Sir Norman Perry’s wisdom recalled

The chairman of the New Zealand Maori Council says the late Sir Norman Perry will be remembered as a wise man who did a huge amount for Maoridom.

Sir Norman, who died on Wednesday, was secretary to Sir Apirana Ngata, and went on to become an officer in the Maori Battalion, a senior official in the Maori Affairs Department and a major contributor to the Maori Council and to many Maori Trust Boards and incorporations.

Sir Graham Latimer says he worked with Sir Norman for more than 40 years, and learned a huge amount from him about law and government.

“He was a very pleasant person, full of knowledge, wisdom, and looking for people to pass it on to so that he wouldn’t take it all to the grave with him, and I’m certain there are a lot of people in New Zealand who will say thank you to him for the contribution he made to their lives,” Sir Graham said.

Sir Norman Perry is lying at a family home in Auckland until Sunday, when he will be taken to Maungarongo Marae in Ohope and on to Tutawake Marae in Omaio the next day.

INVERCARGILL MARAE RAZED
An Invercargill marae has been gutted by fire for the second time in a year.

Plans for the refurbishment of Te Tomairangi Marae and kohanga reo were being finalised by architects after an arson attack last year.

Marae chairman Herewini Neho says the whanau had hoped to rebuild the marae using parts of the old, but the second fire means it will now need to be fully replace.

Herewini Neho says the buildings were insured

SCHOOLS READY FOR RUGBY CLASH

The Te Aute versus Hato Paora First 15 rugby fixture on Saturday at Hastings tomorrow is a chance for Hato Paora to break their duck.

Since the two Maori boarding schools started an annual clash in 2001, Fielding's Hato Paora has yet to win a game.

The closest it got was last year, when it went down 6-5.

KAHUNGUNU CUTS DEAL ON FISH FILLET

Hawkes Bay iwi Ngati Kahungunu is back on track to collect its share of the Maori fisheries settlement.

Te Ohu Kaimoana chief executive Peter Douglas says Ngati Kahungunu Iwi incorporated has met the consitutional and structural requirements to receive settlement assets, after reaching agreement with Mahia hapu Rongomaiwahine.

Rongomaiwahine will stay within the kahungunu structure, but will get a precentage of the assets for its own benefit.

The tribes are set to recieve more than #31 million dollars worth of deepwater quota and shares in Aotearoa fisheries.

Mr Douglas says Te Ohu Kaimonana has now passed the halfway mark for allocating fisheries assets to iwi, and it is ahead of schedule.

MAORI SHOULD READY FOR RETIREMENT

Maori shouldn't bet on not reaching 65.

Retirement commissioner Dianna Crossan says she is aware some Maori don't put aside money for their retirement, because they don't believe they will reach retirement age.

She says that is unwise.

Ms Crossan says with improved medical services, life expectancy for Maori is increasing, and people should re-think their attitudes towards retirement savings.

LABOUR TREATY BACKDOWN PART OF TREND

Maori lawyer Moana Jackson says the Labour governemnt is backing away from the Treaty of Waitangi as part of an international trend.

Mr Jackson says he can see a pattern in the exclusion of the treaty from the draft school curriculum, Labour's support for the introduction of New Zealand First's Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Deletion Bill, and its stance on the United Nations Draft Declaration on Indigenous Rights.

He says it is in line with what has been happening in countries like Australia, Canada and the United States over the past 15 years.

“There has been a definite trend internationally of trying to minimize and redefine the nature of treaty. So they have become a subservient document about a minority group, rather than being an inter-nation agreement, which is what treaties are,” Jackson said.

Moana Jackson says removing references to the treaty marks a return to the old policies of assimilating Maori rather than acknowledging their unique place in New Zealand.