Maori votes could be decisive
A Maori political scientist believes the votes cast in Maori electorates could be critical to deciding the next government.
In the lead-up to the last election Labour leader Helen Clark called the Maori Party the last cab off the rank when it came to choosing a coalition partner.
Kaapua Smith says the situation has changed for the November the eighth election.
“Strategically the Maori vote would be very important, especially considering the Winston Peters debacle that has just gone on with the Owen Glenn donation and all of the drama that surrounded his party, it may damage the votes they get, in which case the Maori Party would be very well placed to side with either National or Labour,” Ms Smith says.
She is looking at Maori political participation in the 21st century for her doctoral research.
KIRIBATI POSITING WILL GIVE KAIWAI CHANCE TO SEEK ROOTS
New Zealand's new High Commissioner to Kiribati wants to encourage more exchanges between Maori and Micronesia.
Robert Kaiwai from Ngati Porou has previously served in Taiwan, where he saw the interest in exchanges with that country's indigenous people.
He says Taiwan is believed to be the source of the great Austronesian migration into the Pacific, including east to Micronesia and south to Aotearoa.
“There was a lot of exchanges took place and there was a lot of knowledge exchanged, and I’m sure between the peoples of the islands of Kiribati and the people of New Zealand there’s something, and that’s something I’d like to get going, get some Maori up there and get some exchanges going and see what we can learn from each other,” Mr Kaiwai says.
From his base on Tarawa he will also be working on New Zealand's aid efforts and on issues of climate change and environmental destruction, which are critical to the inhabitants of the low-lying island nations.
MURIHIKU TOHEROA STUDY BLENDING MATAURANGA WITH SCIENCE
A study of toheroa in the deep south has found a combination of Maori and western knowledge is most effective in protecting the shellfish.
Researcher Henrik Moller says the project, which is funded by the Ministry of Fisheries, has collected information on matauranga knowledge from Te Tiaki Mahinga Kai, a network of kaitiaki and kaumatua throughout Murihiku.
“We've found over and over in the past 15 years of working in partnership models between science and matauranga and tikanga is they fit together like hand in glove and they both have a huge contribution to make for making sure the kai is there for their mokopuna. I think it’s better to ask how partnerships can happen and how they can help each other than to have a contest about whose knowledge is better,” Dr Moller says.
Toheroa numbers in Southland have been affected by the damming of the Waiau River, and Maori are looking for ways to reverse 40 years of decline.
SEATS TOO BIG TO WIN EASILY
A Maori political scientist says the size of the Maori electorates makes winning more seats a challenge for the Maori Party.
Kaapua Smith is doing doctoral research on Maori political participation.
She says with only eight weeks to go before the November 8 election, challengers in the three Maori seats the Maori Party does not hold have their work cut out for them to reach voters.
“It is quite a short time frame and particularly because the Maori electorates are so huge, it’s quite a task for those people running in those seats to get around to all the electorate and spread their message about what they are about and what their party's about,” Ms Smith says.
She says while many Maori voters have switched to the general roll because they believe they will get better representation in a smaller electorate.
TE AUPOURI SEEKING TAIAPURE FOR THE BLUFF
A far north iwi has moved a step closer to protecting one of its most important areas for kaimoana.
The Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton has agreed in principle to a taiapure or local fishery in the waters surrounding Te Wakatehaua on Ninety Mile Beach, known as the Bluff.
The proposal now goes to a consultation process overseen by the Maori Land Court.
Raymond Subritsky, the chair of Te Aupouri Trust board, says the iwi applied for the reserve because of concern at the activities of commercial fishing activity, including the mechanical harvest of mussel spat.
“Our toheroa, our pipi beds are all in there and if the tractor had an accident in there, that’s the food source for Te Aupouri gone. It would take a long time to recover. We see around the Bluff area as the breeding ground for most of the fish around there,” Mr Subritsky says.
Te Aupouri has title to about a kilometre and a half of beach adjoining Te Wakatehaua, but it hasn't had all the tools it needs to exercise its kaitiaki role.
MANUREWA MARAE LOOKS TO HARBOUR ACCESS
A marae by the Manukau harbour wants to encourage its young people to take up water sports.
Tunuiarangi McLean says Manurewa Marae wants to clear the mangroves from Puhinui inlet on its back door and build a jetty.
It has briefed local MPs and government departments on the proposal, and is now waiting on the Auckland Regional Council.
He says the aim is to introduce rangatahi to sports like kayaking and waka ama.
“And maybe one day the waka taua will be palled up the Puhinui again as history tells us the name of Puhinui Inlet was given to that piece of waterway through the waka taua from Ngapuhi coming down and rowing up to Matukutirea, Matukatururu in the old days,” Mr McLean says.
The long term hope is to restore and revitalise Te Manukanuka o Hoturoa... or Manukau Harbour, including clearing the mangroves from the shores.
