Maori population ageing
Massey University Maori studies head Mason Durie says census data shows people need to start planning for an ageing Maori population.
More in-depth data released yesterday shows that at the 2006 census the median age of Maori was 22.7 years, up from 21.9 in 2001.
Some 4.1 percent of Maori are now aged over 65.
Professor Durie says while that ageing population means it may be more difficult in the future to get a seat on the paepae, many of those older people may not be in good health.
“There is a warning here for iwi and other people who are planning Maori services that services for the elderly may need to assume greater importance. We’ve focussed a huge amount of attention in the last two or three decades on a young population. There is another population boom emerging as well, and we need to think about that,” Professor Durie says.
It's also likely that many of older Maori may face economic hardship, because they would have had lower than average incomes and long periods of unemployment through their lifetimes.
NEW CURRICULUM A MILESTONE
Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres says the release of a curriculum for teaching te reo maori in mainstream schools is a milestone.
Mr de Bres joined Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia for the launch of the draft curriculum at Newlands College yesterday.
He says it should make te reo Maori more accessible for all students.
“This is a curriculum that takes you from woe to go, in primary schools, secondary schools, whatever kind of school you’re at, and I think it provides the foundation for Maori really to be learnt as a special New Zealand language in all our schools. It will take a while for that to happen, but this really is the milestone,” Mr De Bres says.
ESTUARY DEVELOPMENT SOUGHT
A spokesman for Nelson Maori landowners says an eco-tourism development on a contentious piece of coastal land could be the way to bring the hapu together.
The Wakapuaka 1B Trust has called for expressions of interest for a development based around the Wakapuaka estuary and surrounding land.
Trustee Selwyn Katene says the six Ngati Tama families represented on the trust have fought a century-long battle to confirm their ownership of the tidal estuary.
Mr Katene says the High Court has ruled in their favour, and the owners feel it is time to build for the future.
“We're like any other family, there are few of us on the land. Most of us live in Nelson, down Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland, and it’s quite expensive to fly back to Nelson all the time but if we were to have a development down there, it would entice a lot of us to go down there more regularly and hopefully to settle down there,” Mr Katene says.
As well as some kind of revenue-producing business, Wakapuaka 1B would like to develop a marae, health centre and kura.
EDUCATION GAP REVEALED IN CENSUS
The head of Maori studies at Massey University says latest census data shows a major effort needs to go into increasing the educational qualifications of Maori males.
Mason Durie says while Maori participation in tertiary education has increased, most is at the certificate or sub-degree level, and far too many do not complete courses.
He says there is also an alarming gap between men and women.
“Maori men are much less likely to have a formal qualification than Maori women, and there’s some concern about that, particularly if we compare that and look at the current education statistics for school leavers and Maori boys performing worse than Maori girls and much worse than the general population,” Professor Durie says.
Lack of qualifications affects the choices Maori men have through their lives.
NGATI KAHU KEEN FOR ACTION ON RANGIPUTA
Labour list MP Shane Jones says Landcorp's decision to put off the sale of its land in the far north presents an opportunity to get some movement on Ngati Kahu's land claim settlement.
Ngati Kahu claimants occupied the Rangiputa station after the for-sale signs went up, forcing the government to review of the way state agencies and state owned enterprises disposed of surplus land.
Mr Jones says the row has brought to the surface many issues of growing public concern.
“In the north there is a great deal of support for that land to be restored back to Ngati Kahu and there’s an awareness in Ngati Kahu that the coastal areas shouldn’t be subdivided and flogged off, they should be put aside so that all local people can go camping, recreating, boating, because it’s getting harder and harder to do as lend becomes owned by either foreigners or rich New Zealanders who really aren’t interested in helping the public gain access to the coast,” Mr Jones says.
Labour's Maori caucus has lobbied vigorously behind the scenes to make sure senior ministers understand the anxiety Maori have about the treaty claim settlement process.
CURRICULUM FALLS SHORT ON IDENTITY QUESTIONS
Maori academic Paul Moon says the new te reo Maori curriculum doesn't address schools' real problems.
Paul Moon from the Auckland University of Technology says students are drifting away from Maori-related subjects.
Dr Moon says the government needs to take a more fundamental look at how Maori issues are addressed in schools, and neither the te reo curriculum released yesterday nor the overarching curriculum do that
“What you're doing here is playing with the content and the thinking of a whole other generation that’s coming through, and you’ve got to be very careful. You can’t just at the stroke of a pen say we’ll do this differently and we’ll change this. You’ve got to think this will affect how a whole new generation sees what it is to be a New Zealander,” Dr Moon says.
