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Saturday, December 10, 2022

Breaking Views Update: Week of 4.12.22







Saturday December 10, 2022 

News:
Co-governance work put on ice

The Māori Development Minister is putting the brakes on co-governance work, while National is still unsure how it will meet the United Nations declaration commitments it signed up to more than a decade ago

Willie Jackson will take a recommendation to Cabinet on December 19 to halt work on a draft plan designed to meet commitments made under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP).

The Māori Development Minister is concerned most New Zealanders don’t understand the point of the UN plan and instead he wants to spend next year engaging with both Māori and non-Māori on it.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told Newsroom on Monday she wouldn’t comment on whether the work would be put on hold because it was yet to go before Cabinet for a decision to be made.

Seymour wants a referendum on co-governance to properly define what the Treaty of Waitangi means in a modern New Zealand.

Luxon has so far refused to support ACT’s referendum if in government together.....
See full article HERE

Ōpihi burial ground: Developer and Māori hui out of court for solution

Māori groups in Whakatāne have welcomed a decision to pause the development of a retirement village by an urupā.

The Environment Court was due to hear an appeal against a Heritage New Zealand decision to grant approval for the development.....>
See full article HERE

Anti-Māori driving three waters opposition
Waikato Tainui leader Tukoroirangi Morgan says the passing of the first three waters bill is a watershed moment for Aotearoa New Zealand.

He says attacks on the reform and on Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta show some people feel they are about to lose their power.

“People in power, especially those in the councils, hate the fact people who look like me, who are Maori, are sitting at the table making decisions alongside them. Maori have always been excluded from the decision-making table. It’s the reason why there is an ongoing assault on Nanaia Mahuta, and the iwi of Waikato Tainui, we stand completely and totally alongside her,” Mr Morgan says....
See full article HERE

Water ownership bottom line for Māori Party
Te Paati Māori says three Water Services Entities Act short changes Māori.

Co-leader Rawiri Waititi says the Maori Party voted against the third reading because the rights and interests of tangata whenua are yet to be resolved.

“When Kingi Tuheitia made the comment back in 2015 around ‘we own the water’ that’s exactly the stance of Te Paati Māori. We are the true active kaitiaki of the water, we own the water and that hasn’t been recognised in this bill – that’s why we voted against it,” he says.....
See full article HERE

Māori Forestry Experts Working To Unlock $16BN Value
A group of Māori forestry specialists and other experts have met this week in Rotorua to develop the forestry practice which will be key to unlocking more than $16 billion in value for the Māori economy.

The group, brought together by Te Taumata (Māori Forestry Landowners) and funded exclusively by Māori forestry interests, is working to establish a best practice model for permanent transitional forest management.....
See full article HERE

Indigenous broadcasters beef up push for cultural revitalisation
Indigenous and first-nation broadcasters are reuniting in Uluru, Australia, to strengthen shared aspirations to revitalise and promote indigenous languages and cultures at the 2022 World Indigenous Television Broadcasters Network (WITBN) meeting.

WITBN Chairman Shane Taurima (Rongomaiwahine) sees the network as a cohesive partnership between indigenous broadcasters from around the world, aimed at building capacity within the indigenous media broadcasting sector.....
See full article HERE

Three waters no a vote for white privilege
A leading member of the Iwi Chairs Forum has slammed the Māori and Green parties for voting against Labour’s three waters reform.

Outgoing Te Rarawa chair Haami Piripi says that’s a vote for the status quo, which entrenches white privilege.

“Those privileges have been allocated to different elements of our community and society which have promoted their development. They get the water first. There’s been a whole history of marginalisation and I’m just amazed the Maori Party can vote for white privilege. I’m more amazed the Greens can vote against an environmental issue in support of a financial one,” he says.....
See full article HERE

Otuihu pā site sold to Crown with expectation it's returned to Ngāti Manu
Private landowner John McIntosh has sold the Otuihu pā site to the Crown, with an expectation it will be returned to Ngāti Manu as redress.

In the 19th century, the pā was a trading centre and home of the Ngāti Manu chief Pōmare II, who lived there with several Pākehā settlers.....
See full article HERE 

This Breaking Views Update monitors race relations in the media on a weekly basis. New material is added regularly. 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 December 9, 2022 

News: 
Partnership Central To New Council Trial 
Council and iwi took a positive step for our environment with the inauguration of an Iwi Technical Trial.

