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Saturday, November 9, 2024

Breaking Views Update: Week of 3.11.24







Saturday November 9, 2024 

News:
Waititi calls for Māori economic shift

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi says that following the recent U.S. election, there should be a call for the Māori economy to shift away from trading with traditional markets and diversify into emerging economies.

Wednesday’s U.S. presidential election resulted in the re-election of Donald Trump, who proposed during his campaign to increase tariffs on all foreign goods.

Waititi says as the Māori economy nears a value of $100 billion, it needs to think bigger.

“The new economies that we should be looking at are actually sitting in the bricks. So if we’re looking at Brazil, it’s a huge land resource. If you’re looking at Russia, India, China and South Africa, in actual fact, we should be having discussions in that particular space when it comes to any economic growth. I think we stop aligning with these old economies like England, America, Canada and Australia, and let’s start looking abroad and getting creative,” says Waititi.....
See full article HERE

Repairs to major slips at rural south Auckland road completed
Working with contractor, Liveable Streets, to communicate with Āwhitu District School during the construction, the crew invited students and teachers, accompanied by local iwi, to bless the site before construction began.....
See full article HERE

Has Otago Uni's affirmative action programme done what it was designed for?
New research in today's New Zealand Medical Journal has found Otago University's affirmative action initiatives haven't increased the number of students from poorer backgrounds.

Māori now make up 20% of enrolments, reaching parity with European and Asian enrolments for the first time.

But Auckland University Emeritus Professor of Medicine Des Gorman told Mike Hosking the programme wasn't designed to just lift Māori enrolment.....
See full article HERE

Treaty Bill distracts from Māori housing crisis
A Māori housing advocate says the Treaty Principles Bill distracts from urgent issues impacting Māori whānau, including housing and social inequities.

Ali Hamlin-Paenga, chief executive of Te Matapihi, says Māori housing developers and architects are working together within the social housing market. However, they are being sidelined by larger developers and government policy.

The government must commit to Māori housing, allowing Māori to build homes on their whenua to house intergenerational households.....
See full article HERE

Māori Maps offers digital gateway to Aotearoa
It's a comprehensive interactive digital map, aimed at helping Māori people abroad reconnect with their ancestral homes.

The Māori Maps project relaunched its online platform recently, allowing users to explore more than 780 ancestral marae across Aotearoa, along with the surrounding landscapes.....
See full article HERE

Māori-led research awarded highly competitive Marsden Fund grant
Dr Reuben Collier and Dr Te Hauāuru Tahi-Rangihau of Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi have been awarded a Marsden Fund grant for their Māori-led research projects, which explore the nuances of Māori dialects and the therapeutic potential of mōteatea, chants, and songs in supporting Māori mental health and well-being....
See full article HERE

Propaganda:
Launching the waka: The Māori activists rallying a year of protest

Trust and knowing your community is key to creating a healthy Māori and Pasifika peoples - Mihi Blair

Kotahitanga for Te Tiriti: Diverse voices unite against Treaty Principles Bill

Ethnicity is a useful shortcut for identifying need – without it, targeting public services will get harder

Hīkoi Mō Te Tiriti - national hīkoi: Bonfires to mark Tauranga Moana iwi support

Professor criticizes Treaty Bill as supremacist move - Margaret Mutu  

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 November 8, 2024 

News:
The Treaty Principles Bill has been released: Here's what's in it
The four-page Treaty Principles Bill has been introduced and will be debated in Parliament next week.

As with all bills, the text begins with an explanatory note, includes links to some of the advice provided about it, such as a regulatory impact statement, and sets out the specific wording the law would change if enacted.

The bill states it would set out the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi in legislation, and requires those principles to be used when interpreting legislation, where relevant.

The bill's final clause states nothing in the bill would amend the text of the Treaty of Waitangi or Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The principles set out in the bill as introduced are:

Principle 1: The Executive Government of New Zealand has full power to govern, and the Parliament of New Zealand has full power to make laws, (a) in the best interests of everyone; and (b) in accordance with the rule of law and the maintenance of a free and democratic society.

Principle 2: (1) The Crown recognises, and will respect and protect, the rights that hapū and iwi Māori had under the Treaty of Waitangi/te Tiriti o Waitangi at the time they signed it. (2) However, if those rights differ from the rights of everyone, subclause (1) applies only if those rights are agreed in the settlement of a historical treaty claim under the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975

Principle 3: (1) Everyone is equal before the law. (2) Everyone is entitled, without discrimination, to (a) the equal protection and equal benefit of the law; and (b) the equal enjoyment of the same fundamental human rights.

