Counties Manukau today
welcomed Inspector Nga-Wati Chaplow as Counties Manukau Police Maori
Responsiveness Manager in a powhiri at Te Puea Marae, Mangere Bridge.
The newly created role is one of 12
throughout the country (one per Police District) and Inspector
Chaplow will have responsibility for the Counties Manukau Police
Maori, Pacific and Ethnic Services Group (MPES).....
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
25 FEBRUARY 2015
A recommendation is being put to
Wednesday’s Hawke’s Bay Regional Council meeting asking for a
working group to be set up to help review how the Council is doing
with its relationships with iwi and incorporating Tangata Whenua
views into its work.
Members of the Council’s Maori &
Regional Planning Committees are asking for the review to determine
how HBRC can best incorporate Tangata Whenua values and support the
Regional Planning Committee.
The Regional Planning Committee was
established in April 2011 as Treaty of Waitangi redress for Tangata
Whenua groups. It oversees the review and development of the regional
planning documents for the Hawke’s Bay region as required by the
Resource Management Act 1991. It comprises equal membership of
Regional Councillors and Treaty Claimant Group representatives.....
See full article HERE
Waka patu ahi on its way with lights
flashing
Emergency services in Turanganui-a-Kiwa
today unveiled the country's first bilingual emergency service
vehicles.
Wayne Ngata from Te Taura Whiri i te
Reo Maori says the aim is to increase the visibility of te reo Maori
in streets and in communities.
He says Gisborne District Council, St
John Ambulance Services and the New Zealand Fire Service are setting
an example for other councils and government agencies to follow.
Dr Ngata says the area's waka turoro or
ambulances and waka patu ahi or fire appliances serve a population
where one in 10 are Mazori language speakers.
Te Taura Whiri believes bilingual
signage is important as it acknowledges the status of te reo Maori as
an official language of New Zealand.
As well as painting its waka turoro, St
John Ambulance Services is keen to develop strategies for using te
reo Maori through their organisation......
See full article HERE
'Make charter schools teach Te Reo'
A
Te Reo campaigner says every new charter school should be forced to
teach Māori language lessons.
Bay of Plenty broadcaster Pat Spellman
is an ardent proponent of Te Reo and recently called for Tauranga to
become a bilingual city.
The iwi radio presenter said it should
be compulsory for all public schools students to learn the language.
And he said he would take that a step
further by making a prerequisite for charter schools to include Te
Reo Māori as a core subject.
Mr Spellman said if the language was in
the education system, then New Zealand children would grow up and
accept Te Reo and Te Ao Maori (the Maori world) as a way of life fro
everyone, and not just Māori people......
See full article HERE
Support for Computers in Homes
programme welcomed
The Māori Party is pleased to see the
Government will continue to fund Computers in Homes this year which
was initiated by the Māori Party in 2009.
The Government recently announced it
will set aside $3.04 million in the coming financial year to support
another 1500 low income families through the Computers in Homes
programme.
“This programme creates multiple
benefits for the whole whānau; you have whānau learning new skills
together, becoming digitally literate and more connected to the
world,” says Māori Party Co-leader Marama Fox....
See full article HERE
Public poll confirmed on Maori
electoral ward for New Plymouth
A poll will be held to determine
whether a Maori electoral ward is established in New Plymouth
District.
The binding poll has been confirmed
following independent validation of a petition that was created after
the Council’s September 2014 resolution to create a Maori ward.
Registered electors across the district
will receive voting papers from 24 April, with the poll closing at
midday on 15 May. The result will be announced later that day and
will be binding for six years from the next local government
elections in October 2016.....
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
23 FEBRUARY 2015
The council has been only been willing
to roll over the club's lease on a month-by-month basis since the end
of 2013, until last month when the new Tupuna Maunga o Tamaki
Makaurau Authority asked for the lease to be terminated.
The authority now co-governs Otahuhu
along with 13 other maunga returned to local iwi and hapu through the
Treaty of Waitangi settlements process......
See full article HERE
Kapiti steps up Relations with mana
whenua
The
mayor of Kāpiti says his council intends to appoint an iwi
commissioner by the middle of next year.
The commissioner will sit on the
hearings panel for the local authority's proposed district plan,
which included many issues related to the protection of the natural
environment.
Mayor Ross Church said a tribal
representative would play a crucial role.
He said the person would bring in a
Maori perspective that was crucial to submissions surrounding natural
vegetation and sustainability.......
See full article HERE
Hill harvest to go ahead
A TREE harvest on Titirangi will go
ahead after two local iwi withdrew their objections to proposed
harvesting of a 8.7ha area on Kaiti Hill.
However, it is still not known how the trees will be harvested.
A resource consent application lodged by Gisborne District Council to harvest mature radiata pine trees on the north-eastern slope of Titirangi Reserve was last week opposed in a written submission from two iwi.
The joint submission from kaumatua of Ngati Oneone and Te Aitanga a Mahaki opposed large-scale ground operations because of a “significant” area of burial grounds and suggested a helicopter harvest be included in the plan.
It also said the council’s geotechnical survey was insufficient for an area susceptible to landslides.
However, the council’s building and resource consents manager Ian Petty yesterday confirmed a resource consent hearing scheduled for Friday had been cancelled, following the withdrawal of the submission on Wednesday.
However, it is still not known how the trees will be harvested.
A resource consent application lodged by Gisborne District Council to harvest mature radiata pine trees on the north-eastern slope of Titirangi Reserve was last week opposed in a written submission from two iwi.
The joint submission from kaumatua of Ngati Oneone and Te Aitanga a Mahaki opposed large-scale ground operations because of a “significant” area of burial grounds and suggested a helicopter harvest be included in the plan.
It also said the council’s geotechnical survey was insufficient for an area susceptible to landslides.
However, the council’s building and resource consents manager Ian Petty yesterday confirmed a resource consent hearing scheduled for Friday had been cancelled, following the withdrawal of the submission on Wednesday.
See full article HERE
22 FEBRUARY 2015
Apartheid New Zealand
Jobs and higher incomes are the reasons
usually given for increasing numbers of New Zealanders crossing the
ditch to settle in Australia. A net 40,000 moved there in the year to
the end of August. While greener pastures are undoubtedly a key
factor, it is highly likely that racial issues are also causing the
flight of Kiwis. Weary of a political environment that encourages an
aggressive mixed-race minority to make unreasonable demands against
taxpayers, fed-up Kiwis have had enough!
That was
certainly the case for the one in six Maori who lived in Australia in
2008. They openly admitted that a key reason for their relocation was
to escape tribalism. In a study carried out by Te Puni Kokiri, many
Maori expressed an overwhelming sense of relief of being “free of
Maori culture”, of being able to “get away from the rigid beliefs
of our elders”, of getting away from “tikanga Maori” and
“whanau pressures”. In other words, they wanted to live
their lives free from the fetters of tribalism and identity
politics.1
The issue of race has now become a
defining line down through society. This is in spite of the blurring
of racial boundaries that has been taking place since first
settlement as each generation of New Zealanders increasingly marry
and have children across racial and ethnic lines. It has created a
ludicrous situation where a growing proportion of the sovereignty
movement leaders are now more non-Maori than Maori.
The blending of races also makes a
mockery of official attempts at racial profiling. Government agencies
continue to classify New Zealanders along ethnic lines in order to
justify a divisive bicultural political correctness that locks in
special treatment based on race, instead of need – even though such
categorisations are increasingly meaningless. It is time the
politicians, bureaucrats, academics, and other fellow travellers of
the Maori independence movement realised that the country has moved
on. We are not two separate races with two different cultures
coexisting in isolation, but a blend of races and traditions, making
up our own unique New Zealand identity and culture. Biculturalism is
more imaginary than real and the sooner it is officially abandoned
the sooner New Zealand can put such division behind us and go
forward.
The problem is that race has become a
powerful political force and money-making proposition. Back in the
seventies, when the consequence of widespread intermarriage was
recognised – namely in an on-going decline in the number of people
who could be categorised as Maori – a change in the official
classification was demanded. The result was the 1974 Maori Affairs
Amendment Act, which replaced racial classification based on biology
and blood quantum, whereby someone had to have 50 percent or more of
Maori blood to be categorised as “Maori”, with one based on
self-identification and ethnic affiliation – having a Maori
descendent. These changes amounted to a political construct designed
to guarantee an on-going rise in the number of people categorised as
Maori, thus fulfilling the ambitions of tribal leaders for power and
resources.
Over the years, the inclusion of ethnic
privilege into government policy has led to a rapid increase in the
rights of Maori over other citizens resulting in an exponential
growth of race-based initiatives including:
- Maori-only schools and education scholarships,
- Maori-only housing projects,
- Maori-only health prioritisation and initiatives,
- Whanau Ora and other Maori-only welfare initiatives,
- Maori-only prisoner programmes,
- Maori-only positions on government agencies,
- Maori-only consultation rights under the Resource Management Act,
- Maori-only co-management of parks, rivers, lakes, and the coastline,
- Maori-only tax rates – 17.5 percent tax for iwi corporations instead of the 28 percent corporate tax rate, with tax-free status for those that can convince authorities that their business is based around a marae, Maori-only seats on local councils,
- Maori-only seats on local councils,
- Maori-only local government Statutory Boards,
- Maori-only local government liaison committees,
- Maori seats in Parliament.
In 2000,
Simon Chapple, then a Senior Research Analyst with the Department of
Labour, used data from the 1996 census to examine the impact that
these new definitions were having on the number of people officially
categorised as Maori. He found that instead of the 273,693 New
Zealanders who indicated they were Maori-only being the recognised
total, Statistics New Zealand’s policy of adding everyone who
included Maori as one of their ethnic groups into the final count,
meant that the official tally was 580,374! In other words, the change
in methodology effectively doubled the “official” number of
Maori. Simon Chapple recommended that the Maori ethnic group should
be restricted to those who identify as Maori-only, with everyone else
allocated to their other major ethnic group – but that suggestion
was ignored.2
These changes were first introduced
into our Census forms in 1986 through the use of ethnicity questions.
With Statistics New Zealand defining ethnicity as “cultural
identity based around commonly held values and beliefs”, calls were
made for one of the options to include New Zealander in recognition
of our unique New Zealand culture. It was based on the observation
that in their census forms, Australians are asked if they are
Australian, Canadians are asked if they are Canadian, and in Britain,
they are asked if they are British. In New Zealand, however, there
was no question asking if we were a New Zealander.
The rejection of this request has led
to on-going protest action. For the last two decades, New Zealanders
have fought against identity politics by choosing the “Other”
ethnic group on their census form and writing “New Zealander”. In
1986, 20,313 people did this, and in 1991, 20,800. By 1996, the
number had jumped to 58,614. By 2001, it rose further to 85,300, and
by 2006, the number of people calling themselves a “New Zealander”,
had soared to 429,429! With the census due on the 5th of March 2013,
and officials refusing to change the form on the basis that their
“research and testing… were not conclusive enough to warrant
changing the question”, it is highly likely that the number of
people who will reject ethnic labelling to call themselves a New
Zealander will exceed the 1 million mark. Maybe this will be
conclusive enough to force a change.
The deepening racial divide is not
driven by ordinary Kiwis. It is driven by the mixed race elite who
run wealthy tribal corporations and the Maori Party who represents
them in Parliament, along with Treaty activists who hold influential
positions within academia and the public service. Many seek personal
privilege by claiming that a non-existent partnership with the Crown
was promised by the Treaty of Waitangi. All of this is arrant
nonsense, as Sir Bob Jones indicated in a recent Herald article:
“So, the
comical Ngaruawahia ex-truck driver who can’t speak Maori and
struggles with English but calls himself King of Maoridom despite his
realm ending at his letterbox has declared Maori own the rain. That’s
excellent news. I assume His Majesty will accept liability for
inflicting millions of dollars of flood damage annually through Maori
rain supply mismanagement. He can ponder that when sitting on the
only throne he’ll ever occupy, namely in his lavatory.”3
Sir Bob says, “Let’s cut to the
quick… what these parasites seek is for hard-struggling Kiwi
workers to give them money without them having to work for it. It’s
that simple. They’re a disgrace, not only to Maori but to the human
race.”
He concludes, “Every Maori I know is
angered by this rain, wind and everything else ownership claim,
rightly seeing it as deceitful and divisive. It wouldn’t surprise
me if this attitude is typical of Maoridom across the land. The
ball’s in the Government’s court to make it clear that the gravy
train has reached the station and is off to the museum. It should
also kill off the unnecessary Waitangi Tribunal whose predictable,
absurd decisions are causing so much disharmony.”
This week’s NZCPR Guest Commentator,
David Round, a Treaty and constitutional law expert at the University
of Canterbury, looks into this spurious claim for water in his
article No-one owns the water, concluding that there is no legal
basis for it and that the Witangi Tribunal had no authority to hear
it:
“The law is clear. Since 1840 the
English common law of water applied here, and by that there was no
private (including Maori) ownership of water. Then the 1967 Water and
Soil Conservation Act vested the sole right to use natural water in
the Crown. Everyone, Maori included, who wanted to use water other
than in ways allowed by the Act or a proper Plan, had to obtain a
‘water right’. The same arrangement is continued by the 1991
Resource Management Act.
“The ‘water permits’, as they are
now called, which power companies hold were issued under these
statutes. This means, then, that the Waitangi Tribunal has never had
the jurisdiction to hear this water claim. Its doing so was legally
improper. This is because in 2006 the Tribunal’s jurisdiction was
limited; it now has no jurisdiction to hear any ‘historical’
Treaty claim, complaining of events before 2008. But the power
companies’ water permits were granted before 2008, under statutes
also made before 2008.
“The Tribunal is careless of the law,
then. Numerous claims also reveal its bias and partiality to
claimants. It cannot be taken seriously as a source of reliable
history or policy. Nowadays anyway, it is little more than a
grandly-named Maori lobby group.”
It is absurd that the Waitangi Tribunal
heard a claim over which it has no jurisdiction. It’s
‘recommendations’, which we know have no legal standing, should
be regarded as simple nullities. That unfortunately is the character
of the Tribunal which is why this racial institution should be
abolished.
Abolishing the Waitangi Tribunal is a
key demand of the Declaration of Equality campaign for equal rights.
If you haven’t supported it we urge you to do so now – and to
encourage your family and friends to do the same. This battle for
equal rights will not be won unless New Zealanders take a stand.
So where is all of this heading? The bicultural agenda is now deeply embedded in the country’s major institutions – our schools and hospitals, universities and training colleges, social agencies and the public service. These days the key driving force is the Maori Party – along with the help of their National Party coalition partner.
I will finish with a glimpse of what could be in store if National fails to come to its senses. These following demands are taken directly from the Maori Party’s 2011 election manifesto. It is likely that some may become law – even if they are not part of their confidence and supply agreement. No fanfare to alarm the public of course, for that’s how radical change is made – under the radar of pubic opinion.
So where is all of this heading? The bicultural agenda is now deeply embedded in the country’s major institutions – our schools and hospitals, universities and training colleges, social agencies and the public service. These days the key driving force is the Maori Party – along with the help of their National Party coalition partner.
I will finish with a glimpse of what could be in store if National fails to come to its senses. These following demands are taken directly from the Maori Party’s 2011 election manifesto. It is likely that some may become law – even if they are not part of their confidence and supply agreement. No fanfare to alarm the public of course, for that’s how radical change is made – under the radar of pubic opinion.
Top of their agenda is a bicultural
constitution based on the Treaty as supreme law.
“We will encourage active involvement
and participation in the Constitutional Review we advanced in the
2008-2011 Parliament. We will monitor outcomes from the
Constitutional Review to ensure it gives effect to Te Tiriti o
Waitangi.
“Treaty studies will be taught in all
schools, from Year 7 on, starting in 2014. We want schools to teach
local iwi history; civic and heritage studies.
“All policy provided to Cabinet and
all bills tabled in the House must be able to demonstrate the impact
of the policy on whānau and the Treaty partnership.
“An Annual Report to Parliament on
progress on the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to
facilitate the right of Māori to preserve, evolve and transform
their ways of life. We will introduce a requirement for Government
departments and Crown entities to report annually on outcomes for
Māori.
“By the 2014 election, all Māori to
be automatically entered on to the Māori roll at the age of 18 with
the option to transfer to the General Roll. We will also extend the
provision in the Census to identify tribally to the electoral roll,
where tribal affiliation is also stated.
“The Māori seats will stay until
such time Māori freely choose, via a mana whenua referendum,
otherwise.”
- Paul Hamer, One in Six? The Rapid Growth of the Māori Population in Australia ↩
- Simon Chapple, Maori socio-economic disparity ↩
- Sir Bob Jones, Blatant try-on shows it’s time to derail Treaty gravy train ↩
21 FEBRUARY 2015
Popular Auckland beach set to
close for 'private family event'
A
popular Auckland beach area is set to be closed for a "private
family event" this weekend, raising questions about the rules
and regulations surrounding public beaches.
Ngati Whatua Orakei has put a public
notice in local newspaper East and Bays Courier saying Okahu Bay
beach on Tamaki Drive will be closed to the public from 6am to 4pm
this Saturday.
The notice says a "private family
event" is taking place.
It is not yet known if the closure
relates to the entire beach or the grass reserve separating the beach
from the road.
The bay is usually packed on weekends
during the summer months, while a grass reserve directly across the
road is often used for community events and corporate promotions.....
See full article HERE
Who owns Motukawaiti Island?
Who owns Motukawaiti Island? That's one
of the big question the Te Tai Tokerau MP is asking the government
after it was sold to an international investor over five years ago.
To this day details of the sale are unclear.
“Ngāti Kura have waited five years
with baited breath, so they may die before knowing the truth. I'm
focussed on assisting Ngāti Kura in the return of the island,”
says Davis.
“At this stage, I think the
government needs to look seriously to return the island to us through
our treaty claims,” says Samuels.
The hope is that we shall soon know who
the legal owner of Motukawaiti is.
See full article HERE
RESEARCH – Geothermal
Minerals Laws Clarified
His
report looks at the issue from different aspects, including
commercial, property rights and Treaty of Waitangi claims, which
Professor Barton says are unlikely to have an adverse legal effect on
geothermal mineral operations.
“One of the Interesting things about
geothermal fluids is that there is already a high level of Māori
involvement in successful commercial ventures,” Professor Barton
says.....
See full article HERE
'Wide support' for name change
Two
Whanganui leaders say there is strong evidence from the community
that more people are embracing the correct Maori spelling of the
river city's name by adding an 'h'.
Wanganui District Council has received
1,939 public
submissions on the spelling of the river city's
name - but is not revealing what the public's preference is......
See full article HERE
Treaty claim success through courts
'unlikely'
Using
the courts to get Treaty money from the Crown has been attempted
before and can help put claimants in a stronger position to negotiate
at a political level, a law professor says.
The former head of Te Wananga o
Aotearoa, Rongo Wetere, wants
to become Ngati Maniapoto's lead negotiator and
take its claim to the High Court.
While it would be an unusual move,
Professor David Williams of the University of Auckland, said there
was a precedent for using court litigation to leverage a better form
of redress.....
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
20 FEBRUARY 2015
A Te Atiawa kaumatua is determined to
keep pushing for a Maori ward on the New Plymouth council, despite a
pending referendum on the matter.
Last week, organiser Hugh Johnson
delivered a petition to mayor Andrew Judd, signed by 4248 people who
wanted to see last September's council vote in support of a Maori
ward tested via referendum. Each signature on the petition needs to
be checked and if everything is in order, a date will be set for the
vote.
Legislation allows for a binding
referendum on Maori wards if a petition with at least 5 per cent of
the electorate is collected. But Grant Knuckey, of Puketapu hapu,
said he, along with a group of others, were looking into options to
make sure the Maori ward seat became a reality, including getting
legal advice.
"We're not going to go away. We're
sick of this. We've had 150 years of living in this country where our
views are not taken into account," he said.
See full article HERE
Māori protocol
The following sites will help you
prepare for a visit to the marae, and to also understand Māori
customs in general. SCIS no: 1700723 ....
See full article HERE
Weather in Te Reo sparks language
debate
A social media conversation surrounding
the use of Māori on TV and radio has snowballed and sparked a new
language debate
Pat Spellman from Iwi radio said if he
could make one change it would be to have a greater emphasis placed
on Te Reo Māori in kura - compulsory language lessons in
schools.....
See full article HERE
Iwi questions FOMA on Maori land
“The Federation of Maori Authorities
will only help little underperforming Maori land blocks if there is
money in it for them."
This is the criticism from Willie Te
Aho of the Iwi Leaders Group after announcements by the Minister of
Maori Development yesterday appointing a new Ture Whenua Maori
Ministerial Advisory Board to lead Maori land law reforms.
Traci Houpapa, the FOMA chair, is a
member of the new board as are two other FOMA members on the
seven-member board.
Mr Te Aho is concerned that FOMA has
been given too much influence......
See full article HERE
Forecast for redneck weather
Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox is
supporting the efforts of TV3 weather presenter Kanoa Lloyd to add
more reo Maori to her broadcasts.
Ms Lloyd revealed on Twitter that some
viewers took offence at her use of kupu Maori or place names like
Aotearoa or Te Waipounamu.
Ms Fox says making Maori language
ordinary and every day seems to rub some people up the wrong way.
"It is the redneck portion of our
society who have held on to 100 years of legislation that said Maori
language was a waste of time and should not be taught in our schools.
In fact when they debated it in the House of the day they said it was
not conducive to human thought. Now that kind of thinking has been
ingrained into the psyche of this country and it seems we have a
hangover from that legislation which was only outlawed in 1969,"
she says....
See full article HERE
Maunga authority needs time
The chair of Auckland Independent Maori
Statutory Board says the body looking after the city’s volcanic
cones needs to be given time to find its feet.
The Tupuna Maunga o Tamaki Makaurau
Authority held public consultations yesterday on its draft
operational plan, which sets out what it expects from Auckland
Council in terms of management of the cones.
The authority is made up of mana
whenua, council and local board representatives, and it has already
raised comment with its intention to ban cars from the summit of
Maungawhau-Mt Eden.....
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
19 FEBRUARY 2015
3
News is shrugging off criticism for its weather presenter's regular
use of Te Reo Māori.
Kanoa Lloyd started working for the
channel five months ago, and was surprised by the backlash to her
using the language.
"It's been a new thing to me,
people writing to me to request I don't refer to New Zealand as
Aotearoa, and to be honest I was a bit surprised by it.
"I thought I had a bit of a thick
skin but I've never really encountered people who take offence to
Maori being used," she said.
Ms Lloyd has taken to Twitter to talk
about the resistance to Te Reo, saying it was a weird part of her job
to get weekly complaints about her using Māori words in the weather
report.
She said there seemed to be a range of
issues among some viewers....
See full article HERE
Māori Economic Development Grants
Fund
A total of $60,000 is available for
projects that align to the Māori Economic Development Strategy.
The fund aims to assist whānau, hapū,
iwi, mātāwaka and Māori business in Kāpiti with costs associated
with the ongoing development of Māori economic activity, in
particular activity associated with:
- Manaakitangata – leveraging the potential of rangatahi and building whānau capacity
- Kaitiakitanga – Whatungarongaro te tangata toi tu te whenua (working with the whenua)
- Kotahitanga - supporting whānau to achieve economic wellbeing through capacity, collaboration, innovation and Māori business.....
See full article HERE
Tūhoe take trip to Wellington to
strengthen relationship with Police
Tūhoe and the Police are strengthening
their relationship with a face to face meeting in Wellington. The
two groups have come together to assist some of the children affected
by the 2007 Raids in Ruatoki.
It's all fun and games today for these
Ruatoki youngsters. But seven years ago, the last time some of
these children were up close and personal with Police, it wasn't like
that at all.
Moko Hillman says, “It was difficult
time for us all back then. But now we can come here and meet
them, under a banner of goodwill to work better together."
Police commissioner, Mike Bush says,
“It’s really important for Police staff to understand the impact
of their actions. When we get it wrong we have to learn from
it.”.....
See full article HERE
Innovation Key to $3.1 Million Multi
Project Funding
The South Island’s Whānau Ora
commissioning body is about to announce $3.1 million in funding
directed toward locally driven initiatives designed to support Maori
innovation and achievement in the region.
Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu is
excited about the high calibre of proposals that were put forward for
funding and is currently working with 10 applicants through the final
stages of the process.
Te Pūtahitanga Chair Norman Dewes says
the current proposals are focused on a range of enterprises from
assisting individuals with mental health difficulties to finding
employment solutions, to programmes that help whanau in the earliest
and later stages of life.
Mr Dewes says this new approach is
innovative because it aims to create transformation for whanau.
“The issues for Maori have largely
been around lack of opportunities because Maori have generally been
locked into an environment that focusses on issues and needs.”
Te Pūtahitanga aims to transform this
thinking by working with whanau, hapu, Iwi government and
non-government sector to generate opportunities for Maori to reach
their full potential......
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
18 FEBRUARY 2015
Tourists to pay to visit Hamurana Springs
Tourists
will now have to pay to visit Hamurana Springs, but its Ngāti
Rangiwewehi owners say there will be no charge for the general
public.
Thousands of people have visited this
place over the years and now it has been given back to local Māori
to manage.
Te Oha Hancock says, “This is no
longer Pākehā land, it's ours. We need to look after it, just like
the land and water looks after us.”
Last year, the Crown returned Hamurana
Springs to Ngāti Rangiwewehi.
The site of an iwi stronghold, the
historically significant site was managed by the Department of
Conservation. But with its return, local Māori have decided to
charge tour buses....
See full article HERE
Marae and reo priorities in Auckland
plan
Labour Maori MPs from the super city
have been looking at the needs of Maori in the greater Auckland area.
Manurewa MP Lousia Wall, Tamaki
Makaurau's Peeni Henare and Te Tai Tokerau representative Kelvin
Davis met yesterday with the Auckland Maori Statutory Board.
Ms Wall says the the board has been
talking to mana whenua and other groups about what they want to see
in the Auckland Council's Ten Year Plan.
"The priorities they have
highlighted are thigns we would support around marae development so
ensuring that our cultural centres are adequately supported so that
our whanau have places to congregate and obviously practice kapa haka
and our culture," she says.
Also a priority was ensuring all young
Maori in Tamaki Makaurau had opportunties to learn and engage in te
reo Maori....
See full article HERE
Ngāti Awa fight against Council
plans to build near urupā
A battle is brewing in the Bay of
Plenty between local iwi Ngāti Awa and the Whakatāne District
Council over proposed developments to build a retirement village near
the tribe's cultural significant cemetery, Ōpihi Whanaunga Kore.
Ōpihi Whanaunga Kore is a tranquil
piece of land situated in the harbour of Whakatāne. It's the
final resting place for local iwi of Ngāti Awa. But now it's
become a subject of conflict due to the local council's plans to
develop it.
Enid Ratahi-Pryor from Te Rūnanga o
Ngāti Awa says, “This isn't the white community, this isn't the
Whakatāne urupā, this isn't the Whakatāne District Council
cemetery, this is a Māori urupā where we practise our traditions.
We practise our beliefs in a very different way.”....
See full article HERE
Iwi seeking ban on ash
scattering in reserves
Local
iwi want the Christchurch City Council to stop allowing people to
scatter or bury human ashes in parks and reserves but councillors are
hesitant to ban the practice.
The council has been in a quandary over
the issue since Mahaanui Kurataiao Ltd (MKT), a company that acts on
behalf of the six runanga within Christchurch, raised concerns in a
submission on the draft 2014 Parks and Reserves bylaw.
The draft bylaw included a provision
for ashes to be interred or scattered in parks and reserves on the
condition that written approval was first obtained from the council.
MKT warned the council if it went down
that path Ngai Tahu whanau would be alienated from those places as
they would be bound by the same protocols that applied in designated
cemeteries.....
See full article HERE
Waitangi Tribunal hear claims made
by tribes of Whangarei
Mana whenua are still not being
consulted about major mining in their tribal homelands. This
was the crux of presentations before the Waitangi Tribunal on the
morning of day one of a hearing of the claims made by the tribes of
Whangarei.
The effects of gold and silver mining
on Ngāti Hau lands goes back to the late 1800s and hence it’s been
a considerable wait for Ngāti Hau to have their views on the matter
heard by a tribunal.
Te Raa Nehua from Ngāti Hau says,
“Government say they're not required to consult with tangata whenua
on the approval of mining licences and that's just so wrong. The
signatures on Te Tiriti weren't even dry and they started doing
wrong.”...
See full article HERE
Maori Health Promotion
Advisor (Auckland based)
The
communities we serve are changing and our business strategy
recognises the need for our organisation to continuously improve and
remain relevant. An important part of our new operational
model, the creation of two regional Health Promotion Advisor Maori
positions will add a new dimension to how we deliver services to our
Maori clients and whanau.
These positions are an exciting
opportunity to provide support, resources and information to the
Maori community, enabling communities and individuals to develop
strategies to improve health in key areas. In this position,
you will be responsible for planning, implementing, managing and
evaluating health promotion programmes in accordance with the Treaty
of Waitangi, Ottawa Charter and the Jakarta Declaration....
