Protest peeves Whangaroa claim negotiator

One of the negotiators of a far north claim says there is little sympathy for a whanau who wants the whole lot to itself.

The signing of an agreement in principlae to settle Ngati Kahu ki Whangaroa's settlement was disrupted on Saturday by members and suporters of the Peterson whanau who have been occupying Stoney Creek station, North of Kaeo.

Ella Henry says the former Landcorp farm is the only substantial asset in the iwis rohe still in Crown hands

She says attempts to reason with the whanau have led to increasing hostility, as was evidenced by the events of the weekend.

"We need to be able to move on, we need to get out of grievance mode, and we need a sound economic foundation to build a fuiture on. Because Ngati Kahu ki Whangaroa isn’t a big tribe. We’re not one of the big seven. We’re just a little whanau base. So when one family, and it predominantly is one family, are saying they want the land back entirely for themselves, then you have to say something has gone horribly wrong in their thinking,” Ms Henry says.

POLICE RAID SHAMEFUL BUT LESSONS LEARNED

The Minister of Maori Affairs is labeling police actions in Ruatoki in October as shameful.

Parekura Horomia has in the past steered clear of condemning the police for the day long lockdown of the small Bay of Plenty settlement, which was done during a nationwide sweep to arrest people who police allege attended terrorist training camps in the nearby Urewera mountains.

Mr Horomia today told Waatea host Willie Jackson the police needed to take a hard look at their tactics.

“The reason for them going there is why I am still interested and still supportive of that fact, but their performance was shameful on the day and I think it is something we have all learnt a lesson out of,” Mr Horomia says.

He believes in general police are fair.

NO SHOP PRESENT ADVICE

Forgot to buy a present for that mokopuna?

Don’t worry, Michelle Mako from healthy lifestyles programme Feeding our Futures has some last minute shopping advice.

It’s don’t shop. Sometimes the best thing you can offer the whanau are the traditional kai, the fruits of the land and the sea, and the wisdom of the ages.

“People are so busy all year round. Christmas is such a great time for people to come together. It’s a time when kaumatua can teach kids her traditional skills or traditional knowledge of the whanau, and those gifts actually will last forever. They don’t break, like a $2 shop gift might,” Ms Mako says.

Whanau members can offer their labour or skills, rather than bought gifts.

TAEMARO PROTEST BIZARRE

A Northland MP says Saturdays attack on treaty negotiations minister Michael Cullen was a sign of the bizarre state of current protests.

Shane Jones along with his son, kaumatua Rudy Taylor and Labour’s Taitokerau candidate Kelvin Davis, had to shield Dr Cullen from an angry mob at a ceremony at Taemaro.

He says the deal the minister eventually signed to return Stony Creek station to Ngati Kahu ki Whaingaroa is worth tens of millions of dallars to the iwi, but the protesters seem to be unconcerned about the merits of the deal or the mana of Ngati Kahu.

“The only thing missing from the day, given the bizarre nature of the protest, was Woody Allen hiding in a bush with a camera. It was quite weird, the whole protest, completely unrelated to the land going back to Ngati Kahu,” Mr Jones says.

He says Dr Cullen kept a cool head during the fracas.

EARTHQUAKE WON’T STOP KAPA HAKA COMPS

The earth may have shaken in Gisborne, but that won’t be stopping kapa haka teams shaking the stage there.

The high energy, high impact Super 12 Series will go ahead at the Gisborne Outdoor Theatre on December the 29th.

Organiser Willie Te Aho says there was some controversy when the competition for 12-member teams started, but it respects the tradition while taking it a step on.

“We just wanted to create a space where our people could think outside the box, keep the heart and the values of our culture together but express it differently, and that was back in 2000 when we held the first kapa haka super 12 festival, 12 people n the stage for 12 minutes, and you’ve got to demonstrate elements of our kapa haka culture,” he says.

Mr Te Aho says the Super 12 has become a place to test ideas which go into the 40-member culture group performances.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR PARIHAKA PEACE FEST PREP

The call is out for volunteers to help make the third Parihaka International Peace Festival in Taranaki a success.

John Dix from the organising committee says the event being held early next month, is gaining popularity both here and overseas.

He says people are keen to hear bands like Katchafire and Moana and the Tribe, but also the lineup of international speakers who acknowledge the history of passive resistance at Parihaka.

Mr Dix says it was volunteers who made the inaugural festival two years ago possible, and their input will be vital again this year.

“When word got out that we were struggling a little bit, people came from all over, from North Auckland, from the East Coast, just turned up and said what can we do. And to a degree we do rely on volunteers. Any large event does. You can ask the guys in Cornerstone Roots with Soundsplash. Every large event needs volunteers to get through it, and Parihaka perhaps more than most,” he says.

TOUGH TIME FOR EX INMATES TRYING TO GO STRAIGHT

The festive season presents challenges for many men not long out of prison.

Kim Workman, the head of Prison Fellowship, says a majority of inmates have drug and alcohol problems.

Those released close to the festive season often find little support for their efforts to get a control on their addictions.

“One of the difficulties is some of these guys do clean their act up and they come back into a family where drugs and alcohol are prevalent and so sometimes they are forced to look elsewhere for support and that’s a struggle,” Mr Workman says.