Moa dung for science gets up Harawira nose
Funding for research into the moa's eating habits has been slammed by a Maori Party MP who says spending money on such things shows how out of touch with reality the government is.
Research into the grazing patterns of the extinct native bird by looking at fossilised Moa dung has been allocated $768,000 dollars over three years by the government funded National Science Academy's Marsden Fund.
Hone Harawira says although its a tragedy paying for dung isn't unusual around parliament.
“I'd laugh if it wasn’t so tragic. We have 230,000 children in this country who are listed as living below the poverty line and somebody’s got the cheek to spend $800,000 on moa dung,” Mr Harawira says.
Landcare Research scientists Jamie Wood and Janet Wilmshurst and New Zealand scientists Alan Cooper and Trevor Worthy from the University of Adelaide will examine 1500 specimens of fossil dung from rock shelters across southern New Zealand.
PARANOIA ABOUT INCREASE IN SEABED DOMAIN
Maori are suspicious of the government's decision not to release details of a United Nations committee decision to give New Zealand rights over 1.7 million kilometers of seabed announced by Prime Minister Helen Clark.
The additional area covers the continental shelf beyond New Zealand's existing 200- nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
Hauraki Trust Maori Trust board spokesperson John Mc Enteer says the fact that the government is not prepared to release the UN decision leads him to question their motives.
“We've got what seems to be a very positive press release from the Prime Minister but when I’ve asked the officials for the actual United Nations decision, they won’t provide it. They say the matter is confidential. I think it has to do with the Government’s desire to grab these things for itself,” Mr McEnteer says.
He says with the Foreshore and Seabed legislation the government grabbed Maori customary rights over $100 million worth of assets and the current move looks like a further move to deny Maori their rights.
MULLINS GETS TOP SHEARING INDUSTRY ROLE
The first woman Golden Shears Society President says there's glamour to be found in the dirty business of shearing sheep.
Mavis Mullins of Rangitane and Te Atihaunui-a-Paparangi takes on the roll excited about the prospects of the New Zealand Shearing industry.
The former Golden Shears champ and Maori business woman of the year says as a major shearing contractor, the company she runs with her husband Koro sees all sides of the industry.
“We still handle close to over 1 million sheep a year based out to Danneverke. The competition and Golden Shears is kind of seen as the glamour side of things. It’s kind of like the Sex and the City part of a hard job,” Mrs Mullins says.
A highlight of her position will be planning for the 2012 World Shearing Championships in Masterton.
MAORI EXCLUDED FROM EXTENDED EEZ
The government is being criticised for moves to exclude Maori from New Zealand's claim over 1.7 million square kilometers of the seabed confirmed by a United Nations commission.
The claim announced by Prime Minister Helen Clark covers the continental shelf beyond New Zealand's existing 200- nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
Hauraki Maori Trust Board spokesperson John Mc Enteer says with the Foreshore and Seabed legislation the government grabbed more than $100,000 worth of assets from Maori and their current action in excluding Maori from the new area looks like eroding Maori rights even further.
“What I say is the move by the Government today to grab for itself this extra 1.7 kilometres of seabed without any type of arrangement or partnering with Maori, continues to marginalise us even further, and it erodes and ignores the rights of Maori in this area,” Mr Mc Enteer says.
The Hauraki Trust Board suggested in 2004 that moves to claim the continental shelf should be done in partnership with Maori but the Government refused to do this.
FOMA WELCOMES P4 FREE TRADE AGREEMENT INVOLVING USA
The Federation of Maori Authorities is welcoming news of a Free Trade Deal with the United States of America.
Paul Morgan, from FOMA, says Maori involved in agribusiness will welcome the removal of subsidies in America... which will allow their products to compete on an even footing.
The agreement... or rather the agreement to work towards an agreement with the US is not a straight country to country deal... but rather one involving the P4 - a group which includes New Zealand, Singapore, Chile and Brunei.
“Most of New Zealand's export business is done on the Pacific rim, and by the US wanting to engage with Pacific rim countries, that’s where most of our sales are. That bodes well for New Zealand and for Maori going forward so we really do congratulate the government in this breakthrough and encourage the officials to bring this to a timely conclusion, not four years, maybe one,” Mr Morgan says.
A free trade deal would open the way for companies to do the real work of developing business to business relationships.
BULLS WAKA FIND CONFIRMED
Five pieces of burnt carved totara found in old swamp land on a farm near Bulls are definitely part of a hundred year old Maori canoe.
The waka was uncovered in a swamp by a contractor who was smoothing out hills for a farmer and handed over to Te Manawa, the regional cultural centre in Palmerston North.
Manu Kawana, the kaihautu at Te Manawa, says at first glance there was no carving or any design features to help establish where the waka came from.
However, he says, a row of small evenly spaced holes along the top edge of the side of the canoe suggest it was a waka tete or waka tiwai... which was used for fishing.
“Those are likely to be the places where the lines were attached to, especially for the trawling for fish like kahawai ior kanai, the mullet, where the paddlers would go like crazy down there by the river mouth with their hooks trailing behind, with the idea of catching kahawai or mullet on those lines,” Mr Kawana says.