The bill also states that principles of the Treaty "other than those set out" by the Treaty Principles Bill "must not be used to interpret an enactment", and clarifies that the Treaty Principles Bill does not apply to the interpretation of a Treaty settlement Act or the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975 in relation to historical treaty claims.....
See full article HERE

Māori-led Rotorua housing project: Ngāti Whakaue to officially open Manawa Gardens
Ngāti Whakaue has created its own affordable rental subdivision in a sought-after location on iwi land in a nearly $20 million partnership with the Government.

They have been built thanks to a $19.8 million partnership with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.

As part of the affordable housing partnership, the homes will be rented at 75% of market rate.

Morrison said there were firm criteria for those wanting the homes, with those of Ngāti Whakaue descent, followed by Te Arawa descent, getting priority.....
See full article HERE

Facial recognition test finds no bias against Māori
A first-ever test of facial recognition on New Zealanders' faces has found no bias against Māori, but the technology still needed improving on one front, new results show.

The successful testing of the accuracy of the new online Identity Check tool - which locally matches selfies against official database photos - provides a buttress for Internal Affairs (DIA) as it aims for a much wider rollout of the system.

"There are no significant disparities in liveness and matching engine performance among the tested ethnic groups," said the 33-page test report by globally-accredited facial recognition (FR) tester Bixelab.....
See full article HERE

University researchers receive Marsden funding for ten groundbreaking projects
Dr Ririwai Fox, mentored by Professor Bridgette Masters-Awatere, will advance the understanding of Māori cultural embeddedness and how Indigenous people are embedded in their culture by developing a validated Māori Cultural Embeddedness Scale, with a focus on wellbeing and identity.

Professor Tahu Kukutai with Dr Moana Rarere will redefine Māori historical demography by examining 19th-century Māori population data through a lens of Indigenous data and cultural understanding.

Professor Les Oxley, with Professor Sandy Morrison and Dr Stephen Tucker, will combine te ao Māori concepts with contemporary economic methods to create a new model of the New Zealand economy that emphasises intergenerational wellbeing and sustainability.

Dr Sam Iti Prendergast, mentored by Dr Charlotte Greenhalgh, will explore 19th century Māori understandings of colonialism. The project engages modern day descendants with ancestral texts to investigate the 21st century relevance of 19th century whakaaro Māori (Māori ideas).

Dr Lisa Tompson and Dr Pounamu Jade Aikman with Dr Apriel Jolliffe Simpson and Professor Devon Polaschek will examine crime causation with an Indigenous approach, focusing on rangatahi tāne Māori (young Māori men) affected by crime. They will use the Māori health framework Te Whare Tapa Whā to identify ways of reducing harm within our communities....
See full article HERE

Study of WWII Māori veterans receives Marsden funding
Professor Angela Wanhalla and Dr Claire Macindoe, History, $660,000

Kia Hauora Anō: the first historical study on the nature and impact of war wounds and disease on Māori veterans of WWII
See full article HERE

Treaty Principles Bill: Protest grinds key Auckland road to halt
Ake Ake Ake” rang through the streets of Newmarket this morning as a last-minute protest against David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill ground the Auckland suburb to a halt.

The protest is a rapidly organised response to the Act leader’s decision to introduce the bill into Parliament today, well ahead of the scheduled November 18 introduction date.

“Ka whawhai tonu mātou", “Toitū Te Tiriti" and “Honour the Treaty” echoed off the windows of Newmarket’s Broadway as protesters passed the Westfield mall, heading north towards Parnell....
See full article HERE

Māori and Pacific wahine projects get funding boost
A focus on Māori and Pacific women and girls connects this year’s successful Marsden grant recipients from the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Education and Social Work.

Professor Melinda Webber (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whakaue) from Te Puna Wananga, within the University’s Faculty of Education and Social Work, has received a standard grant of $859,000 for her project, ‘Me aro ki te hā o Hineahuone: Pay heed to the dignity and power of women’.

