Settlement over spoils of war
Ngati Whatua o Orakei chairperson Grant Hawke says the proposed settlement of its Auckland claims represents the spoils of war.
A Waitangi Tribunal into the settlement process yesterday considered evidence from the hapu, including some from the late Sir Hugh Kawharu, who led the negotiations.
Mr Hawke says his iwi has tried to be fair to cross-claimants, but the settlement reflects the fact Ngati Whatua was able to settle in Tamaki Makaurau through its victory over Wai-o-hua chief Kiwi Tamaki.
“The spoils of war was shared through marriage and occupation and and ahi kaa over those long periods of time so I’ve yet to see that we have been, since we have occupied Tamaki, and in the historical sense, that we have been unworthy,” Mr Hawke says.
The hearing is due to end today.
BRASH FEAR BLAMED FOR TIMID CURRICULUM
A senior lecturer in Education from Auckland University, Vicki Carpenter, says a change in the political climate is behind a Ministry of Education U-turn on including the Treaty of Waitangi in the new curriculum.
Education secretary Karen Sewell told a parliamentary committee yesterday that the ministry took it for granted that schools would teach about the treaty, but dropping it from the formal document was a mistake.
Dr Carpenter, who is conducting research on ways to raise the achievement of Maori children in mainstream schools, says the ministry wrote its draft curriculum about the time of Don Brash's Orewa speech, which criticised race based funding and programmes.
“The political context during the time that the draft was written made the writers very cautious, made the Ministry of Education people very cautious, and Don Brash’s speech was integral to that context,” Dr Carpenter says.
SAFFRON SPICES UP MAORI LAND
A Hokianga Maori farmer is encouraging other Maori in the region to grow saffron.
Makuini Te Whata Chadwick has been growing the crocus blooms which produce the ancient spice for eight years, with technical help from Industrial Research.
Mrs Chadwick ignored suggestions the mid-north would be too wet to grow the valuable crop, and she uses traditional Maori methods to keep the flowers healthy, including karakia, planting by the moon, and a compost made of blackberry, seaweed, bull kelp and kina shells.
“For us it's a bigger picture too and it’s employment for us and using our land, making something come off our land rather than just leaving it dormant, so for me it’s just to try to be an example there and have others that are interested and come along.” Mrs Chadwick says.
Her whanau are looking into infusing saffron oil with traditional Maori foods including piko piko, peruperu, kawakawa leaves and karuparera.
MAORI COUNCIL PLAN MISSIONARY POSITION
Anglican cleric Hone Kaa says the Race Relations Commissioner’s call for a Maori Parliament or council of elders to advise the government isn't what Maori need.
In his annual report, Joris de Bres said such a body could strengthen the relationship between Maori and central government.
Canon Kaa says such a council is unlikely to represent the majority of elders, who are under 40.
He says Maori want real political power, not so called consultation with an advisory body.
“His heart is in the right sure, but I’m not sure the action he wants us to take is the right action. Because in the end, the only way we’re going to discover exactly how strong we are is for ourselves to do it. I admire Joris a lot, but the day of the missionary has gone,” Mr Kaa says.
Many Maori are still pinning their hopes on the Maori Party getting more seats and greater influence.
TERTIARY PASS RATES NOT GOOD ENOUGH
The head of Maori studies at Canterbury University says there are troubling signs in the way Maori are coping with tertiary education.
Rawiri Taonui says while participation rates have improved, including more than 200 Maori now studying for doctorates, the majority are in polytechnics or wananga doing certificate or diploma courses.
Mr Taonui says in mainstream universities, too many Maori are struggling.
“There are real issues about pass rates and retention, and quite typically it’s stage one and stage two of bachelor level degrees Maori pass rates are only in the range of about 50 to 60 percent, compared to say 90 percent for other students,” Mr Taonui says.
He says it's not particularly helpful to define Maori tertiary success just in terms of just participation rates.
MAORI WORKFORCE TOPIC FOR HUI
Maori workforce advancement is the hot topic for discussion at a hui in Wellington today.
Council of Trade Unions Maori vice president Sharon Clair says the kaupapa for the "Leave No One Behind" conference include issues like mentoring rangatahi, the Maori view of workplace productivity, getting Maori prisoners back into the workforce, and industry training.
Ms Clair says while other forums like the Hui Taumata have focused on Maori economic development, economies need workers to drive them.
“Maori economic success will not occur unless Maori workforce succeed, and if neither Maori neither Maori business or Maori workers succeed, the New Zealand’s economy won’t succeed. Invest in the Maori workforce, in skill development, and that’s got to be good for business,” Ms Clair says.
The hui will hear from workplace reeresentatives, the Department of Labour and Biz New Zealand on how to build Maori skill and capacity.
A Waitangi Tribunal into the settlement process yesterday considered evidence from the hapu, including some from the late Sir Hugh Kawharu, who led the negotiations.
Mr Hawke says his iwi has tried to be fair to cross-claimants, but the settlement reflects the fact Ngati Whatua was able to settle in Tamaki Makaurau through its victory over Wai-o-hua chief Kiwi Tamaki.
“The spoils of war was shared through marriage and occupation and and ahi kaa over those long periods of time so I’ve yet to see that we have been, since we have occupied Tamaki, and in the historical sense, that we have been unworthy,” Mr Hawke says.
The hearing is due to end today.
