Breaking Views Update: Week of 19.5.24

Saturday May 25, 2024 

NEWS:
Te Rūnanga O Ngāi Tahu Objects To The Removal Of The Hierarchy Of Obligations Under Te Mana O Te Wai
Removing Te Mana o te Wai hierarchy from the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) consenting process is unacceptable, says Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Kaiwhakahaere Justin Tipa.

Ngāi Tahu objects to a proposed amendment that would remove the requirement for resource consent applicants to demonstrate compliance with the hierarchy of obligations under Te Mana o te Wai.....
See full article HEREHERE

Wellington City Council corrects Epuni Street to Hōniana Te Puni Street
Epuni Street in the Wellington suburb of Aro Valley has been corrected to Hōniana Te Puni Street.

A new street sign was unveiled by Wellington City Council, Wellington Central MP Tamatha Paul, and direct descendants of chief Hōniana Te Puni on Thursday morning.

In 2020, Waripori Street was corrected to Te Wharepōuri Street in the suburb of Berhampore to honour chief Te Wharepōuri.

Mayor Tory Whanau said the new street name correctly recognises Hōniana Te Puni....
See full article HEREHERE

Māori housing provider ready to step up
The manager of housing for Wellington’s kaupapa Māori-based social service provider He Herenga Kura hopes a report on Kainga Ora will lead to the state housing agency forming closer relationships with community housing providers.

He says if the Government wants better outcomes for Māori it needs to give more pūtea to Māori community housing providers....
See full article HEREHERE

Iwi and council identify preferred site for Raetihi hub
Iwi and council partners working on a joint proposal to build a multi-purpose community centre in Raetihi have chosen their preferred site.

Iwi collective Te Korowai o Wainuiārua and Ruapehu District Council are developing plans for what could be the biggest build the Waimarino township has seen.

The land is to be returned to Te Korowai o Wainuiārua under the $28.5m Treaty settlement it signed with the Crown on July 29, 2023.....
See full article HEREHERE

Ruapehu District Council and Ngāti Hāua Uri build on relationship to improve community outcomes
Ngāti Hāua uri hosted the whakatau to welcome and meet Ruapehu District Council management, staff and newly-appointed professional services contractors for three waters, parks and reserves, solid waste and land transport BTW and partners Rationale and Xyst.

Representatives from The Lines Company, Stellar Projects, Intricate Developments, Mano Studios and Rephan Woods Building Solutions also attended.

“Today marks an important part of our journey as Ngāti Hāua Uri develops our strategic partnership with the council, contributing to the wellbeing of our communities,” Huch said.....
See full article HEREHERE

Horowhenua DC Supports Joint Letter To Government On Māori Wards
Mayor Bernie Wanden joined 51 Mayors and Chairs, and LGNZ in advocating for local decision-making regarding the imminent introduction of poll provisions on Māori Wards. This united stance highlights HDC’s commitment to fair and equitable representation in our communities.
See full article HEREHERE

Professor Rangi Mātāmua awarded NZ Order of Merit for services to Māori astronomy
Interest in Matariki continues to grow, says the man who led the drive for it to become a public holiday.

Astronomy Professor Rangi Mātāmua was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit on Friday in Wellington alongside several other Māori for achievements in their fields.

Sir Pou Temara, alongside an array of tohunga, led a hautapu ceremony at Te Papa to mark Matariki becoming an official holiday for the first time in 2022......
See full article HERE

ARTICLES:
Caleb Anderson: What happens when the law becomes negotiable?

Gary Judd KC: Tikanga Regulations complaint to proceed

Cameron Luxton: Activist Mayors On A Hiding To Nothing Over Māori Wards

The Leighton Smith Podcast: Dr Muriel Newman on the danger to the governance of NZ, the Marine & Coastal Area Act
https://breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2024/05/the-leighton-smith-podcast-dr-muriel.html

PROPAGANDA:
Government triggers ‘impressive’ legal tsunami from Māori

Decolonising death: Reviving Māori burial practices  

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 May 24, 2024

News:

Government Progresses Māori Wards Legislation

The coalition Government’s legislation to restore the rights of communities to determine whether to introduce Māori wards has passed its first reading in Parliament, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown says.

“Divisive changes introduced by the previous government denied local communities the ability to determine whether to establish Māori wards.”

The Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill will give councils that established a Māori ward without referendum the chance to reverse their decision or hold a binding poll at the 2025 elections on whether to continue with the Māori ward......

See full article HERE

Brian Lee loses bid to name his private road after himself
The Wellington City Council has denied a Wellington man’s bid to name his private road after himself but he did not lose entirely.

Brian Lee of Northland was battling the council to name his new road, on land he owns, Lee Way. The council wanted it to be named Te Ara Tārehu.

Te Ara Tārehu, or Lee Way, is a dirt road being developed with new homes in the Wellington suburb of Northland.

“I’m the one paying every single penny to build this road,” he told the council’s regulatory processes committee on Thursday.

But in the end, the committee came up with a compromise: Te Ara Tauhuna, which means concealed.....
See full article HERE

Empowering rangatahi Māori: New research project scores ‘golden’ grant
A new research project is underway that uses the voices of rangatahi from the East Coast to help co-design initiatives to make positive changes during a climate change crisis, and also creating future leaders.

Massey University kaupapa researcher Dr Teah Carlson (Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Ngāti Porou, Waikato-Tainui), created this kaupapa, Hāpai te hauora (Breathing your ancestors into life), which will run for 48 months, and will receive $649,992 of funding from the Health Research Council of New Zealand.

Carlson is one of nine Māori and Pacific health researchers to receive a portion of $5.6 million in funding to help researchers become leaders in their field.....
See full article HERE

More on the above here > Ones to watch: the next generation of Māori and Pacific health research leaders

Ngāi Tahu architect appointed first Māori president of NZ Institute of Architects
Huia Reriti (Ngāi Tahu) will be the first Māori president of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, having studied and worked in the field for more than 40 years.

“I will be championing Māori and other ethnicities at every chance or steps possible as I believe it will serve only to enrich the lives of our membership,” he says.....
See full article HERE

Activist Mayors On A Hiding To Nothing Over Māori Wards
A group of mayors have written to the government claiming that reintroducing referendums for Māori wards is an 'overreach on local decision-making'. Responding to this, ACT Local Government spokesman Cameron Luxton says:

“This is absurd. Allowing local communities to have a say on their democratic structures is the epitome of local decision-making.

“The mayors also argue the government’s legislation 'undermines the important contributions that Māori are making'. This couldn’t be further from the truth. With no Māori wards, Māori candidates will compete for support on the same debate stages as other candidates, giving voice to their concerns to the wider community.....
See full article HERE

Hastings District Council resolves to retain Takitimu Māori ward
Hastings District Council intends to retain its Takitimu Māori ward, following the introduction of a Government bill that looks to re-instate the ability of electors to demand a referendum for the establishment of Māori wards.

The requirement for a binding poll of residents was removed from the Local Electoral Act 2001 in 2021, and that year Hastings District Council undertook extensive community engagement to gauge support for introducing a Māori ward.

Respondents to this consultation were 76 per cent in favour, and this was followed by a representation review, resulting in the Takitimu ward being established ahead of the 2022 local body election.....
See full article HERE

Long-term mountainbike access agreement reached
The 10-year agreement between Ngāti Koata and the Nelson City Council was signed on Tuesday.

In 2020 the council agreed to an $80,000 one-year grant to Ngāti Koata for access to the recreational trails on the iwi-owned land, which is largely leased for forestry. The access agreement has been rolled over for several years while a long-term deal was pursued.

In a statement on Wednesday, council chief executive Nigel Philpott said the agreement would be inflation-adjusted every year from 2027 onwards and reviewed in 2029. The statement did not provide the cost of the deal....
See full article HERE

More than half of jobs to go at Te Rūnanga ā-Iwi o Ngāpuhi
Te Rūnanga ā-Iwi o Ngāpuhi is to make unprecedented changes to its structure, with rūnanga staff feeling the brunt of the proposed changes.

A consultation document leaked to Te Ao Māori News finds Te Rūnanga ā-Iwi o Ngāpuhi has been running at a loss of, on average, $500,000 a year. To cover future losses, the rūnanga is proposing a complete reduction of staff numbers, from the current 19 positions to only six.

