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Saturday, August 15, 2020

Breaking Views Update: Week of 9.08.20







Saturday August 15, 2020

News:
Democracy and the petition on New Plymouth's Māori ward

Most New Zealanders do not want local government defined by race. Our goal by using the provisions of the binding referendum process is to allow our citizens to express what they want to see happen.

If councillors believe that they are not able to represent all of their community fairly, regardless of ethnicity, then they should not be holding their positions.

Māori are members of the community and not a separate entity who require anything different from council then other citizens,....

We do not have a “partnership”, but we do have an opportunity to respect Māori for their ability to have their voice heard on merit.

Most importantly, we have an opportunity to focus on what unites us rather than finding reasons to separate our communities......
See full article HERE

Waikato DHB proposes 'cost neutral' restructure affecting about 50 jobs
One area the DHB said was set for a boost is Māori and Pasifika equity, with “several new roles proposed”.

Moves to promote Māori and Pasifika equity were a positive step, in line with what several other DHBs were doing.......
See full article HERE

Māori Demanding Better From Electoral Commission 2020
Whatever new arrangements may be put in place in response to Covid 19 for the General Election 2020, the Electoral Commission have been questioned as to what changes they have made to ensure the multiple problems experienced by Māori voters in the last election are not repeated.

“At the last election we had an undermining of our democracy in that some Māori voters were not assisted, but rather prevented, from exercising our basic right to participate in the election due to the ignorance, negligence, and in some instances outright prejudice of some voting booth staff” claims Tawhai.......
See full article HERE

Articles:
Bob Edlin: Biodiversity, Science and a Maori World View

Propaganda:
'Renaissance' of Māori culture starts at home — everyone's home 

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 August 14, 2020

News:Council Adopts Paekākā As The Name For Wellington Botanic Garden PrecinctWellington City Councillors have formally endorsed Paekākā as the te reo Māori name for the landscape area including the top of the Cable Car, Wellington Botanic Garden, Anderson Park and Bolton Street Cemetery.
“Paekākā, meaning ‘realm or perch of the kākā’, was gifted by Mana Whenua at an event last year following the adoption of the Council’s Te Tauihu – Te Reo Māori Policy, and recognises the much loved place the Botanic Garden precinct has in the history and future of Wellington,” adds the Mayor.

Councillor Jill Day, the Council’s Māori Partnerships Portfolio Leader, says Paekākā supports the goals of the Council’s Te Tauihu – Te Reo Māori Policy – to increase awareness and improve understanding of the context of te reo Māori within Wellington.......
See full article HERE

Ihumatao occupation fails treaty test
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says he’s standing up for traditional Māori values in blocking a quick resolution of the Ihumātao stand-off.

Mr Peters says taking land from a private owner would open up every other treaty settlement.........
See full article HERE

Council Commits To Anti-racism Journey
Council has today committed to undertaking anti-racism work, agreeing to put in place plans, resources and actions to deliver on its commitment to tangata whenua in Tairāwhiti.

This follows a public deputation in June from Tina Ngata, requesting that Council embarks on an anti-racism journey after its decision making around the reinstatement of the Endeavour models........
See full article HERE

Thursday August 13, 2020

News:
Manawatū Sci-tech Startups Get Momentum Boost
The Momentum Programme has been rolled out progressively across New Zealand. To date, the programme has 162 projects in action – 96 in Auckland, 32 in Wellington, 17 in Otago and 14 in Canterbury. There are three exciting projects on the agenda for the first Manawatū Momentum meeting.
Momentum Investment Committees naturally incorporate te ao Māori into each meeting, another example of the programme’s unique model and values. Karakia and Mihi are delivered at the beginning and end of each investment committee meeting, and the roles of Kaikarakia (karakia leader) and Kaimihi (mihi leader) are shared.

The Palmerston North online launch will deliver the Momentum waiata for the first time.

“Momentum is committed to giving life to Vision Mātauranga. We are therefore committed to te reo Māori me ōna tikanga (the Māori language and its cultural practices), and to engaging meaningfully with te ao Māori, me te iwi Māori (the Maori world and iwi),” says UniServices Kaiarahi, Geremy Hema......
See full article HERE

The Māori Affairs Committee Completes Its Inquiry Into Health Inequities For Māori
The Māori Affairs Committee has completed its inquiry into health inequities for Māori and has presented its final report. You can read the committee’s report here.

The committee’s report contains 19 recommendations to the Government. They include recommending that it:

· require healthcare workers to undergo accredited cultural safety training as part of their professional development

· establish a te ao Māori Health Promotion Agency run by Māori for all Māori, regardless of their geographic location.......
See full article HERE

Nga Kete launches Māori-focused food bank
The trust identified a need for a culturally aware, Māori-focused food bank during the Covid-19 lockdown.

“We eat differently. We prepare food differently. We have different needs,” she said......
See full article HERE

Te Ahu a Tūranga highway signing on Woodville marae
The formal agreement signing of Te Ahu a Tūranga: Manawatū Tararua Highway which shares its name with the Woodville marae sealed the project to begin January 2021.

He said working alongside mana whenua was about the importance of the natural world and the contribution of te ao Māori.