See full article HERE
New Zealand Maori offered
unique copyright for UN art works
A
group of Maori craftspeople have gained a unique agreement from the
United Nations to retain copyright of a major art installation at UN
Headquarters in New York, Maori Development Minister Te Ururoa
Flavell said Monday.
The group of 43 woven panels -- or tukutuku -- were installed on permanent display next to the entry of the General Assembly Hall last week, Flavell said in a statement.
"These tukutuku are a stunning representation of our culture and our country. More than 1 million people every year will get to see these taonga (treasures)," said Flavell.
"Appropriately, the legal agreement reached between the UN and New Zealand is a significant departure from usual UN policy and is in keeping with the spirit of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples," he said.
"This landmark agreement allows for the gifting of the panels to the UN, whilst also recognizing the intellectual property rights of the weavers, their families and communities."
Traditionally, once a gift was accepted, the UN normally retained all the intellectual property rights, he said.....
The group of 43 woven panels -- or tukutuku -- were installed on permanent display next to the entry of the General Assembly Hall last week, Flavell said in a statement.
"These tukutuku are a stunning representation of our culture and our country. More than 1 million people every year will get to see these taonga (treasures)," said Flavell.
"Appropriately, the legal agreement reached between the UN and New Zealand is a significant departure from usual UN policy and is in keeping with the spirit of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples," he said.
"This landmark agreement allows for the gifting of the panels to the UN, whilst also recognizing the intellectual property rights of the weavers, their families and communities."
Traditionally, once a gift was accepted, the UN normally retained all the intellectual property rights, he said.....
See
full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
17 FEBRUARY 2015
Local iwi are objecting to Gisborne District Council’s plans to harvest trees on Titirangi because of the location of burial grounds and the threat of land slips on Kaiti Hill.
“The submission is primarily concerned with potential impact of the harvesting on wahi tapu sites and the species that will be used to replant and their potential survival.”
A joint submission from kaumatua of both Ngati Oneone and Te Aitanga a Mahaki said the discovery of a “significant” area of burial grounds in 1990 meant they opposed large-scale ground operations and suggested a helicopter harvest be included in the plan.
“The known wahi tapu is multiple — 23 urupa or burial grounds are known to exist on the maunga. It is accepted that we do not know the exact site of the 23 urupa, hence the accompanying boundary....
See full article HERE
Tamaki Makaurau Bowlers Tops at Aotearoa National Maori Bowls Tournament
The Aotearoa National Maori Bowls Tournament was held in Gisborne over the Waitangi Day long weekend. Attracting teams from across the country, the games were played under sunny skies on excellent greens.
This continues to be the major event for Maori Bowls and will be held next year in Wellington, and then Auckland in 2017....
See full article HERE
Hundreds have a say on 'h' in Whanganui
The Wanganui District Council says hundreds of people outside the rohe made submissions about their preference for the spelling of the district's name.
In December, councillors voted 10-4 in favour of applying to the Geographic Board for an official name change.
The board must consult with the public and the council also voted to run a public consultation process to ensure everyone has the opportunity to provide their views on whether Whanganui should be spelt with an 'H'.
Deputy mayor Hamish McDouall said because the Whanganui diaspora lived far and wide, it was decided to allow for online submissions which he said was very popular.
He said some councillors recognised that there are some Whanganui people who live away from the district who would not otherwise have a chance to have their say.
Mr McDouall said the council has received 1500 written submissions, plus "hundreds" of responses to the online survey.....
See full article HERE
Treaty a two-way bridge to understanding
Te Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis says John Key’s fearmongering about Andrew Little’s call for a discussion of Maori sovereignty is pandering to a fear of the unknown.
The prime minister described the as separatist the Labour leader’s comment at Waitangi that the future role of iwi needed to be reconsidered in light of a Waitangi Tribunal finding tribes did not give up the right to look after their own affairs when their rangatira signed the treaty.
Mr McDouall said the council has received 1500 written submissions, plus "hundreds" of responses to the online survey.....
See full article HERE
Treaty a two-way bridge to understanding
Te Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis says John Key’s fearmongering about Andrew Little’s call for a discussion of Maori sovereignty is pandering to a fear of the unknown.
The prime minister described the as separatist the Labour leader’s comment at Waitangi that the future role of iwi needed to be reconsidered in light of a Waitangi Tribunal finding tribes did not give up the right to look after their own affairs when their rangatira signed the treaty.
Mr Davis says the role of parliament as the main law making body is not going to change, but there is room for a discussion around the edges.
He’s reminded of the past comments of Northland priest Charlie Shortland that the Treaty of Waitangi is like a bridge between the Maori bank of a river and the Pakeha bank.
It has always been Maori who have to cross the bridge.
"How often have Pakeha crossed the bridge in the other direction and come on to our side of the river and lived amongst us and learned our language.....
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
From the files of Bryce Edwards
Treaty politics versus class politics - How the Treaty settlement process has delivered bugger-all for most Maori
He’s reminded of the past comments of Northland priest Charlie Shortland that the Treaty of Waitangi is like a bridge between the Maori bank of a river and the Pakeha bank.
It has always been Maori who have to cross the bridge.
"How often have Pakeha crossed the bridge in the other direction and come on to our side of the river and lived amongst us and learned our language.....
See full article HERE
15 FEBRUARY 2015
Treaty politics versus class politics - How the Treaty settlement process has delivered bugger-all for most Maori
Maori in New Zealand are
disproportionate poor and stuck in low-paid jobs. Added to this
situation of inequality, Maori are often hit the hardest during times
of economic recession and government restructuring. Yet despite the
transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars of assets to Maori tribal
organisations over the last few decades, this reality of inequality
between Maori and non-Maori continues unabated. And also, despite the
failures of Treaty settlements to improve the material position of
the majority of Maori, advocates of Treaty politics and identity
politics would have us believe that the solution for Maori ills still
lies in the continued empowering of iwi-tribal Maori organisations.
That is, they continue to push the notion that through the transfer
of further assets and capital to iwi from the state, as well as
through transferring state responsibilities in areas such as health
and education to Maori organisations, Maori general social and
economic position will be 'further' positively transformed. In
this guest blog post, John Moore argues that this Treaty politics
solution just hasn't worked. [Read more below]
Maori gains
and losses
Certainly a minority of Maori,
mostly with power positions in iwi, have made significant material
gains through Treaty settlements, and are now fully-fledged members
of New Zealand's political and economic elite. However, most Maori
have gained bugger-all as a result of the Treaty settlement process
and general policies of Maori social development. In fact, a huge
proportion of Maori have actually seen their economic conditions
decline.
Added to this increase in Maori poverty
and general economic hardship, for the first time we are also now
witnessing a significant growth in material disparity between an
elite of Maori and the rest. That is to say, what Treaty politics has
delivered in most cases is a situation where the Maori rich are
getting richer, and the majority of Maori continue to be stuck at the
bottom of New Zealand's socio-economic ladder
Iwi elite ascendency
New Zealand now has a new Maori
elite that wields significant economic and political power. This
elite has gained its current position through the advocacy of Treaty
and identity politics in conjunction with a coalition of white
liberals, who came out of the new social movements of the 1960s and
70s, alongside Maori advocates of tino
rangatiratanga/self-determination. Yet despite the belief that the
Treaty settlements would lead to a general improvement of the social
and economic position of all Maori, as the once leftwing advocates of
Maori tino rangatiratanga had hoped for, only a small elite of Maori
have benefited. So who is this new elite?.........
Continue reading John Moore's perceptive article HERE
Continue reading John Moore's perceptive article HERE
15/1/15
14 FEBRUARY 2015
Mountain no place for mountain biking
Off-road biking has been banned on Mt Victoria in Devonport.
Auckland Council's new Tupuna Maunga o Tamaki Makaurau Authority is charged with protecting the city's volcanic cones and took action after reports of damage to a cemetery.
Chairman Paul Majurey said signs have been placed on top of the popular sightseeing spot.
Auckland Council's new Tupuna Maunga o Tamaki Makaurau Authority is charged with protecting the city's volcanic cones and took action after reports of damage to a cemetery.
Chairman Paul Majurey said signs have been placed on top of the popular sightseeing spot.
Mountain-biking must take place on paved roads, not through sacred places, Majurey said.
He said the activity has caused significant damage to Auckland's treasured mountains.
Mountain-biker Lyndsey Shanahan said it's "pretty sad" the ban has been put in place and claims riders cause no more damage than walkers.
"Why don't they ban everybody from using the tracks?" .......
See full article HERE
Auckland Council eases port reclamation stance
Auckland Council has relaxed its stance on plans by its port company to reclaim part of the Waitemata Harbour.
However the detail of the vote taken behind closed doors last night remains confidential.
The port wants to reclaim a further 135 metres of Waitemata Harbour to give it longer berths and more handling space at the Bledisloe wharf.....
Wharf extensions granted
Prior to that debate, the port company surprised its council owner and local iwi by getting approval to extend two wharves 100 metres into the harbour.
Ports of Auckland will begin extending Bledisloe Wharf in April, with the city's mayor admitting he had no idea the controversial move was likely.
The two 30-metre wide wharf extensions are effectively the side boundaries of the area which the port hopes eventually to reclaim.
It does not yet have permission to reclaim, but confirmed it has resource consents to extend two wharves in the Bledisloe area.
Ngati Whatua's commercial arm says it is seeking legal advice over whether the consents are valid.....
Opposition to Queen Elizabeth Square sale
The council also faces opposition to another contentious development.
The board representing Maori in Auckland is questioning the legality of the imminent sale by the council of a prime piece of downtown land.
The Independent Maori Statutory Board says Queen Elizabeth Square near the waterfront might not be the council's to sell.
The chair of the Maori board, David Taipari, has asked the council to detail the history of the reclaimed site, which was transferred to the council from the former harbour board.
"If this land was acquired from maori interests via the Public Works Act or other legislation, I challenge whether the council has the authority to sell this land, and should make sure it's offered back to its original owners," said Mr Taipari.....
See full article HERE
Special plaques to mark Treaty signing
Education Minister Hekia Parata says all new schools and early childhood centres opening this year are being offered special plaques to acknowledge the 175th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.
“The commemorative plaques are just one of several initiatives developed to help schools to mark a milestone in New Zealand's history.
“Many new schools are also taking up the Ministry's offer to provide bilingual signage in their schools, often developed in partnership with the local iwi."
Ms Parata says the Maori Histories Project underway in schools is also due for release later in the year. The project details best practice examples of teaching New Zealand history including the Treaty of Waitangi...
See full article HERE
Mole News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please send to mole@nzcpr.com
13 FEBRUARY 2015
Iwi looks to advance Lakes plan
Te Arawa's proposal to set up an
independent board on the council was made public late last year and
it was decided the proposal would go out for full public
consultation.
The council is to meet on Tuesday to
discuss a draft "statement of proposal" and to decide on
the consultation process and timeframe.
The proposal could see the
establishment of an iwi board outside of the council structure to
replace the former Te Arawa Standing Committee (TASC).
Te Arawa would appoint or elect a board of up to 14 people with two representatives - with voting rights - to sit on the council's Operations and Monitoring Committee and on its Strategy, Policy and Finance Committee, with one on the Chief Executive Performance Committee and another representative on Resource Management Act hearings panels.
Te Arawa would appoint or elect a board of up to 14 people with two representatives - with voting rights - to sit on the council's Operations and Monitoring Committee and on its Strategy, Policy and Finance Committee, with one on the Chief Executive Performance Committee and another representative on Resource Management Act hearings panels.
Some councillors and members of the
public have criticised it as "undemocratic".....
See full article HERE
What's the plan for Te Reo?
Groups
have queued up to highlight what they see as gaps in a proposed law
to change the governance of Te Reo Maori.
There are plans to create an iwi-led
body called Te Matawai to be put in charge on the development of the
language.
MPs went on to press Professor
Meyerhoff for her personal view on whether Te Reo should be
compulsory in schools.
"I would have no problem with
that. It seems to me that if it's an official language of the realm
and this is the only place in the world where it is spoken, that it's
not actually asking too much."....
See full article HERE
Decision eases Maori land rates
issue
The Maori Land Court has given the
green light to an application to form an ahu whenua trust to govern a
block of land near Kaitaia which could become a template for
resolving Far North District Council problems with collecting rates
on land in multiple Maori ownership.
The court heard council discussions
with the owners had led to rates arrears of about $168,000 on 11
titles in the Okahu - which the owners call "Ngakahu" -
block being remitted and rates owing being reduced from about $29,000
to under $8000 a year. ....
See full article HERE
Petition to spark Maori ward
referendum
New
Plymouth is destined for a referendum over a controversial move to
introduce a designated seat for Maori at next year's local body
elections.
The city's former Greypower president,
Hugh Johnson, today gave the mayor a petition with more than 4000
signatures calling for a poll on the Maori ward initiative.
He needed 2700 signatures, or 5 per
cent of eligible voters, to spark a binding referendum.
Mayor Andrew Judd received the petition
backed by about 50 supporters.
He said it was now up to the people of
the wider district to have their say.....
See full article HERE
12 FEBRUARY 2015
Memo to Little: Iwi Already Pay No Tax
The Taxpayers' Union is querying Labour
Party leader Andrew
Little's comments at Waitangi that New Zealand
should consider allowing Maori to make their own laws, including tax
laws, in reference to rules applicable to Native American tribal
lands. Jordan Williams, Executive Director of the Taxpayers' Union
says:
"Like many New Zealanders, Mr
Little may be surprised to learn that iwi do not currently pay income
tax, even on profits of their commercial investments."
"New Zealand is quite unique in
the Commonwealth in allowing a type of group defined by blood to
qualify as 'charitable' and therefore not pay income or company
tax."....
See full article HERE
Sovereignty expressed in settlements
Manurewa MP Louisa Wall says Labour leader Andrew Little's call
for a discussion on Maori sovereigty shows why he is a leader for the
future.Prime Minister John Key has dismissed Mr Little's comments at Waitangi as advocating separatism.
Mr Little said for iwi to make their own laws would be problematic.
But there are some things iwi could do
that are consistent with Waitangi Tribunal findings that Maori were
guaranteed a level of self governance....
See full article HERE
“All contractors working on the OMR
must adhere to DoC and iwi protocols regarding the movement of
materials and the cleaning of machinery prior to work commencing,”
he said.....
See full article HERE
2015 NZ Maori Golf Scholarships
For the second year running NZ Maori
Golf Association in partnership with NZ Golf Inc. are offering
Rangatahi Golf Scholarships.
The partnership aims to work together for the collective good of the sport and to achieve a whole of golf approach. Together the parties will provide a scholarships for up and coming rangatahi who are in the early stages of developing their golfing talent.
The scholarships will be available for rangatahi aged 16 to 19 as at 1 January 2015....
See full article HERE
New Plymouth mayor goes in to bat
for Māori wards
Sparks of separatism have been raised
over establishing Māori wards on councils, but New Plymouth’s
mayor, Andrew Judd, says the division is happening at the Crown's
end.
“I challenged the Crown on that
because it's only the creation of a Māori ward that goes to a
binding poll by the community, any other ward that we create
doesn't.”
Mr Judd is expecting a petition in
opposition to the Māori wards, forcing a poll binding on the
community for the next six years. He says it’s a process that was
put in place by the Crown.
“That is divisive, and two systems
for the same terms ward within the council area - that has to
change.”....
See full article HERE
11 FEBRUARY 2015
Greater
sovereignty for Maori or a dangerous path towards separatism?
That is the latest political spat
between the Prime Minister and the Labour leader, following comments
made by Andrew Little at Waitangi.
At the end of last year the Waitangi
Tribunal found Maori leaders did not cede sovereignty when they
signed the Treaty of Waitangi.
The Tribunal said rangatira agreed to
share power with the British Crown, but did not give up the right to
make and enforce laws in their lands.
In response, Mr Key said that was a
divisive way of looking at things.
"The Crown's view is that
sovereignty was ceded in 1840 but ceded to a modern New Zealand that
was built for all New Zealanders."
He said he would not support any form
of self-rule for Maori.....
See full article HERE
Iwi water policy pandering
The
New Zealand Maori Council wants the wider public brought into the
debate over water policy.
The council is critical of the secrecy
which marks the interactions between the Government and the Iwi
Leaders Group on the issue.
Co-chair Sir Taihakurei Durie says the
allocation and use of water is something that affects all New
Zealanders.
" What we see with the government
is not a policy at all but rather a pandering to economic interests.
No one would deny that economic interests are important, we all
depend upon economic growth for our own survival. But it is a case of
making sure the development is right " he says.
Sir Taihakurei says while the
Government is keen to talk with the major tribes, the way it is going
about it threatens to upset the historical balance between tribes
that has been maintained since 1840.....
Greater
sovereignty for Maori or a dangerous path towards separatism?
See full article HERE
Proposal
in exchange for Government’s championing of Maori interests in
international climate change deal.
Iwi leaders have drawn up an ambitious
proposal to plant a million hectares of forest in exchange for
Government's agreement to step up efforts to combat climate change.
The draft proposal was included in a
booklet obtained by the Herald, which shows what members of the Iwi
Chairs Forum raised with Prime Minister John Key at Waitangi last
weekend.
The booklet contains the reports of
various working groups within the 65-person forum on issues ranging
from education to freshwater rights and mining.
It refers to a major proposal for a
Crown-iwi partnership on climate change.
The forum's climate change working
group said iwi would commit to planting a million hectares of forest
over 10 years on Maori-owned, marginal land in Northland, the
Central North Island and East Cape, potentially creating up to
50,000 jobs.
In exchange, iwi leaders wanted the
Government to champion the interests of Maori in any international
deal made at climate change talks in Paris this year......
See full article HERE
Little sovereignty call shows
Labour courage
Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis says
Andrew Little’s support for a discussion on Maori sovereignty will
be positive for the party and the country.
Mr Little has come under fire for his
call for serious consideration of the implications of a Waitangi
Tribunal finding that northern Maori did not sign away their
sovereignty when they signed the treaty.
The Labour leader suggested that while
the suggestion Maori should be able to make their own laws on
matters affecting them it would be highly problematic, it should be
looked at in the context of how post-settlement iwi manage their
affairs....
See full article HERE
Prime
Minister John Key says Andrew Little's comments at Waitangi on Maori
sovereignty were advancing "separatism."
"I reckon he would be leading New
Zealand completely down the wrong path," Mr Key said at his post
cabinet press conference today.
Mr Little told reporters the Waitangi
Tribunal finding that Nga Puhi did not cede sovereignty should not be
dismissed and that models of indigenous self-governance and
law-making around the world should be explored.
"In 1840 when we singed the
treaty, it strikes me we signed it for modern New Zealand, and that
was a New Zealand where we co-habitated and ran the country together.
It wasn't about separatism. It was actually about community and
Andrew Little is basically suggesting that we had down a path of
separatism."
He said he could not see New Zealanders
supporting that.
"I cant see how it would help what
is a vibrant growing multi-cultural New Zealand to succeed."
Mr Key said statutory co-governance
arrangements between the Crown and iwi - such as for the Waikato
River and Te Urewera National Party - were quite different from what
Mr Little was suggesting "which is the independent state of
Northland or something else."....
See full article HERE
Fund for iwi freshwater improvement
projects opens
Applications for a new Government fund
aimed at helping iwi to improve the quality of their local freshwater
bodies are now open, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith and Māori
Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell announced today.
“The Te Mana o te Wai Fund recognises
the special relationship that iwi have with their local waterways.
This contestable funding will help iwi to work together with the
wider community to improve and restore the quality of freshwater in
their regions,” Dr Smith says.
The Te Mana o te Wai Fund was announced
as part of Budget 2014 in partnership with the Māori Party, and
provides $5 million over two years. It will support restoration
initiatives such as riparian planting, projects to reduce nitrate
levels, and community-run water restoration efforts for local
waterways.
Proposed projects for the fund are
required to support partnership and collaboration, and grants will be
for a minimum of $200,000 to help guarantee that the successful
projects will produce significant outcomes.....
See full article HERE
10 FEBRUARY 2015
The push to change the flag could spark
a Treaty claim with some Maori unhappy about a lack of consultation.
Ngapuhi elder Patu Hohepa says John
Key's speech at Waitangi on Friday was the first engagement with
Maori on the flag referendum.
Dr Hohepa warns concerns could be
raised at the Waitangi Tribunal.
Patu Hohepa says many in Maoridom would
like to see a return to the United Tribes flag which was New
Zealand's first flag, in 1834.....
See full article HERE
Nats' Waitangi promise: We'll talk
to Maori about climate change
The Government has said it
will work with Maori on the two big climate change/carbon
pricing decisions it faces this year – the post-2020 emissions
reduction target and the review of the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Last year, iwi leaders meeting at
Waitangi told
Prime Minister John Key that they would mount a
$600 million Waitangi Tribunal claim if the Government didn’t take
action to boost carbon prices to at least $15 a tonne....
See full article HERE
Council holding crown to account
The New Zealand Maori Council says it
will hold the Government to the undertakings it made to the Supreme
Court over Maori water rights.
The Government used Waitangi
commemorations to announce it would formalise its work with the Iwi
Leaders Group on fresh water policy, including case studies, new
local clean-up initiatives and policy improvements.
Environment Minister Nick Smith said
the Government’s policy is that nobody owns the water, and the work
programme is about developing a better way for iwi to be involved in
freshwater planning, allocation, pollution control, storage, and
clean-up.
Maori Council co-chair Maanu Paul says
that’s not what the Crown told the Supreme Court when it was
fighting the council-led challenge on water rights.....
See full article HERE
Iwi wants more clout over fishing
body
Ngati
Kahungunu wants to assert greater influence over a pan-iwi-owned
fisheries company.
More clout is being called for after
the tribe revealed its shares in Aotearoa Fisheries were devalued by
$6 million.
The cut was due to what Ngati Kahungunu
described as 'spectacular non-performance' of the firm and its 50
percent-owned subsidiary, Sealord Group.
The iwi said in terms of share value,
it was back to where it was five years ago......
See full article HERE
Maori say sought on long term plan
Maori in Tamaki Makaurau are being
asked for their input on Auckland’s Long Term Plan, the budget up
to 2025.
Ackland Council’s Maori strategy
manager, Johnnie Freeland, says for those who don’t want to put pen
to paper there will be a series of ‘have your say’ events over
the next two months.
He says as well as the 19 mana whenua
iwi, the council wants to hear from Maori from all the other iwi who
make the city the world’s largest Maori city.
Mr Freeland says the mayor has set
three priorities.
"Maori signature events, and we
had some over the weerkend wiith the celebrations of Waitangi Day;
Marae development, so we have over 50 marae across Tamaki Makaurau so
how do we address the needs of our marae in becoming key centres for
our communities; and another topical area is around housing so how do
we enable papakainga development across Tamaki Makaurau," he
says.....
See full article HERE
8 FEBRUARY 2015
The possibility of Maori having
self-rule is an issue that should be explored, Labour leader Andrew
Little says.
As about 400 people attended a dawn
service on Friday for the 175th anniversary of the signing of the
Treaty of Waitangi, Mr Little said Prime Minister John Key shouldn't
dismiss the Waitangi Tribunal finding that Maori didn't cede
sovereignty to the Crown.
"If there are commitments made,
historical commitments about preserving a level of self-governance
then lets explore that - see how that can happen," he told One
News.
New Zealand could still remain one
country.
"There are models around the world
where indigenous peoples have a level of authority over some issues
and some territories that they control," Mr Little said.
Maori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell
says a discussion about constitution is not about Maori taking over
the country or having more rights.
"It is about the ability for iwi
to have a say about their affairs," he told the broadcaster.
Mr Key says he doesn't think there is
room for Maori to have self-rule or self-governance in some areas of
the country.....
See full article HERE
Deadline set for freshwater deal
Iwi
leaders and the Government have agreed on a deadline to sort out
Maori interests in freshwater by Waitangi Day 2016.
Later in the day, at the annual iwi
leaders' forum, the Government and more than 40 iwi leaders announced
they aimed to resolve Maori freshwater rights by 2016.
Freshwater Iwi Leaders Group head Ta
Mark Solomon said it was an ambitious plan but he was adamant it
would work.
Sir Mark said the forum would not
negotiate water rights on behalf of iwi but would set a framework for
dealing with the Government on the kaupapa.
Mr Key said the Government maintained
its position that no one owned the water.
But he said Maori did have some genuine
rights and interests in water - and they needed to be defined.....
See full article HERE
PM putting self interest over
sovereignty - Little
Labour
Party leader Andrew Little says the Prime Minister is too worried
about his own political career to allow an honest debate about Maori
sovereignty.
At Waitangi yesterday Mr Key dismissed
a Waitangi Tribunal claim that Maori leaders did not cede sovereignty
when they signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840.
The tribunal, which released the
finding in November as part of its inquiry into treaty claims in
Northland said rangatira agreed to share power with the British
Crown, but did not give up the right to make and enforce laws in
their lands.
Mr Key said it was a divisive way of
looking at things.
"The Crown's view is that
sovereignty was ceded in 1840 but ceded to a modern New Zealand that
was built for all New Zealanders."
He said he would not support any form
of self-rule for Maori.
However, Mr Little said Mr Key was
showing a lack of leadership in shutting down the debate.
He said it was natural for politicians
to be worried about a potential backlash from voters, but the role of
a leader was to face up to difficult issues......
See full article HERE
Treaty perceptions subject of talk
People tend to view the Treaty of
Waitangi as a legal document, but its original intent was political
control and colonisation, senior lecturer Dr Lachy Paterson said in a
talk in Dunedin yesterday.
Entitled ''Changing Perceptions of the
Treaty, 1840-2040'', the talk was given at the Dunedin Public Art
Gallery and was well attended.
Dr Paterson, of the University of
Otago's Te Tumu School of Maori, Pacific and Indigenous Studies, said
the interpretation of the Treaty was now filtered by legal arguments
and processes, which created winners and losers, and rights and
wrongs.
Originally, the document was about
exerting political control over Maori, which became more explicit
after the chaos and acrimony of the 1860s land wars.
He rejected the view the earlier intent
of the Crown was anything other than domination and control, albeit
with humanitarian intent from some who represented the Crown.
An important juncture was Chief Justice
Sir James Prendergast declaring the Treaty a ''simple nullity'' in
1877 during a land case, setting the tone of the courts for many
decades to come, he said.....
See full article HERE
Northland elder says New Zealand
should return to its original flag
However, Northland elder Patu Hohepa
says the country already has an appropriate flag, the first flag of
New Zealand.
The NZ flag was in full flight at the
Waitangi grounds, but the Prime Minister says, "The changing of
the flag is a really important symbol of a modern new New Zealand
that reflects a country that is now multicultural off that
bi-cultural foundation."
However, Māori history expert Patu
Hohepa says two tribes signed the Treaty of Waitangi and they already
had a flag, the NZ Declaration of Independence.
Mr Hohepa says, 'If the Prime Minister
and those in parliament look closely at the history of that flag,
they will see that is the flag for us, Māori and Pākehā.".....
See full article HERE
Lack of Maori input ‘disappointing’
Tauranga
City Council's Draft Public Arts Policy is already starting to rankle
some locals in the first week of its public consultation.
Moana
FM announcer Pat Spellman is “extremely disappointed” by the
draft policy and is asking council: why it did not seek direct
consultation with local iwi or the Tangata Whenua Collective?
The draft policy, which was put out for
consultation on Monday, aims to encourage public art which enhances
the environment plus contributes to the character and identity of
Tauranga.
“It seems to me there is a blatant
disregard for any real partnership with council in terms of Te Ao
Maori (The Maori World),” says Pat.
“I'm not sure why there is this
disregard and it's a question that could be applied to a many things
this city council has done in the past and continues to do.....
See full article HERE
Mayoral candidates value ties with
iwi
The desire for a stronger relationship
with Rangitaane was a common theme at the final mayoral candidates'
debate before the votes are tallied.
Candidates were asked to set out how
the Treaty of Waitangi would work at the council under their
leadership.
Yesterday's event at The Globe Theatre
formed part of Palmerston North's Waitangi Day events.
All candidates except Martin Egan
attended.....
See what the candidates said HERE
7 FEBRUARY 2015
The Government is in a new fight with
Maori over water. The country’s powerful tribal chiefs claim they
are close to a deal with the Government that could see them make
money off water.
John Key opened his Waitangi Day
celebrations with a kiss for Titewhai Harawira and a peaceful walk
onto Te Tii Marae.
But behind closed doors, political
tension run high as there is another standoff between the Government
and Maori over water.
The commercially savvy iwi leaders’
forum claims there should be a resolution that would give Maori some
control over freshwater within a year.
“We believe we have rights and
interests to water,” says Ngai Tahu leader Mark Solomon.
Mr Key says in terms of water “we’ve
said no one owns it”.....
See full article HERE
PM makes pitch to Maori on flag
chance
The Prime Minister has made a belated
pitch to Maori to support his flag referendum.
John Key first revealed plans to change
the flag ahead of Waitangi Day last year, setting the wheels in
motion for a two-step referendum.
