Maori school goes direct on language concern
A delegation from Hato Paora Maori Boys school met with Education Minister Steve Maharey today to protest the treatment of te reo Maori in the draft curriculum document.
Hato Paora Principal Tihirau Shephard says the draft lumps te reo in with other languages, rather than treating it as a curriculum area in its own right.
Mr Shephard says the status of te reo as an official language will be compromised if the changes were approved:
“The Crown as treaty partner is in breach of the Maori Language Act we believe, by the mere act of placing Maori language under the learning area of languages, and we want Maori to stand, even if it means creating a ninth (curriculum) area, but to stand on its own and not only English as the current document advocates,” Shepherd says.
Tihirau Shephard says the 90 per cent of Maori students who are in mainstream schools would be disadvantaged by the move.
LIFESTYLE, GENETICS BOTH HAVE DIABETES ROLE
Health Rotorua's general manager Maori says lifestyle and genetics both play a part in the number of Maori getting diabetes.
Claims by health researchers that some indigenous peoples could be wiped out by the end of the century from the disease has reignited debate about the causes for the diabetes epidemic among Maori.
Eugene Berryman Kamp says socio economic factors, diet and exercise all play a part, as well as any hereditary predisposition towards the disease, which is caused by the body's inability to process sugars.
He says there are things people can do to reduce the risk.
TAONGA PUORO GIVEN WORLD TOUR
Taonga puoro expert Richard Nunns is back from his first North American tour, where he's been involved in musical collaborations bringing together traditional Maori and western instruments.
Mr Nunns says playing taonga puoro with symphony orchestras is challenging because standard musical notation doesn't work.
He says taonga puoro players must rely on feel to add their contributions, and the instruments can't be tuned in conventional ways.
“Hollow cylinders, there’s minimal finger holes, they don’t have exact fingering systems and valves and all the modern accoutrements and the modern plumbing and the exactitude and the tunings, and so on, but of course that makes them unique,” Nunns says.
Richard Nunns says he's planning workshops so young composers can learn how to write pieces combining maori and classical instruments.
DIGITAL TV COULD MEAN MORE MAORI
Television New Zealand's shift to digital television could lead to a boost for Maori programming.
Chief executive Rick Ellis briefed Parliament's commerce select committee today on its annual report and its shift to the new platform.
Going digital will allow the company to broadcast multiple streams of content on its existing frequencies.
Mr Ellis says TVNZ is reviewing its Maori department, as part of a comprehenvie review of infrastructure and organisational design.
He says it wants to freshen its line-up and expand its presence to take advantage of digital and online opportunities.
“As we launch the new channels we will be wanting to broaden the presence and availability of Maori programmes,” Ellis says.
Rick Ellis says Television New Zealand will fund some of the new programmes internally, and it also expects additional funding from Te Mangai Paho for some projects.
ORAKEI HAPU DENIES IT HAS BEEN CONSULTED
The chairperson of Auckland's Ngati Whatua o Orakei hapu says the iwi has been shut out of discussion over the proposed new waterfront stadium.
Grant Hawke says most of the iwi's information has come from the media.
Mr Hawke says as mana whenua, the hapu deserves more consideration from government and city officials.
He says Sports Minister Trevor Mallard is wrong to say Ngati Whatua has been consulted.
“There has been no consultation. There may have been a memo that passed a member’s hand, or the late Sir Hugh Kawharu, but there was nothgn done in depth ever done or heard of anything, except what we heard in the paper,” Hawke says.
HOROMIA SAYS CUSTOM CATCH SMALL
The Minister of Maori Affairs says claims he is turning a blind eye to the abuse of customary fishing licences in his electorate is political grandstanding.
National MP Phil Heatley says seven iwi in Parekura Horomia's Ikaroa Rawhiti electorate have failed to file quarterly catch reports, making it hard for Fisheries Ministry officials to estimate how much is being taken.
But Mr Horomia says the customary take is minimal compared to the commercial and recreational catch.
“It's just silly games you know. Two or three are in my electorate, but I have one of the longest in the whole country, it takes 11 and a half hours to drive though, so that’s no mystery. It’s just the redneck boys having a go again about about redneck issues,” Horomia says.
