Marae Youth Court scheme extended to Manurewa

Police are welcoming a shift of the youth court onto marae.

The court yesterday announced Judge Greg Hikaka will sit at Manurewa marae every two weeks, following on from successful pilot sittings at Gisborne's Te Poho o Rawiri Marae.

Police superintendent Wally Haumaha, the head of Maori and ethnic services, says it represents a turning point in the way youth justice will operate.

He says the disproportionate numbers of young Maori coming before courts right across Auckland meand demand for marae fixtures is likely to snowball.

“There will be a launch of a further programme, perhaps at Hoani Waititi later on this year, and we had discussions yesterday that some of the judges in Auckland were very keen to look at other areas of Auckland where they may also launch the youth justice courts,” Superintendent Haumaha says.

Talks are underway with Ngai Tahu about youth court sittings in Christchurch, perhaps at Nga Hau e Wha Marae.

PROMISE PIPI BEDS WILL BE MOVED OUT OF RANGE OF DREDGES

Port of Tauranga has promised to relocate pipi beds if its plan to dredge the harbour is approved.

Submissions have closed on an application to remove up to 15 million cubic meters of sand so the next generation of super container ships can dock.

Maori have objected because of the impact on traditional kaimoana gathering areas.

Property manager Tony Reynish says the port company anticipated their concern.

“The resource is vast in the area so the loss is relatively minor but nonetheless we have offered to relocate the pipi beds. It is a difficult task bit it is probably best achieved by divers doing it as a manual exercise,” Mr Reynish says.

The dredging will eventually add three meters to the depth of the shipping channel.

PRIZE WILL HELP WRITE BOOK ON CUSTOMARY CARVERS

A book on customary Maori carvers of the 20th century will benefit from New Zealand's richest prize for non-fiction.

Damian Skinner last night picked up the $35,000 CLL Writers Award, which is funded out of copyright licensing fees.

The Gisborne-based art historian says while his previous book looked at the relationship between traditional carving and contemporary Maori art, this time he wants to look at how customary carving developed and changed over the century.

“Obviously an important part of that is the story I told in The Carver and the Artist of the Ngata school of carving, the school that was set up by Sir Apirana Ngata and run out of Rotorua and people like Pine and Hone Taiapa, Piri Poutapu are the most famous names probably but also I’m very interest to ask the question what else was going on,” Mr Skinner says.

The other Copyright Licensing writers' award went to Peter Wells, who is writing a biography of William Colenso, the maverick missionary who printed the Treaty of Waitangi.

TAINUI HELPING OTHER IWI CATCH UP ECONOMICALLY

Waikato-Tainui hopes its Navigating Our Future summit will provide a foundation for broader Maori economic development.

The summit at the Kauhanganui tribal parliament building in Hopuhopu heard yesterday from Native American business leaders, and will today discuss the situation in Aotearoa.

Tainui executive member Rahui Papa says as more iwi complete treaty settlements, they are looking for advice on how to grow their tribal asset base.

“Waikato-Tainui and Ngai Tahu have agreed that it wouldn’t be feasible for te iwi Maori if only twwo iwi were to charge out in front and the ret had to play catch up so an invitation was sent to as significant number of iwi leaders to come to the summit so discussions can be started now,” Mr Papa says.

He says Maori need to develop their own social development programmes, because they can't rely on consistent support from government.

SMITH SEEKS TO RAISE MAORI AWARENESS OF RISING SEA LEVELS

Activist Mike Smith has been on the road distributing his new documentary on climate change to iwi and hapu.

He Ao Wera includes interviews with scientists about the likely effects of climate change on New Zealand, along with footage from Maori communities which have already suffered from adverse weather effects, such as Ahipara, Whangaehu and Bridge Pa in the Hawkes Bay.

Mr Smith says Maori communities need to accept that climate change is happening and work out what they can do to protect their homes and marae.

“The area where I come from which is the eastern coast of Northland, every single one of our hapu is at sea level. Traditionally our pole built at the bottom of fertile river flats where the soil was good for gardening and close to the sea and so our prediction is within 50 years every one of the 14 hapu in my rohe will be looking to relocate,” Mr Smith says.

He is hoping Maori Television will broadcast He Ao Wera, and it will be available later for download on Tuanuku.com

POHUTUKAWA TREE GIVES SHOCKING GLIMPSE AT PAST

Young people turning out in record numbers to see Bruce Mason's play the Pohutukawa Tree can't believe what they are hearing about New Zealand race relations in the 1950s.

The Auckland Theatre Company production at the Maidment theatre stars Rena Owen.

Lyn Cardy, the Company's education manager, says at after-show forums, students express disbelief at the racist language used.

They question whether the play accurately portrays the Maori family's opposition to their pregnant daughter marrying a Pakeha commoner ... and the European family's attitude towards Maori.

“Rena was saying she feels in the 1950s Maori were more subservient and that is what Bruce Mason was showing in this play. Now it’s so different. Young people grow up with all this pride in their culture and that’s what I think is so interesting for the kids,” Ms Cardy says.

The Auckland Theatre Company expects more than 9000 people will have seen the production by the end of its three week run.