Dr Jean M Uasike Allen (born in Aotearoa, of Tongan and European heritage), a lecturer in the School of Curriculum and Pedagogy, has won a fast-start grant of $360,000 for her project, ‘Virtual Voyagers: Amplifying Pacific Girl Gamer voices.’....
See full article HERE

Silverdale School - School Newsletter
Bilingual Class/Akoranga Reorua in 2025

Silverdale School is pleased to announce the establishment of a bilingual Te Reo Māori class commencing in 2025. This initiative reflects our commitment to providing a rich and inclusive learning environment that celebrates Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique cultural heritage......
See full article HERE

Māori ward poll must be held and council must encourage turnout
Many Palmerston North City councillors want to “wash their hands” of the 2025 poll on whether to retain the council’s Te Pūao Māori ward.

But council chief executive Waid Crockett said the legal advice was in, and there was nothing the council could do to avoid holding the poll.

That’s despite the fact it could result in the abolition of guaranteed Māori seats at the council table that the majority of councillors voted to retain......
See full article HERE

Propaganda:
Journey for Māori PhD candidates is often different and here’s why

‘Dishonourable’: Māori leaders furious with Treaty Principles Bill’s early introduction

Release: Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori call on the Prime Minister to block the Treaty Principles Bill

Treaty Principles Bill Will Harm Māori Health And Fuel Racial   

Thursday November 7, 2024 

News:
Base Woodbourne Resolution With Kurahaupō Iwi
The Government and three Kurahaupō Iwi have signed a $25.2 million agreement to resolve the post-Treaty settlement issue of contaminated land at RNZAF Base Woodbourne.

Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Trust, Rangitāne o Wairau Settlement Trust, and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Kuia each received $8.4 million after contaminated soil at Base Woodbourne near Blenheim prevented the three Iwi from purchasing a substantial part of the site as originally intended in their Treaty settlement redress.

Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka praised the three Iwi for their ongoing commitment to resolving the issue.....
See full article HERE

Treaty Principles Bill: 'Paruwaru' politics doesn't stop hīkoi for kotahitanga
A hīkoi from the top of the North Island to Wellington is still on, despite the Treaty Principles Bill being introduced to Parliament ahead of schedule.

The introduction of the government's controversial Bill was supposed to take place on 18 November, but will now be introduced by this Thursday, acting Leader of the House Simeon Brown confirmed last night.

The news has not deterred the hīkoi away from the original plans. It is instead fuelling tangata Tiriti to immediately encourage the cause on social media.....
See full article HERE

Propaganda:
Māori justice advocate critiques Ōpōtiki raid actions

Apology after abuse in care is ‘death by 1000 cuts to Te Tiriti o Waitangi’ - Hūhana Lyndon, Green 

'The damage has already been done' – Hipkins on Treaty Principles Bill

Ōpōtiki is a thriving town, not run by gangs and drugs - iwi leader  

Wednesday November 6, 2024 

News:
Govt to introduce controversial Treaty Principles Bill this Thursday
The Government will introduce the controversial Treaty Principles Bill this Thursday, Acting Leader of the House Simeon Brown has confirmed to 1News.

It comes ahead of a national hīkoi opposing the Bill next week. The Bill was originally set to be introduced on November 18.

The Waitangi Tribunal alerted lawyers to the development today, and has released the second part of its interim report into the Treaty Principles Bill to ensure it can be received by parties prior to the Bill being introduced to the House.

Brown confirmed the Bill has gone before Cabinet.....
See full article HERE

Supreme Court hears major marine and coastal titles case
A series of appeals about customary marine titles and protected customary rights are under way in the country’s highest court.

The Supreme Court took the unusual step in September of making an order before the hearing for the Crown to contribute $97,500 to the costs of one of the applicant groups — comprising four hapu — after the Crown said it would start capping funding for customary marine title appeals at $30,000.

The $97,500 was on top of the $120,000 the Crown was to contribute for the four hapu under the newly capped model.....
See full article HERE

Federated Farmers wants delay of hearing on controversial plan
The Gore District Council will decide on Wednesday whether it will delay a hearing about its proposed District Plan.

Federated Farmers’ Southland branch has called for the hearing to be delayed following a record wet spring.

The hearing, about the controversial Sites and Areas of Significance to Māori chapter within the draft plan, is scheduled for December.

The draft plan proposes to designate the entire district as an area of significance to Māori.....
See full article HERE

Two outstanding educators receive the Prime Minister’s top tertiary Award for 2024
Kerry Davis, a Principal Lecturer in Nursing at Otago Polytechnic, and Hiria Tumoana, a Senior Lecturer for Te Ūranga Waka at Eastern Institute of Technology were announced as this year’s recipients of the Te Kaiako Ngātahi o te Tau a Te Pirimia | Prime Minister’s Joint Educator of the Year award. The presentation was made by Hon Penny Simmonds, Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills, who hosted the ceremony at Parliament last night (4th November).