Parekura Horomia says ministry officials are working with iwi to improve reporting.
Hato Paora Principal Tihirau Shephard says the draft lumps te reo in with other languages, rather than treating it as a curriculum area in its own right.
Mr Shephard says the status of te reo as an official language will be compromised if the changes were approved:
“The Crown as treaty partner is in breach of the Maori Language Act we believe, by the mere act of placing Maori language under the learning area of languages, and we want Maori to stand, even if it means creating a ninth (curriculum) area, but to stand on its own and not only English as the current document advocates,” Shepherd says.
Tihirau Shephard says the 90 per cent of Maori students who are in mainstream schools would be disadvantaged by the move.
LIFESTYLE, GENETICS BOTH HAVE DIABETES ROLE
Health Rotorua's general manager Maori says lifestyle and genetics both play a part in the number of Maori getting diabetes.
Claims by health researchers that some indigenous peoples could be wiped out by the end of the century from the disease has reignited debate about the causes for the diabetes epidemic among Maori.
Eugene Berryman Kamp says socio economic factors, diet and exercise all play a part, as well as any hereditary predisposition towards the disease, which is caused by the body's inability to process sugars.
He says there are things people can do to reduce the risk.
TAONGA PUORO GIVEN WORLD TOUR
Taonga puoro expert Richard Nunns is back from his first North American tour, where he's been involved in musical collaborations bringing together traditional Maori and western instruments.
Mr Nunns says playing taonga puoro with symphony orchestras is challenging because standard musical notation doesn't work.
He says taonga puoro players must rely on feel to add their contributions, and the instruments can't be tuned in conventional ways.
“Hollow cylinders, there’s minimal finger holes, they don’t have exact fingering systems and valves and all the modern accoutrements and the modern plumbing and the exactitude and the tunings, and so on, but of course that makes them unique,” Nunns says.
Richard Nunns says he's planning workshops so young composers can learn how to write pieces combining maori and classical instruments.
DIGITAL TV COULD MEAN MORE MAORI
Television New Zealand's shift to digital television could lead to a boost for Maori programming.
Chief executive Rick Ellis briefed Parliament's commerce select committee today on its annual report and its shift to the new platform.
Going digital will allow the company to broadcast multiple streams of content on its existing frequencies.
Mr Ellis says TVNZ is reviewing its Maori department, as part of a comprehenvie review of infrastructure and organisational design.
He says it wants to freshen its line-up and expand its presence to take advantage of digital and online opportunities.
“As we launch the new channels we will be wanting to broaden the presence and availability of Maori programmes,” Ellis says.
Rick Ellis says Television New Zealand will fund some of the new programmes internally, and it also expects additional funding from Te Mangai Paho for some projects.
ORAKEI HAPU DENIES IT HAS BEEN CONSULTED
The chairperson of Auckland's Ngati Whatua o Orakei hapu says the iwi has been shut out of discussion over the proposed new waterfront stadium.
Grant Hawke says most of the iwi's information has come from the media.
Mr Hawke says as mana whenua, the hapu deserves more consideration from government and city officials.
He says Sports Minister Trevor Mallard is wrong to say Ngati Whatua has been consulted.
“There has been no consultation. There may have been a memo that passed a member’s hand, or the late Sir Hugh Kawharu, but there was nothgn done in depth ever done or heard of anything, except what we heard in the paper,” Hawke says.
HOROMIA SAYS CUSTOM CATCH SMALL
The Minister of Maori Affairs says claims he is turning a blind eye to the abuse of customary fishing licences in his electorate is political grandstanding.
National MP Phil Heatley says seven iwi in Parekura Horomia's Ikaroa Rawhiti electorate have failed to file quarterly catch reports, making it hard for Fisheries Ministry officials to estimate how much is being taken.
But Mr Horomia says the customary take is minimal compared to the commercial and recreational catch.
“It's just silly games you know. Two or three are in my electorate, but I have one of the longest in the whole country, it takes 11 and a half hours to drive though, so that’s no mystery. It’s just the redneck boys having a go again about about redneck issues,” Horomia says.
Parekura Horomia says ministry officials are working with iwi to improve reporting.
posted by Adam | 12:10 am
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home