Mahia Maori block subdivision access
The organiser of a road block on the Mahia peninsula says the protest challenged the way Wairoa District Council ignores Maori concerns over their sacred sites.
Alice Kairau from Rakato Marae says the road, which gives access to a new upmarket coastal subdivision, goes over a sacred burial site.
Ms Kairau says tangata whenua felt the consultation process was designed to marginalise their concerns, and they took a firm stand.
“We as Maori have to be very careful that we insist that our waahi tapu be protected. Because if we don’t do that now, in the future the government’s going to say you can go over your waahi tapu, there’s no significance. We’ve got to be very very careful,” Ms Wairau says.
The Mahia hapu also fears the council may take their land for settling ponds for the subdivision's sewerage system.
TE ATIAWA FIGHTING FISHERIES MANDATE
Wellington-based Te Atiawa and Te Ohu Kaimoana have asked the High Court to demand security for costs against a woman who is challenging the tribe's $3 million fisheries settlement.
Martha Hineone Gilbert has asked the court for a judicial review of Te Ohu Kaimoana's decision to grant the mandate to Te Atiawa ki te Upoko o te Ika a Maui Potoki Trust to hold the settlement assets, because she says three trustees representing Lower Hutt's Waiwhetu Marae were not properly elected.
But trust member Morrie Love says the iwi followed the proper procesees.
He says before the mid-year hearing, Te Atiawa wants to be sure the court system isn't being abused.
“It's a very expensive thing to take matters into the High Court, and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. If Te Ohu Kaimoana was successful, because this is a case against Te Ohu Kaimoana, not against the trust, but the trust is also named as a defendant in the hearings, that in fact the parties, if unsuccessful could pay the fairly large costs that are involved,” Mr Love says.
The case has already cost Te Atiawa more than $50,000 in legal fees and expenses.
KAPA HAKA STYLES EVOLVING
Veteran Kapa Haka tutor Bub Wehi says Maori cultural groups are losing their regional identities as they fight for competition points.
Mr Wehi's te Waka Huia will perform at a special concert at Auckland Girl's Grammar on Sunday afternoon, along with Tamaki Makaura's other top teams Manu Huia, Nga Tumanako and Te Roopu Manutake.
While the concert is billed as a display of Auckland's unique kapa haka style, Mr Wehi says regional styles were more distinct in the 1970s, when he was leading Gisborne-based Waiherere.
He says that may be because of the pan-tribal nature of city groups.
“In Te Waka Huia, we’ve had a member of every tribe in our group at some time, and we’ve found it a little difficult leaving Waihirere in ’81 to come up here, trying to9 get away from the style we were used to.” Mr Wehi says.
He says these days kapa haka judges are the ones with the greatest influence over which styles will flourish.
HENARE SAYS KOHANGA QUALS OK
National list MP Tau Henare says the Government should be more flexible about accepting the qualifications of people who teach in kohanga reo.
Education Minister Steve Maharey says his ministry is working with the Qualifications Authority on recognising the whanau whakapakiri qualification being developed by the Kohanga Reo National Trust for Maori immersion early childhood workers.
Unless kohanga have staff with qualifications equivalent to registered teachers, they cannot provide the 20 hours a week of free early childhood education delivered in the latest Budget.
Mr Henare, who worked for the national trust before returning to Parliament, says the government should have sorted the issue out before bringing the policy in.
“What does qualified mean, because if you ask kai ako at kohanga, they will thell you that they’ve done the whakapakiri, they’ve done stage one two three four, but somewhere along the line there has to be some work done on the equivalency between whakapakiri and the degree in early childhood education,” Mr Henare says.
RATANA PREPARES FOR POLITICIANS, PEOPLE
All roads lead to Ratana this week, as the Morehu or church members descend on the small settlement near Wanganui to celebrate the birthday of founder Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana.
Politicians are also looking to pick up some influence among a sector of Maori who do regularly turn out to vote.
For the fifth year National will be there, with its third leader in that time, John Key, due in tomorrow morning.
Labour's team led by Prime Minister Helen Clark will be taken on by Wellington iwi Te Atiawa about 1.30.
Ratana spokesperson Wayne Johnson says while tumuaki Harry Mason is a strong Labour supporter, the church no longer has an exclusive relationship with the party.
“We are quite happy to talk to any party at the moment. Obviously our historical legacy still aligns us with Labour, but I keep repeating year in and year out, we don’t tell the membership who they should vote for,” Mr Johnson says.
The Ratana kitchens have been instructed to be ready to feed anywhere from 5000 to 20,000 guests.
WHANGAEHU PREPARES FOR LAHAR
Just down the hill from Ratana, a Ngati Apa hapu is preparing its marae to withstand any flooding caused by a predicted break in the wall of Ruapehu's crater lake.
Pahia Turia from Ngati Rangiwhakaturia says the marae on the banks of the Whangaehu River has been hit by two floods in recent years, and it needs to be ready for the huge mass of water and mud which would be tipped into the headwaters in the event of a lahar.
He says work has already started on a flood protection wall, which is providing a focus for unity for the hapu.
“We're only a quarter of the way through building the wall. We’re hoping to have it finished in probably three months time. We’ve been fortunate enough to have whanau come back and we’ve got a little task force working on that and that’s brought quite a few rangatahi back home to help with the erection of the wall,” Mr Turia says.