The 2024 awardees were announced on the 1st of October – 11 awards involving 16 educators across four award types (General, Le Moana Mua, Kaupapa Māori and the new Te Tohu Reo Māori).....
See full article HERE

US trip grows opportunities for rangatahi Māori
Five young Māori students have returned from a week-long space camp at the United States Space and Rocket Centre.

In a first-of-its-kind partnership between Honeywell and Pūhoro, five rangatahi Māori have returned from Huntsville, Alabama, where they worked alongside 120 young people from across the world.

The Pūhoro Stemm Academy works with Māori students across the country to increase their engagement in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects as well as mātauranga, or Māori knowledge.....
See full article HERE

Far North to host first te reo Māori Inspiring the Future course
In a national first, a schools-based programme that uses local role models telling their career stories to inspire young people will be held entirely in te reo Māori, in Kaikohe.

The Inspiring the Future (ITF) te reo Māori event will be held at Mahinga Innovation Centre, Kaikohe on November 8, with Far North Kahika Mayor Moko Tepania leading the sessions. It’s being run by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) with support from Far North District Council.

Inspiring the Future is a schools-based programme that uses local role models, who reveal their career stories, to widen the career horizons of the young people taking part. This will be the first event to be done solely in te reo Māori......
See full article HERE

Jones promotes Māori agriculture amid RMA reforms
New Zealand First Minister Shane Jones says amendments to the Resource Management Act will boost Māori agriculture by attracting overseas investment.

Passed into law last month, the Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Act reduces regulations on water and irrigation resource consents for applicants and supports development in farming, mining, and other primary industries.

Jones says while speaking in Singapore during discussions on food security, he championed Māori agriculture as a key investment option for their food supply.....
See full article HERE

Māori youth unite for voter registration drive
A group of Māori youth are gathering to drive a kotahitanga approach, aiming to enrol over 200,000 eligible Māori voters ahead of the 2025 New Zealand local Government Elections.

The group That’s Us Voting are mobilizing community groups across sports, schools, and churches to make voting more accessible for all, targeting the approximately over 200,000 of the 530,000 Māori are eligible to vote who aren’t enrolled....
See full article HERE

First major in Mātauranga Toi Māori offered at Massey University
Appointed Associate Professor Toi Pūoro with Toi Rauwhārangi College of Creative Arts at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University, Horo will be among five new staff passing on knowledge of Māori art practices and tradition.

The university will be the first in tertiary education in Aotearoa to offer a new major in Mātauranga Toi Māori next year. It aimed to help shape a future where te ao Māori was at the forefront of creative industries......
See full article HERE

Articles:
Reynold Macpherson: Why Rotorua district does not have 50-50 co-governance

Barrie Davis: What does New Zealand mean to me?

Professor Jerry Coyne: Move over, modern medicine - it’s time to collaborate with Rongoā Māori

Propaganda:
Ōpōtiki Mongrel Mob raids: Kuia says she was strip-searched, mothers tell how kids ‘traumatised’ by armed police

Growing numbers celebrate Nelson’s Parihaka connection  

Tuesday November 5, 2024 

News:
Whakatōhea challenges Police raids in Ōpōtiki
Whakatōhea leaders are voicing strong concerns over recent police raids in Ōpōtiki, and it’s impacts on the future of the iwi.

Last week, Police Minister Mark Mitchell said local iwi and hapū were consulted about the raids, yet Whakatōhea disputes this, describing the impact on 37 mokopuna across 15 homes as deeply traumatic.

Kylie Poihipi says the raids echo historical injustices against Whakatōhea and warns the upcoming Organised Crime (Gang Insignia Prohibition) Amendment Act could have lasting negative effects on Māori whānau and communities.....
See full article HERE

Hawke’s Bay prison gang assault: High Court cuts sentences despite prisoners losing utu claim
Two prisoners involved in a seven-on-one gang assault on another inmate tried to have their jail sentences reduced, arguing their actions were “utu” under tikanga or Māori lore.

Utu is a traditional principle sometimes taken to mean revenge but can also describe compensation or recompense to restore or maintain a balance between people or groups.

A High Court judge rejected the prisoners’ argument and found the jailhouse attack was an example of “vigilante justice”, which was an aggravating feature.