Jo Noble, Council’s Chief of Strategy and Science, says the trial will provide a te ao Māori perspective to resource management.

“The trial consists of five technical experts appointed by four iwi; Te Runanganui o Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust, Tāmanuhiri Tūtū Poroporo Trust and Te Aitanga a Māhaki Trust. The members will directly contribute to the drafting of the Tairāwhiti Resource Management Plan (TRMP) review.”....
See full article HERE

Staff and students 'concerned' about proposed restructure of Māori, Pacific, Equity office
Staff and students at Canterbury University are concerned about a proposal to restructure its equity team, but it says the aim is to improve academic leadership to “meet modern tribal needs”.

Canterbury University became the first treaty university in 2021, and Ngāi Tūāhuriri ūpoko and Professor Te Maire Tau took up the lead role of pou whakarae to work alongside tumu whakarae (vice-chancellor) Professor Cheryl de la Rey to ensure the inclusion of te ao Māori, mātauranga (knowledge), and to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi......
See full article HERE

Editorial: Where's the Māori caucus?
It’s obvious to anyone with an atom of knowledge of the primary sector that the Government response would disproportionally affect Māori farming. However, the politicians and officials, who it seems seldom get beyond the outer suburbs of Wellington, didn’t see this coming.

In her hard hitting submission, Severne starts off by saying she has “grave concerns about the Government emissions pricing policy and it will disproportionately disadvantage Māori”. She rightly expresses her concern about “the impact on rural communities where Māori are often over represented”. She is bang on and this has already been echoed by Federated Farmers and the Wairoa District Council.....
See full article HERE

Māori to share reo story at UN hui
Māori Language Commissioner Rawinia Higgins says attending next week’s next week’s International Decade of Indigenous Languages event in France will be a chance to measure progress in revitalising te reo Māori against what’s happening elsewhere.

Indigenous people are only 6 percent of the world’s population, but have about 4000 of the world’s 7000 spoken languages......
See full article HERE

Wairarapa Moana co-governance with iwi in new bill
A bill giving Ngāti Kahungunu and Rangitāne a greater say in the management of lands and waters in Wairarapa and southern Hawke’s Bay has been given its third reading in Parliament.

The bill provides for the return of land at Mākirikiri, Mataikona, Castlepoint, Lake Wairarapa and the Ruamahanga River catchment.

It establishes the Wairarapa Moana Statutory Board to oversee the lake and its cartchment, composed of members appointed by Rangitāne, Ngāti Kahungunu, the Minister of Conservation, the Wellington Regional Council, and the South Wairarapa District Council.....
See full article HERE

Kaipara mayor backs down on karakia ban after ‘frank’ discussion
The decison to ban karakia at Kaipara council meetings has been revoked after "an open and frank discussion", mayor Craig Jepson said in a statement this morning.

However today he said: "Agreement was reached that each councillor will have the opportunity on a rotating basis immediately prior to the opening of the ordinary council meeting to recite karakia, make statements of choice and forms of reflection."

Jepson said the purpose of the discussion was to accommodate the needs of all elected members.....
See full article HERE

Paniora fights to defend Kaipara co-governance
Kaipara Māori ward councillor Pera Paniora says the new mayor is mounting a multi-pronged attack on his Māori constituents.

Craig Jepson is under fire for blocking Ms Paniora from saying a karakia to start the Kaipara District Council’s first meeting.

Meanwhile, Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson said today that after an “open and frank discussion” with councillors, agreement was reached that each councillor would have the opportunity on a rotating basis to start a council meeting with karakia, statements of choice or forms of reflection.

Councillor Paniora was not at yesterday’s meeting.....
See full article HERE

River rules revamp needs Māori input says council
Māori are being urged to have their say in a rare chance to influence how rivers are looked after in Taranaki.

Taranaki Regional Council has to develop a new plan to manage freshwater, which will eventually be part of a regional Natural Resources Plan.....
See full article HERE

Leaked Briefing Shows Co-government For Education

“There’s yet another fight brewing inside the Labour Party, with Chris Hipkins refusing to rule out the Māori Caucus’ aspiration for a separate Māori education system”, says ACT’s Education spokesperson Chris Baillie.

“Labour’s obsession with imposing an ethnic and Treaty lens on everything has set it on a path towards co-government in education.....
See full article HERE

Stats NZ Signs Agreement With Te Iwi O Ngātiwai To Support 2023 Census
A memorandum of understanding aimed at raising participation levels among Northland’s Ngātiwai iwi in the 2023 Census has been signed in Whangārei, Stats NZ said today.