Positions under threat include the chief executive’s office, governance and support, natural resources, and hapū development.....
See full article HERE

New Whanganui courthouse to cost $100 million
The Ministry of Justice and police are working with iwi and hapū to develop the concept of a centralised justice and community wellbeing hub called Te Puna Hapori

The courthouse and police station will take up only part of the site, allowing for health, social and community services to be located together. On the site will also be the large, existing marae complex Rangahaua.

The Ucol campus was formerly owned by the Ministry of Education but was transferred to the Ministry of Justice as part of preparations for the Treaty settlement being negotiated between the Whanganui Land Settlement Negotiation Trust and the Crown. The trust expects the land to return to iwi and hapū ownership under the settlement.....
See full article HERE

PSA Comment On DOC Cuts
DOC is disestablishing 257 roles, creating 133 roles. Of the 257 disestablished roles, 114 are vacant.

The overall cuts to the Department of Conservation will impact its valuable work as an agency which safeguards our national identity and the conservation estate, the jewel in our tourism crown.

These cuts should be a huge concern to New Zealanders who support the protection and preservation of our unique natural habitats. Even more so to Iwi Māori as kaitiaki of our natural spaces......
See full article HERE

Articles:
Mike Butler: Treaty settlements – let’s be honest

Propaganda:
A brief history of racist law - Vincent O’Malley

Section 7AA: A bill that divides and harms Māori children - Willow-Jean Prime

Two in three mayors and chairs urge Government to reconsider Maori ward provisional polls

Iwi says Māori are thriving in aquaculture

ACC and older Māori: Higher injury costs and lower ACC coverage for older Māori according to new study  

Thursday May 23, 2024

News:

Emerging Māori and Pacific health researchers receive funding boost

The Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) has announced more than $5.6 million in funding to help support nine up-and-coming Māori and Pacific health researchers to become leaders in their field.

The 2024 Māori and Pacific Health Research Emerging Leader Fellowships are valued at up to $650,000 each and include three recipients from Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland.

The two Pacific recipients are Seuta‘afili Dr Patrick Thomsen (Faculty of Arts) and Dr Sam Manuela (Faculty of Science). Dr Thomsen receives $645,799 over 48 months for his research ‘Manalagi: Addressing discrimination in healthcare for Pacific Rainbow+’.

Dr Manuela receives $551,786 over 48 months for his research into ‘Enhancing Cook Islands mental health practices, knowledge, and research’.

Māori emerging research leader Dr Kimiora Henare (Ngāti Haua, Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri) receives $649,412 over 48 months. His research is focused on addressing a potential workforce challenge related to the delivery of precision oncology, where doctors and patients choose treatments based on the DNA signature of an individual patient’s tumour.....
See full article HERE

Over 50 mayors critical of Govt's Māori ward changes
Over 50 local mayors from across the country have penned a letter to the Government, criticising their bill that would require councils to hold referendums on Māori wards established without a local poll.

The letter, obtained exclusively by 1News, argues the legislation is "an overreach on local decision-making" and "a distraction from the hard work" councils are doing.

Additionally, the mayors say they are "disappointed" by the bill and suggest it "undermines the important contributions that Māori are making".

The signatories represent more than a third of all mayors as the Government's bill to re-introduce the right to a local referendum on Māori wards will be debated in Parliament.....
See full article HERE

Te Ara Whetū – the name of the new Waikanae Library
This week Council accepted from Te Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai their gift of the name ‘Te Ara Whetū’ for the new Waikanae Library.

We are honoured to accept this beautiful name which speaks to the significance of the location of the library. Mahara Place is an area steeped in Māori history and is the location of Whakarongotai Marae.

Te Ara Whetū literally translates to ‘the passage (ara) of stars (whetū)’. But the story behind the name goes further. It directly relates to the concept of ‘mountains to sea’, and the the library is located in the middle of this view.

Acknowledging the library’s new name during the early design phase allows us to incorporate its stories into the building’s design in a transparent way which we can openly explain......
See full article HERE

David Seymour accuses Waitangi Tribunal of meddling after it makes confidential Treaty Principles docs public
David Seymour has accused the Waitangi Tribunal of political meddling after it made confidential documents about the proposed Treaty Principles legislation public.

