by Catherine Delahunty
The Greens had a stall this year and we flew the Green, Confederation of Chiefs and the tino rangatiratanga flags. Many people signed our petition to save our treasured places from mining and had conversations with us about myriad issues from sewage to constitutional change. Our Co-Leaders plus David Clendon and I attended the events.
All of this in brilliant sunshine surrounded by watermelons and waka, fry bread and feisty korero. Being a minority culture is rich experience which all Pākehā should experience and after all Te Tiriti o Waitangi is about us, it gives us a place to stand.
Great rivers of history and culture meet at the two marae at Waitangi every February 5th and 6th. It’s great to jump into the river and try to anticipate rapids and detect what currents are moving under the surface. The currents often turn into whirlpools that have less to do with the Prime Minister’s speech than is widely reported.
One of the powerful currents this year was the korero on constitutional change. Some of it happened off site at the Haruru falls but some of it happened in a large open tent where tangata whenua people without invitation to be “leaders” talked about their issues. Some of the most influential thinkers in this country’s constitutional development spoke in the political forums over several days. Moana Jackson, Annette Sykes, Mereana Pitman, Margaret Mutu to name but a few. A book was also launched entitled “Weeping Waters” edited by Malcolm Mulholland.
After years of discussion the issue remains how to create a constitution based on Te Tiriti o Waitangi and what that might look like. Tangata whenua are moving on this issue and the challenge is how we respond. Then there is the necessity to replace the Foreshore and Seabed Act with a strong Te Tiriti based law that upholds customary rights and looks after the coast for the benefit of all people. John Key’s fluffy comments at the pōwhiri did not inspire confidence on this issue. Mike Smith showed his film on the effects of climate change in Aotearoa and many people spoke about poverty, environmental degradation and the impacts of domestic violence.
There were fantastic stalls on organic agriculture, Te Wananga o Aotearoa and massage as well as clothes, food and music.
The most powerful moment for me was the ceremony acknowledging the tino rangatiratanga flag, the wahine toa who designed it and all the struggles of the activists. A most amusing speaker in impromptu debate was Metiria Turei describing what politicians do “to, not for” the people. I am always glad not to be Labour or National at Waitangi, even though being Green includes being challenged about our consistency and performance on Te Tiriti issues. But we are truly fortunate to have a place where these dialogues can be held and the wero can be laid down to politicians.
See you there next year!
Published in Environment & Resource Management | Featured by Catherine Delahunty on Mon, February 8th, 2010
Tags: constitution, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Waitangi
More posts by Catherine Delahunty | more about Catherine Delahunty
on the trolls and those who are unable to keep on topic
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Haha might as well get that one out of the way early eh
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paraoa parai! You lucky woman!!!
Thanks for that overview, Cath, I wish I could have made it up to the far North to enjoy some good weather, good koorero and fantastic kai with you. The previous blog post by Dave C got a lot of traffic over the weekend, seems like some people down here didn’t get outdoors much, lol.
‘fly was busy handling the trolls, I had other things on my mind.
(mostly, cooking & gardening, and this exhibition:
http://www.indymedia.org.nz/article/78200/occupation-and-resistance-palestine-well
where Food Not Bombs crew fed a teach-in on indigenous resistance for the final day of the exhib.)
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@greenfly
Yep, Blubber is sure to pick that one up – if he’s not too busy preparing for his day in court tomorrow, that is.
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Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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Or by authoritarians when one is in Government?
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green flag, confederation of chiefs flag, tino rangatiratanga flag, why not the new zealand flag?
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Yeah, why not the New Zealand flag? Or Hundertwasser’s alternative New Zealand flag? Waitangi day is supposed to be about partnership, not just about Maori.
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@kahikatea – probably because it is ugly (the NZ one, that is), although I think this whole flag debate is a distraction from the real constitutional issues the country should be debating.
@toad February 8, 2010 at 3:24 PM – And he did.
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Would that comment – excuse the pun – fly?
Aesthetics? Seriously?
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And toads are good looking?
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Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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@samiam
Better than Whales (or at least better than the one in court today).
@big bro
Te Reo is an official language of New Zealand.
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Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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It’s that ugly boil on your shoulders, Bro.
Oops, sorry, that’s to upoko.
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People
Stop feeding the trolls!
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He whakautu tuturu tena e bliss!
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Being surrounded by watermelon ice creams was pretty sweet.
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“Some of the most influential thinkers in this country’s constitutional development”…Moana Jackson, Annette Sykes..
Of course I know the Greens deny the testimony of those who were present when Annette Sykes celebrated the terrorist attacks of 9-11.