Today he's urging Maori to get
involved.
"If we choose a new flag, it will
serve us in times of celebration and remembrance, like Waitangi Day,"
he said....
See full article HERE
Unfinished business for Taranaki iwi
Some see a Treaty settlement as the end
of a process.
For others its only just the beginning.
This year marks the 175th anniversary
of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, and for some iwi in
Taranaki settlement outcomes have provided an opportunity to start
over.
Six iwi have settled with the Crown so
far and Taranaki is expected to sign off its deal by the end of the
year. Ngati Maru, the region's smallest iwi, hopes to seek mandate
from its members to begin the negotiation process shortly after
runanga elections are completed next week.
Ngati Maru's court appointed trustee
Holden Hohaia said his iwi had not been disadvantaged by being last
around the negotiating table.
"We should be at no rush of
settling our claim at the risk of selling ourselves short," he
said.....
See full article HERE
Concerns Over Water and River
Ownership
An outdoor recreation umbrella group is
calling for government to take a strong stand against a Maori demand
at Waitangi for ownership of water. Andi Cockroft, co-chairman of the
Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations of NZ (CORANZ) said water
was a public resource and not for ownership by any one ethnic group.
He viewed with alarm a Ngai Tahu
statement that a major reason was for “economic development” by
Maori business should ownership be granted.
“We live in an egalitarian society
where no one group whether it be based on affluence or ethnic
ancestry, shall have special privileges of ownership,” he said.
Mr Cockroft said he realised that
governments had granted Maori business special privileges as regards
sea fishing.....
See full article HERE
Three
trail-blazing iwi now have assets valued at $2.7 billion but in the
next few years, 30 to 40 will emerge with that financial firepower,
one expert says.
Selwyn Hayes runs EY
Tahi, a Maori-focused advisory service and he
has big expectations for the Maori economy, now estimated to be worth
about $40 billion. That could grow to more than $100 billion in the
next few years, he estimates.......
See full article HERE
Education
Minister Hekia Parata has released figures for the first time showing
iwi by iwi how Maori children do in early childhood education,
primary school and NCEA.
They were presented as an education
achievement profile of each iwi, from early childhood to school
leavers, not in a comparative sense. But with 37 iwi in the data,
comparisons can be made...
See full article HERE
6 FEBRUARY 2015
A basketball coach says it is unfair
his team of girls were barred from this week's National Maori
Basketball Tournament because he is not Maori.
Andrew McKay coached a Ngati Whakaue
team which won the under-15 division at last year's tournament in
Rotorua.
But his application in October to enter
the same team in the under-17 grade for this week's competition,
which starts today, was initially declined by the organisers because
he was non-Maori....
See full article HERE
Funding boost needed to keep reo
growing
New Zealand First is backing a call by
primary school teachers for proper funding to te reo Maori in
schools.
Maori affairs spokesperson Pita Paraone
says the curriculum clearly states all students have the option to
acquire knowledge of te reo Maori me ona tikanga.
He says money that should have gone
into the area has instead been diverted into National Standards....
See full article HERE
Irrigation projects to benefit for
Maori?
The Prime Minister says any Maori water
rights would be focused on economic development and conservation
rights.
John Key is travelling to
Kerikeri to discuss the issue with the Iwi Leaders Forum.
The Forum wants that settled by
Waitangi Day next year, but Mr Key says it's more likely to be a
consultation document finalised in two years.
"A number of sort-of bottom lines
if you like from our point of view, which is no one owns water, there
wouldn't be a national settlement when it comes to water.
"We think there are some rights
and interests, but we need to determine what those are catchment by
catchment."
Meanwhile, a Waitangi leader has
slammed the government’s closed-door discussions with one Maori
group over water rights.
Maori irrigation projects could be in
line for a hand-up under the government’s new considerations of
water rights....
See full article HERE
Teachers to be schooled in te reo
A mainstream Rotorua school is ensuring
all its teachers can speak te reo Maori in an effort to better
reflect its community.
Owhata School teachers will be taking
te reo Maori classes this year as part of their development as
educators.
According to its 2014 Education Review
Office report, 90 per cent of Owhata School pupils identify as Maori,
compared to eight per cent European and two per cent Cook Island
Maori.
Principal Bob Stiles said all staff
were on board with the initiative......
See full article HERE
Iwi freshwater resolution by
Waitangi 2016
Iwi and the Crown support the
resolution of iwi and hapu rights and interests in freshwater by
Waitangi 2016.
After many years of uncertainty and
legal challenges in the Waitangi Tribunal and Supreme Court, iwi and
the Crown have agreed on a work plan to address over allocation and
iwi and hapu rights and interests in freshwater.
The work plan was agreed by Cabinet
last Monday and approved by more than 40 iwi chairs in attendance at
the Iwi Chairs Forum held in Kerikeri yesterday. The Iwi Chairs Forum
will be outlining their support for the work plan to the Prime
Minister and Cabinet Ministers this afternoon.
The Freshwater Iwi Leaders’ Group
believes that with the right engagement the issue of iwi rights and
interests in fresh water could be resolved by this time next year....
See full article HERE
Council raising the flag for treaty
Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull sees no issues
with flying the flag of Maori sovereignty from the council's Civic
Centre to mark Waitangi Day tomorrow.
The flying of the flag will come as
events are held around the South, including Ngai Tahu's Treaty
Festival in Bluff, to mark 175 years since the signing of the Treaty
of Waitangi.
Mr Cull said yesterday the Tino
Rangatiratanga flag, which has caused controversy in the past when
flown in other parts of New Zealand, had been flown from the Civic
Centre dating back to before he was mayor.
He was not concerned other councils
spoken to in the Otago region were not flying the flag.
''Somebody's got to be first,'' Mr Cull
said.
The flag was flown after a request from
sections of the local Maori community and was about recognising the
two sides of the Treaty partnership.....
See full article HERE
Apply now for Maori health scheme
Health
Minister Jonathan Coleman says applications are now being taken for
the Maori Health Development Scheme 2015/16.
Each
year the scheme is allocated $8.89 million, which is spread over two
programme areas – Maori health and disability provider development
and Hauora Maori Scholarships.
Jonathan says: “This is an important
scheme which works to increase the capacity and capability of Maori
health and disability providers.”
Maori health and disability providers
have used the funding to improve infrastructure, achieve service
integration, improve the quality of services and develop workforce
skills.....
See full article HERE
New charter kura 'one-stop-shop for
whanau'
The
Manukau Urban Maori Authority says students at its newly-opened
school will benefit from being on a marae, with access to Whanau Ora,
kaumatua services and Te Reo Maori lessons.
Te Kura Maori o Waatea welcomed it
first batch of akonga (students) to the bilingual school in Mangere
on Monday.
Authority chief executive Willie
Jackson said Nga Whare Waatea Marae was a one-stop-shop for the
whanau of pupils.....
See full article HERE
Compulsory Te Reo 'a complete waste
of valuable teaching time' - Brash
Dr Brash began by saying he agreed with
some of Dr Morgan's ideas, like being opposed to separate Maori
electorates and quotas for Maori in education.
But he called making Te Reo compulsory
in schools "a complete waste of valuable teaching time"
given so many can't read and write English well enough. He suggested
it would be more useful to learn Mandarin or Spanish.
Dr Brash says in principle no one can
object to the Crown compensating people for past wrongs. "I like
the Treaty" he said, which he believes is very simple.
But he says it doesn't guarantee Te Reo
in schools, or give Maori a veto over Resource Management Act
decisions or prudential rights over natural resources......
See full article HERE
Maori money vital for Northland
economy
The government says a strong Maori
contribution is required for the economic development potential of
Northland to be realised.
Taking advantage of the number of
politicians and iwi leaders in north for Waitangi event, Economic
Development Minister Steven Joyce and Primary Industries Minister
Nathan Guy yesterday released the Northland Regional Growth Study.
It shows the Northland region has
significant untapped economic potential and its industries could grow
substantially thanks to its resource-based advantages.....
See full article HERE
Govt cowardice over water rights
And when the discussion goes there
government officials and Ministers immediately remind us that since
water is a natural resource, creating mechanisms that produce a price
for water is likely to trigger a treaty claim because under Article 2
tangata whenua have an interest in freshwater resources.
It is my opinion, that it is actually
the treaty claim that is deterring government from introducing
adequate environmental protection mechanisms for freshwater, rather
than government primarily just not being interested in environmental
values or being sceptical of the ability of pricing mechanisms to
allocate the rights to pollute.....
See full article HERE
Lack of Maori Law Society
consultation on judges
The
Māori Law Society says it is only consulted on an ad hoc basis when
it comes to providing suitable tāngata whenua as candidates to be
judges.
Te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa (the
Māori Law Society) co-president Rachel Mullins said there was an
evolving body of what is referred to as 'Māori law' in relation to
Treaty Settlements and environmental issues.
"That requires a deeper
understanding of the Māori dimension and a sound grasp of tikanga
and Te Reo and Māori judges that bring those skills to the bench are
invaluable.....
See full article HERE
5 FEBRUARY 2015
An historic reserve in Sunny Bay, on
Kawau Island, is one of three areas in Mahurangi which may transfer
to an Hauraki iwi under their Waitangi Treaty settlement.
The Office of Treaty Settlements has confirmed that the Crown and Marutuahu have signed an agreement that includes the three sites as part of cultural redress. The other sites are an area of the Motuora Recreation Reserve and the Mahurangi Scenic Reserve.
The Office of Treaty Settlements has confirmed that the Crown and Marutuahu have signed an agreement that includes the three sites as part of cultural redress. The other sites are an area of the Motuora Recreation Reserve and the Mahurangi Scenic Reserve.
Long-time island resident Ray Weaver
said he would be surprised if Marutuahu was successful in their
claim.
“They aren’t the first iwi to make a claim,” he said. “Ngati Manuhiri, who settled their claim a few years ago, tried but the Tribunal did not recognise their claim. The fact that the island was privately sold by Ngati Manuhiri to James Forbes Beattie, in January 1840 – just weeks prior to the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi – is significant. It remained in one title until Andrew Joseph Farmer bought it in 1904 and began subdividing.
“If my memory serves me right, Ngati Manuhiri challenged the Tribunal’s decision in the courts and lost.”
Mr Weaver said however, the difference between the two claims could be that the Crown opposed the Ngati Manuhiri claim but it appeared it was supporting the Marutuahu claim. He said if the claim was successful, he would be concerned for other public land on the island.....
“They aren’t the first iwi to make a claim,” he said. “Ngati Manuhiri, who settled their claim a few years ago, tried but the Tribunal did not recognise their claim. The fact that the island was privately sold by Ngati Manuhiri to James Forbes Beattie, in January 1840 – just weeks prior to the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi – is significant. It remained in one title until Andrew Joseph Farmer bought it in 1904 and began subdividing.
“If my memory serves me right, Ngati Manuhiri challenged the Tribunal’s decision in the courts and lost.”
Mr Weaver said however, the difference between the two claims could be that the Crown opposed the Ngati Manuhiri claim but it appeared it was supporting the Marutuahu claim. He said if the claim was successful, he would be concerned for other public land on the island.....
See full article HERE
Governor General encouraged to be a
strong representative for Māori
The Governor General, Sir Jerry
Mateparae has been urged to support and acknowledge that Māori never
ceded sovereignty when signing the Treaty of Waitangi.
Kaumatua of Te Tii Marae, Kingi Taurua
spoke to the Governor General this morning in the whare saying Sir
Jerry Mateparae held a very important role for Māori and urged him
to remain a strong representative and be a 'father' for his
people in his role.....
See full article HERE
Iwi lobby for state houses ahead of
sale
Leading Maori tribes are lobbying to
get first bidding rights for state houses when they start going up
for sale this year.
Iwi chairs attending their annual
pre-Waitangi forum at Kerikeri will discuss the issue today and put
their case to Prime Minister John Key and Housing Minister Nick Smith
when they attend the forum tomorrow.
Sonny Tau, who chairs the country's
biggest iwi, Ngapuhi, said he was seeking a formal right of first
refusal for about 1200 state houses from Whangarei to Mahurangi north
of Auckland as part of the iwi's negotiations for a Treaty of
Waitangi settlement.
Two other big iwi, Tainui and Ngai
Tahu, won first rights of refusal for state housing in the 1990s and
Tainui leader Tukoroirangi Morgan has said his tribe wants to
exercise that right to buy state houses in South Auckland and the
Waikato.
Other groups, such as the Far North iwi
Te Rarawa, do not have formal first refusal rights but said they
expected the Crown to talk to them first.......
See full article HERE
Warning on quake-prone marae
Maori
are being told they need to wake up to the issue of earthquake-prone
marae.
Dr Regan Potangaroa, associate
professor of architecture at Unitec Institute of Technology, has
described the situation as a 'big runaway train hurtling towards
them'.
He said incoming government laws to
make buildings more robust would hurt Maori economically and strike
at their cultural heart.....
See full article HERE
Iwi wants social housing clarity
One
of Aotearoa's largest tribes wants more clarity from the Government
so it can move forward with a project to buy state houses in its
region.
Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou has been in
talks with the Government to buy the 600 state houses in its tribal
region.
Chief executive Teepa Wawatai said the
government wanted to create more opportunities for iwi to take up
social housing responsibility.
However he said the intentions for the
transfer of state houses has not yet been made clear and there also
needed to be greater clarity about the policy for housing in areas
other than Auckland.....
See full article HERE
4 FEBRUARY 2015
Maori claims in Bay 'echo of apartheid'
An outspoken scientist has likened
Hawke's Bay foreshore and seabed claims to "an echo of apartheid
South Africa" in front of a Napier audience.
Council of Outdoor Recreation of New
Zealand secretary Hugh Barr last night spoke to about 100 people at
the Napier Sailing Club in Ahuriri, saying at the public meeting that
marine and coastal area claims in the Bay were a threat to public
access.
Three claims were "currently in
secret negotiation with [Attorney-General of New Zealand] Chris
Finlayson" for areas of Bay coastline, Dr Barr said.
The Marine and Coastal Area Act had
allowed for 40 claims for privatisation of areas of foreshore and
seabed for tribal interests throughout New Zealand.
He said the claims would create "two
classes of citizens, the privileged coastal chiefs and the rest of
us, including people of Maori descent who don't belong to that tribe
- second-class citizens".
"This is an echo of apartheid
South Africa."
See full article HERE
Council told to honour Maori
identity
The
Tauranga City Council is not working hard enough to promote the
area's Maori identity, a local campaigner says.
Pat Spellman, who wants both Te Reo and
English signage in Tauranga, said the council was not showing any
genuine commitment.
He said the council needed to start
incorporating Maori culture into the city's identity.....
See full article HERE
Gareth Morgan targets 'Brash-think'
in Orewa speech
Gareth Morgan is heading to Orewa to
confront what he calls the "ignorance of Brash-think".
He says there was a hotbed of ignorance
which needed to be confronted because of the need for an ongoing
relationship with Maori after all Treaty of Waitangi settlements are
finished.
Dr Brash, meanwhile, stands by the
speech, which targeted what he called the Treaty "grievance
industry" and rejected Dr Morgan's interpretation.
He said the Treaty was a "crucially
important document" at the time it was signed but it contained
no suggestion of an ongoing partnership.
The final settlements needed to be
finished and the original agreements rebalanced to meet current
levels, Dr Brash said, but then "that should be the end of the
matter".
"There is no suggestion in the
document as an ordinary person reads it that this is an ongoing
'partnership'......
See full article HERE
Maori flag for Rotorua Civic Centre
on Waitangi Day
Rotorua Lakes Council (RLC) will again
fly both the New Zealand flag and the Flag of the United Tribes of
New Zealand at the council Civic Centre on Waitangi Day this week.
A decision on a flag for use on
Waitangi Day in Rotorua in future years has been left with Te Pukenga
Koeke o Te Arawa, the group of Te Arawa kaumatua which advises the
council on cultural matters.
Council Strategy and Partnerships group
manager, Jean-Paul Gaston, said the choice of a permanent Te Arawa
flag to acknowledge the partnership with local Maori was a decision
for Te Arawa....
See full article HERE
Paul Moon: A post-Treaty era likely
to bear lasting fruits
But just before the Treaty-haters begin
to celebrate, the post-Treaty era may also usher in more assertive
forms of Maori sovereignty. Some of the groundwork for this has
already been laid, and co-management of Crown assets by hapu and iwi,
coupled with these groups exercising greater autonomy in the areas of
health, justice, and education are the likely fruits of this
development.
See full article HERE
Water fresh issue for Waitangi
debate
Maori rights to fresh water is firmly
on the agenda this week at Waitangi for both the New Zealand Maori
Council and the Iwi Leaders Group.
The council will hold an open forum at
Te Tii Marae on Thursday to discuss its water policy proposal, Maori
representation, Maori wardens and te reo Maori policy.
Co-chair Maanu Paul says the council
wants to report back to te iwi Maori about what it has achieved over
the past year and what is coming in the year ahead.
Up the road in Kerikeri, iwi leaders
will talk among themselves about their attempts to influence the
government’s freshwater allocation policy.....
See full article HERE
'Leave our lands and seas alone'
Protests against Statoil's seismic oil
exploration off western Northland and the "dubious" way the
government had "bulldozed" the granting of deep sea oil
exploration permits continue this week with a hikoi to Waitangi,
timed to coincide with the arrival of government politicians there on
Thursday.....
See full article HERE
Māori Party wants benefit rates
increase
The Māori Party are pushing for an
increase in benefit rates, particularly for the most vulnerable such
as parents with children.
Marama Fox says the Government is slow
when it comes to increasing the benefit. According to
statistics from 2009-2014, a couple with children had their benefit
increase by $31 per week.
For a sole parent with children, a $26
increase.
However, if you look at superannuation,
a single pensioner received a rise of $56 per week...
See full article HERE
The hopes of a Whangarei school have
been fulfilled with the opening of a new full Maori immersion
classroom.
Yesterday morning a powhiri was held at
Hikurangi School to welcome everyone back, but the first day was
particularly special as it also marked the opening of their new
classroom - Nga Whetu ko Hikohiko o Hikurangi - The Shining Stars of
Hikurangi, a total Maori immersion classroom.
Principal Bruce Crawford said the
opening of the class was a long time coming.
"I've always wanted it because I
think te reo should be as common as English," he said. "We
have 200 students at our school and a 63 per cent Maori roll.".....
See full article HERE
Maori school now set to cater for
year 9 students
South Taranaki school is opening a new
chapter as it admits its first set of high school students this week.
Hawera's Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Ngati
Ruanui held a powhiri yesterday to welcome six year 9 students.
Previously a year 1 to 8 school, the
Ministry of Education has granted it the ability to educate secondary
school classes from year 9 to 13. ....
See full article HERE
3 FEBRUARY 2015
Thanks ma'am but time's up
He
says the next step happens when Governor General Sir Gerry Mataparae
attends Wednesday's treaty signing commemoration at Mangungu on the
Hokianga Harbour.
"There will be a letter given to
the Governor General to take to the Queen to thank her and the royal
family from the time of Victoria for being our protector, leading us
from a state of infancy to adulthood, we are now adults and could she
now please tell the government and the rest of the world we are now
ready to take over for ourselves," he says.
Patu Hohepa says the message to other
iwi and the rest of New Zealand coming from the hui is that Te Tiriti
describes an ongoing relationship that will not disappear when
historical treaty claims are settled......
See full article HERE
Petition with 4000 names slams
Maori ward bid
A
petition against Maori wards with more than 4000 signatures will be
delivered to mayor Andrew Judd in two weeks and set in motion a
referendum on the issue.
In September the New Plymouth District
Council voted in favour of developing a ward to ensure Maori had a
voice on the council.
The decision was condemned by many and
prompted Hugh Johnson to start a petition against the move.
Current legislation allows for a
binding referendum on Maori wards if a petition with at least 5 per
cent of the electorate is collected.
However, that is not the case with
decisions on other wards where the local government commissioner has
the final say.
Five per cent of the New Plymouth
electorate equates to 2749 signatures, and Johnson said he would
be handing in "4000 plus" signatures to Judd on February
12......
See full article HERE
Water rights, Te Reo Maori strategy
and Maori representation
Water rights, Te Reo Maori strategy and
Maori representation being discussed at Waitangi on 5 February
“New Zealand Maori Council will be discussing our key policy initiatives in an open forum at Waitangi on Thursday 5 February.” says NZMC Co-Chair Maanu Paul. “This is part of our reporting back to te iwi Maori on what Council has achieved in the past year and where we believe we will be heading in the coming year.” says Mr Paul.
“Council has arranged panel
discussions on Maori representation, Maori Wardens, our Water policy
proposal and our Te Reo Maori policy and are looking forward to
sharing our discussions with others at Te Tii on 5 February.” says
Maanu Paul. “Council will also be participating in the Taurangatira
Tent discussions at Te Tii Marae”. Council policies on water,
representation, Te Reo Maori, Maori Wardens and other matters can be
found on www.maoricouncil.com .......
See full article HERE
Few Maori judges in NZ's legal
system
There
are only 28 judges who define themselves as Māori working in New
Zealand's legal system.
Te Manu Korihi has obtained the
information from the Ministry of Justice and the Crown Law office,
under an Official Information Act request.
Statistics New Zealand figures show
Māori are over-represented in the number of people going through the
court system, including Māori aged 10 to 16 still accounting for
more than half of young people charged....
See full article HERE
University of Waikato Conference -
Maori Engagement in NZ's Extractive Industry: Innovative Legal
Solutions
The aim of this symposium is to explore
how recent developments in international law and State/Extractive
Industry practice may improve Māori engagement with the Extractive
Industry through: robust consultation and impact assessment
processes; benefit sharing agreements with Extractive Industry;
partnership agreements with Extractive Industry; and iwi-led
projects.
The symposium will bring together
experts in international law and indigenous rights, and domestic
legal issues, and representatives of the Extractive Industry as well
as a broad cross-section of Māori communities who have experience
with Extractive Industry. ....
See full article HERE
2 FEBRUARY 2015
Three current and four former Rotorua
district councillors have joined the new Rotorua Pro-Democracy
Society with more than 50 people attending its inaugural meeting.
The meeting on Thursday was invitation
only and was used to set the group up as an incorporated society.
Founding members Mike McVicker and
Reynold Macpherson told the Rotorua Daily Post they were now in a
position to raise funds and attract new members to the cause.
They said the society was set up to
challenge a proposal to have unelected iwi members sit, and have
voting rights, on Rotorua Lakes Council committees.
They say that proposal is "totally
undemocratic".
"Now we can get serious about
attracting more members and with at least 100 expressions of interest
we don't think this will be too difficult," Mr Macpherson said.
"We're off to a flying start."
Mr McVicker said the society had
attracted a diverse range of Rotorua residents.
"We are not just targeting
Europeans, but everyone who is interested in defending our democratic
rights," he said......
See full article HERE
Waitangi Day disturbances expected
after appointment
Even before Waitangi Day commemorations
start a judge has signalled trouble ahead after he approved the
appointment of one of the country's most disruptive women and her
partner.
Despite baring her buttocks at elders
at Te Tii Waitangi Marae and unproven claims of drug use, Hinewhare
Harawira and Waireti Paora, have won places on its trust.
Rejecting a bid to stop them, Maori
Land Court Judge David Ambler warned of deep antipathy on the marae.
Harawira, sister of defeated MP Hone
Harawira, is mother of three men sent to prison two years ago for
assaulting a 12-year-old. She is the daughter of activist Titewhai.
The plight of the nation's founding
marae and its guardian Ngati Rahiri iwi is revealed in a tortuous
36-page judgment....
See full article HERE
Maori doctor backs call for
stomach stapling
A
Maori doctor is backing a demand for more stomach stapling
operations, after a New Zealand weight loss surgeon called on more
government money to combat the problem.
The latest Ministry of Health figures
show that one in five Maori children and almost half of Maori adults
are classed as obese - disproportionately higher than other parts of
the population.
George Laking of Te Whakatohea said
demand exceeded availability and more funding was needed......
See full article HERE
1 FEBRUARY 2015
Ahead of Waitangi Day this year,
'The Weekend Sun' (Tauranga) published this opinion piece from Chris
Lee. -Written by Bruce Moon, it offers his take on the Treaty of
Waitangi - a much-debated part of our history. There are far too many
fantasies floating around in the New Zealand air today, based mostly
on false interpretations of the Treaty of Waitangi and the pretence
that supposed modern meanings of words were what they mean't in 1840.
The essence of the Treaty is that by
this document in the Ngapuhi dialect, the chiefs ceded sovereignty to
the Queen completely and forever.
In return, all Maoris, including the
many slaves of other Maoris, became British subjects with their full
rights and privileges - a magnificent gift.
Claims today that the chiefs never
ceded , sovereignty to the Queen show contempt for the truth.
It was accepted at Waitangi by numerous
English-speaking chiefs that the word "kawanatanga" used
for "sovereignty" in the Treaty meant exactly that. Claims
to the contrary today are based on the false idea that translation is
the same as derivation. It is not.
Hobson's brief was "to treat with
the aborigines of New Zealand in the recognition of Her Majesty's
sovereign 'authority over the whole or any part of those islands
which they may be willing to place under Her Majesty's dominion"
but only with "the free intelligent consent of the natives".
Without it, he would have sailed away
and who knows what the outcome would have been?
The written record of events at
Waitangi on February 6, 1840 is totally clear. The chiefs ceded
sovereignty completely and forever to the Queen and knew that they
were doing so. This was confirmed fully by the chiefs' own words at
the Kohimarama Conference in 1860 and corroborated by missionary
Samuel Warren, who worked subsequently amongst the northern.tribes
for 15 years. It was confirmed yet again by outstanding Maori
scholar, Sir Apirana Ngata in 1920.
By Article third of the Treaty, all
Maoris - "tangata Maori, katoa o Nu Tirani" - received full
citizen's rights and this included the many slaves of other Maoris,
most being held in abject conditions and often the victims of
cannibal feasts. Descendants of those slaves today should be singing
the praises of the British for their liberation but we never hear a
word. Many chiefs dishonoured the Treaty of Waitangi by being very
slow to release their slaves, often taking years.
It is Article second of the Treaty
which perhaps has been most twisted in recent times by racists and
revisionists. Yet in essence this article is redundant since all it
does is guarantee the right of citizens to own private property -
land, dwellings and chattels - and British subjects have these rights
anyway. Looking more closely at it, some things stand out..First, the
guarantee is made to all the people of New Zealand - "tangata
katoa o Nu Tirani" - in clear distinction to Article third which
applied only to Maoris - and "all" means "all".
The vital point to note before we even
look at the meanings of words such as "rangatiratanga" and
"taonga" is that rights of ownership were guaranteed to all
- equality of rights is a fundamental aspect of the Treaty in which
we should all .rejoice, not make spurious claims based on ancestry or
sometimes a very small part of it. Since, in pre-Treaty days, Maori
property was only what could be held by force of arms and then only
by few people except chiefs, for Maori citizens to own property in
their own right, with assurances of permanence and inheritance, was a
considerable boon.
Nevertheless, "tino
rangatiratanga" propaganda continues unabated with the
flagrantly false idea that it applies only to those with some Maori
blood.
The words were hardly ever used by
anybody for decades after 1840, Parkinson noting "a single late
and remarkable exception" being "tino rangatira" as
one title amongst many by which Queen Victoria was addressed in a
petition by some Rotorua Maori residents. As Parkinson has also said:
"Kawharu's mistranslation of `tino rangatiratanga' as 'the
unqualified exercise of 'chieftainship' is not merely erroneous but
preposterous".
Two things are certain: Article first
of the Treaty stating that the chiefs ceded sovereignty, neither
Hobson nor anybody else would have, imagined that it was contradicted
a few lines later in Article second, so whatever the meaning of "tino
rangatiratanga", it was nothing like "sovereignty".
"Full possession" is the only meaning which makes sense in
context.
So Maori "aspirations for tino
rangatiratanga" which Gareth Morgan says will never be over, are
all modern day-dreaming about fantasies of the past with no existence
except in their imagination.
Even more abused than this is the
meaning of "taonga". In 1820, Hongi Hika asserted that it
meant "property procured by the spear".
When 13 Ngapuhi chiefs wrote to King
William in 1831, they stated that their only possessions were
"timber, flax, pork and potatoes" and the word used for
"possessions" was "taonga".
With the range of European material
goods such as iron cooking pots, steel knives and so on becoming
available to the tribes, it was natural that the meaning of "taonga"
be extended to include them but it still only meant "property"
in William Williams' 1844 dictionary, i.e. after the Treaty was
signed.
Given that some 10 years later its
meaning was again extended to include "treasure" it is as
equally preposterous as misuse of the meaning of "tino
rangatiratanga" to claim that that was its meaning in 1840.
Yet, ignoring the genuine meaning of
Article second today, the claims are rampant that only people with
Maori ancestry are somehow entitled to natural water, the
electromagnetic spectrum, special treatment by health authorities,
and indeed special fishing quotas (which are not even mentioned in
the Treaty).