He acknowledged the Alliance and Waka Kotahi partnership with local iwi who are represented and deeply involved in the governance and operations of the project.

Iwi signatory Mavis Mullins said the project was a treaty relationship in action.........
See full article HERE

Dr Hana O’Regan Steps Into Tumu Whakarae Role At CORE Education
CORE Education, a learning-focused social enterprise, welcomes Dr Hana O’Regan (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Waitaha) as their Tumu Whakarae (CEO). She takes up her new position in mid-September.

Dr O’Regan brings a rare combination of executive leadership, experience as an education practitioner, international recognition as a te reo Māori expert and advocate, and skill in working with iwi to implement the intent of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.......
See full article HERE

Wednesday August 12, 2020

News:
Maori representation on regional council delayed until iwi fully consulted
A separate Maori seat on the Taranaki Regional Council has been delayed for at least three years to allow more time to consult with iwi.

A motion to start public consultation and receive feedback on Maori representation in time for the 2022 triennial local body election was not supported by the majority of councillors at a full council meeting on Tuesday.

"Consulting with iwi first is what is more appropriate to them, and we need to respect that.

“It is possible iwi would not be satisfied with one Maori seat among 11 councillors.”

Currently, three iwi representatives each sit on the policy and planning, and consents and regulatory committees......
See full article HERE

Planning begins on massive new Levin subdivision
Planning has started for a new Levin subdivision of 2500 homes, the most significant residential development in the district.

The area was going to be called Glasdstone Green, but will now be called Taraika, a name gifted by the Muaūpoko iwi to commemorate an ancestor after whom the Tararua Range was named........
See full article HERE

New partnership central to delivering more Māori housing
Government agencies and partners are working closer together to provide more Māori Housing through the Te MAIHI o te Whare Māori – the Māori and Iwi Housing Innovation Framework for Action (MAIHI).

Budget 2020 has invested $40 million towards delivering housing outcomes for Māori through MAIHI.

Funding will be used to accelerate the supply of quality housing stock for whānau through supporting the delivery of more affordable housing options, as well as supporting iwi and Māori providers to strengthen their capability to work directly with whānau and support community based housing projects.....
See full article HERE

Two new national parks under a National government - Collins
Other parts of the conservation announcement included a pledge to “work constructively with iwi” on the establishment of the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary.......
See full article HERE

Taxpayers' Union Welcomes National Commitment To End Race-based Healthcare
Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams says, “Taxpayer-funded health resources should only ever be allocated on the basis of clinical need, but this Government has allowed District Health Boards to prioritise some races over others. Taxpayers will be relieved that equal access to public healthcare is being advocated by a major party.”.......
See full article HERE

Future of controversial Captain Hamilton statue delayed until next year
The final decision on the future of the controversial Captain Hamilton statue is unlikely to be made until at least March next year.

The bronze statue was removed from Hamilton's Civic Square in June amid threats it would be pulled out during a Black Lives Matter protest and taken to be temporarily stored in a secret council-owned facility.......
See full article HERE

Waitangi Tribunal to hear claim from Moko Rangitoheriri's mother
Ngapo-Lipscombe says Dally-Paki continues to fight a systemically racist system. She’s filed a Waitangi Tribunal claim, which has been accepted and will be heard under urgency with other claims alleging breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi.

The claims will be considered as part of an inquiry in to Oranga Tamariki by the tribunal.

The Waitangi Tribunal hearing is looking at why a disparity between the number of uplifts of Māori and non-Māori exists, whether legislative changes made in 2017 has helped, and what policy and practices are required to secure outcomes consistent with the Treaty and its principles.......
See full article HERE

Propaganda:
Let's be on the right side of history when it comes to Māori Wards

Restoring the Aotearoa of yesterday for tomorrow 

Tuesday August 11, 2020

News:
Deputy PM weighs into New Plymouth Māori ward debate
The deputy Prime Minister has weighed into New Plymouth's Māori ward debate, calling the move separatist and tokenism.
During his address, Peters said he remembered the last time the Māori ward issue was argued in the district and 83 per cent of people who voted in the binding referendum said they did not want the ward.

Most Māori of voting age were on the general electoral roll, rather than the Māori roll, he said.

“Why are they going for the general seats? Because they believe in equality, just like I do.".....
See full article HERE

Tasman District councillor claims some 'right-wing extremist' books sit on library shelves

Some books about the Treaty of Waitangi on the shelves of Tasman District libraries are "very right-wing extremist", says Tasman District councillor Dana Wensley.

Some material “that I know we've got in our library ... is by a publisher that is not academically robust," Wensley last week told a meeting of the council operations committee.

“I'm not talking about censorship, I'm just talking about making sure that the books that are free are also academically robust because at the moment there's a bit of an imbalance and I think that people might be getting the wrong view of our obligations to our treaty partners because of the material they could be accessing from our library, and that concerns me.”.......
See full article HERE

PGF productivity boost for Hawkes Bay Maori farms
A little can go a long way with a $1.6 million investment from the Provincial Growth Fund for a wide range of community and environmental projects in Hawke’s Bay.