The memorandum of understanding was signed by Te Iwi o Ngātiwai and Government Statistician Mark Sowden on behalf of Stats NZ at a special ceremony at Whangārei Terenga Parāoa Marae hosted by Te Poari o Ngātiwai on Wednesday, 7 December.

Today marks a significant step for both parties. This memorandum of understanding outlines our commitment to supporting you to enable and encourage the participation of Te Iwi o Ngātiwai in the 2023 Census......
See full article HERE

Two major iwi are welcoming the passing of the first of three controversial Three Waters bills
Waikato-Tainui's Te Arataura Chairman Tukoroirangi Morgan is calling it a watershed moment for New Zealand -- and particularly their tribal members.

He says The Water Services Entity Bill gives iwi a once-in-lifetime opportunity to be at the decision-making table.

Meanwhile, Ngai Tahu also looked forward to working more closely with local councils.

Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu Kaiwhakahaere Lisa Tumahai says the legislation allows iwi to share their expertise in governance and traditional knowledge......
See full article HERE

Articles:
John Porter: The Maori Power of Veto 

This Breaking Views Update monitors race relations in the media on a weekly basis. New material is added regularly. If you would like to send Letters to the Editor in response to any of these articles, most media addresses can be found HERE

Thursday December 8, 2022 

News: 
Northland Council opens doors for tangata whenua 
Northland Regional Council has confirmed it will continue with Te Taitokerau Māori and Council Working Party, which brings together councillors with 21 appointed iwi and hapū members from across the rohe.

For the first time there will also be independent tangata whenua members appointed to the Investment and Property Subcommittee and Audit and Risk Subcommittee.

Council chair Tui Shortland says this represents another step forward for council in strengthening its commitment to Te Tiriti.....
See full article HERE

Supreme Court rules in favour of Wairarapa Māori
Wairarapa Māori have won a landmark case in the Supreme Court, which could force the Crown to return hundreds of acres of land currently occupied by the multi-million dollar Maraetai Power Station in Waikato.

The Waitangi Tribunal made an extraordinary preliminary finding in 2020 that the land should be returned to Wairarapa Māori despite them not being mana whenua (the original inhabitants) of the Waikato region.

That’s because the land was once given to Wairarapa Māori by the Crown as compensation for the taking of the Wairarapa lakes......
See full article HERE

'Moana' decision appealed, may be heard in Supreme Court
The nation’s highest court has been asked to hear an appeal on the “Moana” case.

Janet Mason, the lawyer acting for Moana’s mother, has made an urgent application for leave to appeal a High Court decision to the Supreme Court.

Moana, who is now 7 years old, is a Māori girl placed in the care of a Pākehā couple in September 2018......
See full article HERE

Indigenous TV broadcasters sign MoU - Whakaata Maori
Whakaata Maori has today signed a 3-year Memorandum of Understanding with the oldest indigenous broadcaster in the world, APTN.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) outlines the relationship between Whakaata Maori and APTN, and how the two indigenous broadcasting entities will work together to tell indigenous stories.....
See full article HERE

Propaganda:
Is there more to being Māori than just your whakapapa?

How Māori are systemically underrepresented in the health workforce 

Wednesday December 7, 2022 

News: 
Fieldays 2022: Unlocking potential of Māori asset base while honouring the soil 
It’s important to ensure Māori agribusiness is supported to the next level, says associate Minister for Agriculture Meka Whaitiri.

Whaitiri spoke while hosting the event Celebrating Māori Farming Excellence at Fieldays headquarters during the annual agriculture showcase.

She said it was estimated Māori owned $13 billion in primary sector assets and Māori businesses exported $750 million in goods last year.....
See full article HERE

Te Awa o Mokotūāraro new name for Clive River
Green MP Elizabeth Kerekere says the New Zealand Geographic Board has accepted ‘Te Awa o Mokotūāraro’ as the name for the Clive River near Hastings.

The board turned down an earlier request by Kohupātiki Marae to restore the Ngaruroro name because it might cause confusion in an emergency.

Dr Kerekere says restoring the name is the first step to the marae reclaiming tino rangatiratanga over the awa......
See full article HERE

Adding 'library' label to Te Tāhuhu o Te Rangi in Ōpōtiki stirs debate
A “library” sign will help those struggling to find the Ōpōtiki building, or “tarnish” the name mana whenua bestowed on it – depending on who you talk to.