More and more are compliant government
departments, local bodies educational. institutes and hospital boards
kowtowing before this onslaught, the rights of most New Zealanders
being swamped in a sea of political correctness.
It is high time that all New Zealanders
of whatever ethnic origin or mixed race put the Treaty back in 1840
where it belongs as one step in our progress towards nationhood, and
moved forward in harmony as equals in a democratic state with no
racist privileges of any kind for anybody.
'The Weekend Sun' (Tauranga) 23 January
2015
31 JANUARY 2015
The MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Kelvin Davis, says John Key needs to apologise to Ngāpuhi when he attends Waitangi next week over his criticism of the Waitangi Tribunal report, which claims that Ngāpuhi did not cede sovereignty by signing the Treaty of Waitangi.
Last year, Key dismissed the idea that a new flag should have Māori input. He's sticking to his guns.
He says, "In the end there will be
a range of views put forward. New Zealanders will get to choose
the alternative they want.”
Davis says, “If there aren't any
Māori elements in the flag, then it is hardly a fair representation
of this country holistically. It's merely representative of a
small portion of the population.”..........
See full article HERE
Settlements 'go some way to righting
wrongs
An
expert on the Treaty of Waitangi says Maori culture was ignored in
the past, but the historical settlements have gone some way towards
righting the disastrous effects of New Zealand's history.
Head of Research at Te Papa Tongarewa
Dame Claudia Orange believes building Maori community strength
through the process helped mitigate the effects of tangata whenua
alienation from their lands.
Dame Claudia said 2015 was a
significant year because it had been 20 years since the Treaty
settlement process was established, but there was still work to be
done.
She said legislation in the past
destroyed any acknowledgement of Maori in relation to their land,
having authority over it and the rights to develop their own ways of
doing things....
See full article HERE
Maori Party says iwi should have
right of refusal
The
Maori Party wants iwi to get the first right of refusal for all state
houses the Government plans to sell.
"If the Government are going to go
ahead and do that then we think iwi should have first right of
refusal, many iwi have already settled if those houses and the land
they are on had been included in a redress package Maori could have
been moving in this space already.
Trust deputy chair Ngarimu Blair said
it wanted to expand the sub-tribe's role in housing and said the call
for first right of refusal for the sale of state homes, would have
been perfect.....
See full article HERE
Fund Maori language teaching - NZ
First
The Government is failing New Zealand
children by not supporting the teaching of MÄori in schools.
"The 2009 New Zealand Curriculum
states clearly: ‘All students have the option to acquire knowledge
of te reo Maori me ona tikanga,’" says New Zealand First
Spokesperson for MÄori Affairs Pita Paraone.
"This is not an argument about
making te reo compulsory in schools. This is about saying we want the
learning of te reo to be funded as per the curriculum.
"This is not, as the Minister
would have us believe, going to lead to the oppression of the
language, but actively promote greater understanding of both the
MÄori language and the MÄori culture, and deliver the rounded
education we expect from New Zealand schools," says Mr
Paraone......
See full article HERE
Sovereignty hui underway in
Northland
Nearly
200 people have gathered at Northland's Otiria marae for a two-day
seminar and debate on Maori sovereignty.
Speakers include historian Paul Moon,
and economist and philanthropist Gareth Morgan.
Mr Morgan is urging Pakeha New
Zealanders to address the recent findings of the Waitangi Tribunal,
that Maori did not cede sovereignty when they signed the Treaty of
Waitangi.
The Ngati Hine organisers of the hui
said the Crown had implied the Tribunal's findings were not relevant
to the present day governance.
But they said the country would not
move forward until the real implications of Te Tiriti, and the
earlier New Zealand Declaration of Independence by Ngapuhi chiefs,
were acknowledged and acted on......
See full article HERE
Non-Maori urged to connect with
Maori
There
are too many schisms between Māori and non-Māori according to a
Presbyterian Church leader, who's urging non-Māori to work harder to
form positive relationships with tāngata whenua.
Reverend Norton said everyone had a
responsibility to address the injustices done to Māori.
"The Treaty needs to become a
living document for all New Zealanders and that is where we see the
Treaty as a gift to the nation whereby it can help us live together
in a relationship of manaakitanga... those are the things we need to
live out the spirit of The Treaty," he said.
He believed too many blocks had been
put up between Māori and non-Māori......
See full article HERE
Iwi plans major Waitangi Day to
celebrate 175 Years
Celebrate the 175th anniversary of
Waitangi Day with Ngāti Kahungunu at the Hawke’s Bay Sports Park.
"We invite the whole community to
come along and join us" said iwi chairman Ngāhiwi Tomoana. "The
day is about family, community and nationhood".
To celebrate 175 years of PARTNERSHIP,
six community and industry leaders will take one minute each to share
one big idea they will take into their work place to mark the
occasion......
See full article HERE
30 JANUARY 2015
Academic says rates for multiple landowners unfair
An
academic says multiple owners of unproductive Māori land should not
have to pay their rates while wealthy non-Māori are given rates
holidays by councils.
Margaret Mutu, who is a Māori studies
professor at the University of Auckland, believes tāngata whenua are
justified in not paying their rates when such a double-standard
exists.
However Northland Regional Councillor
and chair of the Te Tai Tokerau Maori advisory committee, Dover
Samuels, dismissed her criticisms.
"I'm not surprised at that
response from an academic who has very little practical knowledge
about local government. She lives in an ivory tower and doesn't
understand what local authorities are trying to do hand-in-hand with
Māori multiple landowners and bringing it into production.
"Councils have a policy of
deferring rates and setting them aside, but it makes no difference
what race the person is and rates are deferred for those who really
need it."..
See full article HERE
Ngati Whatua keen to expand housing
Auckland hapu Ngati Whatua o Orakei
has welcomed the Government’s plans for state housing and want to
be part of the action.
Prime Minister John Key has announced
state houses will be sold to community providers, whose will also be
able to qualify for income-related rental subsidies
Mr Davis says the hapu wants to broaden
its sights and understand how best to provide affordable housing
options for its people, and for the wider community....
See full article HERE
Housing WOF could be price of
support
The Maori Party wants a warrant of
fitness for social housing to be part of the overhaul of social
housing policy.
But she says a Maori Party-driven pilot
last year found 90 percent of Housing New Zealand homes would fail a
warrant of fitness.
She says the houses should be brought
up to that standard before they are sold, and that standard
maintained.
"By way of retaining
accountability with the government to provide social housing of a
good standard and a good quality for the most vulnerable families in
our community, most of which will be Maori and Pasifika whanau, then
we think a warrant of fitness on all social housing should be a
minimum requirement, mandatory for all social housing at least. We
think it also should be mandatory for all rental properties," Ms
Fox says....
See full article HERE
Housing a liabilty for iwi
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters
says iwi should be wary of any attempt to push them into becoming
social housing providers.
Prime Minister John Key yesterday
unveiled his plans to create non-state providers of social housing by
selling state houses cheap to agencies like the Salvation Army.
This would be backed up by extending
rental subsidies now only available to state house tenants.
Mr Peters says it can be difficult to
be a landlord to your own people, especially in times of high
unemployment....
See full article HERE
29 JANUARY 2015
Treaty pundits put on the spot
They’ve put their views on the Treaty
of Waitangi out in the public, and now the people who see themselves
as guardians of the treaty have asked them to come and defend those
views.
Te Kotahitanga o nga Hapu o Ngapuhi is
holding a hui at Otiria Marae in Moerewa this Friday and Saturday at
which authors Gareth Morgan and Paul Moon will speak, along with
Annette Sykes, Valmai Toki, Moana Jackson and Tukoroirangi Morgan.
Co-chair Pita Tipene says the debate
about what Te Tiriti o Waitangi means in 2015 and beyond is a
response to the Waitangi Tribunal’s finding that the treaty was
about Maori sharing power and authority with the crown rather than
ceding sovereignty.
He says Treaty Negotiations Minister
Chris Finlayson’s off-handed dismissal of the finding as having no
effect won’t shut off the debate.....
See full article HERE
Call for coastal claimants to get a
hustle on
Almost 40 applications have been made
to the Crown and High Court under the Marine and Coastal Area Act
2011 (MACA Act).
However, not all applications have been
recognised, and there are also concerns over the costs to applicants
and the threshold they must meet.
A total of 38 applications have been
made under the MACA Act. 12 with the High Court, 26 with the Crown.
It's expected that a claim over the
Titi Islands, near Rakiura, will be the first to be tested in the
High Court at the end of this year.
Mahuta and Flavell have concerns over
the costs which may be incurred by the applicants.
Mahuta says, “If the courts find
there is legitimate reason for these applications to be taken, then
perhaps the Crown should look at covering some of the costs incurred
by applicants who go directly to the High Court.”
The Crown says it's currently in
discussions with three groups and in the second half of the year, it
expects the collection of evidence to start.
However, of the 26 applications, 10
have been dismissed. Nanaia Mahuta says perhaps that confirms the
fear that the threshold is too high.
In April next year, the period for
applications to be received will close.
See full article HERE
Oral history to be used as evidence
A
group of landowners against a wastewater plant planned for their land
hope their oral history can be used as evidence in an appeal to stop
the plant.
Some of their evidence would come from
oral history which she said proved the land was to be used for a
whanau homestead.
See full article HERE
Ten new coastal rights for tribesA
comment by a Mahia bach owner that tribes that win customary marine
title over an area of foreshore and seabed get significant rights
prompted a closer look at the Marine and Coastal Area Act. John
McLean, who chaired a meeting of 120 bach owners and claimants at
Mahia on January 2 found 10 rights that lucky claimant tribes can
benefit from that everyone else does not have.
A further a public meeting with take place at the Napier Sailing Club at 7pm on Monday, February 2, where Dr Hugh Barr, of the Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations of New Zealand, will explain how the Act has opened up the entire coastal area to claim by tribal groups.
A further a public meeting with take place at the Napier Sailing Club at 7pm on Monday, February 2, where Dr Hugh Barr, of the Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations of New Zealand, will explain how the Act has opened up the entire coastal area to claim by tribal groups.
Those special new rights are:...
See full article HERE
Fears Mass in Te Reo Maori may die
out
Christchurch Bishop Barry Jones is
concerned that the celebration of Mass in Te Reo Maori is slowly
dying.
“We have a shortage of priests who
can celebrate the Mass in Maori. From the very beginning, the
Catholic Church here in New Zealand has had a Maori dimension. And we
must not lose it,”
......at the very least, learn the sign
of the cross, the greeting and the dismissal in Maori.....
See full article HERE
28 JANUARY 2015
Crown turns down 10 foreshore applicants
Ten
applicants have fallen at the first hurdle in their attempts to gain
customary marine title to stretches of coastline.
The Crown has turned down their bids
for rights to be recognised.
Under the Marine and Coastal Area Act,
whanau, hapu and iwi can seek recognition and protection of
long-standing customary interests.
On behalf of his family, Greg McDonald
made an application for title to half a kilometre of foreshore and
seabed in front of Pakiri Beach, north east of Auckland.
But his request did not make the
cut....
See full article HERE
Auckland Council asks iwi for input
Auckland's
Mayor Len Brown says the council has asked iwi around the region to
provide a list of what is critical to sustain the survival of their
marae.....
See
full article HERE
Debate continues on te reo Māori
being compulsory in schools
The debate around whether the Māori
language should be compulsory in schools across the country has
reignited.
Pākehā businessman Gareth Morgan, is
the latest to back the idea in his new book about the Treaty of
Waitangi, while the NZEI is calling for greater support from the
government.
Pita Paraone has laid down a challenge
to ministers Hekia Parata and Te Ururoa Flavell.
The New Zealand First MP and former
Chief Executive of the Māori Language Commission says having the
Māori language compulsory in schools is in their hands.
“The nation feared the Māori flag on
top of the Auckland harbour bridge firstly and secondly on top of
government buildings. At this stage, it's not an important issue,”
says Flavell.
“If they want the world to change,
the language to be taken up, it needs to start at primary and
intermediate,” says Paraone,
See full article HERE
Arawa leader eyes economic power
A Te Arawa leader says the iwi needs to
be thinking abut how it can use all its wealth to better its people,
rather than just treaty settlement assets.
Sir Toby Curtis chairs the Te Arawa
Lakes Trust, which incorporates the former Te Arawa Maori Trust
Board.
Last year it made a profit of almost
$400,000 after its farms were converted to dairy production, and its
total assets rose from $27.7 to $28.2 million.
He says a Te Puni Kokiri study
estimated the current tribal asset base as worth between $6 and $8
billion, out of a total of Maori assets of around $40 billion.
"Already we are making a
significant impact as a people. We need to continue that. (The Maori
economy) is something in the region of $40 billion. We need to get
that up to $100b, and we can. If we have that then money does not
become a problem to us. Money becomes our servant to work for our
betterment," Sir Toby says....
See full article HERE
27 JANUARY 2015
The appointment of Dannevirke's James
Kendrick to the board of the St John Maori advisory group is awesome,
the organisation's HR manager Tom Dodd of Auckland says.
Mr Kendrick is one of seven voluntary
and paid St John staff from around New Zealand appointed to the group
who will give advice on initiatives to improve Maori health outcomes,
training and education for St John staff and the integration of
tikanga Maori throughout St John, Mr Dodd told the Dannevirke News.
Mr Dodd said it's hoped the new
advisory group will bring simple and practical ideas to Maori
communities, with some initiatives being localised as the
organisation realises one size doesn't fit all.
"All those on the group bring a
huge background of wealth of knowledge to their roles and we looked
for people who understood Maori health issues and protocols," he
said.
Among the Maori health outcomes already
identified by St John is the aim to have defibrillators on all marae
with people trained in their use....
See full article HERE
Christchurch school to teach on pa
model
A special character Maori school
opening this term in Christchurch will show that it takes a village
to raise a child.
Te Pa o Rakaihautu, a state-designated
character school, will offer education founded on tikanga and Te Reo
Maori in a pa-based environment encouraging families to participate.
Located during term one at the old
Richmond School site for year 1 to 10 pupils, the school will then
move to Linwood Intermediate for at least two years growing to year
13.
"It's a little bit different to
school as we knew it. It's a learning village. It's probably more
akin to how it would have worked in the pa pre-European times."
"It's reconnecting with our place,
our people, and our own stories."
The school would use modern technology
to raise national standards and NCEA achievement of its Maori
pupils.....
See full article HERE
Iwi leaders engage on policy
The Iwi Leaders Forum is getting ready
to meet ministers in Kerikeri next week to discuss the government’s
legislative programme for the year ahead.
The consultation has become a regular
part of the annual hui leading up to Waitangi Day commemorations.
Forum technical working group member
Willie Te Aho says smaller teams are meeting officials beforehand to
discuss agenda items including housing and freshwater policy.
He says it’s part of a strategy of
engagement rather than trying to take the crown on in the courts....
See full article HERE
NZEI calls for reo resources
Primary teachers’ union NZEI Te Riu
Roa wants the Government to put more resources into teaching te reo
Maori.
New president Louise Green says all New
Zealand children should have the opportunity to learn te reo.
She says while it’s a core part of
the curriculum, the available resources aren’t up to the demand
from both Maori and Pakeha children and their families.
Ms Green says what is needed is a much
stronger committment by Government to resource and support teachers
and kaiako to improve the education system's ability to meet
demand.....
See full article HERE
PM's no show saddens Maori King
A
senior member of the Rātana Church says the Maori King, Tuheitia
Paki, would have been very disappointed that the Prime Minister did
not attend the church's annual celebrations at the weekend.
Andre Meihana, an Apotoro Wairua
(spiritual apostle) for the church, said the King usually visits
Rātana Pā for the event on Saturday, but went on Friday this year
so he could meet with the Prime Minister.
Mr Meihana said King Tuheitia arrived
early for the pōwhiri, before the Government, to show John Key how
united Māori are as a whole, including the bond between the Rātana
Church and the King.
He said King Tuheitia, who
is very unwell, left his sickbed to meet with
Mr Key, but the Prime Minister only let the church know the day
before the celebrations began that he was not going to attend....
See full article HERE
Four Māori pharmacy students have been
awarded Hiwinui Heke pharmacy scholarships – two each from the
Auckland and Otago Schools of Pharmacy.
The awards are jointly presented by
PHARMAC and Nga Kaitiaki o te Puna Rongoa o Aotearoa (Māori
Pharmacists Association or MPA). They are aimed at Māori students
enrolled at pharmacy schools and committed to studying pharmacy.
PHARMAC developed the scholarships with
the MPA as a way to encourage more Māori students to complete their
pharmacy studies.
The scholarships are named after
Hiwinui Heke (Te Arawa), who was one of the first Māori to graduate
from a New Zealand pharmacy school in 1955.
PHARMAC and the Māori Pharmacists
Association (MPA) have formalised their relationship with a
Memorandum of Agreement, that will underpin their relationship for
the coming years......
See full article HERE
26 JANUARY 2015
From the files of Alf Grumble
Want to see why Delahunty got a 2/10 mark from Trans Tasman? Just look at her Treaty thinking
Alf hadn’t noticed a recent opinion
piece by Gareth Morgan,
the bloke with a dislike of moggies but – hurrah – a great urge
to preserve our democracy.
Morgan was contributing to the debate
over Maori representation on local councils.
More particularly, he was taking issue
with New Plymouth’s (very temporary) Mayor, Andrew Judd, who had
embroiled himself in a debate over whether his council should have a
Maori ward and was calling for all councils to have Maori provide
half of their councils.
This, he believes, would
better “reflect” the Treaty of Waitangi. Demonstrating if nothing
else, just how dynamic interpretations of the Treaty have become, the
Judd model seriously undermines democracy in New Zealand.
Maori have aspirations, and
achieving those should as far as possible be supported by other New
Zealanders. These aspirations include having more say over their own
lives, and eradication of socio-economic disadvantage.
But is the best way to achieve those
aspirations to grant Maori unique political power over matters that
affect everyone? That is a question all New Zealanders
need to wake up to and discuss.
Damned right.
Morgan goes on :
To accommodate degradation of
democracy is risky in the extreme. It also contravenes Article Three
of the Treaty, which in 21st-century terms holds that we are equal
citizens – one person, one vote. More worryingly, political
theory and experience points out that granting unique political power
to any group is a quick path to a divided nation.
Is there anyone out there seriously in
favour of this?
Well, yes.
They
include Greenie Catherine Delahunty,
who says:.......
Continue reading Alf Grumble's entertaining blog HERE
Continue reading Alf Grumble's entertaining blog HERE
December 16th, 2014
25 JANUARY 2015
The issue of Ngapuhi sovereignty, after
a landmark Waitangi Tribunal decision, will be under the spotlight at
the marae near Moerewa with some high-profile New Zealanders leading
the debate.
Mr Tipene said the ruling meant that
the way the country had been governed might need to be looked at and
changed to give more autonomy to hapu. However, the Government has
said nothing will change.
A large gathering is expected at Otiria
on Friday and Saturday when a strong line-up of keynote speakers will
start a robust discussion and debate around He Whakaputanga
(Declaration of Independence 1835) and the Treaty of Waitangi.
The keynote speakers will include
Professor of History at AUT University Dr Paul Moon, economist and
philanthropist Gareth Morgan, lawyer Annette Sykes, lecturer in law
at the University of Auckland Valmaine Toki, former MP and Tainui
leader Tuku Morgan and lawyer Moana Jackson.
Te Kotahitanga has called the hui.
Dr Moon, a leading commentator on the
treaty, maintains there is an erroneous belief that the Treaty of
Waitangi is the foundation for New Zealand's system of
government......
See full article HERE
Treaty about rules of engagement
Economist Gareth Morgan believes the
country needs to give serious consideration to what the Treaty of
Waitangi relationship will look like once historical claims are
settled.
Mr Morgan spoke at Ratana Pa yesterday
on some of the ideas in his new book on the treaty, Are We There Yet?
He says too many Pakeha think the
current settlement process will be the beginning and end of any
discussion about the treaty.
"As any Maori person will tell
you, or any reasonable person really who has read the treaty, it’s
not about the breaches, the subsequent grievances and the subsequent
settlements, it’s about the rules of engagement of how these two
societies coexist together, share this land, and have a mutual
respect and care," Mr Morgan says....
See full article HERE
Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei leader
reflects on Auckland history
Hawke says, "We're always going to
the Crown to say look we've been denied to live on our land for a
hundred and something years and you want to charge us the rate that's
going now because of Paratai Drive and Mission Bay."
Hawke has lived in Auckland for more
than 75 years, he's chaired the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust
board and has clear views about where to from here for the iwi.
"What I'd like to establish is a
real good honohono with all those other groups, those 14 other groups
and that we can improve the status of those Māori or tangata whenua
here in Tāmaki Makaurau so that we have our own systems to be able
to develop these things through councils. Assist rather than going to
them and begging," says Hawke...
See full article HERE
Tuwharetoa on track to buy crown
properties
The Tuwharetoa Settlement Trust is
teaming up with other entities within the iwi to buy Crown properties
available under its deferred settlement process.
The trust’s ability to pick up the
properties was compromised by its first set of trustees, who lost $9
millions of the tribe’s forestry settlement through poor
investments and gave away another $11 million of its capital in
grants.
Chair Dylan Tehau says new trustees
have almost completed the restructure of the trust finances, and it
now has equity of $17.7 million and is running profitably and with
lower costs.
Its commercial subsidiary Tuwharetoa
Limited raised $7.5 million in capital and set up a limited liability
partnership with Tuwharetoa Maori Trust Board, Lake Taupo Forest
Trust and Te Pae o Waimihia to buy commercial redress properties
including nine schools and the Taupo courthouse, making it one of the
largest land owners in the Taupo Township.
It also bought 11 forest enclaves in
and around Lake Taupo and Lake Rotoaira Forests, which were on sold
to the respective forest trusts.
Mr Tahau says it is now trying to pull
together other trusts to help it buy 8500 hectares of Department of
Corrections land and forest, valued at more than $50 million.
Article HERE
Article HERE
Politicians visiting Ratana Marae
yesterday got a strong message from speaker Uruea Abraham who broke
protocol by speaking in English and saying it was "obvious that
many of you are sitting here without being able to understand the
eloquence and beauty of the Maori language".
Mr Abraham said Maori had had 175 years
of understanding the English language and that the Treaty of Waitangi
settlements equated to just "one cent in the dollar.
"Don't play with the Treaty of
Waitangi and treat it like a game of ping pong" he urged
visiting politicians. It was time for government to work towards a
future of true partnership with Maori.....
See full article HERE
24 JANUARY 2015
Treaty settlements not 'genuine partnership' – Greens
Many Treaty of Waitangi settlements
aren't "as good as they need to be" the Green Party says,
and it wants a review of the settlement process.
In her speech this morning at Ratana,
near Whanganui, Greens co-leader Metiria Turei said the Crown has
used its power to "force through" many of the deals so far.
"Our people have had to accept
them due to political constraints and the pressures of poverty and
time."
Ms Turei says her party has no faith
the current settlement process "is a reflection of a genuine
partnership".
"Indeed, this divisive process has
the potential to create new breaches of Te Tiriti (the treaty). They
cannot be full and final when new grievances are being created with
each one."
The Government dictates terms of
negotiations from start to finish, she said.
"It is this dominant view that
sees next to no land returned to tangata whenua, and only small
amounts of financial redress."
The Greens want a comprehensive review
of the treaty settlement process "that sets out to put the power
back in the hands of hapū and iwi, and that honours the generations
of work that Māori have put into holding the Crown to account
for its breaches".....
See full article HERE
Kohanga Reo's doors open to
deregistered charities
The
Kohanga Reo National Trust says their doors are open to some Kohanga
Reo which have been de-registered for not filing their returns on
time.
Charities Services is in the process of
deregistering those who have not sent in an annual return for at
least two years.
Some 2000 charities were warned last
year that if they did not get up to date, they would be
de-registered, losing their tax breaks, and the right to call
themselves charities.
Four independent Kohanga Reo - separate
to the National Trust - have since been de-registered.
The Kohanga Reo National Trust's
spokesperson, Derek Fox, said more than 450 kohanga, which is the
majority, come under the trust......
See full article HERE
Pharmac dishes rongoa advice at
Ratana
Government drug buying agency Pharmac,
Quitline and the Maori Pharmacists Association Nga Kaitiaki o te Puna
Rongoa are at Ratana Pa today and tomorrow dispensing advice on the
medications people are using.
Maori responsiveness manager Angela
Cathro from Ngati Raukawa says Pharmac’s job is not just to ensure
the right medicines are available for New Zealanders at the right
price, but also that people know how to use their medication
effectively.
"We’ve teamed up with the Maori
Pharmacists Association because we acknoweldge they are experts when
it comes to Maori and medications and we want to provide a space
where Maori feel comfortable to come in and talk to Maori pharmacists
about their medications," she says....
See full article HERE
Opportunity to learn te reo Maori
critical for success
All New Zealand children should have
the opportunity to learn te reo Maori, NZEI Te Riu Roa says.
NZEI Te Riu Roa President Louise Green
says the New Zealanders of the future will need to be more
bi-cultural and multi-cultural, not less.
"Schools and ECE services want to
support the right of all Kiwi kids to access our country's cultural
heritage and the ability to be competent and comfortable in a
bi-cultural environment.
"It's a core part of our
curriculum already but we could do much better.. The issue is not
about making language learning compulsory or not. It is about the
urgent need to meet today's demand - many children and their
families, both Pakeha and Maori, cannot access the level of teaching
and learning of, or in, te reo that they want now...
See full article HERE
23 JANUARY 2015
Despite
it not being a major focus, both groups say the issue of financial
revenue must also be discussed.
“They are profiting from the sale of
water use amongst themselves. What we are saying is we need to sit
down and discuss that side of the issue to do with water as well,”
says Sir Curtis.
“We would expect income to come in
from that commission, a proportion to go to Māori people because of
their customary association with the rivers so that they are able to
engage their own people,” says Sir Durie.....
See full article HERE
Iwi leader: Tuwharetoa will bounce
back
An inquiry by the Tuwharetoa Settlement
Trust has found it only
has $16 million of its 2009 $66 million settlement left because of
bad financial decisions.
Haami Piripi - from Te Rarawa Runanga
in the Far North - said there would always be problems for an iwi
which had a strong community focus rather than being driven by purely
profit.
He said all iwi have a need for
increased financial support to understand and utilise financial
advice and the government should have a role.
"It's no use just handing us
redress payments and assets and just walking away from the
relationship."...
See full article HERE
Students lacking politcal awareness
A member of a Maori lobby group says
younger Maori seem to have little appetite for protest.
Te Ao Pritchard is a member of Te Ata
Tino Toa, which successfully lobbied for the Maori flag to be flown
from the Auckland Harbour Bridge and other institutions.
She says when she speaks to today’s
students, they show little interest in taking action to support
change.
Her generation of activists learned
from previous groups like Nga Tamatoa and Te Kawariki.....
See full article HERE
Māori Conservation
Foundation Course
Eleven men and women of Ngāti
Pāhauwera descent are celebrating after recently graduating from the
Māori Conservation Foundation Course.
Following the Ngāti Pāhauwera Treaty
Settlement, DOC committed to enhancing our relationship with Ngāti
Pāhauwera. We worked with Ngāti Pāhauwera and The Ministry of
Social Development to create an eight-week pilot programme— the
Māori Conservation Foundation Course.
The pilot was designed to give Ngāti
Pāhauwera descendants the means to develop a sustainable future for
themselves and their land.
The students spent their time
undertaking a mix of classroom and practical learning, with lots of
opportunities to connect with the land....
See full article HERE
22 JANUARY 2015
Roopu encouraged to fly Maori flag
Councils, government agencies, schools
and other organisations are being encouraged to fly the Maori flag
this Waitangi Day.
Te Ao Pritchard from Te Ata Tino Toa
says the battle to have the flag flown on the Auckand Harbour Bridge
has been won,
but other roopu seem slow to take up what is an
official symbol...
See full article HERE
Bad calls
cut treaty payout cash from $66m to $16m but Tuwharetoa Settlement
Trust founders escape court action
Buying out bad loans and other poor
investment decisions helped slash an iwi group's Treaty of Waitangi
settlement from $66 million to $16 million, an inquiry has found.
But the trust group in charge of the
remaining money says it will not take its founding trustees to court
to recover the money because of the cost and "ongoing damage to
the reputation of the trust and the iwi"......
See full article HERE
Kohanga teachers learn of kingitanga
Kohanga reo teachers from around the
Waikato are at a hui at Waahi Pa this week learning about the
Kingitanga.
The workshop is being run by Te Kahui
Rangatahi, a youth group dedicated to fostering interest in the
Kingitanga among younger generations.
The hui was about empowering whanau to
share and educate tamariki and whanau about the movement and tikanga
Maori.....
See full article HERE
Shipley to talk on treaty gift
Former prime minister Dame Jenny
Shipley and Anglican Bishop Kito Pikaahu will share the floor at Te
Herenga Waka Marae in Wellington on Sunday for the 12th annual
Waitangi Rua Rautau lectures.
