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Saturday, October 23, 2021

Breaking Views Update: Week of 17.10.21







Saturday October 23, 2021 

News:
New fund to accelerate Māori vaccinations

The Government has established a $120 million fund to accelerate Māori vaccination rates and support communities to prepare for the implementation of the new COVID-19 Protection Framework.

The new Māori Communities COVID-19 Fund will directly fund Māori, Iwi, community organisations and providers to deliver local vaccination initiatives for whānau, and support Māori and communities to prepare for the new protection framework.

$60 million will go towards accelerating Māori vaccination rates and a further $60 million will support Māori and iwi-led initiatives to protect their communities against COVID-19.
See full article HERE

$25.9m for Ngāi Tahu to reduce young South Island Māori in state care
Nearly $26 million will be put towards a prevention programme to reduce the number of young Māori in the South Island entering the Oranga Tamariki system.

Minister for Children, Hon Kelvin Davis, today announced Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu would receive $25.9m of Oranga Tamariki funding over three years.......
See full article HERE

Auckland Council to restore Māori park names
Auckland Council has invited mana whenua to provide Māori names and narratives for 19 parks and reserves across the Devonport-Takapuna area as part of a programme to increase the visibly of te reo Māori and showcase the unique Māori history of the area.

At its business meeting this week, the local board agreed on the following 18 locations to have dual names – a Māori name alongside its existing name:......
See full article HERE

Iwi boards to drive Māori Health Authority
A network of iwi-Māori partnership boards feeding into the new Māori Health Authority has been outlined in a bill now before parliament.

The Māori Health Authority has $100 million as an initial budget to commission services.......
See full article HERE

Articles:
Gerrard Eckhoff: Murky waters

Roger Childs: “Loaded” draft for consultation 

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 October 22, 2021 

News: 
Mataharehare protesters see off construction crew 
The head of the Ministry of Culture and Heritage says it is taking a non-confrontational approach to starting work on the Erebus Memorial at the Parnell Rose Gardens.

Contractors turned up at the site yesterday to start work but found protesters blocking the access gates.

The Save Mataharehare group says the attempted work start was a breach of the rāhui placed on the site......
See full article HERE

Māori ward in Napier described as 'bittersweet' victory
More than half the people who submitted their views to the council on Māori wards were against them.

But only people who were for the wards spoke to councillors at hearings.

Ninety-five percent of submitters on the Māori electorate roll were for the wards, with many councillors saying that swayed them......
See full article HERE

Horowhenua District Council to introduce two Māori ward councillors
The Horowhenua District Council is set to introduce two Māori ward councillors, expanding council from 11 members to 13.

Councillors voted 6-5 in favour of the change at a council meeting on Wednesday. It would see 10 general ward councillors, two Māori ward councillors and the mayor elected at large......
See full article HERE

Lockdowns led to 'exponential demand for support' from Māori in South Island
A new tranche of funding is being released to Māori providers and agencies to address the urgent needs of whānau in the South Island.

The $626,000 fund will be spread across 13 agencies, and handed out by the Whānau Ora commissioning agency for the south, Te Pūtahitanga o te Waipounamu.

The funding would assist within urgent areas calling for more support such as mental health support, kai access, housing and vaccination uptake.....
See full article HERE

UK and New Zealand agree to $1bn free trade deal
The agreement covers everything from tariff reduction to a British commitment on the appropriate use of the haka, Ka Mate.

The trade agreement will include provisions on the rights of women in the workplace and for the recognition of Māori.

The UK will cooperate with New Zealand to "advance recognition and protection" of the Ka Mate haka. A side letter will acknowledge Ngāti Toa Rangatira's guardianship of that haka.....
See full article HERE

NZ-UK free trade deal 'game changing' for the Māori economy
The New Zealand-United Kingdom free trade agreement could be “game changing” for the Māori economy, with indigenous trade explicitly included in the text of the deal.

An indigenous trade chapter in the deal, called “groundbreaking” by Ardern, says both countries will promote Māori interest in the free trade relationship. The chapter is among aspects of the deal for which the fine print is yet to be settled.

And the Māori economic interests, estimated to be worth more than $60 billion, appeared primed to gain from the deal. Chris Karamea Insley, chairman of the Te Taumata board that advises the Government on Māori trade, said there was “a lot to be happy about”......
See full article HERE

Help for Māori to access health services
Accessing health and wellbeing services in the Nelson region has just become easier for Te Piki Oranga clients, after a helping hand from global seafood company Sealord.