The briefings reveal officials told the Government the policy could threaten social cohesion and ACT's proposed principles were a novel interpretation with the backing of no expert opinion.....
See full article HERE

Seymour labels Te Pāti Māori race fanatics over 7AA repeal
ACT leader David Seymour has called opponents of the Bill scrapping 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act race fanaticists.

“We heard the speaker from the Māori Party saying the consequences is cultural extermination, killing the wairua of Māori babies, making them pakeha. They are race fanaticist. They believe a person’s race matters more than all the other attributes that make up a person,” he said....
See full article HERE

Nineteen Asian student associations back Māori and Pasifika campus spaces
Asian student organisations across Aotearoa have issued a joint statement expressing their solidarity with Māori and Pasifika spaces on university campuses.

The tuākana room was only accessible to Māori and Pasifika students.

The statement, signed by 19 Asian student associations and supported by the Asian Legal Network, came in response to the party’s claims, which the authors described as “inaccurate, divisive, and harmful”.

The organisations asserted that spaces for Māori, as tangata whenua, should be guaranteed as part of the obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

They emphasised that all tertiary campuses were built on indigenous land and that Te Tiriti was fundamental to Aotearoa and to the presence of non-indigenous people (tauiwi) in the country.....
See full article HERE

Ngāi Tahu celebrates the Huriawa Peninsula’s tohu whenua status
Ngāi Tahu is celebrating a significant achievement: Huriawa Peninsula, a headland on the Ōtākou coast, is the first Māori historic site in the region to be granted tohu whenua (landmark) designation.

Tohu Whenua is a visitor programme that connects New Zealanders with their unique heritage and enhances their sense of national identity by promoting significant historical and cultural sites.....
See full article HERE

Articles:
Hauraki Gulf fishery closures set to extend

Mike Butler: The British Empire – a force for good

Andy Oakley: Book Review - Who Really Broke The Treaty?

Propaganda:
The fear of failing mokopuna Māori - Debbie Ngarewa-Packer

Government caught out says Moxon

Power grab in anti-Māori policies - Annette Sykes  

Wednesday May 22, 2024

News:

Auditor-General urges councils to work with iwi, hapū on water

Regional councils should build meaningful and enduring relationships with iwi and hapū to improve freshwater management, the Auditor-General has urged in a new report.

“Freshwater is one of New Zealand’s most important natural resources and the quality of our freshwater environment affects the lives of all New Zealanders,” auditor-general John Ryan says.

He emphasises the kaitiakitanga (guardianship) over freshwater within their rohe (territory) that iwi exercise and the cultural and traditional connections that tāngata whenua have with water bodies....

See full article HERE

Controversial Oranga Tamariki bill passes vote, after officials’ and Tribunal’s warnings
A controversial bill, which will remove Treaty obligations from the Oranga Tamariki Act, passed its first vote in Parliament - despite strong criticism from the Waitangi Tribunal and Oranga Tamariki itself.

The bill will now go through select committee, after securing the support of National, ACT and NZ First during its first vote on Tuesday night....
See full article HERE

Propaganda:
Government’s Māori Wards Bill A ‘Disturbing’ Breach Of Te Tiriti O Waitangi

Government Introduces Bill To Roll Back Māori Wards

Rongoā Māori: ‘No one is achieving what New Zealand is doing’

Māori activist on New Caledonia: ‘Human rights should not be subject to referendums’  

Tuesday May 21, 2024

News:

Iwi Leaders Group united against Oranga Tamariki scrapping Treaty obligations

The National Iwi Chairs Forum and the Pou Tangata Iwi Leaders Group are united against the proposed repeal of Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act.

The controversial Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill was introduced to Parliament this week.

Section 7AA is a mechanism to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and to the establishment of partnerships between Oranga Tamariki and iwi and Māori organisations.....

See full article HERE

Wairoa Iwi And Hapū Witness Historic Return Of Whenua Following Treaty Settlement
Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa has today celebrated the first return of whenua to iwi and hapū as part of their treaty settlement.

The transfer of the old Turiroa school is the first of 29 properties that were purchased by the trust from the crown. The former country school will be transferred to three kahui - Ngā Tokorima ā Hinemanuhiri, Te Hononga o ngā Awa, and Te Wairoa Tapokorau Whānui....
See full article HERE

Māori ward bill a treaty breach
The National Urban Māori Authority is welcoming a Waitangi Tribunal recommendation that the Government should put its plan to change the law on Māori wards on hold and instead consult with Māori and key stakeholders.