The lectures were started in 2001 by
the New Zealand Maori Council as an annual acknowledgement of
improvement in ethnic relations and progress on the Treaty of
Waitangi, with the aim of setting goals as to what the country should
be like in 2040, the 200th anniversary of the treaty.
Dame Jenny Shipley describes her
lecture as reflections, observations and projections by an informed
and committed Pakeha New Zealander on the purpose and relevance of
Waitangi Day commemorations, the gift the Treaty offers and its
future relevance as we continue to develop our identity as New
Zealanders....
See full article HERE
Science looks to traditional Maori
techniques
Plant
and Food Research is focussing on recruiting Māori students to help
fulfil a growing need for specialist skills in horticulture and food
science.
It is also working with Māori
communities around the country to get rangatahi interested in the
industry.
The centre offers scholarships to Maori
for its summer student programme....
See full article HERE
21 JANUARY 2015
Fresh assault on Resource Management Act
Maori Development Minister Te Ururoa
Flavell is expecting water issues and the Resource Management Act to
be major issues for the year ahead.
Mr Flavell says part of the debate will
be water allocation and the nature of Maori rights in water.
"The Iwi Leaders Forum and their
technical team have certainly got the ear of the ministers for
Finance, Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister for Environment and
myself. My role is to support iwi with regard to their claims, I have
no qualms about that, but it remains to be seen how far that
discussion goes," he says....
See full article HERE
Land and language top priorities for
Flavell
Minister
of Maori Development Te Ururoa Flavell's two top priorities this year
are Te Reo Rangatira and Maori land.
The Ture Whenua Maori Act was currently
being reviewed, while public feedback on the Maori language bill,
which was called for by the Maori Affairs Committee, closed at the
beginning of last month.
This year, his eye was firmly locked on
improvements for tangata whenua.
He said in terms of Maori development
he wanted to look to the future.
Mr Flavell said it was important to
complete the review of the Ture Whenua Act to allow tangata whenua to
use their land they had and turn them into economic asset instead of
a burden.
He said he hoped the Reo Maori review
and the Maori language entity, Te Matawai, would be finished by the
end of the year.
Mr Flavell said improving Whanau Ora
was also a priority, so agencies were working together rather than in
isolation.
See full article HERE
Moves to reassure public over water
rights
The
Māori Council has moved to reassure people that while tāngata
whenua would have rights to water under a new proposal, they would
not prevail over the interests of the general public.
"We are very keen to affirm that
all people have rights and acknowledge that Māori people do have a
'senior right' - to use a term that is sometimes used in the United
States, but it must not prevail over the general public good.
"We can make provisions that do
acknowledge the Māori interest while ensuring that water is
available for the future generations of all people....
See full article HERE
Why my Pakeha child goes to Kohanga
Reo
So, here is why.
My nearly 2-year-old daughter, Fern,
may be Pakeha, but she is from Aotearoa, New Zealand. She can learn
Pakeha culture and the English language from her parents and
family, but I also want her to learn Maori customs and culture.
We live in a bicultural (if not multicultural) society and I want her
to be equally familiar and comfortable interacting with Pakeha
and Maori, in English or Te Reo.
I only moved to Hamilton from overseas
two years ago. Before that, I was shockingly ignorant about New
Zealand's history, and when I learned about this country's past
250-plus years, I felt sadness about the historical relationship
between Maori and white colonisers.
Even today, I often feel I am living
in a divided society. I have witnessed the full spectrum from
outright racism to unintended discrimination and embedded
prejudices from both sides, and I wish it wasn't like this.
Not growing up here, I have been told I
just don't understand the relationship between Pakeha and Maori,
and maybe I never will. But I know that I don't want my daughter to
grow up with stereotypes and prejudices about people from
different races....
.Then she'll grow up and fight
institutional and systemic injustice and prejudices. Yep, that's
definitely how it plays out in my mind.
Because we are all people. Not all the
same, but definitely all equal.....
See full article HERE
Indigenous voice critical in oil
protest
A Greenpeace campaigner against deep
sea oil drilling says Maori opposition will be an important factor in
whether Norway’s Statoil will continue its exploration programme
off the Northland coast.....
But what they are very vulnerable to is
opposition from indigenous peoples. Indigenous peoples around the
world have led campaigns, very successful campaigns against the
exploitation of their natural resources and the associated pollution
that comes with that " he says.
See full article HERE
20 JANUARY 2015
The Iwi Leaders Group and the New
Zealand Maori Council could be coming to a joint position on water.
It’s a hot topic this year, as the
Government tries to develop a new policy for water allocation.
It has tried to exclude the Maori
Council from the discussions, despite the council leading action in
the courts and the Waitangi Tribunal over the partial privatisaiton
of state power generators.
It could upset the Government’s plans
if the iwi leaders pick up the Maori Council position, which includes
usage charges for commercial users and the prospect of rent being
paid to some Maori resource owners.
The two groups will be discussing the
issue this week as they prepare for the Waitangi hui, where
Government ministers are booked to meet with the Iwi Leaders
Forum.....
See full article HERE
Interesting Stats
- Life expectancy for Maori men is 72.8 years while it is 80.2 years for Pakeha males. It is 76.5 for Maori woman and 83.7 for Pakeha women
- Prevalence of smoking within Maori are 39.7% while it is only 18.6% amongst Pakeha
- Obesity is 76.3% amongst Maori and 60.8% amongst Pakeha.
- Suicides per 100 000 are 23.9% for Maori men and 8.8% for Maori women and 15.4% for Pakeha men and 5.7% for Pakeha women.
- Infant mortality per 1000 births are 7% for maori and 5.5% for Pakeha
- Participation in early childhood is 90.9% for Maori and 98% for Pakeha
- 60.9% of Maori leaving school have NCEA while 82.1% of Pakeha school leavers have it.
- Only 9.1% of Maori have a University degree, 18.6% of Pakeha do,
- Unemployment in 2012 soared amongst Maori (14.8%) while it only marginally increased for Pakeha to 5.5%
- In 2013 Maori media weekly income was $767 while it was $863 for Pakeha.
- The proportion of Maori who are on income tested benefits is 20% while only 6.2% for Pakeha.
- Household over crowding impacts 2.7% of Pakeha households but impacts 11% of Maori households.
- 86% of Pakeha households have internet access, only 68% of Maori households have it.See full article HERE
Further to Kevan Marks' letter entitled
Many Questions (Advocate 14/01/2015) regarding destruction of
evidence of pre-Maori occupancy of NZ:
It is unsurprising that authorities are
not being advised of new discoveries until fully documented
photographs and carbon dating of artifacts have been established.
Why? Because the immediate "official"
response is to bulldoze the site, impose a 75 year embargo on the
region, or advise local iwi who rapidly declare the area sacred to
prevent further investigation.
There are more than 100 such embargoed
sites in NZ. Yes, Kevan, what don't they want us to know?
I have just viewed one website with
photographs of an immense earthen pyramid, stone walls extending for
miles, and religious cairns in Northland. Artifacts on this site have
been carbon-dated at around 5000 years old.
The location was not disclosed -
probably because the "discoverers" were led to the site by
a bulldozer driver who was occupied in demolishing other structures
in nearby areas.
Millions of dollars are at stake
arising from Maori claims that they are the indigenous people of NZ,
thus any evidence that casts doubts upon NZ being uninhabited when
their ancestors arrived is a serious threat to their money tree - and
also raises the ugly question of mass extermination of an earlier
people.
Ngapuhi chieftain David Rankin (a
direct descendant of Hone Heke) states unequivocally that when his
ancestors arrived, there were people on the shore to greet them - and
puts it even plainer by saying "Maori are not the indigenous
people of Aotearoa."
Are our governments, "historians"
and part-Maori spokespersons collaborating to conceal damning
evidence?
Kiwis should rise above their apathy
and insist upon a Royal Commission of Enquiry into our true history
so that we can all determine fact over fiction.
MITCH
MORGAN
Kaipara
Kaipara
Source
HERE
19 JANUARY 2015
DEMOCRACY AND TRIBALISM
The case for ‘co-governance’
between the government and iwi is justified according to cultural
recognition and social justice beliefs. However that is to make a
fundamental error, one that ignores the dangers of including
ethnicity into the political arrangements of a democratic nation.
‘Ethnicity’ refers to ‘race’ –
that is, the concept that a socio-cultural group is defined in terms
of its genetic ancestry. This doesn’t of course mean that
ethnicity/ race is a scientific term. We are in fact 99.9% the same
with the remaining 0.1% being differences between individuals not
between groups. But some groups like to define themselves in terms of
their genetic ancestry as do New Zealand’s retribalists.
Some have
no choice in the matter as the descendants of assimilated German Jews
discovered to their tragic misfortune in the 1930s.
Interestingly, ‘ethnicity’ has
nudged race aside only recently. By the beginning of the 1970s almost
no one used the term ‘ethnicity’. By the end of the decade almost
everyone did. If our Race Relations Office had been established even
one year later than it was, it would have the ethnicity title. But
changing a word doesn’t change the concept signified by that word.
Ethnicity still means race; still means a genetic criteria for
membership.
Earlier this year the Herald and the
NZCPR published a piece I had written about the incompatibility of
tribalism and democracy. Recently I discovered that the Nigerian
Observor, in referring to my article, had used my conclusion – that
there is a fundamental incompatibility between the two sociopolitical
systems – to say this: “There is urgent need for robust public
discussion, review and referendum—if needed—on the democratic and
political systems in Africa with focus on the re-introduction of
parliamentarism. We need to move forward.”
What is fascinating is that progressive
discussion in Africa is advocating moving towards parliamentarianism
while in New Zealand we, or a significant number of the politically
influential, are seemingly unaware of the jewel that we have in our
own parliamentary system, one established as early as 1852 and
developed progressively since then. In that innocence, they are
unaware of the threat to that system.
From the 1980s, the rather benign idea
of recognising Maori culture in the wider society became a political
biculturalism that has enabled a small but extremely influential
group of retribalists to capture the moral high ground of social
justice advocacy – but in their own interests.
(It shouldn’t be forgotten that the
numbers of Maori in poverty has actually grown during the bicultural
decades.).....
See full article by Associate Professor Elizabeth Rata HERE
See full article by Associate Professor Elizabeth Rata HERE
17 November
2013
18 JANUARY 2015
The head of one of the largest Ngati
Kahungunu settlement groups says it wants to become a major investor
in the Hawkes Bay economy.
He Toa Takitimu, representing the hapu
of Heretaunga-Tamatea, is in line to receive a settlement of more
than $100 million.
In a recent briefing, chair David
Tipene-Leach told Hastings District councillors it would be one of
the largest settlements so far.
"For so long our marae have been
dependent on sausage sizzles and cake stalls and that is no longer
going to be the way that things work," he said.
The deal will include some crown land,
including the vesting and gift back of a reserve at Cape Kidnappers,
known to Maori as Mataupo Maui, the fish hook of Maui.
The iwi wants to talk with the
Geographic Board about renaming Clive and Hastings as Waipureku and
Heretaunga respectively........
See full article HERE
A rahui barring fishing or collecting
seafood along the Doubtless Bay coast has been extended by a month
because a diver missing at Cable Bay has yet to be found.
Rangi Tapu, 25, of Auckland, went
missing while diving for kina about 50m offshore last Thursday. As of
yesterday he had not been found, despite extensive searches by
police, family members, Far North Land Search and Rescue, Coastguard
and firefighters. Members of the Police National Dive Squad also
conducted a grid search of the sea floor on Friday.
The official search ended on Friday
night but the family's beachside vigil is continuing.
A rahui placed on the coast between
Mangonui and Taipa by Ngati Kahu kaumatua on Friday has now been
extended a month.
Anahera Herbert-Graves, chief executive
of Te Runanga-a-Iwi o Ngati Kahu, asked the public to abide by
tikanga by not catching fish or taking seafood from the area.
Ngati Kahu tikanga called for a
two-week rahui if a body was found in the first week after a
drowning; if the body had not been found after a week, a month-long
rahui was imposed....
See full article HERE
Locals want to put a stop to
littering on Uretiti Beach
"They really have no idea, which
is sad. What is the priority here is the need to induct them
into the practices of Māori world in relation to the land, the
sea and collecting seafood," says Paki.
Patuharakeke had already filed an
application to manage the traditional seafood resources in their
territory and remain focussed on the realisation of their rights
under the Treaty of Waitangi to have authority over their resources.
Paki says, "Patuharakeke are
the stewards of the place. This has been passed down us by our
ancestors, the need to care for the land, sea and
coastline.".....
See Full article HERE
See Full article HERE
Dawn of a New Era for the Bible in
Teo Reo Maori
Anglican Bishop Kito Pikaahu, Bishop of Te Tai Tokerau (Northland-Auckland), says Bible Society's new Gospel of Luke in Māori is exciting because it presents the Good News of Jesus Christ in a fresh way.
Anglican Bishop Kito Pikaahu, Bishop of Te Tai Tokerau (Northland-Auckland), says Bible Society's new Gospel of Luke in Māori is exciting because it presents the Good News of Jesus Christ in a fresh way.
More than 60 years after the current
Māori Bible was published, Bible Society New Zealand (BSNZ) has just
published not one, but two brand new sample translations of Te
Rongopai a Ruka, the Gospel of Luke in Māori.
Bible Society is so keen to bring the
Bible to a new generation of Māori speakers the publication has a
blank feedback column for reader's notes. The idea is to stimulate
wider discussion within the Māori community on which translation
style is more suited to today’s Māori speakers.....
Stephen Pattemore, BSNZ Translations
Director commented, "now 200 years after that first reading from
Luke’s Gospel, it is still an important and urgent task that all
New Zealanders should hear and understand the 'good tidings of great
joy.' As society changes, language changes with it, and the
language of our grandchildren is not the same as the language of our
grandfathers."
See full article HERE
http://www.biblesociety.org.nz/news-a-events/national-and-regional-news/maori-gospel
17 JANUARY 2015
Government agree to create water strategy
The issue of water is back on the
agenda after the Government agreed to creating a water strategy.
Iwi leaders are taking this matter of
significant importance to Māori nationwide for discussion before
entering into talks with the Crown at Waitangi this year.....
Tau says, “They'll have to come round
in the end because their own law is telling them they are wrong. If
they fail to address that under their law, then they'll have to step
aside and let māori run this country.”
Te Aho says, “The whole matter is
being held up due to the Crown not meeting its obligations to
covenants that were tabled in the Supreme Court. If it fails to do
so, then the door will open to us again to determine our rights and
authority over this resource.”....
See full article HERE
See full article HERE
Kohanga reo ready to open Palmerston
North
A long-awaited kohanga reo will be
opening in Highbury this month - the next step in the Palmerston
North suburb's efforts to foster families' education opportunities.
The community has been granted a
licence by the Ministry of Education to open its new Maori language
immersion early childhood centre with $100,000 of government funding.
The hapu trust offices in the Highbury
Shopping Centre near Tui Reserve have been transformed into the
kohanga and the budget was likely to hit $500,000.
The centre has received the nod from Te
Runanga Nui o Nga Kura Kaupapa Maori, the governing body of New
Zealand's kura kaupapa, to be a chartered, or independent, facility
offering free education.
The playcentre's 20 spots are already
filled and a waiting list is in place....
See full article HERE
Waikato Maori science students shine
Seventeen Maori science and engineering
students at the University of Waikato had their studies boosted by
scholarships totaling $174,000.
The awards, ranging from $250 to
20,000, came from the university, private trusts, iwi, and leading
New Zealand companies.
The biggest putea went to Master of
Science student Te Puea Dempsey, who picked up two scholarships
totaling $30,000, including a Rena Research
Scholarship.
Another $20,000 Rena Research Scholarship went to Caleb Sweeney.
MSc student Kate Mauriohooho received two scholarships totalling $17,000, and Blaise Forrester-Gauntlet was awarded $17,700 from four scholarships.....
Another $20,000 Rena Research Scholarship went to Caleb Sweeney.
MSc student Kate Mauriohooho received two scholarships totalling $17,000, and Blaise Forrester-Gauntlet was awarded $17,700 from four scholarships.....
See full article HERE
16 JANUARY 2015
The Mole urges all Kiwis to take part in the Wanganui District Council online survey below, it only takes a few seconds, then please pass it on to your contacts, link below.
That controversial Wanganui "H" is
still a hot topic.
Nearly 100 submissions on the Wanganui
district's spelling have been received in the first few days of
consultation.
Last month Wanganui District Council
voted to ask the New Zealand Geographic Board to change the name of
the district from Wanganui to Whanganui. The council's consultation
process opened this week, with 68 online and 15 written submissions
already having been received by yesterday.
The Geographic Board will undertake
public consultation this year but, as part of last month's vote, the
council decided to run its own public consultation process.
The council will collate the
submissions and send them to the Geographic Board without comment.
The proposal for adding the "H"
to the name of the district is separate to previous proposals for the
Whanganui National Park, Whanganui River and the optional Whanganui
or Wanganui for the urban part of our district.
Mayor Annette Main hoped people would
take the opportunity to have their say.
"We thought it was a wise thing to
do and I'd really like people to let us know what they think about
it."
Those who fill in a council survey or
make a submission can still make a submission through the Geographic
Board's consultation process.
People can make a submission online
through the council's website www.wanganui.govt.nz or by written
submission by collecting a copy of the survey from the council
building on Guyton St, the Davis Central City Library or the Gonville
Cafe Library.
Fill in the online survey HERE
Fill in the online survey HERE
The survey and submissions close at 5pm on Friday, February 13th, 2015
Monolingual kiwis a risk to the economy
Harvey says young people overseas are
learning two and more languages: "Why are we short-changing New
Zealand young people? Ideally, New Zealand students should be leaving
secondary school with high level achievement in Maori, English and
one other language. In as many cases as possible, one of these
languages should be a students' home language." ....
See full article HERE
Maniapoto gear up for claim talks
The group which coordinated the 183
Ngati Maniapoto claims in the Te Rohe Potae hearings wants the
mandate to negotiate a settlement.
According to the application filed with
the Office of Treaty Settlements, the Ngati Maniapoto Large Natural
Grouping Mandate Body will be known as Te Kawau Maro for the
negotiations.
Waitangi Tribunal hearings in the claim
area finished in December, and there will be one last hearing in
Wellington next month.
The Manipoto claims cover about 200
hapu and more than 57 marae from the King Country or Te Rohe Potae
and the south Waikato region.
Ngati Raukawa, Ngati Tuwharetoa, tribes
from Whanganui, Ngati Hikairo and other tribes affiliated to Tainui
waka also had claims within Te Rohe Potae which need to be negotiated
separately.
It is proposed Te Kawau Maro will
include not more than 16 members, two each from the Maniapoto Maori
Trust Board, Te Kaumatua Kaunihera o Maniapoto and the six claim
regions.
A postal and internet ballot will be
required before the mandate is confirmed.
Submissions on the draft mandate
strategy need to be in to the OTS by February 8.
In 1886 the Te Rohe Potae covered
1,636,000 acres.
The Waitangi Trubunal heard about what
Maniapoto call the Ohaki Tapu or sacred oath, consisting of
agreements with the Crown recognising the full autonomy of the Rohe
Potae chiefs over their lands.....
See full article HERE
More than $174K for Māori science and
engineering students
In 2014, more than $174,000 in
scholarships was awarded to Māori Science and Engineering students
from the University of Waikato.
The awards, which ranged from $250 to
$20,000, gave 17 students a financial boost towards their
undergraduate, masters or PhD studies.
The scholarships came from a variety of
supporters, including Waikato University, private trusts, iwi and
leading New Zealand companies. ....
See full article HERE
Northland's Maori tertiary students
with a passion for their language and culture can now apply for a Sir
Apirana Ngata Memorial Scholarship.
The scholarship, funded by the Maori
Soldiers Trust, distributes between $500 and $3000 per recipient to
support students on their academic journey.
Established by the Maori Soldiers Trust
Act 1957, the scholarship was set up to promote and support higher
education amongst Maori.
Five Northlanders have been awarded the
scholarship in previous years with one Whangarei woman receiving
$2000......
See full article HERE
15 JANUARY 2015
Mahia bach owners were stunned
yesterday to find out that a claim for customary marine title to the
foreshore and seabed around Mahia Peninsula could exclude those who
are not members of the Rongomaiwahine group with fines of up to $5000
for those who go there without permission.
Around 120 bach owners and claimants
crammed the Mokotahi Hall 187km north of Napier at 4pm yesterday to
hear Hugh Barr of the Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations of
New Zealand explain how the Marine and Coastal Area Act 2011 opened
up the entire coastal area to claim by tribal groups......
Mr Barr told the sometimes-rowdy
meeting that from 1840 to 2011 New Zealand’s foreshore and seabed
was owned by the Crown on behalf of all New Zealanders as a public
common, available to everyone.
This all changed in 2011 when Prime
Minister John Key gave away public ownership of the coastal area to
buy the parliamentary support of the Maori Party by passing the
Marine and Coastal Area Act, Mr Barr said.
Disregarding 174 years of settled law,
the Act allows a coastal tribe to gain customary marine title if they
can show that they have exclusively occupied and used the foreshore
and seabed since 1840.
Customary marine title gives the right
of veto, the ability to charge fees for use of current and new
slipways, wharves, aquaculture areas, marinas, and exclusive mining
rights to iron-sand and minerals in the area...
Four other coastal claims are in
progress.
The biggest claim is by Ngati Porou for
about 200km of the coast north of Gisborne, Ngati Pahauwera wants
30km either side of the mouth of the Mohaka River between Wairoa and
Napier, while There are two separate claims for the Coromandel
coast....
See full article HERE
Iwi
closer to customary rights first
Ngati Pahauwera could be the first iwi
to secure customary rights over a marine area if its evidence is
accepted by Attorney General and Minister of Treaty Negotiations
Chris Finlayson.
Declaring his fascination and love of
history, Mr Priestley said his non-binding report and recommendations
were likely to be the first of many for the region’s coastline, and
every one would be different.
Crown Office Treaty Settlements team manger Harley Spence said he was working with other groups following in Pahauwera’s footsteps and acknowledged the significance of the conversations shared on Friday.
Crown Office Treaty Settlements team manger Harley Spence said he was working with other groups following in Pahauwera’s footsteps and acknowledged the significance of the conversations shared on Friday.
In the lead-up to Friday’s historic
handover of evidence, Ngati Pahauwera lawyer Roimata Smail said it
was the only group to have had a hearing under the original Foreshore
and Seabed Act in 2008.
That was followed by its joint Treaty of Waitangi settlement and foreshore and seabed negotiations.
Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations at the time, Sir Michael Cullen, suggested they completed the Treaty settlements first and put the foreshore and seabed negotiations on hold while the Government reviewed the act.....
That was followed by its joint Treaty of Waitangi settlement and foreshore and seabed negotiations.
Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations at the time, Sir Michael Cullen, suggested they completed the Treaty settlements first and put the foreshore and seabed negotiations on hold while the Government reviewed the act.....
The law guarantees full and free public
access to all beaches bar 6500km under existing riparian titles,
almost one-third of the country’s coastline.....
See full article HERE
Tainui look ahead to 2050
Rāhui Papa says, “relationships were
strengthened last year, whether it was with politicians, Government,
or Iwi, these relationships have been grounded and will blossom in
the year ahead.”....
Goals for year 2015 include,Tainui
Group Holding reaching a billion dollars, looking further into claims for shores of the West Coast, while being active about what we
can do to take better care of the river.....
See full article HERE
Candidates campaign against Maori wards
A Maori ward seat may be dividing the
community, but it is uniting political hopefuls.
Chris Manukonga is the second candidate
for New Plymouth's by-election to say he will actively campaign
against Maori wards.
Manukonga, who officially put his name
forward for the by-election on Monday, has echoed fellow candidate
Mary Barnard and said he too is against a Maori ward seat.
"People should get elected on
their merits," Manukonga said.
"Maori do want a partnership and I
am supportive of that, but I won't support a ward seat that people
get by default because no one else can contest it."
Both Manukonga and Barnard are Maori
and have said when the New Plymouth District Council voted in favour
of a Maori ward seat, it created division in the community.......
See full article HERE
New approach to recover $4m in unpaid
rates
The Northland Regional Council is a
looking at a two-pronged approach to rating to help recover almost $4
million in unpaid rates, with almost two-thirds owed on Maori-owned
land.
The council's Te Tai Tokerau Maori
advisory committee chairman, Dover Samuels, says the problem of
unpaid rates on Maori land has languished in the "too hard"
basket for too long.
The regional council is owed more than
$4 million of unpaid rates and penalties in the Far North District
alone, as of June 30 this year, and Mr Samuels said roughly
two-thirds of that related to Maori land.
"That's a lot of money by anyone's
account, especially if you consider our council's entire rates demand
in the Far North for the current financial year is just over $7
million.".....
See full article HERE
24 DECEMBER 2014
Exactly 10 years after ownership of 13 of the district’s lake beds was signed over to Te Arawa, the Rotorua Lakes Council has resolved to transfer ownership of the Okaro lake bed to Te Arawa Lakes Trust.
The Crown and Te Arawa settled claims over the Te Arawa/Rotorua Lakes on 18 December 2004 with a deed of settlement transferring ownership of 13 lake beds to the Te Arawa Lakes Trust. Lake Okaro, at Waimangu, was excluded from the deed because it was vested in and administered by the council as a reserve at the time of settlement.
However, the Minister in Charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations wrote to the council at the time, asking that negotiations be entered into with Te Arawa over future ownership of Lake Okaro. Council resolved in 2012 to support the transfer of the lake bed to Te Arawa.
Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick said last night’s decision was momentous and the 10th anniversary of the Te Arawa settlement was an appropriate time to bring the unresolved matter to a close.
“This has been unfinished business for Te Arawa and the decision will also strengthen Council’s existing partnership with Te Arawa Lakes Trust in respect of lakes management,” she said.......
See full article HERE
* Mighty River welcomes land ruling
The High Court has ruled that Mighty River Power, now partly privatised, does not have to consider Maori claims to the 166 hectares of land it wants to sell.
The company set aside two lots that were protected by memorials under the State Owned Enterprises Act for possible return to Maori.
But the court has ruled that Mighty River Power does not have to protect Maori interests or Treaty claims over the remaining lots because they were bought after the act was passed.....
See full article HERE
* It's about respect as group becomes Sport Whanganui
At the organisation's annual meeting last Friday, the board of what had been known as Sport Wanganui voted unanimously to add the "H" to its name.
Effective from December 12, the sporting organisation that serves the Wanganui, Rangitikei and Ruapehu regions in all matters sport will be known as Sport Whanganui.....
See full article HERE
* Leaders back 'H' in district
A second vote has been taken ... and the controversial "H" in Wanganui spelling is another leap closer.
District councillors voted 10 to three yesterday to ask the New Zealand Geographic Board to change the name of the district to Whanganui, in order to meet Tupoho's request to change the council's name to Whanganui District Council.
The motion was lost 7-6 on December 2, after which iwi leader Ken Mair suggested Maori might withdraw from their partnerships with council.
The matter was brought back to an extraordinary meeting yesterday by Councillor Helen Craig....
See full article HERE
* Māori veterans in plea for wider honours
A lawyer representing Māori military veterans in their quest for compensation says the Government should acknowledge all Māori who fought in battles, not just those fighting on behalf of the Crown.
Gerald Sharrock has asked the Waitangi Tribunal to look at the issue of Māori who engaged in military activities opposing the Government, such as during the New Zealand Wars, being remembered through memorials.
Mr Sharrock said as part of the reconciliation process it needed to be acknowledged that those wars were civil wars, which grew out of disagreements over who held sovereign authority.
"As such we should not consider anyone to be a rebel, but we consider them all equally, respectfully to be supporting their own views of the constitution at the time," he said......
See full article HERE
* Mighty River signs secret Lake Taupo deal with Maori Trust
Mighty River Power and the Tuwharetoa Maori Trust Board have signed an agreement over water in Lake Taupo, a deal whose terms the electricity generator says are secret.
The agreement is for a period of 52 years and provides an "enduring set of arrangements" in relation to the operation of the lake.
Mighty River chief executive Fraser Whineray said the commercial deal was confidential but did not impose any new restrictions on how his company could use water from the lake for its Waikato River hydro system.
"We're not disclosing the key commercial terms (but) an operating easement will be registered in on the Lake Taupo title."
He said the length of the agreement extended well beyond the current resource consent which expires in 2041.....
See full article HERE
* Background to the NZMC Water Policy Framework
- Proposal in brief
The New Zealand Māori Council proposes that national water policy protects three classes of water interests: the natural environment interest, the general public interest and the Māori interest. A commission is proposed to allocate water rights and to provide for each interest from a levy on commercial water usage.....
- The basis for the Māori interest
The Māori interest derives from the systematic and extensive use of water bodies prior to the Treaty of Waitangi.
Whether on land or in water, Māori interests derived from access to and the use of natural resources. The access was generally secured through an association with a hapū holding political authority over a district.
The water body was in turn intersected by layers of individual or whānau use rights. The same applied to the inland seas and foreshore. These were all resources which were treated in the same way as land with different persons having specified uses of parts at given times and for varying purposes.
