Median for Maori could hide margins

A Maori historian says an increase in Maori earning power is no cause for complacency in tacking socio-economic development at the bottom.

Census data shows between 2001 and 2006 the Maori median income rose 41 percent to 20 thousand 900 dollars, only three and a half thousand dollars under the median for the total population.

Rawiri Taonui, the head of Canterbury University's school of Maori and Indigenous studies at Canterbury University says the increase is a sign the Maori renaissance of the past two or three decades is delivering results, as is a higher level of Maori involvement in tertiary study.

But he says there a still a lot of Maori who are struggling. which the median figure doesn't show.

“It's a little bit artificial because it could be reflective of quite high incomes amongst an emerging Maori middle class dragging up what continues to be quite a low working class income amongst Maori people,” Mr Taonui says.

He says statistics in health issues such as diabetes and heart disease can be better indicators of the poverty trap many Maori are in.

SMITH TALKS SURVIVALIST STRATEGY ON CLIMATE

With summer's heat finally upon us, Northland community worker Mike Smith says Maori should be factoring global warning and the future energy crisis into their long term strategic planning.

Mr Smith says he'll be raising environmental issues at the forums planned for the lower marae at Waitangi next month.

He says climate change will have an impact on Maori, as they consider long term investments in areas like tourism which depend on relatively cheap international and domestic travel.

He says the Maori need to look to their own resources rather than rely on government programmes.

“I'd say in 40 or 50 years time, if you’ve got water, independent source of power and some kai in the garden, he rangatira a koe,” Mr Smith says.

GOOD RELATIONS HELD GET HEADS BACK

Te Papa Tongarewa Maori manager Te Taru White says the national museum's Maori dimension is helping it develop valuable relationships with similar institutions overseas.

Yesterday the Japanese national museum in Tokyo opened Mauri Ora at the museum of Tokyoa show of 120 taonga from Te Papa collections.

The show is in reply to the Treasures of Japan display hosted by Te Papa last year.

Mr White says museum managers from Italy, France and Germany are attending the Japan show and are keen to stage similar exhibitions.

He says forming strong bonds is also essential to facilitate the return of Maori taonga such as preserved heads.

“We've got a repatriation from the Marshal Museum in Aberdeen happening over the next week and a half of nine toi moko. Arapeta Hakiwai, our most experienced person, he’s done a number of these repatriations, and Kukupa Tirikatene, a Ngai Tahu elder, are going across to retrieve them,” White says.

FIRST THREE YEARS CRUCIAL FOR DEVELOPMENT

The head of a New Plymouth Maori immersion pre-school says the Government's criteria for extra early childhood funding is critical to the early stages of tamariki development.

The Maori Party has criticised the requirement the funding for 20 hours free early childhood education is only for facilities with registered teachers, which excludes most kohanga reo.

But Aroaro Tamati from Te Kopae Piripono says the first three years are critical for the development of children mentally, physically and socially, and Maori immersion pre-school centres need to get it right.

“This period of time there’s a huge amount of change happening in early childhood and recognition of the importance of early childhood for our tamariki before the age of three is a critical time for children’s learning and development and if we don’t get it right then, it’s not a good pathway for their development,” Ms Tamati says.

Te Kopae Piripono qualifies for the new funding because it has always used qualified staff during its 13 years of operations.

HOSPITAL HINTS FOR HEALTHY HANGI

South Auckland has the highest Maori population in the country, and there are moves to make sure they are specifically targeted in health promotion messages.

Counties Manukau District health Board Maori manager Bernard Te Paa says resources planned for this year include Maori language publications, the use of Maori role models to promote health kaupapa and other special campaigns for Maori.

Mr Te Paa says it's a departure from the past.

“We tend to generalize some of our health promotion messages and what we’d like to do is have some that are particularly targeted to our Maori people. Is there a healthy way to do a boil up? Is there a healthy way to do a hangi? And thankfully there are,” Mr Te Paa says.

TAONUI FOLLOWS TRACKS OF RAKAIHATU

While many whanau have been lolling by the beach or barbeque this summer, historian Rawiri Taonui has been walking in the footsteps of the ancestors.

Mr Taonui, the head of Maori and indigenous studies at Canterbury University, has an ongoing project to recreate the epic journeys recorded in tribal histories and legends.

This summer he walked through the mountains northwest of Arthur's Pass, over to Moana Kotuku or Lake Brunner and south along the east coast of the South Island.

It's part of the route marked out by Waitaha ancestor Rakai-hautu, the captain of Uruao canoe, who landed in Nelson and walked to Bluff, using his ko or digging stick to scrape out the inland lakes along the way.

Mr Taonui says traveling alone, he gets the sense he is seeing places where the way the ancestors would have seen them.

“You notice things with changes in wind, changes in clouds, really subtle things, Personally I believe it gives you an insight into the way our ancestors thought, because a lot of our poetry and imagery and language is drawn from a deep seated intimacy with natural forces,” Mr Taonui says.

He intends to write a book about his voyages.