The authority was an interested party in the WAI 3365 Māori Wards and Constituencies Urgent Inquiry.

The tribunal found the Crown has breached the treaty principle of partnership by prioritising coalition agreement commitments and completely failing to consult with its treaty partner or any other stakeholders.

It also failed to actively protect Māori rights and interests by ignoring the desires and actions of Māori for dedicated local representation....
See full article HERE

Māori still central to Labour’s election hopes
Labour MP Peeni Henare says leader Chris Hipkins confirmation of the party’s commitment to by-Māori, for-Māori initiatives was a brave move.

Mr Hipkins told the party’s northern region conference at the weekend the Government is taking the country backwards when it comes to outcomes for Māori, ignoring and in some cases reversing the huge progress have made as a nation to right the wrongs of the past....
See full article HERE

Rongoā Māori: Rotorua woman uses traditional healing method for ankle injury
When Rotorua woman Michelle Van Schadewijk started using rongoā Māori for an ankle injury, she says it “snowballed into a whole lot of self-care”.

As well as easing the pain in her ankle, the 45-year-old says the traditional Māori healing method helped her change her diet and return to the gym. She also says she no longer takes medication and feels “calmer”.

The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) started offering rongoā Māori as a recovery option in 2020 and says claims almost doubled in the past year, with more than a third of clients non-Māori, like van Schadewijk.

ACC will host the inaugural Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) Rongoā Māori conference at Rotorua’s Energy Event Centre on Wednesday and Thursday.....
See full article HERE

Propaganda:
‘Increasingly Activist’ Waitangi Tribunal Faces Its Future Under Renewed Attack From Senior Ministers

The Crown versus Māori children

Council discussion over iwi representation in new leadership body  

Sunday May 19, 2024 

News:

Government faces further legal action over Māori Health Authority axing

The government is facing further legal action from a group of Māori health providers over the way the Māori Health Authority was disestablished.

Alongside seeking a judicial review and claims of breaches against the Bill of Rights, the plaintiffs are seeking a declaration of inconsistency against Te Tiriti o Waitangi, something the courts have never done before.

It is the second High Court action into the government's policies affecting Māori. Earlier this year, Waikato-Tainui filed a case over what it said were breaches of the government's promise under the iwi's Treaty settlement, to protect and preserve te reo.

There have also been six applications to the Waitangi Tribunal seeking an urgent inquiry.

The plaintiffs are Te Puna Ora o Mataatua, Te Kōhao Health, Ngāti Hine Health Trust, and Papakura Marae, with support from Pou Tangata, National Iwi Chairs Forum.....
See full article HERE

Call For Submissions Supporting Ngāti Hei's Request For Extension Of Section 186a Of Eastern Coromandel Tipa/Scallop
Ngāti Hei ki Wharekaho are calling for public submissions in support of their request for an extension of the rāhui and fishery closure (Section 186a) for tipa/scallop in the Eastern Coromandel area.

Note that the Act currently limits temporary closures to up to 2 years. The Pou Rāhui project group is requesting this to be changed to a period of 6 years. Your support of this proposal would also be appreciated....
See full article HERE

Banks on long journey to finance more home-building on whenua Māori
Māori banking leaders have told the Commerce Commission of a decade of progress towards better banking Māori iwi, hapu and whānua.

But the heads of Māori banking from Kiwibank, ANZ, Westpac, ASB and Bank of New Zealand (BNZ), who spoke at the commission’s conference on banking competition, acknowledged it remained challenging for iwi, hapu and whānau to get bank finance to build much-needed homes on collectively-owned whenua Māori.

In its draft report on retail banking, released in March, the commission found many Māori were satisfied with their access to banking.

However, that was not a universal experience, and perceptions lingered that banks were biased against Māori, did not have enough Māori leaders and staff, and did not understand Māori cultural and whānau dynamics.....
See full article HERE

Articles:
Barrie Davis: Science and Universities

Propaganda:
Teaching te reo growing confidence in children

Pushing s... uphill: A tiny town’s giant waste problem

Community sends cards and letters to inmates in celebration of Matariki

Time to ask: Why are we doing this?  

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.