Since the primary source of food for Māori was fish and water fowl, use rights for fishing and other purposes were as intensively distributed within water bodies as they were on land. This applies throughout the Pacific.
The protection due to such rights, on colonisation, is acknowledged in the Treaty of Waitangi, the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the common law.
Māori ownership existed in the authority to access water bodies, to use them, to enhance their use through weirs and other contraptions, and as a tribe, to control access from outside......
See full article HERE
* Fishing parks upset settlement
Maori fishing interests are shaping up for a clash with the government over proposed non-commercial fishing parks in the Hauraki Gulf and Marlborough Sounds.
Hauraki Gulf snapper is shaping up to be a big issue for Maori fishing interests in the year ahead.
In a commentary to its annual report, the Maori Fisheries Settlement Trust Te Ohu Kaimoana described the work of the cross-sector Snapper 1 Working Group, which is trying to develop a management plan for North Cape to East Cape including the Gulf.
Chief executive Peter Douglas says Te Ohu’s interests straddle Maori customary fishing rights - both commercial and non-commercial (including communal and individual rights) as well as kaitiaki responsibilities.......
See full article HERE
The Mole is taking a Christmas break and will resume around mid January 2015
Until then may the magic and heavenly gifts of Christmas gladden and fill your hearts with joyful songs, cheerfulness and laughter.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!
Mole News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please send to mole@nzcpr.com
23 DECEMBER 2014
Maori Development Minister Te Ururoa
Flavell says treaty settlements aren’t the answer for Maori social
ills.
He says while people are concerned
infighting within Ngapuhi is slowing the path towards settlement,
some of the expectations around what settlements can do is
unrealistic.
The experience of Tainui and Ngai Tahu,
which settled almost 20 years ago, is funds are used to build up iwi
corporations that can survive over the long term.
Some money has been distributed to
marae and for education, but the settlements would have made little
direct impact on the welfare of ordinary Maori......
See full article HERE
* Hapu may fight Mighty River
A Northland hapu is considering
an appeal after a failed court bid to stop the sale of land owned by
Mighty River Power.
The High Court has ruled that Mighty
River, which is now partly privatised, does not have to consider
Maori claims to 166 hectares of land that it is selling near Marsden
Point.
The company had set aside two lots
protected by memorials under the State-Owned Enterprises Act for
possible return to Maori.
But the court ruled that Mighty River
does not have to protect Maori interests or Treaty claims over the
remaining lots, because they were bought after the Act was
passed......
See full article HERE
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/262041/hapu-may-fight-mighty-river
* Iwi seek say in Maraenui
redevelopment
Hawkes Bay iwi have signed a memorandum
of understanding with Housing New Zealand, the Napier City Council
and construction companies over the so called revitalisation of
Maraenui.
Housing NZ’s plan to demolish 96
units in the suburb which includes a large Maori population sparked
community outrage and have led to discussions about how the overall
wellbeing of the community will be affected.
The first stage of the revised project
would be led by Roopu a Iwi Trust, Housing NZ and the council, and
would focus on informing the local community about the plan and
seeking feedback......
See full article HERE
* 2.4 million in Mā Te Reo funding set
to be distributed
2.4 million dollars in Mā Te Reo
funding is set to be distributed by Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori to
85 successful applicants.
Te Taura Whiri I te Reo Māori
released the announcement this morning that the annual funding
distributed to community, whānau. Hapū, Iwi and other groups about
to be dispersed was for the 2014/2015 funding round.....
See full article HERE
* Unmarked Grovetown graves to be
identified
A hidden history of unmarked graves
resting in a culturally significant burial ground in Marlborough will
soon be revealed.
A number of Ngati Rarua, Rangitane and
Ngati Toarangatira rangatira [chiefs] lie at Maori Island urupa in
Grovetown.
Three Top of the South iwi have been
awarded nearly $10,000 by the Marlborough District Council to
identify and record locations of unmarked graves.
Ngati Toarangatira Manawhenua ki te Tau
Ihu Trust was given the grant as part of $41,733 in heritage funding
handed out.....
See full article HERE
22 DECEMBER 2014
Local Government New Zealand is
backing a demand by Northland Regional councillor and former MP Dover
Samuels that Māori landowners pay their rates.
Local Government New Zealand president
Lawrence Yule says he does not buy into the argument that culture is
an excuse either, and supports Mr Samuels call for those landowners
to pay their rates.
Mr Yule agrees with Dover Samuels that
the growing debt means other ratepayers have to subsidise them, to
the detriment of local authorities. He believes the amount owed by
multiple Māori landowners to the Northland Regional Council has a
significant impact.
But Māori academic Margaret Mutu says
councils owe Māori - rather than the other way around.
Ms Mutu says the issue has been through
the Māori Land Court over the decades and it has been proven that
there is no moral or legal reason under the Treaty of Waitangi why
Māori should do so......
See full article HERE
* Maori servicemen grievances to be
heard
A Waitangi Tribunal judicial
conference to set the boundaries for claims made by Maori military
veterans begins today.
The Military Veterans Kaupapa Inquiry
will discuss with claimants and the Crown how the hearing should best
be conducted.
The tribunal has identified 28 claims
which raise grievances about how Maori servicemen have been
treated....
See full article HERE
The "H"
is back on the table and will be subject to more debate when the
Wanganui District Council meets at 2pm this Friday.
Councillor Helen Craig has submitted a
notice of motion which has been added to the agenda.
The council is holding an extraordinary
meeting that day to adopt its asset-management plan. Now Cr Craig's
notice of motion will coat-tail on that agenda.
Mrs Craig's motion asks the council to
request the NZ Geographic Board changes the name of the district from
Wanganui to Whanganui. She said it would put into effect an earlier
request from local iwi to change the name of the council to Whanganui
District Council.
On December 2 the council discussed a
similar request but the vote was lost 7-6.....
See full article HERE
A Maori
standing committee is being considered as an alternative to dedicated
seats as the Far North District Council considers how to better
engage with Maori.
However, Deputy Mayor Tania McInnes was
at pains to point out during last Thursday's council meeting to
discuss the issue that the proposal was a starting point for
discussion only.
The next step was to discuss ideas for
iwi representation with Maori.
Mayor John Carter said he did not want
a repeat of last month's situation when the council thought it was
doing the right thing by organising a non-binding poll in February to
gauge public support for dedicated Maori seats.
Iwi leaders poured cold water on that
idea, despite Maori seats being part of a proposal for a Far North
unitary authority developed by former Mayor Wayne Brown and iwi
leaders such as Rangitane Marsden.
Following news of the poll Mr Marsden
said the idea that the council needed to seek the permission of the
Far North as a whole before allowing Maori representation was
"insulting".....
See full article HERE
21 DECEMBER 2014
Tuhoe negotiator Tamati Kruger says the
full and final settlement of Tuhoe claims to Te Urewera won't stop
the iwi asserting its rights to compensation for use of Lake
Waikaremoana.
In its fifth and last report on Te
Urewera Claims released yesterday, the Waitangi Tribunal found major
treaty breaches in the way the crown took control of the lake away
from its owners, who belong to hapu of Ngati Kahungunu, Ngati Ruapani
and Tuhoe.
Mr Kruger says the lake was left out of
the settlement because it was privately owned.
He says despite the fact Maori refused
to sell, the crown behaved as if it owned the lake, building
hydroelectric power stations, opening the area up for tourism, and
dropping lake levels without consultation or compensation......
See full article HERE
* New water regime needed before
progress
Ngati Kahungunu leader Ngahiwi Tomoana
says a system needs to be put in place that recognises Maori
interests in water before more irrigation schemes are done.
The giant Ruataniwha scheme to irrigate
the central Hawkes Bay has hit a major obstacle with the High Court
ordering the rules over pollution levels be rewritten, because they
were based on submissions made by the scheme’s promoters after
hearings had finished.
Mr Tomoana says Ngati Kahungunu Inc
opposed the scheme because it wants the Tukituki River catchment
restored to health, but it also supports economic development.
He says iwi leaders are meeting
Government ministers monthly to develop a statutory framework for
defining Maori rights and interests......
See full article HERE
* Valuation key to Maori land rates
A Far North iwi leader says
valuation is the key to deciding what rates councils should be
charging for Maori land.
The Far North council is tackling a
backlog of unpaid rates, much of it on land with multiple Maori
owners who do not live on the whenua.
Haami Piripi, of Te Rarawa, said
Northland councils had seized valuable land from Maori over the
years, including choice coastal spots, by charging them rates they
could not afford, and Ngati Kahu had asked the Waitangi Tribunal to
inquire into those losses.
He said Maori land should not be valued
and rated in the same way as ordinary freehold land, if it was never
going to be put on the market.....
See full article HERE
* Council botch-up 'exposes racist law'
An embarrassing council botch-up has
exposed a racist New Zealand law, councillor Howie Tamati says.
This week the New Plymouth District
Council was forced to officially rescind its decision to hold legally
binding citizen initiated referendums, after the idea was proven
impossible under law.
But Tamati said it was racist that
Maori wards were one of only three issues on which binding citizen
initiated referendums were allowed.
The Department of Internal Affairs said
they were not possible except for organisational restructuring,
electoral systems and Maori wards......
Despite the council voting in favour
of a Maori ward seat, next year the district will face a binding
referendum on the issue, after former Grey Power New Plymouth
president Hugh Johnson succeeded in getting 5 per cent of voters to
sign a petition.
Earlier this year Judd wrote to Local
Government Minister Paula Bennett asking for the law that allowed a
binding poll on Maori wards to be changed because it was unfair.
Bennett later said there were no plans
to make changes, but government officials were working on advice
about Maori participation in local government and that would be
considered next year.....
See full article HERE
* All should be entitled to compo: RSA
The Royal New Zealand Returned
and Services Association is backing a move by Māori military
veterans seeking compensation, but says everyone who served should be
entitled.
Lawyers representing Māori military
veterans laid out their claims before the Waitangi Tribunal on
Wednesday.
Many of the grievances stem from
treatment experienced during World War II and the Vietnam War.
RSA national president BJ Clark says
when it comes to the Vietnam War, people who served in the New
Zealand forces were treated equally and should receive equal
compensation..........
"My personal opinion is that all
veterans should receive the same compensation. If they need medical
support, their whānau need medical support - be they Pākehā or
Māori, I think that they are certainly entitled to that and should
be given it.
"My difficulty is ... is that I
haven't seen that there is a different effect on the Māori or
Pākehā."....
See full article HERE
* Ngai Tahu launches farming diploma
Ngai Tahu has launched a new
Maori Farming Diploma which it hopes will produce the country's
future leaders in agriculture.
Whenua Kura is a partnership between Te
Tapuae o Rehua, Ngai Tahu Farming and Lincoln University.
The diploma course is the first of its
kind where students will study in a Maori environment and learn how
to apply critical Ngai Tahu values such kaitiakitanga (guardianship),
manaakitanga (hospitality) and rangatiratanga (self-determination) to
land use......
Mr Hakiwai says the course is open to
all people who have a Maori whakapapa and although students will
learn in a Ngai Tahu environment, it isn't tribally exclusive......
See full article HERE
* Iwi wants to buy back ancestral
mountain
A Far North iwi plans to buy
back its ancestral maunga, Whakakoro.
It was the home of Ngapuhi tupuna
Ueoneone and the ancestral mountain of Te Rarawa and hapu Ngati Haua.
Every Ngapuhi descendant can whakapapa
(trace back) to the sacred maunga of Whakakoro, near Whangape and
north of Hokianga.
In 1992, Ngati Haua members occupied
the land in protest of it being privately sold for $700,000 and the
disputes have continued.
Whakakoro was unable to be part of Te
Rarawa's Treaty claim, as the maunga is privately owned, but with
settlement funds it will buy the land back for its people.....
See full article HERE
20 DECEMBER 2014
Tairāwhiti tribe Ngāti Porou
is applying for customary marine title for a "reasonable"
stretch of the coastline in its territory, as it seeks to protect its
beaches, it says.
Matanuku Mahuika says applications will
reflect the tribe's past and present use of the foreshore.
Ngāti Porou has been busy gathering
information about its members' traditional use of their coastline.
It is putting that history to the
Government, which will decide if the tribe's property rights on the
East Coast are recognised under the Marine and Coastal Area Act.
The lawyer acting for the tribe,
Matanuku Mahuika, said: "It will be a reasonable part of that
coastline for the simple reason that that's a very isolated piece of
coastline, and it's always been an isolated piece of coastline".
Mr Mahuika said while it was not
bidding for rights to all of their coastline, its applications will
reflect the tribe's past and present use of the foreshore...
"The number of applications the
Crown has received from iwi, hapu or whanau under the Marine and
Coastal Area Act has increased steadily since April 2011. At
September 2014 there had been 37.....
The deadline for customary rights'
applications - either to the Government or the High Court - close at
the beginning of April 2017 .....
See full article HERE
* Threat to democracy: Group
Two district councillors and a Rotorua
academic have set up a new organisation - the Rotorua Pro-Democracy
Society - to protect the democratic rights of all citizens.
Councillors Rob Kent and Mike McVicker
have joined forces with Reynold Macpherson to form an incorporated
society as a direct result of what they believe to be unilateral
decision-making by Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick regarding the Te
Arawa partnership plan.....
See full article HERE
A decision by Rotorua Lakes Council to
support in principle an iwi partnership model that would include two
Te Arawa representatives on its key standing committees, is both an
historic commitment to a genuine partnership with iwi, and a
pragmatic acknowledgment that the wider community should have a say,
says Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick.
Today's council meeting voted to
support, in principle, a Te Arawa proposal that would see the
establishment of an iwi board sitting outside of the council
structure to replace the council's former Te Arawa Standing
Committee.
Councillors voted 10 votes to three to
go ahead with the public consultation process.
The new Te Arawa board would appoint
two representatives, with voting rights, to sit on the council's
Operations and Monitoring Committee and on its Strategy, Policy and
Finance Committee, one member on the Chief Executive Performance
Committee and a representative on RMA hearings panels.
However, the council decided to make
their support subject to a special consultative process next year.
See full article HERE
* Tuhoe report: Crown made multiple
Treaty breaches
The findings, which were released
today, deal with Treaty claims in respect of Lake Waikaremoana lodged
by Tuhoe, Ngati Ruapani, Ngati Kahungunu, Ngai Tamaterangi and
others.
In a four-page letter to Maori
Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell, tribunal presiding officer
Patrick Savage said the tribunal had found seven Treaty breaches
arising from the Crown-Maori contest over Lake Waikaremoana,
resulting in prejudice to Maori.
Savage said Lake Waikaremoana was a
taonga [treasure] of immense importance to Maori who had exercised
full authority over it at the time of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840.
"Today, they are still its owners
and its kaitiaki [guardian], but their authority is a pale shadow of
what it once was," he said.
Included in the tribunal's findings
were the Crown failed to provide for legal recognition of Maori
people's relationship with their taonga; the Crown breached the
Treaty when it permanently lowered the lake without consulting the
kaitiaki or compensating them; and the Crown failed to give effect to
the Treaty principles of partnership in its management of the lake
during its lease to the Crown for the national park.
"As a result, they [kaitiaki] have
been unable to prevent such prejudicial effects as the pumping of
untreated or partially treated sewage into their taonga," Savage
said.......
See full article HERE
* Crown's misuse of lake could prove
costly
Iwi say a Waitangi Tribunal
report paves the way for compensation for decades of Crown misuse of
Lake Waikaremoana.
The findings are in the fifth Waitangi
Tribunal report on Te Urewera, released this morning.
Iwi say a Waitangi Tribunal report
paves the way for compensation for decades of Crown mis-use of Lake
Waikaremoana.
Claims were lodged by Tuhoe, Ngati
Ruapani, Ngati Kahungunu, Ngai Tamaterangi, and other collectives and
people.
The report found the Crown breached the
Treaty of Waitangi by refusing to pay for use of the lake to generate
hydro-electric power...
See full article HERE
19 DECEMBER 2014
I was very honoured to be asked
to speak in New Plymouth earlier this week by the Mayor of the city
Andrew Judd. I was part of a debate team that argued for the
introduction of Maori seats on councils and was opposed on the other
side by a team led by Winston Peters.
Mayor Judd has been advocating
for the introduction of Maori seats on his council and he has caused
uproar in his city because of his stance. Sadly he has been subject
to a lot of abuse and criticism.....
See Willie Jackson's full article HERE
* Māori Party co-leader says Iwi should have final say on exploration in their rohe
Co-leader of the Māori Party, Marama Fox says while some Iwi may disagree and not want to pursue or work with mining companies in their rohe, other Iwi may feel differently.
Marama Fox told Te Kāea, “The Māori Party is of the view that the discussion, the debate, the final decision must go back to the local iwi of that particular region. If you are asking if the Māori Party agrees with the legislation, we don't agree with any legislation that would damage the land or sea just for exploration purposes, but there are areas of the country, some groups and iwi who are open to this type of activity in their own regions as they are the guardians of their own areas.”
This follows the Government’s
decision to open up almost 48,000 km² for oil and gas
exploration....
See full article HERE
* Te Rohe Pōtae inquiries focus on
tikanga
There are over 170 claims inquiries
into the Te Rohe Pōtae district this week which makes it one of NZ's
largest inquires. The Crown says in its closing submissions "the
attempts to generalise elements of 'Tikanga' as a 'Taonga' are not
useful."
Evidence given by Rangianiwaniwa
Pehikino states that 'Tikanga' is the core of the Te Rohe Pōtae's
identity and that the Crown should not have attacked it.
The Crown says attempts to make parts
of 'Tikanga' as 'Taonga', potentially risks and undermines the
importance of what 'Taonga' is considered under the Treaty of
Waitangi.
According to the Crown, it's been
difficult defining the meaning of tikanga......
See full article HERE
18 DECEMBER 2014
A fight back against Maori voices on councils is gathering pace.
Local
Government Minister Paula Bennett says she is satisfied with the
current process for allowing individual councils to set the level of
Maori representation.
But a bid by the New Plymouth District
Council to create a Maori ward is likely to face a referendum triggered
by a petition, so it likely to fail....
See full article HERE* Iwi present final submissions in Te Rohe Pōtae inquiry
The Waitangi Tribunal's Te Rohe Pōtae (King Country) district inquiry has taken place this week at the Waitomo Cultural and Arts Centre in Te Kūiti and runs until tomorrow, Friday December 12.
Judge David Ambler is conducting the inquiry and the Tribunal Panel consists of Professor Hirini Moko Mead, Professor Pou Temara, Dr Aroha Harris and Mr John Baird......
See full article HERE
* Independent chair appointed for PDP hearings panel An independent chairperson is to head the Hearings Panel which will eventually make decisions on matters raised in submissions to the Proposed District Plan (PDP) for the Kāpiti District, accompanied by another independent commissioner.
Former Kāpiti Borough Councillor Alistair Aburn will be the independent chair and Wellington urban planner David McMahon the independent commissioner. Both are very experienced hearing commissioners.
Council today also decided to take the option of appointing an iwi commissioner to sit alongside two elected members (councillors) on the five-person panel rather than having elected members in all three remaining positions.
Mayor Ross Church said the decision to appoint an iwi commissioner reflects the fact that the PDP covers issues of great significance to iwi - in particular protection of waahi tapu and of natural values. It is therefore desirable that the panel include a commissioner with proven expertise in matters of interest to iwi......
See full article HERE
* Explosion of kina upsets biodiversity
An increase in the number of kina sucking the life out of the seabed is causing growing concern among Northland marine environmentalists.
Conservationist Wade Doak said the destruction of the coastal biodiversity is so severe iwi should consider the implications under the terms of the Treaty of Waitangi.
Also called sea eggs and sea urchins, an over abundance of kina in places causes what marine biologists call barrens - areas stripped of other seabed life.......
See full article HERE
* Explosion of kina upsets biodiversity
An increase in the number of kina sucking the life out of the seabed is causing growing concern among Northland marine environmentalists.
Conservationist Wade Doak said the destruction of the coastal biodiversity is so severe iwi should consider the implications under the terms of the Treaty of Waitangi.
Also called sea eggs and sea urchins, an over abundance of kina in places causes what marine biologists call barrens - areas stripped of other seabed life.......
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
17 DECEMBER 2014
17 DECEMBER 2014
* Inquiry told of Treaty breaches
Key to the claims was a series of
agreements with the Crown known as the Ohaaki Tapu, or sacred pact.
The Ohaaki Tapu was formulated between 1882 and 1885 and claimants
argued it constituted Crown recognition of Maori leaders' full
autonomy over the King Country.
Under the pact, Maori had the ability
to make laws and manage their own land and resources - but the
inquiry has heard it was broken by the settler government. A
significant part of the pact was a petition signed by Maori in 1883
and given to the Native Minister. But lead Crown counsel Geoff Melvin
denied the Crown was party to it.
"The Crown does not regard the
petition to be an agreement between it and Rohe Potae Maori to which
it was bound," said Melvin.
He said evidence given by claimants
during the inquiry gave varying accounts of the meaning of the
petition and its significance to the pact. While some claimants said
the petition was the pact itself, others argued it was an agreement
only between Maori.
"The evidence does not support the
conclusion that the Crown agreed the petition would govern future
Crown actions with respect of Rohe Potae Maori," he said......
See full article HERE
* Ngāti Porou and Contact Energy collaborate to pay Marae power bills
Imagine if your Marae didn't have to pay a single cent towards its power bill ever again? Well that's exactly what the future could hold for 50 marae of Ngāti Porou, through a joint initiative, a first of its kind, with the iwi and Contact Energy called Nāti Power.
The marae is the central hub, the hive
of activity, a place that can sometimes play host to thousands of
manuhiri each year, but it can sometimes come at a cost.
Tina Porou of Contact Energy says,
“They’re struggling to cover their basic costs every month, every
year, and this is a way that they know that whānau who live away can
contribute.”
The average power bill of a Marae in
Ngāti Porou is around $2000 per year, so with each person that signs
up to Nāti Power, $50 from their powerbill will go towards the power
costs of their marae.......
See full article HERE
* Youth paint Tainui history on
Hamilton Police Station
The traditions of Waikato have been
painted onto the Hamilton Police Station by the youth of Tainui.
The police hope the mural will help
create a safe and comfortable environment within the Waikato-Tainui
region.
Youth, police station, graffiti. These
are words you would hear that have negative impacts on communities.
Te Kāhui Rangatahi want to change that relationship with the police.
Kirimaku Kihi from Te Kāhui Rangatahi
says, “It's about voicing our concerns, having a strong
relationship with the police will enhance the betterment of the
environment.”
The room being decorated is that of the
Iwi liaison manager, the next phase is to explore ideas on how to
include the Kingitanga movement into the building.....
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
16 DECEMBER 2014
* Would you pay to go on Ninety Mile
Beach? User charges on the cards
16 DECEMBER 2014
The idea of free unlimited fun in the
sun on one of Northland's most popular beaches could soon be a thing
of the past.
Local Maori are considering introducing
a number of changes including user pay fees along Ninety Mile Beach.
Far North Iwi, Te Rarawa, will soon
have shared governance of the coastline following an estimated $70
million dollar settlement deal with the Crown.......
See full article HERE
* Maori represented in supercity plan
Maori representation has been
factored into a proposal recommending that local government in the
Wellington region, Wairarapa and Kapiti Coast merge into the
equivalent of a supercity council.
The Local Government Commission today
proposed that the nine councils in the rohe are brought together.
As part of the two-volume draft, it
recommends a governing body of 21 councillors be elected by people in
eight newly defined wards covering the southern North Island from
Kapiti to Wairarapa.
The proposal also explores Maori
participation, including that the new Greater Wellington Council must
have a Maori board at least until the 2019 triennial election. It
would comprise of the mayor, two councillors and iwi representatives,
who would be appointed by iwi organisations....
See full article HERE
* Solution 'must be found' to unpaid
Northland rates
The chair of the Te Tai Tokerau Maori
Advisory Committee is to advocate an ambitious plan to try to resolve
a controversial and increasingly costly problem that has plagued
successive Northland councils for years.
Dover Samuels says for many years the
issue of unpaid rates on Maori land has languished in the ‘too-hard’
basket due to the politics, costs and practicalities of trying to
collect from its often multiple owners.
While the law allowed for some unpaid
rates and penalties to be written off after six years, in the
meantime those ‘debts’ effectively languished on a council’s
books incurring GST and other costs.
In the Northland Regional Council’s
case it was owed more than $4 million of unpaid rates and penalties
from ratepayers in just the Far North District alone as of 30 June
this year, of which Councillor Samuels says roughly two-thirds
related to Maori land.......
See full article HERE
15 DECEMBER 2014
However, Peters, who was the final
speaker of the night, challenged this and said Maori could win a seat
on a council on their own merits if they tried hard enough.
"If we go down this pathway I know
what the future is going to be and it is sad," Peters said.
"If you open up this Pandora's Box
you will never close it."
He said focusing on Maori healthcare,
education and employment were more important than "giving"
a seat to someone.
"How does it feel to be there
because someone gave you the seat," he said.
He said if you wanted to be the best in
the field, whether that be in rugby or politics, you had to stand and
win against the best.......
See full article HERE
* Te Arawa model on agenda
The Te Arawa Partnership model is back
on the council's agenda, with some councillors fearing it could be
pushed through next week.
A report on the proposal is set to be
discussed at the year's final Rotorua Lakes Council meeting next
Thursday from 4pm.
Under the model a new Te Arawa board,
independent of council and Te Arawa entities, will take over from the
Te Arawa Standing Committee, which has been stood down. Board members
could be allowed to sit on council committees, be part of Resource
Management Act decisions and establish their own sub-committees. A
series of hui have been held with iwi during the past two months with
the final one on Sunday.
Councillor Mike McVicker said there
would be objections if the issue was pushed through. He said he
believed there should be public consultation.
"Anything other than an open
democratic route is wrong, when you start tinkering with democracy
that's a major no-no," Mr McVicker said......
See full article HERE
* MPs' new prayer rejected
Parliament's Speaker David Carter today
announced that the traditional prayer he uses to open daily sittings
of Parliament will remain as is, with its Christian references.
THE PRESENT PRAYER (with
religious references highlighted)
Almighty God,
Humbly acknowledging our need for Thy guidance in all things, and laying aside all private and personal interests, we beseech Thee to grant that we may conduct the affairs of this House and of our country to the glory of Thy holy name, the maintenance of true religion and justice, the honour of the Queen, and the public welfare, peace, and tranquillity of New Zealand, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Humbly acknowledging our need for Thy guidance in all things, and laying aside all private and personal interests, we beseech Thee to grant that we may conduct the affairs of this House and of our country to the glory of Thy holy name, the maintenance of true religion and justice, the honour of the Queen, and the public welfare, peace, and tranquillity of New Zealand, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE REJECTED ALTERNATIVE
E te Atua Kaha Rawa
(Translation: Almighty God)
Ka whakamanawa taua hunga katoa kua riro atu i mua i a tatau - moe mai okioki
(We honour those who have gone before us - rest, slumber on)
We recognise the mana whenua, Te Ati Aawa, the kaitiaki of this region, Te Upoko-o-Te-Ika-a-Maui.
We acknowledge the need for guidance and lay aside all private and personal interests so that we may conduct the affairs of this House for the maintenance of justice, the honour of the Queen and the public welfare, peace, and tranquility of New Zealand.
Amine (Amen).
(Translation: Almighty God)
Ka whakamanawa taua hunga katoa kua riro atu i mua i a tatau - moe mai okioki
(We honour those who have gone before us - rest, slumber on)
We recognise the mana whenua, Te Ati Aawa, the kaitiaki of this region, Te Upoko-o-Te-Ika-a-Maui.
We acknowledge the need for guidance and lay aside all private and personal interests so that we may conduct the affairs of this House for the maintenance of justice, the honour of the Queen and the public welfare, peace, and tranquility of New Zealand.
Amine (Amen).
See full article HERE
14 DECEMBER 2014
Petition sheets opposing Maori wards have been ripped up in front of volunteers while other sheets have been stolen, the petition organiser claims.
Former Grey Power New Plymouth president Hugh Johnson has been collecting signatures since September to force a referendum on New Plymouth's Maori ward.
He has told the Taranaki Daily News one sheet of signatures was ripped up in front of a volunteer.
"And today I was out in Oakura and the business said somebody came in and took two full sheets away," Johnson said.
"That's theft. There were 24
signatures on there."
Johnson said he was unimpressed with
the situation.
"If you want a war we will give
you a war," he said.
The group needs just 2749 signatures by
March 2 next year to force a district-wide "yes or no"
binding referendum on the ward.
Johnson has previously said they were
planning to have 3500 signatures delivered to council before
Christmas, and the extra 751 signatures were to cover potential
mistakes and double ups.
See full article HERE
* Maori wardens should be controlled by
Maori - Waitangi Tribunal
The Government was wrong in allowing
the Ministry of Maori Development to control Maori wardens, a
Waitangi Tribunal report out today has found.
The Maori Council had authority over
wardens in the past, but was superceded in recent years by the
ministry. In a submission to the the tribunal, the council claimed it
has authority, under the Maori Community Development Act 1962, over
the leadership, funding and training of wardens.