Nelson-based Sealord is Te Tauihu Māori health and wellness provider Te Piki Oranga’s first corporate sponsor.

Sealord is contributing $4000 annually for the next three years to cover the transport costs of whānau Te Piki Oranga works with in the Nelson and Marlborough regions to get to appointments, and also to help get the service’s workers to whānau in their homes.

The funding will pay for things like petrol vouchers, bus passes and taxi chits for whānau......
See full article HERE

Fertiliser boyott call as Whareroa fights for survival
A Ngāi Te Rangi marae is calling on Māori land blocks to boycott fertilizer from Ballance Agri Nutrients until the firm moves its Mount Maunganui plant.

The plant is one of a number of industrial businesses which have come to surround Whareroa Marae, the ancestral gathering place of Ngāi Tukairangi and Ngāti Kuku.......
See full article HERE

First wahine Māori governor general to be sworn in
The first wahine Māori Governor-General, Dame Cindy Kiro, will be sworn in today at a ceremony at Parliament House in Wellington.

It’s the most significant state event since the opening of Parliament last November......
See full article HERE

Bigger wig for Judge Harvey
Māori Land Court Judge Layne Harvey has followed the path of his former law firm colleague Sir Joe Williams into the High Court.

Judge Harvey, from Ngāti Awa, will sit in Auckland......
See full article HERE

Articles:
Hugh Perrett: Open letter to Government and the Prime Minister

Maori Health Authority must engage with “relevant” groups under new Bill – but guess who gets to define “relevant”? - Point of Order 

Thursday October 21, 2021 

News: 
'Nine-strong council, including two Maori reps for next election - Northland Regional Council 
Chair Penny Smart says while the council’s decisions to establish Māori constituencies and to use the First Past the Post (FPP) electoral system had already been made and couldn’t be changed through the Representation Review process, the NRC had recently sought public feedback on the number of councillors, the areas they’re elected from and the names of the constituencies they’ll represent.

After considering the 33 submissions received, the council decided to push ahead with a proposed model that would have nine councillors at the next local body elections.

Seven general councillors would be elected from seven general constituencies (one from each) and two Maori councillors elected from the region-wide Maori constituency (Te Raki), the latter with an electoral population of approximately 48,000.

The general constituencies would be Far North (with an electoral population of 21,500 people), Coastal Central (20,800), Coastal South (21,000), Kaipara (19,900), Mid North (20,300), Whangarei Central (22,300) and Bay of Islands-Whangaroa (21,100).....
See full article HERE

Napier City Council votes in favour of Maori wards
Today the Napier City Council resolved to introduce Maori Wards for the 2025 local body elections. This is an important moment in the history of Napier that next month marks 170 years since the signing of the Ahuriri block purchase by Tareha Te Moananui and other significant tipuna, which enabled the establishment of Napier City.

The vote was carried 11 votes in favour with one abstention and with strong and resounding support voiced by councillors.........
See full article HERE

Rural wards and Māori co-governance suggested for council
A rural ward and equal seats for Māori and non-Māori are among proposals by public submitters on the structure of the district council.

Rotorua Lakes Council received 169 submissions on its 2021 representation review, with 27 submitters presenting their views to the council's Strategy, Policy and Finance Committee yesterday.......
See full article HERE

Health reforms framework introduced to Parliament
Henare noted the bill required establishment of a Hauroa Maori advisory committee and formally recognised iwi health boards for the first time.

“These changes will transform Māori health,” Henare said.

“These changes recognise the role of Iwi-Māori Partnership Boards and that Māori should be able to exercise tino rangatiratanga and mana motuhake when it comes to planning and decision-making for health services at a local levels.”.....
See full article HERE

Articles:
Hugh Perrett: Distorted governance perspective

What a mess we're in – Don Brash

Nats and govt get cosy on housing-density rules – but Collins vows to pull the plug on Three Waters asset grab – Point of Order 

Wednesday October 20, 2021 

News: 
Tauranga iwi’s big foreshore and seabed win 
A High Court decision granting customary title to part of Tauranga Harbour is the latest in a series of cases giving legal backing to tikanga Māori. Ben Leonard reports.

After years of legal battles, their people have finally been granted customary title to the marine and coastal area of Tauranga Harbour’s eastern-most arm.