More in-depth data released yesterday shows that at the 2006 census the median age of Maori was 22.7 years, up from 21.9 in 2001.
Some 4.1 percent of Maori are now aged over 65.
Professor Durie says while that ageing population means it may be more difficult in the future to get a seat on the paepae, many of those older people may not be in good health.
“There is a warning here for iwi and other people who are planning Maori services that services for the elderly may need to assume greater importance. We’ve focussed a huge amount of attention in the last two or three decades on a young population. There is another population boom emerging as well, and we need to think about that,” Professor Durie says.
It's also likely that many of older Maori may face economic hardship, because they would have had lower than average incomes and long periods of unemployment through their lifetimes.
NEW CURRICULUM A MILESTONE
Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres says the release of a curriculum for teaching te reo maori in mainstream schools is a milestone.
Mr de Bres joined Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia for the launch of the draft curriculum at Newlands College yesterday.
He says it should make te reo Maori more accessible for all students.
“This is a curriculum that takes you from woe to go, in primary schools, secondary schools, whatever kind of school you’re at, and I think it provides the foundation for Maori really to be learnt as a special New Zealand language in all our schools. It will take a while for that to happen, but this really is the milestone,” Mr De Bres says.
ESTUARY DEVELOPMENT SOUGHT
A spokesman for Nelson Maori landowners says an eco-tourism development on a contentious piece of coastal land could be the way to bring the hapu together.
The Wakapuaka 1B Trust has called for expressions of interest for a development based around the Wakapuaka estuary and surrounding land.
Trustee Selwyn Katene says the six Ngati Tama families represented on the trust have fought a century-long battle to confirm their ownership of the tidal estuary.
Mr Katene says the High Court has ruled in their favour, and the owners feel it is time to build for the future.
“We're like any other family, there are few of us on the land. Most of us live in Nelson, down Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland, and it’s quite expensive to fly back to Nelson all the time but if we were to have a development down there, it would entice a lot of us to go down there more regularly and hopefully to settle down there,” Mr Katene says.
As well as some kind of revenue-producing business, Wakapuaka 1B would like to develop a marae, health centre and kura.
EDUCATION GAP REVEALED IN CENSUS
The head of Maori studies at Massey University says latest census data shows a major effort needs to go into increasing the educational qualifications of Maori males.
Mason Durie says while Maori participation in tertiary education has increased, most is at the certificate or sub-degree level, and far too many do not complete courses.
He says there is also an alarming gap between men and women.
“Maori men are much less likely to have a formal qualification than Maori women, and there’s some concern about that, particularly if we compare that and look at the current education statistics for school leavers and Maori boys performing worse than Maori girls and much worse than the general population,” Professor Durie says.
Lack of qualifications affects the choices Maori men have through their lives.
NGATI KAHU KEEN FOR ACTION ON RANGIPUTA
Labour list MP Shane Jones says Landcorp's decision to put off the sale of its land in the far north presents an opportunity to get some movement on Ngati Kahu's land claim settlement.
Ngati Kahu claimants occupied the Rangiputa station after the for-sale signs went up, forcing the government to review of the way state agencies and state owned enterprises disposed of surplus land.
Mr Jones says the row has brought to the surface many issues of growing public concern.
“In the north there is a great deal of support for that land to be restored back to Ngati Kahu and there’s an awareness in Ngati Kahu that the coastal areas shouldn’t be subdivided and flogged off, they should be put aside so that all local people can go camping, recreating, boating, because it’s getting harder and harder to do as lend becomes owned by either foreigners or rich New Zealanders who really aren’t interested in helping the public gain access to the coast,” Mr Jones says.
Labour's Maori caucus has lobbied vigorously behind the scenes to make sure senior ministers understand the anxiety Maori have about the treaty claim settlement process.
CURRICULUM FALLS SHORT ON IDENTITY QUESTIONS
Maori academic Paul Moon says the new te reo Maori curriculum doesn't address schools' real problems.
Paul Moon from the Auckland University of Technology says students are drifting away from Maori-related subjects.
Dr Moon says the government needs to take a more fundamental look at how Maori issues are addressed in schools, and neither the te reo curriculum released yesterday nor the overarching curriculum do that
“What you're doing here is playing with the content and the thinking of a whole other generation that’s coming through, and you’ve got to be very careful. You can’t just at the stroke of a pen say we’ll do this differently and we’ll change this. You’ve got to think this will affect how a whole new generation sees what it is to be a New Zealander,” Dr Moon says.
posted by Adam | 11:49 pm
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