Today's report "largely upheld"
that claim, saying that through the act the Crown acknowledged Maori
autonomy and self-government should be protected. The report says
Maori Wardens are an "integral component of this system of Maori
self-government".
The tribunal found that since early
2011 the Maori Wardens Project, inconsistent with the Treaty of
Waitangi, has been run without Maori oversight. It also found that
funding decisions have been made without any Maori input or
oversight.
"We have found that the Crown has
allowed systemic failure in the appointment and reappointment of
Maori wardens for many years, and has even accepted unlawful
nominations rather than carry out its Treaty obligation," the
report reads......
See full article HERE
* Maori Party welcomes Waitangi
Tribunal report
Maori Party Co-leader, Marama Fox, has
welcomed the Waitangi Tribunal's latest report as a positive attempt
at applying the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous People to a contemporary issue [WAI 2417; Whaia te
mana motuhake; in pursuit of Mana Motuhake].
"The Maori Party appreciates the
efforts made by the Waitangi Tribunal to be guided by Treaty
principles as well as the Declaration articles, in looking at the
workings of the Maori Community Development Act and the
administration of the Maori Warden's Project. We believe such an
approach can only enhance the constitutional conversations we must
have as Maori and the Crown"......
See full article HERE
Mole News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please send to mole@nzcpr.com
13 DECEMBER 2014
* Government can't touch Maori Act - Waitangi Tribunal
Any reform to an act which recognises
Maori self-government should be led by Maori and not the Government
otherwise it breaches their rights, the Waitangi Tribunal has found.
The tribunal today released its report
into the way the Crown reviewed the Maori Community Development Act
1962 and its administration of the Maori wardens project.
The 1962 act gives statutory
recognition and powers to Maori institutions for self-government.
In July 2009 the minister of Maori
affairs began a review of the act and the Maori wardens project
funded by the Ministry of Maori Development.
In September 2013 the New Zealand Maori
Council and several district Maori councils challenged the
Government's right to conduct the review.
They said any review of the act should
be led by Maori, and anything less than that was a breach of the
Treaty Waitangi.......
See full article HERE
The Waitangi Tribunal has taken the
Crown to task over the lack of Maori oversight of Maori wardens.
The tribunal said that since 2011 there
had been no Maori community oversight of Te Puni Kokiri's Maori
Wardens Project, which had tried to provide resources and training
for wardens.
The tribunal, in a report released
today, largely upheld a claim by the New Zealand Maori Council
(NZMC), which alleged the Crown through Te Puni Kokiri had acted in a
manner inconsistent with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi in
reviewing the Maori Community Development Act 1962 and the role of
the wardens.
The 1962 law embodied a compact that
gave statutory recognition and powers to institutions set up by the
Maori people for their own self-government, the tribunal said.
Maori wardens were an integral
operational component of the system of Maori self-government, but the
way the wardens were administered was dated and changes were needed.
"Secondly, we have found that the Crown has allowed systemic
failure in the appointment and reappointment of Maori wardens for
many years, and has even accepted unlawful nominations rather than
carry out its Treaty obligation, which is to review and repair the
system in partnership with the NZMC." ......
See full article HERE
12 DECEMBER 2014
The
recommendation is made in a critical report on the Crown's
involvement in the management of the Maori Wardens.
After backing a Maori Council claim,
the Waitangi Tribunal said it had been struck by the change in Maori
representation.
The council is the only nationwide
Maori organisation recognised by law, but the Tribunal says its work
intersects with that of other institutions, such as the Maori Women's
Welfare League, the Iwi Chairs Forum, and urban authorities.
The tribunal said a conversation was
needed between all of the institutions over setting up one national
Maori organisation.
Council co-chair Sir Eddie Taihakurei
Durie agreed there needed to be a stronger united voice......
See full article HERE
*ATM with te reo launched
Banks have climbed into tailored
packages for Maori and now a local credit union has taken the next
step with the first Maori language ATM.
BNZ and Westpac both have Maori
cadetship programmes and now, Aotearoa Credit Union, in a joint
venture with Te Kohao Health, will install the te reo Maori money
dispenser at the opening of a concept branch in Hamilton.
The opening, at Kirikiriroa Marae in
Hamilton next Monday, will see debit cards and other items branded
with the credit union and health service logos.
Te Kohao Health managing director
Tureiti Moxon said it was an exciting time to provide financial
services to more than 100 staff and 8000 clients throughout the
Waikato region.
"We always wanted to have our own
bank and now it is happening," said Moxon......
See full article HERE
* Mallard baulks at MPs' new prayer
Assistant Speaker Trevor Mallard is
objecting to the proposed new prayer for Parliament, saying while it
removes religious elements from the English version, it deceptively
puts them into the Maori version.
It also appeared to confer rights of
Parliament's sovereignty on the local iwi, Te Atiawa.
Speaker David Carter appears to have
consulted only MPs and perhaps a handful of others about changing the
prayer. He won't discuss it before making the decision next week.
The prayer is said daily at the start
of Parliament and has long been criticised because it is non-secular
and has references to Christianity.
Mr Mallard said he was not criticising
Mr Carter, but added: "The whole thing smells of consulting one
or two people."
All the religion in the new prayer
would be in the Maori part so the vast majority of listeners would
not be aware they are listening to a prayer.
"In a way it is almost
dishonest.".......
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
11 DECEMBER 2014
Commercial operators may soon have to
pay to take people up Auckland’s maunga could soon face a fee.
The new post-settlement body overseeing
the volcanic cones, Tupuna Maunga o Tamaki Makaurau Authority, is
starting to make decisions about their future management.
Cars will be banned from the summit of
Maungawhau-Mt Eden from next April......
See full article HERE
* Iwi Chairs' Forum call for
Governement to invest in Māori land
In New Zealand, there's around 1.5
million hectares of Māori land, 300,000 hectares of that is under
full production, but 1.2 million is currently under performing.
The Iwi Chairs' Forum is calling on
ministers to plant a financial seed.
Willie Te Aho says. “We're seeking $3
billion, that's in line with the report by MPI which says a $3
billion investment is necessary to bring the land up to full
production.”
It’s clear there's differing views at
present around financials.
However, according to a report by MPI
last year, if a $3 billion investment was made into those lands, that
would see an $8 billion output and almost 4000 jobs.
The Iwi Chairs' Forum wants $1 billion
from the Government to kick-start that productivity.
“The Government should certainly be
investing money to support Māori development of its lands. What's
good for Māori is good for New Zealand,” says Kelvin Davis.....
See full article HERE
* CTU Runanga calls on iwi to ditch ANZ
Maori
trade union representatives are calling on iwi to ditch ANZ until
they settle their current industrial dispute.
The bank has failed to respect the
workers that made it the most profitable bank in the country,
according to CTU Vice President Maori Syd Keepa.
"This foreign-owned bank’s
profit of $1.7 billion is a 20% increase on last year. New Zealanders
will see little benefit from this - profits will be sent offshore to
satisfy the bank’s shareholders," said Syd Keepa.
"But the bank still wants more,
and at bargaining they’ve been trying to attack workers’ security
of hours to bolster these profits."
"Workers have indicated that they
are willing to concede some ground on this, but they need to be
compensated fairly for that. That is what collective bargaining is
all about - give and take."
"Those iwi that have business with
ANZ are allowing the bank to get away with its unfair bargaining
practices. We are calling upon iwi to signal to the bank their
intention to shift their money until they compensate their workers
for the sacrifices they are making."
See full article HERE
* Catholic leader supports biligual
prayer
A Maori leader in the Catholic
Church supports the idea of a biligual prayer to be recited in
Parliament, but holds some reservations about the idea of not using
the current karakia.
Speaker of the House David Carter asked
MPs whether they would like to adopt a new prayer, which would see
references to "true religion" and "Jesus Christ our
Lord" removed.
A decision will be made next week on
whether to change the prayer used in Parliament since 1962.
Danny Karatea-Goddard is the vicar to
Maori Catholics in the Palmerston North Diocese and believes there is
some merit in a biligual karakia, saying it reflects the Government's
commitment to biculturalism and the Treaty of Waitangi......
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
10 DECEMBER 2014
* Maori voice an obligation
Maori Party MP Marama Fox says creating
Maori seats on councils is a way to restore some rangatiratanga to
Maori.
In response to questions from the new
MP, Local Government Minister Paula Bennett has said she has no plans
to make changes to the current settings where councils decide every
six years on whether to have separate Maori representation.
Mrs Fox says that system isn’t
working.
She says the Waitangi Tribunal finding
in the Te Paparahi o Te Raki report that rangatira who signed the
Treaty of Waitangi had no intention of giving up their sovereignty
highlights the need for change.
"We need to look at better
representation in councils and I know the debate goes 'people should
get there on their merits' but actually there is a moral obligation
in this country to represent the voice of Maori, given the way in
which that voice has been stripped away from Maori over the last 175
years," Mrs Fox says.
Meanwhile, the Local Government
Commission has factored Maori representation into its plan for a
Greater Wellington that would merge nine councils up to Kapiti and
Masterton.
It’s proposing a Maori Board and a
Natural Resources Management Committee, which would have a joint
membership of council and iwi representatives and advise council on
environmental and resource management issues, regional planning, and
treaty settlement matters.
See full article HERE
* Waitangi claim on Hato Petera land
In its report on Hato Petera College
the Education Review Office said: “A Treaty of Waitangi claim
against the Catholic Diocese from old boys of the school, relating to
the historical Deed of Trust for the property surrounding the school,
is affecting school and Diocese relationships at present.”
The claim centres on the land where the
kura (school) is sited, which was granted to the Catholic Church by
Governor George Grey in 1849.
A spokesperson for a group asking for
an inquiry, Frank Rawiri, said: “We are at a crisis point with the
future of the school.”
“If the Wai
1385 claim is not settled the way we would
like to settle it, we may as well say good-bye to Hato Petera.”
“We want to get the land back that
has been lost or at least some of it. This remains possible because
some of the land is still owned by the Crown.”
Rawiri was a member a trustee of
Te Whanau 0 Hato Petera Trust from 1995 until he resigned this
year.......
See full article HERE
* Maori health providers review by DHB
'racist'
A planned review of Maori health
providers has been called racist and sparked calls for autonomy....
"We are all responsible for Maori
health, we don't think we are doing well enough across the board and
this has been troubling us," she said.
Hope said that talk over
re-establishment of a Maori Partnership Board had taken a long time
because the board wanted a model that would "get real traction".
Maraea Ropata, from Waiwhetu Marae,
said the Maori Partnership Board had been tried in the past and had
not worked.
She said it was time Maori providers
went a separate way to look after iwi, and used funding from
government in the way they thought best for their people.
To cheers from the gathered crowd,
recommendations calling for a stop to the review and the
establishment of a Maori Partnership board in the Hutt Valley by
December 31 were tabled......
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
9 DECEMBER 2014
The Waitangi Tribunal has ruled that
two Bay claims concerning the removal of the MV Rena wreck from
Otaiti (Astrolabe) Reef were well-founded, in a report released
today.
The Tribunal concluded that the Crown
signed the deed without having sufficient knowledge of Maori
interests in the reef and without having consulted affected Maori,
despite it having been both practical and important for the Crown to
have done so.
The Crown's conduct, the Tribunal
found, breached the Treaty principle of partnership and mutual
benefit.....
See full article HERE
* Iwi stage peaceful protest on Whanganui
awa
500 iwi members are staging a
peaceful protest on the Whanganui awa, urging council to make river
conservation a priority.
Iwi say the objective of the protest is
to uplift the mana of their ancestral river by creating public
awareness of the health of their waterway.
This project has emerged from the
application for consent which will allow the Whanganui District
Council to sell the iwi's most precious taonga for the use and
mis-use for commercial purpose.....
See full article HERE
* Marsden's sermon a "publicity
stunt" says iwi leader
“What Marsden did was a great
publicity stunt, and it fooled all the Pakeha who bought his version
of events”, says Mr Rankin. “However, it has been handed down to
us from our ancestors that Te Pahi preached to his people several
times before he was killed by Pakeha in 1810.”
Mr. Rankin says the issue can be
resolved by historians and the Anglican Church correcting their
records and apologising for the cultural offence they have been
causing to Maori for the last 200 years.....bold the last bit?
See full article HERE
Mole
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8 DECEMBER 2014
* Iwi pull the plug
Tears and a clear message of
relationships damaged greeted a vote by Wanganui District Council
that quashed a bid to change the spelling of the Wanganui district.
While the "H" can be used in
the spelling of the Wanganui urban area, a motion to have that
extended district-wide was lost 7-6.
As soon as the vote was made, local
Maori made it clear to councillors that formal relationships between
iwi and council would be reviewed.
And it was a decision that had some
councillors and mayor Annette Main visibly upset.
Iwi representative Ken Mair told the
meeting the decision would have "major implications" on
dealings with the council.
Iwi have cancelled a scheduled meeting
between council and the Tupoho working party set for today but, more
worryingly, Mr Mair said iwi would reconsider all its working
relationships with council.
Prime among these are the recently
signed deal to operate the port as a joint venture and a similar
partnership at the resource recovery centre.
"If you cannot respect our name,
then you need to understand our response to this decision," he
said......
See full article HERE
See full article HERE
* Grant becomes first Māori Responsive
Manager in Waikato
Police advisor Wayne Panapa says the
appointment will mean a Māori presence at the table.
Tukoroirangi Morgan says, “Māori
need to support and work with Frank. By working together, we
can ease the pressures for Māori.”
There have been Māori liaisons in New
Zealand Police for some years, but the Commissioner has identified a
need for Māori to be able to make decisions for Māori.
“In the past, Māori had to
communicate with Police in English, but now they have the capability
to communicate their needs in Māori,” says Panapa.
See full article HERE
Mole
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race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
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7 DECEMBER 2014
Maori
representation in New Zealand's local and district
councils has become a big debating point in political circles. The
leadership of Maoris has seized the initiative taken by the Plymouth
mayor for giving more representation to Maoris in the local councils.
Now the community wants the government to take the initiative
forward.
Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox raised
the issue openly and questioned the minister of local government to
come out with the initiatives that seek to increase the indigenous
representation on councils, reported Scoop.
Nz News. The credit for
the Maori upsurge is with New Plymouth District Council Mayor Andrew
Judd, who also called upon the government to change the laws to allow
for 50-50 representation between Maori and non-Maori sections on
local authorities, to reflect the partnership enshrined in Treaty of
Waitangi partnership......
See full article HERE
* Maori seat poll valid
The response from iwi leaders has been
cool, but the Far North District Council's plan to gauge the entire
community's attitude towards the addition of Maori-only seats to the
council table is a valid one.
The mood amongst iwi has hardened over
recent days, perhaps thanks to the Waitangi Tribunal's finding that
Ngapuhi signatories to the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 did not cede
sovereignty to the Crown. This clearly has some believing that iwi
have gained greater political status, a view expressed today by Ngati
Kuri Iwi Trust Board chairman Harry Burkhardt, who claims that the
council is tied to the high-level partnership between iwi and the
Crown.....
See full article HERE
Mole
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6 DECEMBER 2014
A decision to stop row boat hire at
Lake Waikareiti has left many wondering what is next for the Lake
Waikaremoana/ Te Urewera area.
The hire of row boats for use on Lake Waikareiti in Te Urewera has been stopped following a Department of Conservation review of a recent search and rescue operation involving the boats.
The hire of row boats for use on Lake Waikareiti in Te Urewera has been stopped following a Department of Conservation review of a recent search and rescue operation involving the boats.
This follows a decision in October to halt hunting at Lake Waikaremoana.
In July, the Urewera area went under the control of a new legal entity following a Treaty of Waitangi settlement with the Tuhoe tribe.
It is now governed by a board of Ngai Tuhoe and Crown appointees.
Board chairman Tamati Kruger said in October all current hunting permits were on hold and no new ones would be approved while it considered changes to how permission was given.
See full article HERE
* Council using Maori calendar as guide
The Auckland Council is
planning to plant its trees based on the Maori calendar.
The Society of Maori Astronomy Research
and Traditions is collating data and evidence to create accurate
maramataka, or calendars, for different areas.
A researcher and adviser to the
council, Rereata Makiha, said the aim is to help whanau, hapu and iwi
and councils choose the right days to plant, go fishing and hold
hui...
See full article HERE
Mole
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race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
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5 DECEMBER 2014
The Iwi Chairs Forum has
donated $2000 to a Motiti Island hapu which is fighting to have the
wreck of the Rena removed from their reef.
The owners of the container ship, which
crashed into the Otaiti reef (also known as Astrolabe reef) off
Tauranga three years ago, have applied for resource consent to leave
it where it is.
The case for and against the removal of
the wreck is expected to be heard by the Environment Court next year.
Ngapuhi leader and Iwi Chairs Forum
spokesperson Sonny Tau said the group wanted to help the hapu get
legal advice before the court hearing.......
See full article HERE
* Iwi members appointed to Whānau Ora
group
Six iwi representatives have been
appointed to the Whānau Ora Partnership, Group Finance Minister Bill
English and Minister for Whānau Ora Te Ururoa Flavell say.
"These iwi representatives are
well-placed to contribute to the work of the group," says Mr
English.
The representatives, nominated by the
Iwi Chairs Forum, are Raniera (Sonny) Tau, Naida Glavish, Rāhui
Papa, Sir Mark Solomon, Dr Hope Tūpara, and Richard Steedman.
"We are delighted with the depth,
wisdom, and iwi connections that these appointees bring," says
Mr Flavell.
The Whānau Ora Partnership Group is a
forum of ministerial and iwi representatives. The group determines
the Whanau Ora outcomes that Commissioning Agencies need to achieve
and identifies opportunities that the Crown and iwi can contribute
to, that support the aims and aspirations of whānau, hapū and iwi,
in relation to Whānau Ora......
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
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4 DECEMBER 2014
Responding to the Fairfax
article that New Plymouth mayor Andrew Judd
wants the law to be changed to make all local councils have 50% Maori
representation, Democracy Action founder, Lee Short, says:
“The Mayor’s interpretation of the
Treaty of Waitangi, that Maori should comprise 50% of all
representatives is dangerous for New Zealand and all people who call
this country home.”
“If 50% of all representatives are
required to be Maori, then based on Mr Judd’s interpretation of the
Treaty, surely it must follow that he wants the remainder to be made
up exclusively of descendants of the other signatory, namely the
British Crown.”
“New Zealand prides itself as a
nation where merit, dedication and hard work allows people to reach
their potential – not someone’s ancestry.”
“Mr Judd is seeking is a very
dangerous path for New Zealand. Race-based representation leads to
mistrust and damages democracy in the most fundamental way. Dividing
New Zealanders according to race fosters a “them versus us”
attitude, creating ill-will and disharmony.”
See full article HERE
* Maori wards plan going to public
ballot
Far North voters will have a chance
early next year to decide whether the district should have Maori
wards in future council elections.
The non-binding postal ballot will take
place in February and March and seek a simple yes or no response.
Holding the poll will cost about $65,000.
If a majority backs the idea of
designated Maori seats at the council table, they could be introduced
in time for the 2016 local government elections.
By law the Far North District Council
has to carry out a review of its electoral boundaries and
representation system later next year. If the yes vote wins, the
number of Maori wards and seats could be decided as part of that
review.
Mayor John Carter said neither he nor
the council had a position on dedicated Maori seats, so they wanted
some direction from the community.
If the proposal was rejected the
council would have to look at other ways to meet its commitment to
better engage with Maori, who made up close to half of the Far
North’s population.
Other options included setting up
advisory boards or appointing Maori to standing committees, but the
council wanted to canvas the electoral option first......
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
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3 DECEMBER 2014
The days of driving to the summit of
Auckland's volcanic cones are coming to an end, starting with a ban
on all vehicles up Mt Eden.
This could be followed by a ban
covering the summits of other volcanoes with road access - One Tree
Hill, Mt Wellington, Mt Albert, Mt Roskill and Mt Victoria.
A new authority to manage 14 volcanic
cones yesterday approved in principle extending a 2011 ban on buses
driving to the summit of Mt Eden/Maungawhau to all vehicles.
A detailed report on how and when to
implement the vehicle ban will be presented to the Tupuna Maunga o
Tamaki Makaurau Authority in April for a final decision......
See full article HERE
* Solicitor - Treaty & Maori Land
Court
A fantastic opportunity exists for a
solicitor to work in the Treaty claims area and on Maori legal issues
in general.
Our team of passionate professionals is
actively involved in a number of ongoing Waitangi Tribunal inquiries.
If litigating is your particular interest, our workload will compel
your rapid development in this regard. You will conduct legal and
historical research on a wide variety of interesting claim issues.
You will help to prepare evidence,submissions and other court
documentation.
The firm also advises its clients in
relation to a range of contemporary Treaty issues. Our upcoming
litigation programme includes High Court and Maori Land Court work as
well.
We are looking for team players who
have a passion for the law and who have a particular interest in
social justice.
See full advertisement HERE
* Senior Policy Advisor (12 month
fixed-term contract)
The Independent Maori Statutory Board’s
purpose is to assist the Auckland Council by promoting issues of
significance for Mana Whenua and Matawaka of Tamaki Makaurau and to
ensure that the Auckland Council is meeting its statutory treaty
obligations.
The Independent Maori Statutory Board (IMSB) Senior Policy Advisor will provide leadership and technical expertise in relation to policy development, review, monitoring and evaluation to support the Board in its decision-making as well as all other services that the IMSB Board needs to meet its statutory responsibilities.
Responsibilities of this position will include:
• The provision of advice on strategies, policy, planning, interventions, funding and monitoring.
The Independent Maori Statutory Board (IMSB) Senior Policy Advisor will provide leadership and technical expertise in relation to policy development, review, monitoring and evaluation to support the Board in its decision-making as well as all other services that the IMSB Board needs to meet its statutory responsibilities.
Responsibilities of this position will include:
• The provision of advice on strategies, policy, planning, interventions, funding and monitoring.
• Taking leadership and technical expertise in relation to the fulfilment of the Council’s Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations.
• Supporting the Board in their engagement with Mana Whenua, the Maori community and the wider community of Tamaki Makaurau.
• Policy analysis and recommendations on the schedule of issues of significance for Maori.
• Proposing changes to council documents and processes to be more responsive to Maori.
• To provide advice on the design and execution of such documents and processes to implement the Council’s statutory responsibilities towards Maori.
• To identify cross-cutting opportunities and issues across the Board’s work programme and participate in scoping and implementing these.
• To provide policy and planning advice and analysis across the full range of Council issues including any funding and budgetary implications.
• Developing and implementing strategies to support and promote cultural, economic, environmental and social issues of significance.
• To support the Independent Maori Statutory Board to engage meaningfully with the Council on policy issues.
See full advertisement HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
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2 DECEMBER 2014
* Maori seat referendum sought
The
controversial issue of establishing a separate Maori seat on the
Tauranga City Council could end up being put to the public vote.
Tauranga’s Tangata Whenua Collective
of Maori iwi and hapu has agreed to take the initiative after the
council recently voted against establishing a Maori ward for the
2016 election.
The collective has decided to take up
the public’s right to demand a poll on the issue by obtaining
support from 5 per cent of the city’s electors. If the collective
succeeds in getting the signatures of 4237 enrolled city voters then
the council will have to run a referendum on the issue, costing
$170,000........
Tauranga City Council member Gail
McIntosh said the collective had made a bad decision. “I think it
is a backward step. That’s my take on it.”
Even if the collective reached the 5
per cent threshold needed for a referendum, the answer would come
back overwhelmingly ‘no’, she said. Cr McIntosh said the public
did not want a Maori ward.
See full article HERE
* Little standing up for treaty deal
Labour's new leader says the Crown is only now learning how to stick with the deal it made when it signed the Treaty of Waitangi.
Andrew Little says he's looking forward to reading the Waitangi Tribunal report on stage one of Te Paparahi o Te Raki claims, which found that northern rangatira did not consider they were signing away their authority when they signed the treaty in 1840.
Prime Minister John Key and the Treaty Negotiations Minister have said the report changes nothing and the crown still has sovereignty.
But Mr Little told Radio Waatea host Willie Jackson he's keen to consider the implications for New Zealand's constitutional arrangments.....
See full article HERE
Labour's new leader says the Crown is only now learning how to stick with the deal it made when it signed the Treaty of Waitangi.
Andrew Little says he's looking forward to reading the Waitangi Tribunal report on stage one of Te Paparahi o Te Raki claims, which found that northern rangatira did not consider they were signing away their authority when they signed the treaty in 1840.
Prime Minister John Key and the Treaty Negotiations Minister have said the report changes nothing and the crown still has sovereignty.
But Mr Little told Radio Waatea host Willie Jackson he's keen to consider the implications for New Zealand's constitutional arrangments.....
See full article HERE
* Foreshore Act political misjudgment
New Labour Party leader Andrew Little
says the party will never again get as offside with Maori voters as
it did with the Foreshore and Seabed Act.
Speaking with Radio Waatea host Willie
Jackson, he sought to distance himself from Labour's response a
decade ago to a court finding that Ngati Apa could pursue a claim
through the courts to customary ownership of part of the coast.
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
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1 DECEMBER 2014
New Zealand's largest forensic
mental health unit has been given the go-ahead to build a new kaupapa
Maori driven unit.
In July this year, the Auckland clinic
put a proposal forward to the Waitemata District Health Board to
expand its Tane Whakapiripiri unit because of its success in
rehabilitating patients.
The Tane Whakapiripiri unit opened in
2006 and combines a kaupapa Maori approach with its clinical
services.
People at the 106-bed Mason Clinic have
been referred from mental health services, prisons and the courts.
More than half of the patients are Maori.
See full article HERE
* $1b asset base still too low: expert
The top investment manager for
Tainui says its $1 billion asset base needs to be 10 times larger to
make a meaningful difference to its people.
At an investment conference in
Wellington yesterday, Tainui Group Holdings chief investment officer
Craig Stephen said having a clear and robust strategy was the key to
invest for today's and future generations.
Waikato-Tainui has 66,000 members.
The tribe holds $1.1 billion in assets,
mainly in property, but Mr Stephen said too many of its people do
badly in education, hold low-wage jobs and suffer high unemployment.
He said while Tainui was investing to
lift the prospects of its members, its asset base was still too low.
See full article HERE
30 NOVEMBER 2014
With ten world renowned keynote
speakers, as well as more than 150 other presenters from throughout
New Zealand and around the world, the conference will address themes
which are central to the realisation of indigenous development. These
national and international experts will share their knowledge,
experiences and insights into how indigenous communities can and do
optimise their economic wellbeing, enhance their distinctiveness and
ensure that their families are healthy and thriving.
Conference attendees from more than 100
different tribal nations once again bring their collective voice to
NPM's biennial conference and demonstrate the ever increasing focus
of indigenous peoples on educational and economic security, as well
as on the survival and growth of their languages and customs, and the
application of their unique traditional knowledge systems into a
modern day framework......
See full article HERE
* Little backs council Maori seat push
Labour leader Andrew Little is backing
the creation of a Maori seat on the New Plymouth District Council.
The council voted narrowly for a Maori
ward at the next election, and it's now waiting to see if a petition
against the plan can get enough signatures to force a referendum.
Mr Little, who stood for New Plymouth
at the election, says mayor Andrew Judd has taken a courageous stand,
and he has backed him publicly and privately....
http://www.waateanews.com/waateanews/x_story_id/ODQ0NA==/Little-backs-council-Maori-seat-push...
See full article HERE
29 NOVEMBER 2014
* Challenging low Māori representation in local government
Māori Party Co-leader Marama Fox has
questioned the Minister of Local Government about what initiatives
are underway to increase tangata whenua (indigenous) representation
on local and district councils.
“The questions were prompted by the
courageous challenge set down by the New Plymouth District Council
Mayor Andrew Judd for the government to consider changing the law to
allow for 50-50 representation between Māori and non-Māori on local
authorities to reflect the Treaty of Waitangi partnership.
Māori Party Co-leader Te Ururoa
Flavell says the current legal provisions for creating Māori
representation in local government are inadequate and difficult to
secure.
The Māori Party has consistently
argued for stronger mechanisms to achieve Māori representation as
the absolute minimum in terms of meeting Treaty of Waitangi
obligations.
Mr Judd’s call for 50-50
representation in local government came on the back of the recent
Waitangi Tribunal report that recognised Māori and the Crown signed
the agreement as equals.
See full article HERE
* Tūhoe hunters must also adhere to
suspension in Te Urewera
Last month Tūhoe and the Crown decided
to suspend pig hunting, deer hunting and possum killing in Te
Urewera, but one Te Urewera guardian Maui Te Pou believes there are
some from home who are ignorant to the cause of hunting in Te
Urewera.
The newly formed board believes even
though you carry a hunting license, you must wait until they have
completed a new law entering Te Urewera.
“The new licencing will be drawn out
at the end of this year with a new policy for Tūhoe and others. If
this doesn't work, then there's a problem but I know this is the way
forward to oversee the well-being of Tūhoe and its hapū,” says
Kruger.