Whenua Māori grants of just over $200,000 each are going to Kairakau Lands Trust and Nopera Trust for farm development;

There’s almost $400,000 for a Te Puna Farm Environmental Acceleration project for riparian planting and fencing of a significant stretch of the Tukituki River catchment to improve water quality; and Waipuka 3B1C2 Land Block will get $500,000 for fencing and planting to tackle farmland erosion and future proof the property against major weather events.......
See full article HERE

Centre scuppered by frustration
Sulphur Point’s Marine Park will remain a reserve, following a decision by Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage.

Council says local iwi and hapu were consulted before it publicly proposed this site for revocation, and that it undertook “a comprehensive analysis” of other site options.

Those in opposition to the revocation included iwi groups Ngai Tamarawaho and Ngati Pukenga.

Iwi spokesperson Buddy Mikaere says they initially expressed their opposition to the revocation, because they were “fed-up”.......
See full article HERE

Hurunui-o-Rangi Marae Share Stories From Carterton’s History
Representatives from Hurunui-o-Rangi Marae led Carterton District Council’s elected members, managers and senior staff members on a journey of wāhi tapu, sharing Carterton’s Māori history at sites of significance across the district.

Mayor Greg Lang said many of these sites were already well-known to councillors and staff but hearing the rich Māori narratives behind these places gave them a much deeper meaning.

The tour of wāhi tapu follows on from a Tangata Tiriti (Treaty people) workshop with Dr. Ingrid Huygens, who has been a Treaty of Waitangi educator since 1989. The full-day workshop provided the council with an accurate reflection of Treaty promises and principles and provided a new understanding of the Māori-Pākehā relationship, focusing on the local impact.

“The Tangata Tiriti workshop was an eye-opening experience and showed us that Te Tiriti o Waitangi was a symbol of peace and generosity from Māori to settlers,” said Mayor Lang......
See full article HERE

Mātauranga Māori to be equal to Western science in biodiversity plan, Te Mana o te Taiao
The government's latest plan to save New Zealand's wildlife and plants promises to have te ao Māori at its heart, including holding mātauranga Māori in the same regard as Western science.

The new strategy, Te Mana o te Taiao, has five key outcomes including that ecosystems from mountain tops to ocean depths are thriving, indigenous species and their habitats are protected, and treaty partners are exercising their full role as rangatira and kaitiaki.

Conservation Minister Eugene Sage said the last plan - launched 20 years ago - failed to have a strong Māori perspective, and things had only got worse since then........
See full article HERE

Māori and Crown working together to shape Tertiary Education
Education Minister Chris Hipkins and Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis have finalised the Terms of Reference with Te Taumata Aronui.

"Te Taumata Aronui is an opportunity for Māori and the Crown to work more closely on changes to the tertiary education system," Chris Hipkins said.

"Te Taumata Aronui first met in March with Ministers and education agency Chief Executives to discuss how they will work together to help ensure the tertiary education system can adapt to Māori needs and enable Māori to succeed as Māori," Kelvin Davis said........
See full article HERE

Legal proceedings to be launched against Lake Horowhenua exemption to freshwater standards
Legal action is being launched to fight against controversial exemptions to new freshwater standards, as a Horowhenua iwi takes the Government policy to the High Court and Waitangi Tribunal.

That warning has proven apt, with Te Rūnanga o Raukawa chief executive Lindsay Poutama​ telling Stuff on Monday a judicial review of the exemption was being organised.

Parker had not sought or taken advice from iwi before moving forward with the exemption, only going to them once the exemption was well under way – something Poutama said went against the Resource Management Act.

Iwi were not just another party, but partners under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, who should have been involved in proper conversations about the exemption, he said........
See full article HERE

Propaganda:
Decolonise the justice system - ‘tinkering’ won’t do

Monday August 10, 2020

News:
Election timing may cost New Plymouth ratepayers thousands
New Plymouth ratepayers face shelling out $100,000 for a poll on Māori wards that could be made irrelevant by next month’s general election.
With Labour poised to govern again, there’s a possibility the controversial poll clause in the Local Electoral Act will he modified so citizens can't demand a poll to block wards.

But there’s no guarantee that will happen in time for New Plymouth District Council to avoid holding a poll, in which citizens will decide if the council's second attempt to establish a Māori ward can go ahead........
See full article HERE

Westlake Boys High School reviews rules after students told to cover up tā moko
Two Māori students were told to cover up their tā moko because it’s against the rules to display tattoos at Auckland’s Westlake Boys High School.

The senior students, from Ngāpuhi, Te Aupōuri and Te Rarawa in the Far North, wear tā moko on their arms and shoulders to represent their iwi and whakapapa; the pair were said to be “deeply hurt” by the request to hide it.

But following complaints from the students’ whānau, a hui was this week held at the school where an expert outlined how tā moko is a valuable part of Māori tikanga or culture. The school has since decided to review its policy on tattoos.....
See full article HERE

Articles:
Karl du Fresne: Institutional overkill? The case of Deborah Hugill

Propaganda:
I'm saying yes to giving Māori a fair go

Recognising Māori Resilience – Meng Foon

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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