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Saturday, July 11, 2020

Breaking Views Update: Week of 5.07.20







Saturday July 11, 2020

News:
Government appointment 'best way' to get Māori on health boards, reps say

Māori health representatives in Marlborough say government appointed health boards may be the “best way” to get Māori on health boards.

“I think that the appointment system is, at the moment, the best way for us to have representation on the health board.”

"The suggestions for Māori – incorporating Te Tiriti o Waitangi into legislation, that's just huge ... one of the most powerful things that can happen for us.

Hobby said they were lucky in Nelson Marlborough to have a DHB that understood Māori health issues, but still had “nowhere near” equal representation.......
See full article HERE

BOP iwi complete treaty Crown negotiations
Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi Trust (Te Mana) has completed its negotiations with the Crown to comprehensively settle historical claims for breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi by the Crown on behalf of Ngāti Rangitihi uri.

Trustees of Te Mana and the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little initialled the Deed of Settlement in Parliament, on Thursday, in the presence of Ngāti Rangitihi representatives, including kaumātua and rangatahi......
See full article HERE

EQC grant for Mātauranga Māori research centre at Massey
Massey University has secured funding from the Earthquake Commission’s (EQC) 2020-2023 University Research Grant Programme to establish a new centre for Mātauranga Māori disaster research.

The grant is one of eight awarded nationally, and constitutes the first significant investment by the EQC in Māori research capability development in New Zealand.

The programme will focus on the generation and application of Mātauranga Māori to shape new risk reduction knowledges and showcase the interconnectedness of all aspects of natural hazard risks and catastrophic events, using a Māori viewpoint. “We will also investigate augmented methods for communicating Māori science to decision-makers, policy-makers, practitioners, and the public,” says Associate Professor Kenney......
See full article HERE

Propaganda:
Matariki almost 'colonised': Why there's no one day to celebrate it 

This Breaking Views Update monitors race relations in the media on a weekly basis. A summary of new material being added is emailed out during the week - to subscribe (or unsubscribe) to the mailout, please use the form at the top of the Breaking Views sidebar. If you would like to send Letters to the Editor in response to any of these articles, most media addresses can be found HERE.

Friday July 10, 2020

News:
National Māori Council wants High Court to decide water ownership
National Māori Council executive director Matt Tukaki has confirmed the council is taking the issue of water ownership to the High Court.
The case comes after the Waitangi Tribunal recommended water ownership be taken before the courts.

Māori argue they own water but the Crown's argument is that no one owns the water but individuals need to pay to use it......
See full article HERE

Pollution limit exemptions for food-growing areas 'grossly inequitable'
The Government failed to consult iwi and its own scientists before quietly recommending new water pollution limits should not apply to two of the country's best food-growing areas.

A package announced in May was praised for introducing stronger targets on nitrogen toxicity in lakes and rivers, but now officials say they want Pukekohe and Horowhenua catchments to be exempt.

Horowhenua iwi leaders met with the Minister for the Environment, David Parker, this week, following a letter to his office reminding the Government of its Treaty of Waitangi obligations......
See full article HERE

The Peter Ellis case and Māori customary law
“I think it is really important to recognise that there are two functioning legal systems in NZ. One is the Māori legal system. The other is our state legal system, which includes the common law. Our state legal system is mostly entirely influenced by what happened in England hundreds and hundreds of years ago. We should open our eyes and hearts to also be influenced by the first legal system of this country.”.......
See full article HERE

Articles:
Elizabeth Rata: NZ history - what to teach?

Propaganda:
Covid-19 could spell another economic downturn for Māori without action, report says

Thursday July 9, 2020

News:
165 Northland jobs as work starts on $9.32m Covid recovery package
Sustainable procurement is a feature of the new jobs. This emphasises social and environmental benefits with a focus on local Māori and Pasifika people, women and youth workers.
There is also an emphasis on workers being teamed up with businesses owned and operated by people living in Northland, with particular attention to Māori and Pasifika business......
See full article HERE

Partnership To Address Rotorua Housing Issues
A new partnership between the Government, Ngāti Whakaue Tribal Lands and Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities is another step forward in addressing Rotorua’s housing issues and also driving job growth, says Housing Minister Megan Woods.