In the lead-up to the last election Labour leader Helen Clark called the Maori Party the last cab off the rank when it came to choosing a coalition partner.
Kaapua Smith says the situation has changed for the November the eighth election.
“Strategically the Maori vote would be very important, especially considering the Winston Peters debacle that has just gone on with the Owen Glenn donation and all of the drama that surrounded his party, it may damage the votes they get, in which case the Maori Party would be very well placed to side with either National or Labour,” Ms Smith says.
She is looking at Maori political participation in the 21st century for her doctoral research.
KIRIBATI POSITING WILL GIVE KAIWAI CHANCE TO SEEK ROOTS
New Zealand's new High Commissioner to Kiribati wants to encourage more exchanges between Maori and Micronesia.
Robert Kaiwai from Ngati Porou has previously served in Taiwan, where he saw the interest in exchanges with that country's indigenous people.
He says Taiwan is believed to be the source of the great Austronesian migration into the Pacific, including east to Micronesia and south to Aotearoa.
“There was a lot of exchanges took place and there was a lot of knowledge exchanged, and I’m sure between the peoples of the islands of Kiribati and the people of New Zealand there’s something, and that’s something I’d like to get going, get some Maori up there and get some exchanges going and see what we can learn from each other,” Mr Kaiwai says.
From his base on Tarawa he will also be working on New Zealand's aid efforts and on issues of climate change and environmental destruction, which are critical to the inhabitants of the low-lying island nations.
MURIHIKU TOHEROA STUDY BLENDING MATAURANGA WITH SCIENCE
A study of toheroa in the deep south has found a combination of Maori and western knowledge is most effective in protecting the shellfish.
Researcher Henrik Moller says the project, which is funded by the Ministry of Fisheries, has collected information on matauranga knowledge from Te Tiaki Mahinga Kai, a network of kaitiaki and kaumatua throughout Murihiku.
“We've found over and over in the past 15 years of working in partnership models between science and matauranga and tikanga is they fit together like hand in glove and they both have a huge contribution to make for making sure the kai is there for their mokopuna. I think it’s better to ask how partnerships can happen and how they can help each other than to have a contest about whose knowledge is better,” Dr Moller says.
Toheroa numbers in Southland have been affected by the damming of the Waiau River, and Maori are looking for ways to reverse 40 years of decline.
SEATS TOO BIG TO WIN EASILY
A Maori political scientist says the size of the Maori electorates makes winning more seats a challenge for the Maori Party.
Kaapua Smith is doing doctoral research on Maori political participation.
She says with only eight weeks to go before the November 8 election, challengers in the three Maori seats the Maori Party does not hold have their work cut out for them to reach voters.
“It is quite a short time frame and particularly because the Maori electorates are so huge, it’s quite a task for those people running in those seats to get around to all the electorate and spread their message about what they are about and what their party's about,” Ms Smith says.
She says while many Maori voters have switched to the general roll because they believe they will get better representation in a smaller electorate.
TE AUPOURI SEEKING TAIAPURE FOR THE BLUFF
A far north iwi has moved a step closer to protecting one of its most important areas for kaimoana.
The Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton has agreed in principle to a taiapure or local fishery in the waters surrounding Te Wakatehaua on Ninety Mile Beach, known as the Bluff.
The proposal now goes to a consultation process overseen by the Maori Land Court.
Raymond Subritsky, the chair of Te Aupouri Trust board, says the iwi applied for the reserve because of concern at the activities of commercial fishing activity, including the mechanical harvest of mussel spat.
“Our toheroa, our pipi beds are all in there and if the tractor had an accident in there, that’s the food source for Te Aupouri gone. It would take a long time to recover. We see around the Bluff area as the breeding ground for most of the fish around there,” Mr Subritsky says.
Te Aupouri has title to about a kilometre and a half of beach adjoining Te Wakatehaua, but it hasn't had all the tools it needs to exercise its kaitiaki role.
MANUREWA MARAE LOOKS TO HARBOUR ACCESS
A marae by the Manukau harbour wants to encourage its young people to take up water sports.
Tunuiarangi McLean says Manurewa Marae wants to clear the mangroves from Puhinui inlet on its back door and build a jetty.
It has briefed local MPs and government departments on the proposal, and is now waiting on the Auckland Regional Council.
He says the aim is to introduce rangatahi to sports like kayaking and waka ama.
“And maybe one day the waka taua will be palled up the Puhinui again as history tells us the name of Puhinui Inlet was given to that piece of waterway through the waka taua from Ngapuhi coming down and rowing up to Matukutirea, Matukatururu in the old days,” Mr McLean says.
The long term hope is to restore and revitalise Te Manukanuka o Hoturoa... or Manukau Harbour, including clearing the mangroves from the shores.
posted by Adam | 11:18 pm
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