However, Justice Dale La Hood reduced the two inmates’ sentences anyway, after determining they had been handed out stiffer jail terms than the other men involved in the affray.....
See full article HERE

Māori lawyer opposes Government’s jury trial changes
A Māori lawyer is concerned about the government’s proposal to limit jury trials to ease court delays.

The Ministry of Justice is seeking changes to increase the offence threshold and due diligence for defendants considering jury trials.

The proposed changes could raise the threshold from offences carrying a maximum penalty of two years, aiming to reduce the number of jury trials, which contribute significantly to delays in the justice system.

University of Otago lecturer and former Crown prosecutor Yasmin Olsen, from Ngāpuhi, says jury trials promote community participation and enhance their legitimacy…
See full article HERE

Kāpiti Coast confirms representation structure
Kāpiti Coast District Council has resolved its final representation proposal which retains the overall structure of 10 councillors, one Mayor, and five community boards, with the new Kapiti Coast Māori Ward councillor replacing one districtwide councillor.

The principle of a Māori ward cannot be appealed. During the 2025 elections Council will hold a poll to determine the future of the Māori ward for the 2028 and 2031 elections......
See full article HERE

Articles:
John Raine and David Lillis: Can a Te Tiriti-Led University be Politically Neutral?

Clive Bibby: Violence of another kind

Propaganda:
Michael Belgrave on charting NZ's 'wonderful history' in new book Becoming Aotearoa

Healthcare needs go beyond the physical

Visible at Verb

Reaching kids who hate to write

The Pākehā Project: A tangata Tiriti-led push for tino rangatiratanga

‘That’s Us’ drives to enrol more Māori voters, amplifying community voices

John Tamihere | CEO Waipareira and President of Te Pāti Māori

Māori economy is growing fast, but Aotearoa can learn from US tribal leaders, says expert  

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

14 comments:

Robert Arthur said...

The gang Insignia Act may ultimately have an effect on maori chidren. It is proposterous that children accustomed to giant intimidating rigged up gang members swaggering about and assaulting each other should claim to feel threatend by police dressed for local conditions. But if gang insignia ceases to be the norm, some Police outfits just might genuinely disturb.
Maori ward councillors will be on their best behaviour until the 2025 election. Some work for the common interest might even be expected. Those voted to terminate in 2028 will have two years to exert as much contrary mana seeking non cooperation utu as they can muster. The campaign for long convoluted maori names as utu will be intensified.

Robert Arthur said...

Nov 6 I am curious about the Kaikohe locals regarded as notabe achievers and also apparently fluent in te reo. Presumably the field wil lbe very distorted by govt and council employees where te reo assists selection for employment and effectively precludes many potentially productive others.Surely a govt body such as the Tertiary Education commission should be encouragung the widest possibe emplyment fied for all, not empahsising employment based on the contrived importance of modern manufacturd te reo.

Ray S said...

Another case of the Supreme court stepping outside its duties.
Ordering the crown to pay for claimants in the coastal ownership fiasco. The govt. made the ruling re maximum paid to claimants, Waitangi tribunal and Supreme court working in cohorts to overrule .
Why is the taxpayer even paying, still, its the ongoing rort re anything to do with maori.

Robert Arthur said...

I am curious what contamination at Woodburne precludes. Water bores for sure. Home gardens? But who has nowadays? Pasture? Cropping ? But much is built on. Did zoning allow reidentail devlopment? Is that blocked?

Anonymous said...

I can't understand why Luxon is not going to support Seymour's Treaty Bill. Eqality is what any decent democracy is based on. Kiwis deserve a referendum on this.

Anonymous said...

The Treaty Principles Bill has been released:

No one has the right to rewrite Lt Governor Hobson’s One Treaty Principle, “He iwi tahi tatou – we are now one people”. Any principle other than Lt Governor Hobson’s is a fraud and must be ignored at all costs! Lt Governor Hobson gave one Principle, “He iwi tahi tatou – We are now one people”. It’s a documented fact that cannot be denied or changed!

To address the apartheid agenda that our successive government(s) have themselves created, ALL Acts and Statues which give explicit recognition to the treaty need to be removed from legislation forthwith.

Anything else, like this Bill, is just lipstick on a pig.

Robert Arthur said...