The partnership signed today between Ngāti Whakaue Tribal Lands and Kāinga Ora follows last week’s announcement of Government funding of $55 million for storm water and transport infrastructure......
See full article HERE

Māori names restores to Banks Peninsula
The history of Rāpaki is being restored through the inclusion of te reo in thirteen official place names on Banks Peninsula and around Lyttelton Harbour.

Land Information Minister Eugenie Sage says the names were submitted to the New Zealand Geographic Board by the Rāpaki Rūnanga, Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke.

The Tors will now also be called Te Moenga-o-Wheke, referring to the story of Wheke, the son of Te Rakiwhakaputa, a rangatira toa, searching the hills surrounding Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō for Ngāti Māmoe refugees.

The Tors is a reference to rocks found there which have been shaped by the wind.

Banks Peninsula itself will also be known as Te Pātaka-o-Rākaihautū, while King Billy Island will also carry the name Aua......
See full article HERE

Manukau Harbour proposal for Auckland port slammed over major environmental, iwi concerns
Shifting Auckland's port to Manukau Harbour could be the "straw that breaks the camel's back" in the severely degraded waterbody, say concerned iwi and environmentalists.

They add such a move would also fly in the face of the Crown's Treaty of Waitangi obligations, and a 1985 Waitangi Tribunal ruling that said there should be no more reclamations of the harbour, where Māori first arrived over 1000 years ago.......
See full article HERE

Selling for $1 - questions over Thames reserve land sale
A property developer has objected to a Thames-Coromandel District Council proposal to sell reserve land to local iwi for $1.

Speakers at a special council meeting to adopt its Annual Plan criticised the council for secrecy, but an iwi spokesman said the sale of the land in question to Ngati Maru was a positive step after forced land sales and losses.......
See full article HERE

Mount Maunganui marae considering blocking port unless they get Government response over pollution
Disgruntled iwi from Whareroa Marae say the Government’s refusing to engage with them about ongoing air quality issues in the Bay of Plenty.

The marae, one of the country's oldest, claims they're being poisoned by heavy industry and are calling on all current and future consents to be put on ice until their concerns have been addressed.

Residents say if further consents are granted, and the government remains silent on the issue, they will look to protest at the Port of Tauranga......
See full article HERE

Articles:
Kapiti Iwi double dipping for Covid-19 funding?

Propaganda:
Racism is next fight for Team of Five Million

Wednesday July 8, 2020

News:
Authentic Partnerships With Regional Council A Top Priority For Iwi And Hapū
Iwi and hapū leaders from across the Toi Moana Bay of Plenty region met in Tauranga last Friday 3 July to discuss priorities for iwi and hapū post-COVID-19 and how to achieve success for Māori communities.
Following a formal whakatau, the hui was opened by Regional Council Chairman Doug Leeder where he acknowledged the importance of enduring relationships with iwi and hapū.

Chairman Leeder said that hosting the forum signalled a meaningful commitment from Regional Council to ensuring that there is partnership-level participation with all iwi and hapū across the region as we rebuild our economy and community post COVID-19.

The iwi-hapū leaders agreed to meet again within a month to further discuss collaboration and unity between the hapū-iwi and all levels of government......
See full article HERE

Te Teko blueberry farm largest in Aotearoa - owned by Maori for Maori
It’s just over a week since the official launch of the Miro-Meihana Koata Blueberry Farm at Te Teko, the largest blueberry orchard in Aotearoa - owned by Maori for Maori.

The launch also tied in the announcement and confirmation of a funding injection by the Provincial Growth Fund.