Under the Act, customary marine title gives mana whenua legal rights over areas of the foreshore and seabed below mean high water springs (the highest point washed by the tide).

This includes having a say over activities that need resource consent, like the building of new wharves. It does not, however, restrict public access or recreation.

For a court to grant customary marine title, a group must be able to show two things.

First, that they have held the area in accordance with tikanga, and second that their use has been exclusive, ongoing, and without substantial interruption since 1840.

It’s a high bar that has drawn criticism from some legal experts and launched an ongoing Waitangi Tribunal inquiry.

According to former Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson, only about 4 percent of iwi would have their rights recognised using the Act’s two-part test.

In practice, however, judges have proven willing to depart from western property law and decide cases based on the unique tikanga of each rohe as presented to them by pūkenga and other experts......
See full article HERE

Te Mātāwaka: Greens call for the Government to listen to Māori health experts
“A Te Tiriti-led response to COVID-19 needs to recognise the importance of Māori-led strategies for Māori. Māori leadership is imperative, and we need to listen to Māori health experts and representatives who have recommended sticking to the elimination strategy at least until we have achieved a 95 percent vaccination for Māori.

“The Government confirmed today that it will make another announcement later this week about how it will support an increase in Māori vaccinations.

“Te Mātāwaka is calling for an urgent increase in funding support for Māori and Pasifika health providers.....
See full article HERE

Alliance of iwi and Māori representatives rejects government’s proposed traffic light system
Now an alliance of iwi/Māori representatives, including representatives of urban and rural Māori, as well as rangatahi, hapū and iwi, health professionals, business organizations and respected legacy group Te Rōpū Wahine Māori Toko I Te Ora (Māori Women’s Welfare League) and the NZ Māori Council have discussed the framework.

“After taking a stance on the government’s traffic light model, a strong joint statement was presented to the Crown last night to make it absolutely clear that we reject the traffic light framework,” said Mike Smith, co-chair of the Pandemic Response Group, which represents the National Representing Iwi chairs......
See full article HERE

Northland iwi checkpoints moving further south as Auckland cases surge
Northland iwi checkpoints will be set up south of Whangārei – the southernmost they've been – amid concerns of surging Covid-19 in Auckland.

Tai Tokerau Border Control (TBC) has been talking to hapu south of Whangārei to look at the possibility of setting up patrols in the Waipu area, Rueben Taipari told Stuff.

Taonui said police should work with iwi checkpoints, so that in the event of a “runway” border breach, there would be more capacity on a wider geographic area.....
See full article HERE

Waitangi Tribunal: Lack of action on Māori health underfunding as health gaps grow
The health gap between Māori and non-Māori continues to grow while Waitangi Tribunal claimants wait for the Crown to agree on a way to measure decades-worth of underfunding in Māori health.

The Waitangi Tribunal has released its final recommendations from its stage one of the Health Services and Outcomes Kaupapa Inquiry. Its first recommendations, released in 2019, included a call for the Crown and claimants to agree on a way to assess how much Māori primary health providers had been underfunded......
See full article HERE

New grants inject vital funds into rangatahi-led STEMM projects
As part of Te Pūtea Whakatupu Trust’s annual grant funding round, a total of $65,000 has been awarded in recent weeks in support of kaupapa Māori projects and research across the community and ocean sectors.

This year’s funding round introduced the inaugural Pou Herenga Tangata Award and the Tonganui Scholarship, with funds designed to support rangatahi that aspire to community leadership, and mātauranga Māori in the marine environment......
See full article HERE

Exploring Culture In The Workplace
The Hawke’s Bay Chamber of Commerce have been on a journey of discovery with cultural connection to the land we operate on. As a team, we are interested in discovering the impact of entrenching Māori tikanga (values) and kawa (protocol) in our organisation.

Being mindful of Māori tradition and understanding the stories of local Māori strengthens the bonds between team members and the land the organisation operates on.....
See full article HERE

Councillors opt for two wards plus Māori ward for Nelson
The Nelson City Council has voted in favour of a mixed two-ward system for the 2022 local government elections, with a late proposal from Mayor Rachel Reese for a four-ward model failing narrowly.