Nov 7 Addressing just the maori and wahine awards :it never ceases to amaze me the money poured into maori studies based very largely on the imagination and hugely distorted by memory verbal ramblings of the elderly, in turn based on fanciful unrecorded verbal folklore from previous generations and already much reshaped by them . There will be little bibliography against which others can check. A cool $859,000 to "pay heed to the dignity and power of woman." Any woman who can pull this sum for such a nebulous exercise certainly has power. Much more then my mere male self or any of my in many case very accomplished work colleagues.
And a cool $360 000 for "amplifying pacific girl gamer voices." , there are a myriad aspects of behaviour of pacific girls of far more importance which warrant study, including their proclivity to generate demand for state houses,
What intrigues me is how persons are educated to think up these studies. And learn the language used to enshroud such obtuse passtimes and elicit payment for.

And as for the Manawa subdivison in Rotorue it will be intersting to see if it and nearby remains a desirable locality.

Anonymous said...

Its clear the effing Marsden fund needs de-funded.

anonymous said...

Luxon talks about this - but will he really do it? Especially if the Bill gets massive public support...... could be a nail in the National's coffin.

Anonymous said...

Nov 8, Marsden Fund: If researchers want to spend their time on obscure cultural research, much of which appears of limited value to the future prosperity of our country, good luck to them. Go on, fill your boots! But don’t steal from taxpayers to indulge your personal passions. Do it with your own money. Why is MBIE still funding the Royal Society to sponsor this stuff? I thought most of us voted in the expectation that this would end. MBIE should stick to funding research with commercial prospects. NZ is practically broke. If we want to do more for education, housing, health we need to make money, not waste it.

Robert Arthur said...

At the Manawa subdivision Te Arawa will experience ethnic based rejection similar the gifted non maori applicants to med school.
Initially I read only the lower entry for Marsden Fund awards. Do applicants get together through the insurgency network and cooperate to devise requests? Do they have a prize for the most outlandish? There must be many rounds of laughter as ever more farcical are proposed. A Maori Cultural Embeddedness Index! Parallel to an anti colonialist Index. It will make it easy to select the most committed insurgents for work in education, councils, and govt departments and so ensure max acceleration of the drive to maorification .
And can anyone express in plain direct English exactly what Kukutai and Rarere will be doing? Is indigenous data real data or indigenous memory and imagination?
The new model of the NZ economy will be interesting.What would better provide indigenous well being and sustainability than the existing welfare system (including state houses). Many who advance financially beyond generally mutlply less, so are less sustainable
If presdent day maori are to be consulted about 19th century understanding of colonisation a predictable modern view will be inevitable

Robert Arthur said...

Nov 9 Yet another whacky Marsden Fund award. I would like to see a fund to study the effect of moteatea, maori chant and songs on mental health and well being of others. Definitely does mine no good. All surviving maori will be about my age at most and so even in the most backward corners of Tuhoe territory, very much products of modern times. It seems absurdly late to be studying metaphors, gestures and cultural expressions. These will have little connection with the distant past. Although as Tuhoe metaphorically give the finger gesture to outsiders, I am curious if it is/was commonly presented physically to visitors.

Anonymous said...

Waititi lauds the so called Maori economy while demonising the very trading arrangements that allowed that "economy" to flourish. Trade with our traditional markets produced a national economy prosperous ennough to fund the Treaty settlements that created the Maori economy. And how much value did those trading arrangements add to the value of the land now included in the Maori economy; land that was developed by processes and technologies unknown to Maori before being gifted by the colonists? As the old saying goes "There's none so blind as those who do not wish to see." And by the way, the acronym is BRICS, not bricks, and the C stands for China which Waititi seems not to know, is curently our biggest trading partner, and with it, our biggest trade risk since the UK joined the EEC.

Robert Arthur said...

It is remarkable how a lifetime of speaking before totally accepting unquestioning audiences boosts self confidence. To the extent that Waititi can and does spout any rubbish with no question from the faithful and no expenditure of effort to challenge by the independent thoughtful. Just how much of the maori economy is from exports? Much is internal. It comes from race favoured contracts and effective bribes and koha from local bodies and govt departments (ref Laws on The Platform). Much comes from tourism where maori have race derived monopolies. There is the vast make work te reo industry, including a huge component of education. And a myriad contrived university and polytech courses to create employment for educated maori insurrectionists. There is a huge labour content in completely skill less non productive contrived jobs (ie cone watching.) I am not sure if Penal and Oranga Tamariki staff costs are apportioned to the maori economy, but should be. Which emerging economies want milk powder and timber? Certainly not Russia to whom I understand we have paid carbon credits for their trees real or imginary. There is very limited demand for te reo packages outside of NZ. Books on how to take over a country could sell well but no one else has the equivalent of te reo or the Treaty for a Trojan horse.