The funding announcement - all 2.1 Million worth - will enable the project to get to the final stages and, in the process, will employ around 150 kaimaihi from Te Teko, Ruatoki, Taneatua, Kawerau, and surrounding communities.......
See full article HERE

Iwi apply for 2020 sponsorship fund
Toi Moana is pleased to announce the opening of the Iwi sponsorship fund for 2020. This annual initiative is to provide sponsorship for three iwi representatives to attend the Making Good Decisions Foundation Course.

This Course provides Councillors, Community Board members and independent commissioners to make better decisions under the Resource Management Act. The intention of the sponsorship is to provide Iwi with an opportunity to build Resource Management Act knowledge and capability and to assist with fostering the capability of Māori to contribute to decision-making......
See full article HERE

Propaganda:
Te reo Māori news more than a language revitalisation tool

'Doing well for a Māori': My experience of racism in New Zealand

Tuesday July 7, 2020

News:
Tree Protection Group, Iramoko Marae Enter Unique Partnership
Honour the Maunga and Iramoko Marae have announced a unique partnership that gives life to Treaty principles in their joint efforts to save 345 trees from being felled on Ōwairaka / Mt Albert.

The partnership, which was recently formalised at the marae, saw Honour the Maunga members accepted as uriwhanaunga (extended family), which accords them a number of rights (including being able to stay on the marae as whanau, and eventually to be buried in the marae’s urupā should they so wish).

Announcing the partnership with Honour the Maunga, Mr Ngaropō says: “We are all working together to protect Ōwairaka and her flora and fauna in a way that gives life to the Treaty of Waitangi......
See full article HERE

Government funding of $864,000 for Te Rūnanga o Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa initiative
An Iwi-led programme designed to provide targeted training linked to jobs in the Rangitīkei district has received backing from the Government's Provincial Growth Fund.

Over the next three years the Te Rūnanga o Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa education, training and employment programme will receive $864,000 through Te Ara Mahi - Pathway to Employment fund, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced last week......
See full article HERE

School to show its culture with new entrance
A Manawatū school is creating a new entrance way designed to make it feel like a more New Zealand school.

Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School unveiled a new large carving at a special assembly on Friday, which was made from swamp kauri found in the Manawatū River.

The carving will sit in a new entranceway to the school office, with work starting on Monday. It is a $1.6 million project, with $400,000 coming from the Government infrastructure fund announced last year......
See full article HERE

West Coast conservation board back on track after iwi standoff
The West Coast Tai Poutini Conservation Board is back on track after a six-month impasse with Ngāi Tahu over Treaty principles.

According to the code of practice for conservation boards, members must be briefed and knowledgeable about iwi and mana whenua and Treaty settlements affecting conservation land. Under section 4 of the Conservation Act, boards must also "give effect to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi" - the strongest Treaty clause in any statute.....
See full article HERE

'Whānau are whānau and an adoption certificate doesn't change that'
A woman whose legal link to her Māori father was cut when her stepfather adopted her, has convinced a court that a strong whānau link continued.

In a decision issued recently in Wellington, Justice Helen Cull accepted Māori tikanga was a "special circumstance" that justified granting Sabin administration of the estate.

She said the court had a discretion to set aside the normal rules in special circumstances.

In Māori culture whānau were whānau and an adoption certificate did not change the connection, Sabin said......
See full article HERE

Government-funded matauranga Māori research initiative led by Pākehā
Vision Matauranga aims to unlock the science and innovation potential of Māori knowledge, resources and people for the benefit of all New Zealanders.

That includes funding non-Māori who work on research projects that combine Māori knowledge and western science.

But that's upset Māori academics who believe Vision Mātauranga research projects should be led by Māori......
See full article HERE

Propaganda:
Opinion: Explore Tikanga Māori but remember, it’s our backbones you walk across

Monday July 6, 2020

News:
Work and Income defends against claims of discrimination against women and Māori
Work and Income has been accused of "systemically discriminating against women and Māori" by making them pay back debts at faster rates than other groups.
But the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) says it's simply because they borrow more.

