No time for contemporary claims
A long time adviser to Waitangi claimants says the Waitangi Tribunal has become bogged down in the historical claim process, meaning Maori have nowhere to go with contemporary claims.
Auckland University law professor David Williams, whose involvement with the tribunal started with the Orakei claim in the 1980s, says it has insufficient resources, a huge workload and governments who feel they can ignore or sideline its recommendations.
He says the treaty settlement process is creating a huge workload for the tribunal..
“Almost all of the Waitangi Tribunal focus now is on dealing with the historical claims and dealing with urgent inquiries when people don’t like whom the government has chose to settle with,” Professor Williams says.
He says the Maori Party's idea of a treaty commissioner appointed by Parliament is a good one, because it could bring back a much-needed focus on the place of the treaty in contemporary New Zealand life.
CORONERS ACT CHANGES EXPLAINED
The Justice department is getting out into Maori communities to explain changes in the way the coroners system works.
The new Coroners Act coming into effect in July will replace 55 part time coroners with about 20 full timers, who will be responsible for establishing the cause of sudden or unexplained deaths.
Fiona Cayle, the manager of the Coroners Implementation Project, says Maori communities have some common concerns about the effect of the new law on coroners' activities.
“The length of tiem that it takes for the return of body back to family, the manner in which body parts were either removed, handled, retained or returned to whanau, the lack of ability for Maori to be included in some of the decisions that get made,” Ms Cayle says.
Rather than imposing a calender for consultation, her team is waiting to be invited by iwi at times that suit their cultural calendars.
It has already spoken at a Tainui poukai, and on Tuesday it will share information wih urban Maori at Nga Whare Waatea Marae in South Auckland.
DIG SHEDS LIGHT ON NGATI AWA ANCESTORS
Ngati Awa's new chief executive says an archaelogical dig at Matataa is giving iwi members a chance to learn what life was like for their ancestors.
Jeremy Gardiner says the excavation of Te Kohika paa is the third and final survey of the area by researchers from Auckland University.
Mr Gardner says the archaeologists have to move fast once they clear the soil.
“The site used to be under water so all the taonga were being preserved by the sediment. Now the site’s been exposed, there’s potential danger to the taonga,” Mr Gardiner says.
A number of important artifacts have already been uncovered since the first dig at Te Kohika in the 1970s, and many of them are on display at Whakatane museum.
ACCESS TO FINANCE NO LONGER PROBLEM FOR MAORI
The organiser of last week's Maori innovation summit says ideas and governance structures are what's holding back Maori land owning bodies, rather than finance.
Murray Hemi says Maori land holds the key to New Zealand's economic development.
Mr Hemi says the idea collective ownership of Maori land is an impediment to development is not longer true.
“I've been to a lot of meetings with a lot of banks, I’ve talked to a lot of Maori innovators who actually find if they have the right idea and the right structure and right governance and leadership behind a project, banks aren’t scared about lending. They’re familiar, in the New Zealand context, with the multiply-owned asset base of Maori,” Mr Hemi says.
He says Maori need to develop strong networks with each other and with government research and development agencies.
DEPARTMENT WAITING TO BE INVITED
A Justice department team is meeting with Maori communities to explain the impact of changes to legislation covering the coroners’ office.
From July, 20 full time coroners will replace 55 part times who determine the causes of unexpected deaths.
Manager Fiona Cayle says her team is waiting for invitations from iwi, rather than dictating when and where the hui are held.
She says too often, Crown agencies hold hui to suit their own calendar, with little consideration of the needs of the communities they visit.
Ms Cayle says she's taking a different approach.
“We should extend the tokotoko and ask communities to take responsibility for hosting us and inviting us into their community, and working out on their own iwi and Maori community calendar a significant event where discussing this topic would be well appreciated,” Ms Cayle says.
The next hui is tomorrow at Nga Whare Waatea Marae in South Auckland.
WHARENUI CAN STAY IN TE PAPA FOR NOW
Rongowhakaata chairperson Stan Pardoe says the Poverty Bay tribe's carved totara meeting house Te Hau ki Tuuranga will remain in the care of Te Papa for now.
The wharenui, carved by Raharuhi Rukupo, was removed from the bay in 1868 and taken to the Wellington Colonial Museum.
The Waitangi Tribunal has found the meeting house was illegally taken from Rongowhakaata, but also heard a plea from the national museum to keep what it regards as an iconic treasure in its care.
Mr Pardoe says it's appropriate the whare stays where it is in the short term.
“It's of value not only to Rongowhakaata but to the country as a whole, but because it’s been in an enclosed space, top bring it back we would have to have a somewhat similar area to do that, and realistically, there’s nothing in Gisborne that we’ve got at this stage we could put it in to, not to say if may happen, it could be the next five or 10 years,” Mr Pardoe says.