A year after the opening of the new library building, Te Tāhuhu o Te Rangi, Ōpōtiki District Council is planning to create new signage explaining its function......
See full article HERE

Protest march planned in Dargaville over Kaipara karakia ban
Opposition is mounting to Kaipara council’s karakia ban with a protest march planned in Dargaville and Tai Tokerau iwi demanding a meeting with the new mayor.

The march will make its way through town to the venue of next Wednesday’s Kaipara District Council meeting. Local hapū Te Uri o Hau is also planning to lodge a formal letter of complaint......
See full article HERE

Government falling behind on timeframe for co-governance plans - Willie Jackson

Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson has confirmed he's "leaning towards" putting the government's work on co-governance on hold.

The work forms part of New Zealand's implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples - or UNDRIP.

Jackson said he initially thought the first draft could be signed off by Cabinet before Christmas, before being put out for public consultation, but there was more work to do.
See full article HERE

Fewer Kiwi children living in poverty but disparity between Māori and Pākehā increasing
About 187,300 Kiwi children live in poverty, 16 percent of the population. That was well below the 2021 target of 18.8 percent, a clear achievement - on paper.

But a demographic breakdown raises questions. Just 14 percent of Pākehā kids were living in poverty, compared to 17.8 percent of Māori kids. That gap isn't new, Eivers said, but that does not make it any less alarming.

"The data shows [the gap] is increasing," she said.

Although poverty continued to decline, the disparity between Māori and Pākehā kids kept growing.....
See full article HERE

Articles:
Bruce Moon: Yet another of the ilk

John Robinson: Are we two peoples - are ‘indigenous’ Maori a race apart?

Propaganda:
The tricky complexities of Māori tapu in today's world

Huia extinction symbolises Māori's loss of rangatiratanga 

Tuesday December 6, 2022 

News: 
Iwi leaders will meet with Kaipara Mayor- whether he wants to or not 
Members of the Iwi Leaders Forum will meet with new Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson - whether he wants to hui or not.

Dame Naida Glavish (Ngāti Whātua Ki Kaipara) has called the meeting after Jepson’s refusal to allow a karakia to open the first council meeting last week.

The ban of karakia ignoring tikanga Māori has drawn the fury and visceral ire of the forum.

The hui with the mayor “in our Kaipara” will take place this week, Glavish said......
See full article HERE

More on the above here > Kaipara karakia canned 

And here > Mayoral karakia veto attack on Māori identity

Ngāpuhi joins fisheries challenge
Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi-Ō-Ngāpuhi says it’s backing Ngāi Tahu’s High Court challenge to an amendment to the Māori Fisheries Act covering the distribution of remaining assets held by the Māori Fisheries Settlement Trust.

The formula agreed at a Te Ohu Kaimona special general meeting in 2016 would give all iwi an equal amount if surplus funds are distributed or the organisation wound up.

Ngāpuhi chair Wane Wharerau, says that would cost Ngāpuhi millions of dollars.....
See full article HERE

Māori Health Authority looking at life-expectancy gap
The new Māori Health Authority predicts the seven-year life expectancy gap between Māori and non-Māori should be falling within five years, as its CEO makes a commitment to change.....
See full article HERE

Propaganda:
Apologies are never simple, but they sure made writing this column easier

Horowhenua iwi 'surrounded by a sea of pollution' 

Monday December 5, 2022 

News: 
Jacinda Ardern offers Crown apology for pain suffered by Ngāti Maniapoto 
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has apologised to Ngāti Maniapoto for more than 150 years of treaty breaches.

It marks an end to more than 30 years of negotiations to reach a settlement with the King Country iwi.

Ardern has told about 3000 people at Te Kuiti Pā the Crown regretted the pain and hurt it caused to Maniapoto through war and land grabs......
See full article HERE

School rejects criticism after deciding to axe whanau class
A parent believes an Invercargill primary school’s decision to axe a whanau class for its students is a backward step, but the school disagrees.

Parent Vanessa Shanks, Ngai Tahu, said the fulltime whanau class at Invercargill Middle School was different to the other classes in the school, with its year 4 to 6 students choosing to be in it to learn in Te Reo and English and learn about the culture, history and stories of Māori people.