The figures show women and Māori are typically required to pay back their debts faster than others.

In 2019, women on average were required to pay back $9.59 per week, and men only $6.35. Māori averaged $10.34, while NZ Europeans were asked to pay back $7.31 a week.

"As of June 2019, more than 80 percent of Māori working-age clients on benefit had a debt with MSD. The level of repayment is influenced by the level of debt a client has, as well as the makeup of that debt.

Māori in 2019 typically had a debt of $1595.43, compared to the overall average of $1368.39. Women averaged $1576.77 and men $1030.90.

Van Ooyen said debts that result from borrowing, rather than arrears, come with timeframes for paying them back - perhaps resulting in higher repayment levels......
See full article HERE

Waitematā DHB Māori Nurse of the Year announced
Maeva was presented with a korowai for the award by the board today during a special ceremony where she was named the latest winner of the Te Kauae Raro Māori nursing and midwifery award.

The korowai is passed from winner to winner each year and is highly symbolic of the board's organisational values.......
See full article HERE

Moerewa residents angry about new boiler at Affco meatworks and air quality issues
Residents of a small Northland settlement are angry a resource consent for a new boiler room and chimney stack they say will exacerbate existing health problems has been granted without their input.

The Northland Regional Council has granted consent to Affco freezing works in Moerewa to shift its existing boiler about 280 metres northeast of the current location, raising the ire of those in the nearby Taumatamakuku settlement......
See full article HERE

New mural to adorn the DC Turnbull building in Timaru
The artist behind Timaru’s giant Mt Cook lily mural has her sights on the wall of the DC Turnbull building.

Novak said she chose a cabbage tree because it was “intrinsically” tied to the name Timaru or Te Tihi-o-Maru, its Māori equivalent.

“There are different interpretations of what Timaru is derived from. One point is Te Maru, which means place of shelter. The other is Tī Maru, shelter or cabbage tree.”

The 37-year-old artist said she was not painting over the words already on the wall, but writing Te Tihi-o-Maru underneath them......
See full article HERE

Auckland waste water plan may breach tikanga - expert
An expert in Māori death customs says a plan to recycle Auckland's wastewater may breach tikanga.

Watercare is looking at using the treated water as drinking water, as the city faces one of its worst droughts.

Waikato University associate professor Dr Te Kahautu Maxwell said Māori society would never use or consume anything to do with human discharge.

"It's not the right thing to do with Māori protocols and Māori ways of doing things right," he said.......
See full article HERE

Māori placename floated for high country Molesworth station
A dual name for New Zealand's largest high country station has been proposed in a discussion about the farm’s future.

The name "Rangitahi" is the original name for Molesworth as used by South Island iwi Ngāi Tahu.

It means "converging skies" and pays homage to Molesworth's waterways, and the area being a single arterial source for major rivers......
See full article HERE

One in eight principals quit or changed schools last year
Principals have become slightly more likely to be non-European - Māori up from 12.6 per cent of principals in 2010 to 17.1 per cent in 2019, Pasifika up from 1.2 per cent to 2.4 per cent, and Asians up from 0.5 per cent to 0.8 per cent.

The proportion of Māori principals (17 per cent) is actually higher than the proportion of Māori teachers (13 per cent), partly because Maori-language schools tend to be small.

But principals from all minority groups are still under-represented compared with domestic school students, who are 24.5 per cent Māori, 13.5 per cent Asian and 9.9 per cent Pasifika......
See full article HERE


This Breaking Views Update monitors race relations in the media on a weekly basis. A summary of new material being added is emailed out during the week - to subscribe (or unsubscribe) to the mailout, please use the form at the top of the Breaking Views sidebar. If you would like to send Letters to the Editor in response to any of these articles, most media addresses can be found HERE

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