No personal pay outs from treaty cash

Maori Land Court chief judge Joe Williams says Maori need to get away from the idea there might be personal dividends from treaty settlements.

Judge Williams told the Federation of maori Authorities annual hui over the weekend that a key purpose of the treaty settlement process had turned out to be the revitalisation of the tribes.

He says people, both Maori and pakeha, who expect treaty settlements will; increase individual Maori wealth have missed the point of what is going on.

“I think the best we can expect in the first generation is the strengthening of tribal infrastructure and the stopping of the rot of tribal cohesion through the creation of effective tribal structures,” Williams said.

Joe Williams says the role of tribal trusts and incorporations is far more significant than it was for former generations.

BLOODSHED UNLIKELY IN FIJI STOUSH

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters believes the tensions in Fiji are unlikely to spill over into violence.

Mr Peters says the threats made against Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase by army commander Frank Bainimarama were unacceptable in a democracy, which is why other nations have expressed support for the Fiji government.

But he says reports of imminent civil war are irresponsible.

“My hope is that things will quieten down, sane heads will prevail, and At the end every soldier, commander or prime minister, it doesn’t matter who it is, will have to be thinking where will this leave my children, my grandchildren, and if they think that way there will be a resolution,” Peters says.

Winston Peters says the heightened rhetoric may be a sort of release valve, and things will soon quieten down.

YOUTH POTENTIAL HIGHLIGHT OF RARAWA FESTIVAL

Te Rarawa chairperson Haami Piripi says the highlight of the far north iwi's six day festival was the potential shown by its youth.

Kaitaia has been packed over the past week with thousands of people returning to their tribal home from around the country and overseas.

There were sports competitions, political debates, kapa haka, an exhibition of tribal taonga, and a tour of significant sites.

SKILL LACK HOLDING BACK SETTLEMENT GROWTH

Maori Land Court Chief Judge Joe Williams says Maoridom is short of the skilled people to administer treaty settlement assets efficiently.

Judge Williams highlighted the point to the Federation of Maori Authorities annual meeting in Rotorua this weekend.

He says there are 26,000 Maori trusts, and there are not enough people round who have been trained in the ordinary business disciplines of administering assets on behalf of others.

This puts pressure on a select few, who serve on runanga, on trusts, and take on multiple roles.

Joe Williams says unless the skill deficit is addressed, the main beneficiaries of settlements are likely to be the managers rather than those on the ground.

MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE THREAD OF HOPE

Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples says a new South Auckland psychological service provider signals a new direction in dealing with Maori with mental health problems.

Dr Sharples opened Te Aho Tapu's Papatoetoe headquarters this morning.

He says Te Aho Tapu, which means sacred thread, is the first Maori provider to deliver psychological services to Maori patients in a Maori way.

Dr Sharples says it integrates concepts like whakapapa, whananugatanga and Maori stories into its treatment.

“So really it's treating those in need as if they were very important people, and giving them their mana and feeling of self worth at the outset, and their treating their ailment after that, and that’s the success really of the organization,” Sharples says.

Pita Sharples says the youthfulness and socio-economic disadvantage of the Maori population has led to higher levels of mental disorder.

NO ORDINARY POET CELEBRATED AT 84

Hone Tuwhare's publisher Roger Steele says his achievements are still not adequately recognised.

Mr Steele was one of the 150 friends and whanau who gathered at Dunedin's Kaka Point this weekend to celebrate the Ngapuhi poet's 84th birthday.

He says Hone Tuwhare's achievements transcend both Maori and Pakeha worlds.

“I can't believe he hasn’t won a Nobel Prize for Literature. He’s been a poutokomanawa of the whole Maori arts renaissance which has happened since the late ‘60s, early ‘70s, arts renaissance, cultural renaissance, the rebuilding of te reo Maori and so on. He’s been a complete pillar of that house and an inspiration for so many people,” Steele says.