The class had given many children “belonging” with its whanau approach and Te Reo and Te Ao Māori focus. Its customs included not wearing shoes in the classroom and doing karakia before morning tea and lunch, she said.

However, Invercargill Middle School Board of Trustees chair Pam Campbell said the decision to close the whanau class was made in order to spread its Māori teachings through the whole school......
See full article HERE

Councillors show support for te reo Māori on Waimate District's signage
Waimate District councillors have shown support for a plan to include te reo Māori on signage throughout the district as part of an economic development plan.....
See full article HERE

Articles:
Who is Actually Running the Country? - Dr Muriel Newman.

Constitutional Double Dealing – Anthony Willy.

David Lillis: The Media and Co-Governance

Graeme Reeves: Call An Early Election 

Sunday December 4, 2022 

News: 
Ngāti Awa's bid to stop company from bottling water at Ōtākiri aquifer dismissed 
The Court of Appeal has dismissed Ngāti Awa's appeal to stop a company from taking a billion litres of water from an aquifer near Whakatāne.

Ngāti Awa argued the use and disposal of plastic bottles should have been taken into resource consent consideration.

It also said the expanded export and use of bottles produced at the plant would have an adverse effect on the environment....

The High Court concluded the adverse effects of consumers discarding plastic bottles were too indirect or remote to require further consideration of Creswell's water-take application.....
See full article HERE

Hundreds of Oranga Tamariki staff complete weeks-long cultural training
Oranga Tamariki says it is in talks with a collective of wānanga after hundreds of ministry staff successfully completed a Māori-focused cultural capability training programme.

The programme, called Tū Māia, was delivered by wānanga (learning institutions) and forms part of the wider Oranga Tamariki Te Hāpai Ō strategy designed to improve outcomes for tamariki and their whānau.....
See full article HERE

Brains and sporting talent sees Gisele Howard gain $5k Māori Sports Awards scholarship
Hard work and determination have been rewarded for Rotorua teenager Gisele Howard, whose dream of becoming a doctor has just been made easier after being acknowledged at the Māori Sports Awards.

The scholarship, awarded for sporting excellence and academic achievement, means the John Paul College student receives a $5000 scholarship to go towards her university studies.....
See full article HERE

Propaganda:
Waikato Tainui working with police for the betterment of Māori communities 

This Breaking Views Update monitors race relations in the media on a weekly basis. New material is added regularly. If you would like to send Letters to the Editor in response to any of these articles, most media addresses can be found HERE

4 comments:

robert Arthur said...

re 4 Dec.The Ngati Awa water bottling challenge remarkable. Could equally be argued that no takeaway shops should be permitted because of the litter generated. From my observation in carparks maori are not especially diligent about not leaving piles of takeaway and beer cartons. If the Ngati Awa ever pay the costs levied it would be interesting to know what funding they utilise. It is reamrkable they so imprudent with it. Water bottling rankles because it is a simple lucrative industry seemingly within maori grasp, but they (and others) have been shrewdly beaten in acquiring the concessions. Any ruling on the waste bottle aspect would seem likely to complicate maori desires to capture. Under 3/5 Waters their prospects will be infinitely increased.

Robert Arthur said...

Dec 5. it is little wonder Jacinda was at sea over the entenchment matter. The endless round of public appearances must be very draining of time and energy.especialy the maori ones where have to feign enthusiam through tedious performances.
The decision of an Invercargill school to can its whanau class is the right one for the wrong reason. Instead of transferring the maori twaddle to all classes, as with all schools should drop it entirely until achievement standards and teacher productivity of the 1920s-50s are regained.
And maori road signs can only provide economic development for signwriters and for the those who will of necessity and now established tradition be consulted (paid for)The confusion these generate is counter to economic development.

Robert Arthur said...

Re 6 Dec.The absurd pressure being brought upon the Kaipara mayor over an utterly trivial matter exemplifies the fundamental flaw which will apply to co governance. If a matter of such little moment can incur cancellation or near, any significant issue certainly will. So for fear of the cancellation utu near all will side with maori.
It would be wonderful if Meng Fooon declared it was not a race matter....but he won't. A rational statement could earn him continued employment.
How do so many irrational outspoken maori women become Ladies/Dames? Is the approving committee also fearful of cancellation?

Anonymous said...

What is outrageous are these discracfull bullies attacking this one man who deserves all our admiration for standing by his belief in equality and fairness.
I wish him all the best in this stand against all that is wrong in our society.