Concern at Auckland settlement secrecy

A lawyer for the Marutuaha tribes of Hauraki says the Crown has by-passed the Waitangi Tribunal process and reached its central Auckland settlement with Ngati Whatua based on secret and untested historical information.

Paul Majurey says when Hauraki started its Waitangi Tribunal claim, it was told it would get a chance later to prove its interests in Tamaki Makaurau.

But the Agreement in Principle will give Ngati Whatua the right to buy surplus Crown land over a huge area of Auckland, and end and chance other iwi have of claiming that land.

Mr Majurey says the Crown has withheld the historical research it is relying on for the deal.

"If this had a Waitangi tribunal process we all would have had access to this historical material. For some reason that material has been withheld and the public, including ourselves, who have an interest don't have access to the information in which the Crown's relied," Majurey said.

Mr Majurey says as recently as three weeks ago Marutuahu presented the Office of Treaty Settlements with a 576 page independent historical report establishing clear intertests in the North Shore and east Auckland.

PACIFIC DELEGATION PUT MAORI IN PRIME SEAT

Maori language commission chief executive Haami Piripi says a ministerial delegation to the Pacific set a new standard for how Maori can contribute to foreign affairs.

Mr Piripi was part of as large group of MPs, officals and dignataries who accompanied Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters to Vanuatu and the Cook Islands.

He says Maori tikanga or protocols and language were toitally integrated into the process, and the Maori delegates played a vital role in the success of the delegation.

"20 years ago when I traveled with delegation of this nature it was very very different and Maori people were simply tokenistic clip-ons to the process and that is definitely not what it was this time. We at times led the process, we certainly governed many aspects relating to the process, the minister took on board every time we raised an issue, my understanding is that the minister took it on board and considered it fairly and came back with an answer," Piripi said.


MAORI WEDDINGS CATCH ON WITH TOURISTS

Maori-themed weddings are proving a hit among English and American tourists.

Darren and Michelle Brown from Rotorua company Maori Weddings says he's also keen to attract more Japanese interest in their service, which is an offshoot from the hugely successful Tamaki Tours business.

Mr Brown says as a marriage celebrant, he is proud to share his Maori culture with the world.

He says the cultural theme is the sort of experience many tourists are looking for.

"In a love theme or a wedding ceremony that really brings out the aroha of our people. I'm sure you're gonna get people out there that may not be to happy with what you're doing or why you're doing it but I think its nice to share the culture with people on a more personal level and a love theme brings out the love and aroha of who we are," Brown said.

TUHOE TIKANGA ON TRIAL WITH TAME

Tuhoe activist Tame Iti says his whole tribe is on trial with him.

Iti is in Rotorua District Court this week facing a charge of unlawfully possessing a firearm, an offence carrying a possible three year jail term.

The charge relates to an incident in January last year when he allegedly fired a shotgun during a powhiri for the Waitangi Tribunal, which was sitting at Ruatoki to hear the claims of the Eastern Bay of Plenty iwi.

Iti says he was acting within Tuhoe tradition.

"It's about the right of Tuhoe to do that because it's about our tikanga and kawa and our tradition, the wero, the use of a firearm is a symbolism of making noise and making ourselves present that's a tradition that Tuhoe and other iwi to have used for many years," Iti said.

The defence is calling 10 witnesses, starting with Iti himself.

WHATUA SETTLEMENT FRESH TREATY BREACH

An Auckland lawyer says the proposed settlement of Ngati Whatua claims to Auckland city will create fresh breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Paul Majurey act for the Marutuahu tribes of Hauraki, who say they have interests in Auckland and especially on the North Shore, where Ngati Whatua o Orakei will become the landlord of hundreds of naval houses.

Mr Majurey says by allowing a massive Ngati Whatua land grab and not having an open process to hear all claims to the Auckland area, the Crown is repeating the injustices of the 19th century.

"It did it back by creating the native land court and breaking down tribal ownership in the 19th century and its going to do it again if it picks up this agreement and prints it all and puts it all into legislation. That's going to give a statutory basis for Ngati Whatua to lock out other iwi," Majurey said.


Mr Majurey says the Governemnt refused to release the historical research it based its decisions on, and it has ignored comprehensive research into Marutuahu claims in the area.

ORGANIC FARMERS WANT CATCH-UP FUNDING

The head of Maori organic farming group Te Waka Kai Ora says the government should chip in some funding to help the organic sector grow.

Te Waka Kai Ora members met in Hamilton over the weekend to discuss issues facing in the sector, particularly problems getting their products to domestic and international markets.

Chairman Percy Tipene, who farms organic beef in Northland, says established sectors like the mainstream meat and dairy sectors have significant infructure built up over years of government support, but as a new industry organic farmers are starting from scratch.

""Now we have got an organisation which has the potential of growth but we haven't had the actual capital injection to create the infrastructure that can allow our producers in the Tai tokerau to actually participate in the market," Tipene said.

Percy Tipene says organic farming is a good way to use underdeveloped Maori land, because it if often chemical free and relatively easy to bring up to organic certificaiton.