Alice Kairau from Rakato Marae says the road, which gives access to a new upmarket coastal subdivision, goes over a sacred burial site.
Ms Kairau says tangata whenua felt the consultation process was designed to marginalise their concerns, and they took a firm stand.
“We as Maori have to be very careful that we insist that our waahi tapu be protected. Because if we don’t do that now, in the future the government’s going to say you can go over your waahi tapu, there’s no significance. We’ve got to be very very careful,” Ms Wairau says.
The Mahia hapu also fears the council may take their land for settling ponds for the subdivision's sewerage system.
TE ATIAWA FIGHTING FISHERIES MANDATE
Wellington-based Te Atiawa and Te Ohu Kaimoana have asked the High Court to demand security for costs against a woman who is challenging the tribe's $3 million fisheries settlement.
Martha Hineone Gilbert has asked the court for a judicial review of Te Ohu Kaimoana's decision to grant the mandate to Te Atiawa ki te Upoko o te Ika a Maui Potoki Trust to hold the settlement assets, because she says three trustees representing Lower Hutt's Waiwhetu Marae were not properly elected.
But trust member Morrie Love says the iwi followed the proper procesees.
He says before the mid-year hearing, Te Atiawa wants to be sure the court system isn't being abused.
“It's a very expensive thing to take matters into the High Court, and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. If Te Ohu Kaimoana was successful, because this is a case against Te Ohu Kaimoana, not against the trust, but the trust is also named as a defendant in the hearings, that in fact the parties, if unsuccessful could pay the fairly large costs that are involved,” Mr Love says.
The case has already cost Te Atiawa more than $50,000 in legal fees and expenses.
KAPA HAKA STYLES EVOLVING
Veteran Kapa Haka tutor Bub Wehi says Maori cultural groups are losing their regional identities as they fight for competition points.
Mr Wehi's te Waka Huia will perform at a special concert at Auckland Girl's Grammar on Sunday afternoon, along with Tamaki Makaura's other top teams Manu Huia, Nga Tumanako and Te Roopu Manutake.
While the concert is billed as a display of Auckland's unique kapa haka style, Mr Wehi says regional styles were more distinct in the 1970s, when he was leading Gisborne-based Waiherere.
He says that may be because of the pan-tribal nature of city groups.
“In Te Waka Huia, we’ve had a member of every tribe in our group at some time, and we’ve found it a little difficult leaving Waihirere in ’81 to come up here, trying to9 get away from the style we were used to.” Mr Wehi says.
He says these days kapa haka judges are the ones with the greatest influence over which styles will flourish.
HENARE SAYS KOHANGA QUALS OK
National list MP Tau Henare says the Government should be more flexible about accepting the qualifications of people who teach in kohanga reo.
Education Minister Steve Maharey says his ministry is working with the Qualifications Authority on recognising the whanau whakapakiri qualification being developed by the Kohanga Reo National Trust for Maori immersion early childhood workers.
Unless kohanga have staff with qualifications equivalent to registered teachers, they cannot provide the 20 hours a week of free early childhood education delivered in the latest Budget.
Mr Henare, who worked for the national trust before returning to Parliament, says the government should have sorted the issue out before bringing the policy in.
“What does qualified mean, because if you ask kai ako at kohanga, they will thell you that they’ve done the whakapakiri, they’ve done stage one two three four, but somewhere along the line there has to be some work done on the equivalency between whakapakiri and the degree in early childhood education,” Mr Henare says.
RATANA PREPARES FOR POLITICIANS, PEOPLE
All roads lead to Ratana this week, as the Morehu or church members descend on the small settlement near Wanganui to celebrate the birthday of founder Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana.
Politicians are also looking to pick up some influence among a sector of Maori who do regularly turn out to vote.
For the fifth year National will be there, with its third leader in that time, John Key, due in tomorrow morning.
Labour's team led by Prime Minister Helen Clark will be taken on by Wellington iwi Te Atiawa about 1.30.
Ratana spokesperson Wayne Johnson says while tumuaki Harry Mason is a strong Labour supporter, the church no longer has an exclusive relationship with the party.
“We are quite happy to talk to any party at the moment. Obviously our historical legacy still aligns us with Labour, but I keep repeating year in and year out, we don’t tell the membership who they should vote for,” Mr Johnson says.
The Ratana kitchens have been instructed to be ready to feed anywhere from 5000 to 20,000 guests.
WHANGAEHU PREPARES FOR LAHAR
Just down the hill from Ratana, a Ngati Apa hapu is preparing its marae to withstand any flooding caused by a predicted break in the wall of Ruapehu's crater lake.
Pahia Turia from Ngati Rangiwhakaturia says the marae on the banks of the Whangaehu River has been hit by two floods in recent years, and it needs to be ready for the huge mass of water and mud which would be tipped into the headwaters in the event of a lahar.
He says work has already started on a flood protection wall, which is providing a focus for unity for the hapu.
“We're only a quarter of the way through building the wall. We’re hoping to have it finished in probably three months time. We’ve been fortunate enough to have whanau come back and we’ve got a little task force working on that and that’s brought quite a few rangatahi back home to help with the erection of the wall,” Mr Turia says.
posted by Adam | 11:40 pm
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