BRASH FEAR BLAMED FOR TIMID CURRICULUM
A senior lecturer in Education from Auckland University, Vicki Carpenter, says a change in the political climate is behind a Ministry of Education U-turn on including the Treaty of Waitangi in the new curriculum.
Education secretary Karen Sewell told a parliamentary committee yesterday that the ministry took it for granted that schools would teach about the treaty, but dropping it from the formal document was a mistake.
Dr Carpenter, who is conducting research on ways to raise the achievement of Maori children in mainstream schools, says the ministry wrote its draft curriculum about the time of Don Brash's Orewa speech, which criticised race based funding and programmes.
“The political context during the time that the draft was written made the writers very cautious, made the Ministry of Education people very cautious, and Don Brash’s speech was integral to that context,” Dr Carpenter says.
SAFFRON SPICES UP MAORI LAND
A Hokianga Maori farmer is encouraging other Maori in the region to grow saffron.
Makuini Te Whata Chadwick has been growing the crocus blooms which produce the ancient spice for eight years, with technical help from Industrial Research.
Mrs Chadwick ignored suggestions the mid-north would be too wet to grow the valuable crop, and she uses traditional Maori methods to keep the flowers healthy, including karakia, planting by the moon, and a compost made of blackberry, seaweed, bull kelp and kina shells.
“For us it's a bigger picture too and it’s employment for us and using our land, making something come off our land rather than just leaving it dormant, so for me it’s just to try to be an example there and have others that are interested and come along.” Mrs Chadwick says.
Her whanau are looking into infusing saffron oil with traditional Maori foods including piko piko, peruperu, kawakawa leaves and karuparera.
MAORI COUNCIL PLAN MISSIONARY POSITION
Anglican cleric Hone Kaa says the Race Relations Commissioner’s call for a Maori Parliament or council of elders to advise the government isn't what Maori need.
In his annual report, Joris de Bres said such a body could strengthen the relationship between Maori and central government.
Canon Kaa says such a council is unlikely to represent the majority of elders, who are under 40.
He says Maori want real political power, not so called consultation with an advisory body.
“His heart is in the right sure, but I’m not sure the action he wants us to take is the right action. Because in the end, the only way we’re going to discover exactly how strong we are is for ourselves to do it. I admire Joris a lot, but the day of the missionary has gone,” Mr Kaa says.
Many Maori are still pinning their hopes on the Maori Party getting more seats and greater influence.
TERTIARY PASS RATES NOT GOOD ENOUGH
The head of Maori studies at Canterbury University says there are troubling signs in the way Maori are coping with tertiary education.
Rawiri Taonui says while participation rates have improved, including more than 200 Maori now studying for doctorates, the majority are in polytechnics or wananga doing certificate or diploma courses.
Mr Taonui says in mainstream universities, too many Maori are struggling.
“There are real issues about pass rates and retention, and quite typically it’s stage one and stage two of bachelor level degrees Maori pass rates are only in the range of about 50 to 60 percent, compared to say 90 percent for other students,” Mr Taonui says.
He says it's not particularly helpful to define Maori tertiary success just in terms of just participation rates.
MAORI WORKFORCE TOPIC FOR HUI
Maori workforce advancement is the hot topic for discussion at a hui in Wellington today.
Council of Trade Unions Maori vice president Sharon Clair says the kaupapa for the "Leave No One Behind" conference include issues like mentoring rangatahi, the Maori view of workplace productivity, getting Maori prisoners back into the workforce, and industry training.
Ms Clair says while other forums like the Hui Taumata have focused on Maori economic development, economies need workers to drive them.
“Maori economic success will not occur unless Maori workforce succeed, and if neither Maori neither Maori business or Maori workers succeed, the New Zealand’s economy won’t succeed. Invest in the Maori workforce, in skill development, and that’s got to be good for business,” Ms Clair says.
The hui will hear from workplace reeresentatives, the Department of Labour and Biz New Zealand on how to build Maori skill and capacity.
posted by Adam | 11:05 pm
2 Comments:
I don't know the figures but there seems to be a mass migration to Australia of young Maori workers. At hui I encourage this because it is for economic reasons. There's no point in staying in NZ when Australia seems to offer more for our Rangatahi than their own country. They invariably get work however unskilled and in some cases unskilled work such as packing veges pays $24 gross an hour. My own mokopuna aged 25 got a job for the first time in his life in Brisbane the week he arrived.
Dr. Carpenter March 14th 2007 is quite correct in blaming much of the government's response to Maori policy on the Treaty in education for example on Brash's "Orewa" speech. I fear however that the political climate in NZ and within tertiary institutions such as hers (ACE)was clearly discernable long before "Orewa". It was like a cold shower once a month. The battle for resources between departments and the changes and down grading of Maori courses and the assimilation into others so that lecturers lost their autonomy and academic freedom was constant and relentless. On my last visit there I discovered that Pacifica had been put into what I can only describe as the dungeon part of the college. They were next to the Tangata Whenua in spacious and beautiful surroundings near the college marae. I don't think Mr. Brash can be blamed for that.
It's good to know Dr. Carpenter is doing research on ways to improve Maori achievement in main stream schools. She could do well by teaming up with Dr. Russell Bishop of Waikato University> If the Ministry of Education can stop knee jerking to every "Orewa" they could do well to listen to him too.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home