Let’s be clear, if the likes of some of those thinkers got their way, it wouldn’t be a very pretty sight for many property owners who are not of the race those individuals consider superior.
Speaks absolute volumes about where a Green MP and by implication the Green Party positions itself politically with far-left Marxist celebrators of terrorism.
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—-
Auckland University Professor of Maori Studies Margaret Mutu’s irresponsible threats and outrageous assertions before the Parliamentary Select Committee on the Foreshore and Seabed Bill must be challenged, Committee Member and ACT MP Ken Shirley said today.
“While I believe that Labour’s foreshore and seabed legislation is misguided and inappropriate, Margaret Mutu asserted that her iwi, Northland’s Ngati Kahu, has full unrestricted ownership of all foreshore and seabed within her tribal boundaries with sole powers to regulate, manage and control all activities,” Mr Shirley said.
“She claimed that this power of ownership extends to Tahiti, the ancient homeland of Hawaiki.
“Prof Mutu’s obnoxious submission threatened that any restrictions on this asserted ownership would result in acts of terrorism and civil war, She openly condoned the type of terrorism operating in Palestine to resist any denial of the extensive rights she asserts.
“Prof Mutu dismissed pakeha law, and pakeha legislation, which forces ordinary decent working people – Maori and pakeha – to pay her generous salary at Auckland University. It appears we are paying her to fill the heads of our young academics with mush,” Mr Shirley said.
http://www.act.org.nz/news/margaret-mutu-must-be-challenged
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“After years of discussion the issue remains how to create a constitution based on Te Tiriti o Waitangi and what that might look like. Tangata whenua are moving on this issue and the challenge is how we respond. Then there is the necessity to replace the Foreshore and Seabed Act with a strong Te Tiriti based law that upholds customary rights and looks after the coast for the benefit of all people.”
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“GREENS’ FORESHORE COMPROMISE THREAT TO TINO RANGATIRATANGA
A spokesman for the New Zealand Maori Council says a proposal by the Green’s to prevent the sale of customary foreshore and seabed land over-rides Maori tinorangitiratanga rights.
The Greens have suggested an amendment to the Maori Land Act to the panel looking into the Foreshore and Seabed laws but council spokesman Maanu Paul says it is not a good idea.
“It says that tino rangatiratanga for Mori ought to be conditional. That you ough not to have the power to determine the destiny of your takutai moana, of your foreshore and seabed. That it ought to be tied so that you can’t sell it. Tino rangatioratanga over any treaty asset under article two has to be unfettered,” Mr Paul says.
He says the proposal involves tinkering with the law to accommodate unfounded pakeha fears of how Maori will handle settlement money.
He says the selling of assets is something pakeha do while treaty settlements show that Maori don’t sell off their land but look after it for future generations”
In other words the greens support a nobbled tino rangitiratanga (one that they have a say in)….
you can have T/T as long as we agree!!!
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Well I suppose, it’s only natural the Green Party would connect a number of principles together – continuing local ownership, guarantees to preserve the local environment and co-operation with the local indigenous people.
It’s unsurprising that a property owner/claimant would seek absolute sovereignty over their property, and simply offer only their word that this would maintain local ownership and preserve the environment.
After all, the ACT party and Greens were there only political support on the issue and they swing between the two parties as it suits. As the ETS legislation showed, self-interest is a powerful force and sometimes – unless there are guarantees – the environment comes second.
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I think the greens proposal to change how maori ownership of the seabed/foreshore would work is a sensible change. I cant see how maori would be angry that they would get the customary rights the want for their land and the only condition being not to sell it. After all isnt land more important to them than money?
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“Maori” want title to the foreshore and seabed but the greens like to play this down as a little bit here and there or a minor background role. Over time the relationship between Maori “owners” and “visitors” would likely change and establish a norm. If there is friction these issues will grow as they do in disputes between neighbours.
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SPC:
“Well I suppose, it’s only natural the Green Party would connect a number of principles together – continuing local ownership, guarantees to preserve the local environment and co-operation with the local indigenous people.”
so what are those principles:
1. Continuing local ownership.
Starting in 1840 establish which tribal group held which area and formalise title.
Divide the map into common areas versus those areas where “owned” by people have indigenous ancestry.
Allow iwi to apply resource rentals to the forests and fisheries and police their territory.
2. guarantees to preserve the local environment.
control development and resource extraction. This is a violation of tino rangitiratanga.
If you believe that Maori are “kaitiaki” you don’t need guarantees.
3. co-operation with the local indigenous people.
but not Thoreau as he is a pakeha.
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Thoreau was in New Zealand?
If not, he wasn’t a pakeha.
Nor was Sun Tsu.
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