Rongowhakaata will keep its options open for the longer term.
Auckland University law professor David Williams, whose involvement with the tribunal started with the Orakei claim in the 1980s, says it has insufficient resources, a huge workload and governments who feel they can ignore or sideline its recommendations.
He says the treaty settlement process is creating a huge workload for the tribunal..
“Almost all of the Waitangi Tribunal focus now is on dealing with the historical claims and dealing with urgent inquiries when people don’t like whom the government has chose to settle with,” Professor Williams says.
He says the Maori Party's idea of a treaty commissioner appointed by Parliament is a good one, because it could bring back a much-needed focus on the place of the treaty in contemporary New Zealand life.
CORONERS ACT CHANGES EXPLAINED
The Justice department is getting out into Maori communities to explain changes in the way the coroners system works.
The new Coroners Act coming into effect in July will replace 55 part time coroners with about 20 full timers, who will be responsible for establishing the cause of sudden or unexplained deaths.
Fiona Cayle, the manager of the Coroners Implementation Project, says Maori communities have some common concerns about the effect of the new law on coroners' activities.
“The length of tiem that it takes for the return of body back to family, the manner in which body parts were either removed, handled, retained or returned to whanau, the lack of ability for Maori to be included in some of the decisions that get made,” Ms Cayle says.
Rather than imposing a calender for consultation, her team is waiting to be invited by iwi at times that suit their cultural calendars.
It has already spoken at a Tainui poukai, and on Tuesday it will share information wih urban Maori at Nga Whare Waatea Marae in South Auckland.
DIG SHEDS LIGHT ON NGATI AWA ANCESTORS
Ngati Awa's new chief executive says an archaelogical dig at Matataa is giving iwi members a chance to learn what life was like for their ancestors.
Jeremy Gardiner says the excavation of Te Kohika paa is the third and final survey of the area by researchers from Auckland University.
Mr Gardner says the archaeologists have to move fast once they clear the soil.
“The site used to be under water so all the taonga were being preserved by the sediment. Now the site’s been exposed, there’s potential danger to the taonga,” Mr Gardiner says.
A number of important artifacts have already been uncovered since the first dig at Te Kohika in the 1970s, and many of them are on display at Whakatane museum.
ACCESS TO FINANCE NO LONGER PROBLEM FOR MAORI
The organiser of last week's Maori innovation summit says ideas and governance structures are what's holding back Maori land owning bodies, rather than finance.
Murray Hemi says Maori land holds the key to New Zealand's economic development.
Mr Hemi says the idea collective ownership of Maori land is an impediment to development is not longer true.
“I've been to a lot of meetings with a lot of banks, I’ve talked to a lot of Maori innovators who actually find if they have the right idea and the right structure and right governance and leadership behind a project, banks aren’t scared about lending. They’re familiar, in the New Zealand context, with the multiply-owned asset base of Maori,” Mr Hemi says.
He says Maori need to develop strong networks with each other and with government research and development agencies.
DEPARTMENT WAITING TO BE INVITED
A Justice department team is meeting with Maori communities to explain the impact of changes to legislation covering the coroners’ office.
From July, 20 full time coroners will replace 55 part times who determine the causes of unexpected deaths.
Manager Fiona Cayle says her team is waiting for invitations from iwi, rather than dictating when and where the hui are held.
She says too often, Crown agencies hold hui to suit their own calendar, with little consideration of the needs of the communities they visit.
Ms Cayle says she's taking a different approach.
“We should extend the tokotoko and ask communities to take responsibility for hosting us and inviting us into their community, and working out on their own iwi and Maori community calendar a significant event where discussing this topic would be well appreciated,” Ms Cayle says.
The next hui is tomorrow at Nga Whare Waatea Marae in South Auckland.
WHARENUI CAN STAY IN TE PAPA FOR NOW
Rongowhakaata chairperson Stan Pardoe says the Poverty Bay tribe's carved totara meeting house Te Hau ki Tuuranga will remain in the care of Te Papa for now.
The wharenui, carved by Raharuhi Rukupo, was removed from the bay in 1868 and taken to the Wellington Colonial Museum.
The Waitangi Tribunal has found the meeting house was illegally taken from Rongowhakaata, but also heard a plea from the national museum to keep what it regards as an iconic treasure in its care.
Mr Pardoe says it's appropriate the whare stays where it is in the short term.
“It's of value not only to Rongowhakaata but to the country as a whole, but because it’s been in an enclosed space, top bring it back we would have to have a somewhat similar area to do that, and realistically, there’s nothing in Gisborne that we’ve got at this stage we could put it in to, not to say if may happen, it could be the next five or 10 years,” Mr Pardoe says.
Rongowhakaata will keep its options open for the longer term.
posted by Adam | 11:14 pm
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