They are assessing the pros and cons
for this new licencing for Te Urewera and a bright future for Tūhoe's
descendants.....
See full article HERE
See full article HERE
* Apanui keen to take over consents
East Coast iwi Te Whanau a Apanui wants
to become the consenting authority for water and land use in its
rohe.
"People put up resource consents
to seek rights to do certain things, they have to go to the council
and Apanui are saying that actually they can be the council, they can
be the consenting authority. There’s room in the Resource
Management Act under section 33 to delegate those powers of
consenting authority or water allocation board to another body and
we’re suggesting that the best body for Apanui is Apanui." Mr
Te Aho says,
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
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28 NOVEMBER 2014
* First District Court hearing at marae
The first District Court
hearing at a Northland marae is being described as progressive and
significant.
Catherine Murupaenga-Ikenn, who gave
evidence in support of Mr Tepania, said the haukainga (local people)
asked to have the hearing at the marae and the judge agreed.
She said courts are usually alien
places that remind Maori of historic injustices and believed it was
the best setting to help move the case to a fairer result......
See full article HERE
* Reserve Bank values Te Reo
Te Reo Maori is to feature more
prominently on new banknotes.
The Reserve Bank has unveiled a more
vibrant design and has added the words Te Putea Matua which means
Reserve Bank on the front and Aotearoa on the back of each note.
Although Maori words are printed on the
current banknotes, they are only used to name native birds such as
the Hoiho for the Yellow Eyed Penguin featured on the $5 note.
Reserve Bank Deputy Governor Geoff
Bascand says the bank worked with Te Puni Kokiri and the Maori
Language Commission on what Maori words to use to acknowledge Te Reo
as one of New Zealand's official languages.
He says it was a real opportunity to
upgrade the banknotes to make Te Reo Maori more prominent....
See full article HERE
* New plan offers rock-solid protection
The pakohe cultural stone distinct to
Marlborough and Nelson is to be protected and managed under a plan
agreed with the Marlborough District Council.
Pakohe is the Maori name for the stone
argillite found only on D'Urville Island, along the Whangamoa mineral
belt, and in the upper reaches of the Maitai, Wairoa, and Motueka
rivers.
The plan will protect pakohe
archaeological sites. Ngati Kuia must be told when pakohe is found on
Department of Conservation (DOC) or council-owned or administered
land. This includes mining, roading, or forestry works.
The iwi will be consulted by the
Ministry of Economic Development and DOC when applications for mining
licences and access agreements are received for areas that are likely
to contain pakohe.
Ngati Kuia were acknowledged in the Te
Tau Ihu Treaty settlement legislation as guardians of pakohe.
Their deed of settlement expressed the
sense of responsibility and obligation Ngati Kuia had towards the
taonga [treasure] and its cultural, spiritual, and traditional
values.....
Seee full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
27 NOVEMBER 2014
Auckland-based prisoner rehabilitation
service PARS has teamed up with Maori provider Turuki Health Care
collaborate on services for those at risk.
Executive director Tui Ah Loo says they
will develop a health and wellness service, focusing primarily on
Maori and Pasifika clients who have recently been released from
prison.
Turuki chief executive Te Puea Winiata
says both organisations are committed to a kaupapa Maori and
whanau-centred approach, which means the venture is more likely to
succeed than earlier pilots which lacked Maori GPs and culturally
appropriate settings.....
See full article HERE
* Court rejects anti-waste water plant
claim
A legal bid to stop a waste
water plant being built on ancestral land has failed.
The Maori Land Court has upheld a
decision for the lease of whenua in the Matata area to Whakatane
District Council.
Landowner Wikitoria Falwasser argued
that she would be separated from her land; claimed a lack of owner
consulation, and said the proposal was offensive to landowners and
three local marae.
In seeking an interim injunction, Ms
Falwasser alsosaid the whenua should be used for papakainga.
The land is governed by Trustees of
Matata Parish Lot, who denied the allegations against them, and
contended the three marae will benefit from the plant, because they
can be hooked up to sewerage services for free.......
See full article HERE
* Freshwater, mining on forum's agenda
Iwi chairs from throught New
Zealand are discussing issues relating to freshwater, mining and
housing at their annual meeting which began in Tauranga today.
More than 50 Maori leaders and advisers
are attending the forum hosted by three Tauranga Moana iwi - Ngai Te
Rangi, Ngati Ranginui and Ngati Pukenga.
The forum started with a tour of a
Maori kiwifruit coolstore and a reception.
Tomorrow there would be presentations
by Ngati Tuwharetoa chief Taa Tumu Te Heuheu on freshwater and Te
Rarawa chief Haami Piripi on the oil and the mining industry........
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please
send to mole@nzcpr.com
26 NOVEMBER 2014
* $2.2m awarded to promising Maori health researchers
The Health Research Council of New
Zealand (HRC) has today announced more than $2.2 million in funding
for Maori health researchers as part of its career development awards
programme – up from $1.5 million last year.
“Maori health research graduates are
in great demand across a number of sectors. We’re pleased to be
able to support this talented
pool of researchers as they seek to
address the health needs and aspirations of Maori.”....See full article HERE
A new Far North District Council
philosophy for dealing with rates on land in multiple Maori ownership
is ironing out the district's $28 million accumulated unpaid rates
debt and improving opportunities for getting undeveloped Maori land
into production.
The mayor described the new policy of
discussing rates with Maori instead of adding to the $28 million of
uncollectable "Monopoly money" accumulating on the council
books as "significant in the history of our nation"......
See full article HERE
Mole
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25 NOVEMBER 2014
New
Plymouth's mayor is calling on the Government to change the law so
that half of all councillors are Māori.
Andrew Judd believes local government
should reflect the Treaty of Waitangi, there should be more Māori
representation and tāngata whenua should have an equal voice.
"We haven't gone any further ahead
at a local government level with our commitment and our relationship
with iwi. Ideally for me it would be 50-50 at the table."
The New Plymouth District Council
recently voted for the creation of a Māori seat, but the proposal
was met with resistance, and councillor John McLeod resigned in
protest when it was narrowly accepted by 7 votes to 6.
Mr Judd says despite anger over that
decision, only positive things will come of it and believes people
need to get past their fear of building an equal partnership with
Māori. He is calling on the Government to legislate so that Māori
have permanent representation at a council level.......
See
full article HERE
* Turei, Peters in Maori ward debate
Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei
will join Winston Peters in a debate about New Plymouth's Maori ward.
The line-up of guest speakers also
includes Susan Guthrie, Willie Jackson, Hugh Johnson, and Margaret
Smith.
Each speaker will get 15 minutes to
speak and people can submit questions to the panel on the night, or
by emailing them to enquiries@npdc.govt.nz.
The forum will be held at the New
Plymouth District Council chambers on Monday, December 8. Doors open
at 6.30pm, speakers start at 7pm.
The event is free, but seats are
limited. It will also be streamed online at newplymouthnz.com.
See article HERE
Mole
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24 NOVEMBER 2014
* Ruling offers Maori 'new opportunities'
The
chair of Te Runanga o Te Rarawa says a Waitangi Tribunal ruling that
Maori did not sign away sovereignty in the Treaty opens new doors for
Maori development.
The tribunal has upheld claims of
Ngapuhi and other northern iwi that chiefs did not hand over their
power and authority to the British in signing Tiriti o Waitangi in
1840.
The decision comes four years after the
tribunal heard the issue, and says the chiefs thought that they were
signing to become equals with Pakeha, not ceding sovereignty.
Haami Piripi, of Te Rarawa, said the
ruling lets Maori express themselves as an independent nation and
that meant they could access new networks and expand into areas
including trade and the banking sector......
See full article HERE
* Willie Jackson forces re-election for
Maori statutory board seat
Maori political campaigner &
broadcaster Willie Jackson has forced a new vote for one of the 2
mataawaka seats on the Independent Maori Statutory Board, which
represents Maori on Auckland Council committees.
Mataawaka are Maori living in Auckland
who don’t have a mana whenua affiliation there.
John Tamihere, chief executive of the
Waipareira Trust, & Tony Kake, chief executive of the Papakura
marae, were elected to the 2 matawaaka seats on the 9-member board in
August 2013, defeating 6 other candidates, including Mr Jackson. The
other 7 seats are contested by mana whenua, and it’s mana whenua
who are appointed to the selection body.
Mr Jackson alleged the mataawaka
election was carried out illegally and, in a judgment released
yesterday on his application for judicial review, High Court judge
Ailsa Duffy agreed......
See full article HERE
Mole
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23 NOVEMBER 2014
A
collective of iwi and hapū have criticised a decision by the
Tauranga City Council to vote against the creation of a Māori ward
in the 2016 election.
The council rejected the idea, voting 9
- 0 against. Mayor Stuart Crosby has defended the move, saying the
North Island city is not yet ready to accept separate Māori
representation.
The Māori Collective, which represents
16 iwi and hapū including Te Arawa, said Mr Crosby had blinkers on
and the council's decision was motivated by fear and a lack of
understanding.
Deputy chair Matire Duncan believed the
vote should not have taken place and more education is needed to
understand Māori and their world view.....
Read full article HERE
Read full article HERE
* Tribe 'napping' over customary
rights
The
leader of a Ngai Tahu runaka - or runanga - says the South Island iwi
has been "caught napping" over the law that replaced the
Foreshore and Seabed Act.
Michael Skerrett, of the Waihopai
tribal authority in Southland, says a bad precedent is being set by a
whanau seeking customary marine title for two of the Titi - or
Muttonbird - Islands.
Under the Marine and Coastal Area Act,
Denis Tipene has applied to the High Court for rights to Tamaitemioka
and Pohowaitai islands.
However, Mr Skerrett said there needed
to be a collective approach to the customary title applications which
should be addressed by the overarching governing council, Te Runanga
o Ngai Tahu.
Mr Skerrett said it was a big issue
that had sprung up on the tribe and the authority was concerned about
what the result might be. He said since the application was lodged
with the High Court, the tribe has started talking about it.......
See full article HERE
Mole
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22 NOVEMBER 2014
* University signs agreement with marae
A
Hutt Valley marae has vowed to continue helping provide information
to medical students at the University of Otago and will formalise the
relationship.
The university will sign a Memorandum
of Agreement with Kōkiri Marae and the Tū Kotahi Maori Asthma Trust
endorsing their 30-year partnership.
Ms Robson said an example of this was
following research into access of dental care for Maori adults. The
marae found a problem in its community following the research and set
up payment plans with local dentists for Maori.......
See full article HERE
* Decisions released on Proposed
Rotorua District Plan
Partnership with iwi –
by recognising iwi’s potential for contributing significantly to
economic development and cultural values, by including a specific iwi
chapter aimed at enabling iwi aspirations for development and
cultural heritage protection.......
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
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21 NOVEMBER 2014
* The modern renaissance of Maori is moving into a new era
It began with Te Kohanga Reo in the
1980s acting as a vanguard for capturing other spaces. Maori
entities, iwi runanga and urban organisations were founded across
multiple sectors.
Renaissance is not linear but cyclical,
with ups, downs, plateaus in each cycle.
The Maori renaissance is moving into
its next cycle, one that not only captures spaces but reconsolidates
existing spaces.
Capturing new spaces remains crucial.
Initiatives such as Whanau Ora, the Auckland Independent Maori
Statutory Board and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and
Employment's Maori Economic Unit are recent examples.
And with iwi settlements fortifying the
economic space, this will entrench the renaissance further....
See full article HERE
* Sovereignty finding sparks strong
response
Mr Finlayson said the finding does not
change the fact the Crown has sovereignty in New Zealand.
He said the Government would consider
what is part one of the report into Te Paprarahi o Te Raki or
Northland claims as it would any other tribunal report, but it is
focused on the future and on developing and maintaining the
Crown-Maori relationship as a Treaty partner.
Mr Davis says the Mr Finlayson may be
trying to allay redneck fears, but he should not rush to dismiss
Maori perspectives.
Green Party treaty spokesperson
Catherine Delahunty says the Government needs to engage meaningfully
with the finding and discuss with the tribunal its implications for
the Crown.
She says the finding is positive for
New Zealand and opens the door for more positive engagement on Te
Tiriti and a sounder basis for redress.......
See full article HERE
Mole
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20 NOVEMBER 2014
* Māori radio legal action in the air
A Crown media funder is
preparing for legal action from Māori radio stations not funded by
the Government.
Te Māngai Pāho has told ministers
that there are a number of significant iwi groups that still do not
have a pūtea.
The funder said it had requests to
finance another four broadcasters. The Crown currently funds 21
stations.
It warned the Government that if it
could not provide funding, it was conceivable one or more of the iwi
aligned to the stations could use the judicial process to secure
money.....
Read full article HERE
Read full article HERE
* Cultural concerns may change ashes
bylaw
A draft bylaw that would allow human
ashes to be scattered or buried in Christchurch's parks and reserves
may be changed after objections from local iwi.
The Christchurch City Council's draft
2014 Parks and Reserves Bylaw was going to include a provision for
ashes to be interred if written approval was sought from the council
but it is now being reconsidered because it could be culturally
offensive.
Mahaanui Kurataiao Ltd (MKT), a company
that acts on behalf of the six runanga within Christchurch city, has
told the council that if it enables the scattering of ashes in public
places, it will alienate Ngai Tahu whanau from those public parks and
reserve spaces.
It has cautioned that even if the
scattering of ashes occurs on a limited or restricted basis Ngai Tahu
whanau will be indefinitely bound in those parks and reserves by the
same kawa (protocols) that apply in designated urupa (cemetery). That
means they will be unable to eat, laugh, run or play in those areas.
MKT has asked the council to amend the
bylaw to prohibit the burial or scattering of ashes of any deceased
person or animal in any public park or reserve......
See full article HERE
Mole
News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of
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19 NOVEMBER 2014
* Iwi pulls out of project
Ngai Tahu has withdrawn from a project
worth tens of millions to build two student hostels in Dunedin, but
says it remains keen on investing elsewhere in the city.
Ngai Tahu development manager Gordon
Craig, who worked on the project, said its withdrawal did not mean it
was no longer interested in investing in Dunedin.
''We are still very keen on Dunedin. We
still own the police station down there and we are still looking for
opportunities.''
See full article HERE
* Block offers opened for consultation
Almost 30% of the Government's latest
round for oil and gas exploration block offers is acreage in the
southern Great South Basin and Canterbury Basins areas.
Energy and Resources Minister Simon
Bridges yesterday threw open to consultation with iwi and local
councils the Block Offer 2015, which is to encourage oil and gas
explorers to place tenders to acquire exploration permits around New
Zealand.
Mr Bridges said opening the offer was
the first step in the process and he encouraged iwi and local
authorities to take part in consultation, which runs until February
9.
''Their feedback ensures that any areas
of sensitivity are carefully considered before the 2015 tender round
is finalised,'' Mr Bridges said.
See full article HERE
Mole
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18 NOVEMBER 2014
* Tauranga council says 'no' to Maori ward
Tauranga City Council has today
unanimously opposed the establishment of a separate Maori seat onto
the council.
Mayor Stuart Crobsy recommended that no
Maori ward be established for the 2016 election.
Mr Crosby said a Maori ward at this
time would damage the relationship between Maori and non-Maori in
Tauranga.
The council heard strong views from
public speakers prior to the debate representing both sides of the
argument for Maori to have a ward.
Councillor Catherine Stewart said
people should be voted into the council on their own merits.
Councillor Gail McIntosh said "we
have to govern on what is best for all of the community".
She said "we don't like the
flavour of what is being said in letters to the editor".
"Let's stick to one person, one
vote, no matter who they are."
See full article HERE
See a further article (Maori Vote
Knockback) HERE
* Polytech pays $3.7m back to
government
Taranaki's Witt polytech has paid $3.7
million back into government coffers and faces retraining 400
students following a six month investigation into two Maori
performing arts courses.
The investigations found that
reporting, attendance record keeping and management controls for both
courses were poor and there was a lack of evidence that assessment
practices met the standards required by NZQA.
See full article HERE
Mole
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17 NOVEMBER 2014
An independent inquiry has found child abuse and family violence amongst Maori is costing the country up to $3.4 billion.
Sir Owen Glenn’s report looks at the
amount paid for treating victims, loss of workplace activity and by
government agencies this year.
It said while Maori made up only 15
percent of the population, half of those who use Women’s Refuge
services are Maori, and over half of the number of family violence
offenders.
So far in 2014, the cost of abuse
amongst Maori is between $1.8 billion and $3.4 billion.
See full article HERE
* Treaty meets gospel
A leading Maori historian says the
churches have an ongoing responsibility to the Treaty of Waitangi.
Manuka Henare presented his thoughts to
a recent church hui at Manukau Institute of Technology on the treaty
and theology.
He says it was a chance to review the
greater understanding historians now have of the early contacts
between Maori and missionaries and the thinking behind the korero at
Waitangi on February 6, 1840 from rangatira like Hone Heke, Waka Nene
and Patuone.
" They referred to the treaty as
'He Kawenata Hou' The New Covenant. And this is the difficult concept
that has come to the fore and it's at this point that the christian
church has had this obligation to be custodians as it were, kaitiaki,
of the wairua of the Treaty of Waitangi
See full article HERE
Mole
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16 NOVEMBER 2014
Te
Puni Kokiri is urging new minister Te Ururoa Flavell to present a
Maori development agenda at next year's Waitangi Day commemorations.
The government organisation released
its briefing to the Minister for Maori Development today.
Te Puni Kokiri says Waitangi Day 2015
marks 175 years since the signing of the Treaty and a key time to
continue to progress Maori development.
It says Mr Flavell should include in
the agenda a way to improve social welfare policy Whanau Ora by
better engaging with whanau rather than individuals alone, and to
build on progress made.
See full article HERE
* Unwittingly enrolled in polytech
A 78-year-old woman was enrolled in a
Maori performing arts course without her knowledge and awarded a
qualification.
This week the Tertiary Education
Commission (TEC) and NZQA released damning findings into the Level 4
and Level 6 course at the Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki
(Witt), proving they had been poorly run, students had graduated
without completing the work and tutors were not trained for their
jobs.
The polytech has been forced to pay
back $3.7 million of government funding and up to 400 students have
had their qualifications scrapped.
The embarrassing blunders continued
today with New Plymouth's Hinga Harris, 78, saying she had received
an email from Witt which told her she would keep her qualification
because she had completed all of her course work.
"But I never enrolled in this
Maori course," she said.
"I wasn't anywhere near Witt
between 2009 and 2013."
See full article HERE A further related article HERE
Mole
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15 NOVEMBER 2014
The Waitangi Tribunal's finding that Maori chiefs who signed the Treaty of Waitangi did not cede sovereignty does not change the fact the Crown has sovereignty in New Zealand, Treaty Negotations Minister Chris Finlayson says.
The tribunal today released its report on stage one of its inquiry into Te Paparahi o te Raki (the great land of the north) treaty claims.
"Though Britain went into the Treaty negotiation intending to acquire sovereignty, and therefore the power to make and enforce law over both Maori and Pakeha, it did not explain this to the rangatira (chiefs)," the tribunal said.
Rather, Britain's representative William Hobson and his agents explained the treaty as granting Britain "the power to control British subjects and thereby to protect Maori", while rangatira were told that they would retain their "tino rangatiratanga", their independence and full chiefly authority.
"The rangatira who signed te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi) in February 1840 did not cede their sovereignty to Britain," the tribunal said.
"That is, they did not cede authority to make and enforce law over their people or their territories."
See full article HERE
Further related articles
Expert: Treaty ruling 'distorts NZ history' HERE
Tribunal's sovereignty decision a big day for Ngapuhi, says MP HERE
Maori did not give up sovereignty: Waitangi Tribunal HERE
* Ngāti Kahungunu halt consent to increase extraction of water from aquifer
Ngāti Kahungunu are halting a consent that would see almost a million litres of water being drawn from the Heretaunga aquifer and sent overseas in the form of bottled water.
Hapū on behalf of the iwi this morning lodged a moratorium with the Hawke's Bay Regional Council saying increased water extraction from the aquifer could be to the region's detriment.
See full article HERE
Mole
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14 NOVEMBER 2014
* Spiritual value of beach recognised
A far north iwi leader says tourism operators need to get alongside tangata whenua so they can get the best out of Te Oneroa a Tohe-Ninety Mile Beach.
Settlement legislation now before parliament returns control of the beach to the various iwi along its length.
"For the first time in New Zealand history legislation will recognise Te Ara Wairua, somethng which people can't see or hear but is recognised in law and it's great for us, it is recognising our cultural values and our spiritual uniqueness, ..... See full article HERE
* Winston Peters to debate Maori wards
In September the New Zealand First leader said New Plymouth District Council's proposal for Maori wards was ''separatist''.
Since his headline hitting stance the council has passed the proposal and next month Peters will be in town to back his opinion up.
He will go face to face with former politician Willie Jackson at a forum about Maori wards.
Judd said the issue of Maori wards had now grown bigger than the question of representation around the New Plymouth District Council table.
''This is an issue for the whole of New Zealand,'' he said.
''I've had mayors from around New Zealand contact me because they are going through the same discussion.''
The Maori wards forum and debate will be held at the New Plymouth District Council chambers on Monday December 8 at 7pm. It is open to the public and will be streamed online.
See full article HERE
Mole
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13 NOVEMBER 2014
* Anti-ward petition seen as divisive
Those pushing for a referendum on the Maori ward in New Plymouth are being challenged to withdraw their petition before it tears the community apart.
Never afraid of controversy, Te Atiawa's Grant Knuckey challenged the focus of the hui early and said it was about getting Grey Power to withdraw their petition to force a binding referendum on the ward decision.
If they did not Te Atiawa would begin actively opposing it and he did not want his children having to choose which side they were on.
"We will muscle up this time because we are serious about getting a voice," he said.
See full article HERE
"We will muscle up this time because we are serious about getting a voice," he said.
See full article HERE
* Maori councillors called for
Tauranga City Councillors are being asked to include a Maori seat in the 2016 city council elections.
The Tangata Whenua Collective says council representation will strengthen the Maori voice and demonstrate true partnership.
“This engagement will provide the strongest leadership model in the country alongside the appointment of Maori seats to Bay of Plenty Regional Council,” says the collective's statement to the committee, presented by Matire Duncan.
“We will gather such a momentum that we (BOP) will be recognised as the national leaders in local government and be highly profiled amongst our colleagues throughout the country.
See full article HERE
* Hapu to fight Mighty River land selloff
The lawyer representing Maori living south of Whangarei Harbour says the hapu will fight hard in court to stop the Crown from striking out its application preventing Mighty River Power selling off its land.
She said the land used to belong to Patuharakeke hapu until it was sold into private hands and then acquired by the Government under the Public Works Act.
Ms Kapua said the Crown's argument is that Mighty River Power is not part of the Crown, but a separate entity, and any Treaty obligations cannot be linked to land owned by a state-owned enterprise.
See full article HERE
Mole
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12 NOVEMBER 2014
The Government was still working through the details, but in some areas local iwi would have first right of refusal on the homes, Ms Bennett said.
The Government was still working through the details, but in some areas local iwi would have first right of refusal on the homes, Ms Bennett said.
"We have an obligation to go to iwi first in many cases, so, you know, there is a requirement for us to go out there and consult with them.
See full article HERE
* Iwi sets its sights on state houses
Two bids to buy East Coast area stock could cost up to $300m
No values have been put on the two bids, but based on the average value of Gisborne houses in September of $232,250, the Ngati Porou bid could be worth up to $140 million and the overall deal up to $300 million.
See full article HERE
* $1.4 billion Maori economy important for Waikato
The report identifies Maori assets in the Waikato worth $6.2 billion and notes the Maori contribution to regional gross domestic product was worth $1.4 billion or 8 per cent of the total in 2012, with potential for growth in both figures identified.
Of the $6.2 billion in Waikato Maori assets, 28 per cent were in agriculture, fishing and forestry, 23 per cent in property and business services, and 15 per cent in manufacturing. Maori businesses had 54 per cent of the Maori asset base, while some $2.8 billion worth – or 46 per cent - were collectively owned assets held by authorities such as trusts, incorporations and Treaty of Waitangi settlement entities.
See full article HERE
Mole
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11 NOVEMBER 2014
The Far North District Council has resolved to hold a poll of electors to determine whether Council establishes Maori wards for its next
two triennial elections.
Council has also resolved that the poll will be held on Tuesday 17 March 2015, by postal vote.
The outcome of the poll will be binding on the Far North District Council for its 2016 and 2019 triennial elections.
Full details HERE
* $3b investment needed for growth
Willie Te Aho along with Ngapuhi chair Sonny Tau were part of a post-election briefing this week for Finance Minister Bill English, which covered issues such as freshwater reform, proposed changes to Maori land law and iwi economic development.
He says the Ministry of Primary Industries has estimated that bringing Maori land into full production could unlock up to $8 billion a year in extra revenue, as well as create 3600 jobs.
"That’s going to require $3 billion of investment and so what we’re looking at is enhancing Te Tumu Paeroa or the Maori Trustee so that they can take on that role, secondly not only secure government funding
See full article HERE
* Senior Policy Advisor, Independent Māori Statutory Board (fixed term until Jan 2016) Established on 1 November 2010, the Independent Māori Statutory Board's vision is to advance the interests of Māori in Tamaki Makaurau. To do this, the Board's role is to assist Auckland Council with fulfilling its Tiriti o Waitangi responsibilities, and to promote issues of significance for Māori.
Full details HERE
Mole
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10 NOVEMBER 2014
* Maori name for MacKays Crossing
MacKays Crossing will include a Maori title in its name in a proposal sparked by a local park group.
It is the latest instalment in a long-running battle over the spelling of the crossing's name.
Friends of Queen Elizabeth Park have proposed that MacKays Crossing become Mackays Crossing, with a small k.
Deputy chair John Porter, who fought for the change for a decade, said the proposal was accepted this year, but as a dual name - Te Ramaroa/Mackays Crossing.
See full article HERE
* New bike park for Woodhill, but fees to rise
A new mountain bike park is in the pipeline at Woodhill Forest after iwi took over ownership, but cyclists also face an increase in fees.
Riders must pay entry levy contribution to iwi
See full article HERE
* Marsden grant for Maori law study
A Wellington researcher's been granted hundreds of thousands of dollars to study Maori law and its role within, and alongside, the current legal system.
Dr Carwyn Jones, from Victoria University in Wellington, has been given $300,000 from the Marsden Fund to explore Maori legal traditions.
See full article HERE
See full article HERE
* New bike park for Woodhill, but fees to rise
A new mountain bike park is in the pipeline at Woodhill Forest after iwi took over ownership, but cyclists also face an increase in fees.
Riders must pay entry levy contribution to iwi
See full article HERE
* Marsden grant for Maori law study
A Wellington researcher's been granted hundreds of thousands of dollars to study Maori law and its role within, and alongside, the current legal system.
Dr Carwyn Jones, from Victoria University in Wellington, has been given $300,000 from the Marsden Fund to explore Maori legal traditions.
See full article HERE
Mole News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please send to mole@nzcpr.com
9 NOVEMBER 2014
* Iwi want Crown to acknowledge sovereignty
See full article HERE
* Sewage plant plan respects iwi wishes
A controversial sewage treatment plant will be replaced under a $30 million scheme aimed at improving the quality of water in Akaroa harbour. Takapuneke holds historical, cultural and spiritual significance for Ngai Tahu because it was where a bloody massacre of up to 200 pa inhabitants took place in 1830. The iwi has always viewed having a wastewater treatment plant located there as offensive.
See full article HERE
* Maori Party's new co-leader: Headstrong Marama Fox reveals her cuss word
She has chosen a members' bill topic and will follow in co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell's steps by trying, yet again, to have the Treaty of Waitangi recognised in the Parliamentary oath. She at least wants those issue debated. She wants a flag that shows the bicultural nature of the country. And she means bicultural rather than multicultural which she describes as "a distribution of power."
See full article HERE
Mole News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please send to mole@nzcpr.com
* Iwi beach plan spurs Govt 'fear not' pledge
Soothing words on tourism buses as tribes talk of restricting Ninety Mile Beach access. The Government says all existing public access rights will be preserved, though the iwi has expressed interest in limiting heavy vehicles on Ninety Mile Beach. The iwi can choose whether it restricts public access to the Aupouri Forest.
See full article HERE and a further article HERE
* Applications open for new $2m Māori Innovation Fund Te Pūnaha Hiringa: Māori Innovation Fund was announced in the 2014 Budget and provides $2 million per annum to Māori collectives over four years.
“It will enable Māori collectives to get new businesses up and running and help existing businesses become more productive.
See full article HERE
* Maori housing provider planned
A Maori housing advocacy group is planning to set up its own housing provider in Auckland.
See full article HERE
* Rogernomics still felt in prison muster
Justice reform advocate Kim Workman says the Rogernomics reforms of the 1980s was a major contributor to the persistently high number of Maori in the criminal justice system.
See full article HERE
Mole News is published on a regular basis to expose the on-going build up of race-based privilege in New Zealand. The Mole welcomes tips - please send to mole@nzcpr.com