The unearthed pieces will be held at Te Manawa while Ministry of Culture and Heritage experts and local iwi decide the future of the waka.
Research into the grazing patterns of the extinct native bird by looking at fossilised Moa dung has been allocated $768,000 dollars over three years by the government funded National Science Academy's Marsden Fund.
Hone Harawira says although its a tragedy paying for dung isn't unusual around parliament.
“I'd laugh if it wasn’t so tragic. We have 230,000 children in this country who are listed as living below the poverty line and somebody’s got the cheek to spend $800,000 on moa dung,” Mr Harawira says.
Landcare Research scientists Jamie Wood and Janet Wilmshurst and New Zealand scientists Alan Cooper and Trevor Worthy from the University of Adelaide will examine 1500 specimens of fossil dung from rock shelters across southern New Zealand.
PARANOIA ABOUT INCREASE IN SEABED DOMAIN
Maori are suspicious of the government's decision not to release details of a United Nations committee decision to give New Zealand rights over 1.7 million kilometers of seabed announced by Prime Minister Helen Clark.
The additional area covers the continental shelf beyond New Zealand's existing 200- nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
Hauraki Trust Maori Trust board spokesperson John Mc Enteer says the fact that the government is not prepared to release the UN decision leads him to question their motives.
“We've got what seems to be a very positive press release from the Prime Minister but when I’ve asked the officials for the actual United Nations decision, they won’t provide it. They say the matter is confidential. I think it has to do with the Government’s desire to grab these things for itself,” Mr McEnteer says.
He says with the Foreshore and Seabed legislation the government grabbed Maori customary rights over $100 million worth of assets and the current move looks like a further move to deny Maori their rights.
MULLINS GETS TOP SHEARING INDUSTRY ROLE
The first woman Golden Shears Society President says there's glamour to be found in the dirty business of shearing sheep.
Mavis Mullins of Rangitane and Te Atihaunui-a-Paparangi takes on the roll excited about the prospects of the New Zealand Shearing industry.
The former Golden Shears champ and Maori business woman of the year says as a major shearing contractor, the company she runs with her husband Koro sees all sides of the industry.
“We still handle close to over 1 million sheep a year based out to Danneverke. The competition and Golden Shears is kind of seen as the glamour side of things. It’s kind of like the Sex and the City part of a hard job,” Mrs Mullins says.
A highlight of her position will be planning for the 2012 World Shearing Championships in Masterton.
MAORI EXCLUDED FROM EXTENDED EEZ
The government is being criticised for moves to exclude Maori from New Zealand's claim over 1.7 million square kilometers of the seabed confirmed by a United Nations commission.
The claim announced by Prime Minister Helen Clark covers the continental shelf beyond New Zealand's existing 200- nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
Hauraki Maori Trust Board spokesperson John Mc Enteer says with the Foreshore and Seabed legislation the government grabbed more than $100,000 worth of assets from Maori and their current action in excluding Maori from the new area looks like eroding Maori rights even further.
“What I say is the move by the Government today to grab for itself this extra 1.7 kilometres of seabed without any type of arrangement or partnering with Maori, continues to marginalise us even further, and it erodes and ignores the rights of Maori in this area,” Mr Mc Enteer says.
The Hauraki Trust Board suggested in 2004 that moves to claim the continental shelf should be done in partnership with Maori but the Government refused to do this.
FOMA WELCOMES P4 FREE TRADE AGREEMENT INVOLVING USA
The Federation of Maori Authorities is welcoming news of a Free Trade Deal with the United States of America.
Paul Morgan, from FOMA, says Maori involved in agribusiness will welcome the removal of subsidies in America... which will allow their products to compete on an even footing.
The agreement... or rather the agreement to work towards an agreement with the US is not a straight country to country deal... but rather one involving the P4 - a group which includes New Zealand, Singapore, Chile and Brunei.
“Most of New Zealand's export business is done on the Pacific rim, and by the US wanting to engage with Pacific rim countries, that’s where most of our sales are. That bodes well for New Zealand and for Maori going forward so we really do congratulate the government in this breakthrough and encourage the officials to bring this to a timely conclusion, not four years, maybe one,” Mr Morgan says.
A free trade deal would open the way for companies to do the real work of developing business to business relationships.
BULLS WAKA FIND CONFIRMED
Five pieces of burnt carved totara found in old swamp land on a farm near Bulls are definitely part of a hundred year old Maori canoe.
The waka was uncovered in a swamp by a contractor who was smoothing out hills for a farmer and handed over to Te Manawa, the regional cultural centre in Palmerston North.
Manu Kawana, the kaihautu at Te Manawa, says at first glance there was no carving or any design features to help establish where the waka came from.
However, he says, a row of small evenly spaced holes along the top edge of the side of the canoe suggest it was a waka tete or waka tiwai... which was used for fishing.
“Those are likely to be the places where the lines were attached to, especially for the trawling for fish like kahawai ior kanai, the mullet, where the paddlers would go like crazy down there by the river mouth with their hooks trailing behind, with the idea of catching kahawai or mullet on those lines,” Mr Kawana says.
The unearthed pieces will be held at Te Manawa while Ministry of Culture and Heritage experts and local iwi decide the future of the waka.
posted by Adam | 9:58 am
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