A two-ward mixed model recommended by council staff had been the preferred option after a representation review meeting in August. It will divide Nelson into two general wards and one Māori ward, while retaining several “at large” councillors......
See full article HERE 

Tuesday October 19, 2021 

News: 
Work starts on indigenous plan 
Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson has held the first of a series of online hui aimed to developing a plan for New Zealand to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The hui included representatives of more than 30 national Māori organisations.

Similar hui will continue until February, when wider public consultation on a declaration plan will start.

He says a way to identify whether the declaration is having an effect is to identify tangible outcomes which can be tracked in areas like health, housing, justice and education.
See full article HERE

Integrate te reo Māori and tikanga Māori into your classroom programme
Suggestion for implementing the strategy ‘Building an inclusive, culturally responsive classroom environment’

This is a Ministry of Education initiative. We shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent outcomes.....
See full article HERE

Ardern seeks Maori mandate for COVID plan
Jacinda Ardern’s government quietly held a series of meetings with Maori groups this weekend to engage in New Zealand’s fight against COVID-19.

Many Maori leaders have felt excluded by the government in New Zealand’s COVID-19 response, which has disproportionately affected Maori.

Others believe that the new phase of the pandemic requires more Maori ownership of decisions......
See full article HERE

Four Northland iwi file High Court claim in Auckland for review of te reo Māori in New Zealand courts
The iwi believe te reo remains second string to English despite the Māori Language Act, passed in 2016, allowing judges, lawyers and witnesses to speak te reo Māori in the courts.

All four iwi are jointly seeking a review of the decisions made by the Minister of Justice, the Secretary of Justice and the Attorney General regarding te reo Māori in courts.

They claim the rules, procedures and processes implemented are inconsistent with the Māori Language Act and te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Their "ultimate goal" was to see the mana of te reo Māori appropriately recognised in all of New Zealand's courts, and to ensure its use was sufficiently supported and resourced......
See full article HERE

More than two thirds of the children who died in state care since 2017 were Māori
Information accessed by the Herald by an Official Information Act request shows 23 out of the 28 children who died in state care since 2017 were Māori.

"[The number dying] It's unacceptable, but as I say, it's because Māori are nearly two thirds of the children in care, so it's another legacy of the over-representation of Māori in the care system.".....
See full article HERE

Mounting opposition to Government's proposed new 'traffic light' system for Covid-19 restrictions
The influential National Iwi Chairs Forum wrote to the Government on Sunday evening saying it, along with various Māori organisation, rejected the proposed traffic light system.

“We weren't involved with the co-design of the current one, and that hasn't served as well as Māori. And so if you're going to develop a new one, co-design it with us so that we can be part of the solution......
See full article HERE

BDO Launches New Scholarship To Increase Māori Representation In Accounting
BDO has launched its new Sir Henare Ngata Scholarship for Mori accountant students heading into their final year of study. Mori are significantly under-represented in the accounting profession, making up around 2% of accountants in Aotearoa …
See full article HERE

Articles:
We Got Here Because of Cowardice. We Get Out With Courage – Bari Weiss 

Sunday October 17, 2021 

News: 
Tairāwhiti iwi want to be part of planning and implementation 
Iwi leaders in Tairāwhiti want assurances from the government that their region will be protected from Covid-19.

"Like Hone Harawira in the north, Tairāwhiti iwi want to be part of the thinking, planning and implementation of strategies to protect our borders from day one, not be brought in after the fact," Parata said.....
See full article HERE

Maori land rates and rates remission – Christchurch City Council
The nature of Maori Freehold Land (MFL) is different to general land. Differences include ownership structure (often MFL has a large number of owners) and the prohibition against further alienation of MFL.

Unused Maori Freehold Land is legally non-rateable, so is not charged any rates except those related to water supply, sewerage, and rubbish collection.

Maori Freehold Land that is partly used may qualify for a remission of rates under Council's Policy on Remission and Postponement of Rates on Maori Freehold Land.....
See full article HERE

New Zealand Certificate in Maori Governance Level 4
This course contributes to professional, ethical, social and culturally responsive Maori leadership. You ll learn through wananga to build the skills you need to contribute to Maori cultural, educational and economic aspirations. As a graduate of this programme, you ll be equipped to fulfil a range of kaupapa Maori based governance roles.....
See full article HERE

Articles:
New history curriculum off to a worrying start – Paul Moon

Oh dear – ECan has dug up a bad Bill (that was buried in 2019) to spare Ngai Tahu the bother of winning votes at the ballot box – Point of Order 

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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