Waatea News Update

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Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Arawa settlement colonial throwback

A lawyer for hapu opposing the Te Arawa land claim settlement says the crown is behaving like 19th century politician Donald McLean, who alienated vast tracks of Maori land.

The Waitangi Tribunal has scheduled an extra sitting on Friday to consider the 500 pages of mandating documents tabled at its hearing in Rotorua last week.

Annette Sykes says the body the crown is dealing with, Nga Kaihautu O Te Arawa, represents only half the tribe.

Shre says the direct negotiation process looks more like something out of the 19th century rather than then 21st.

“I find it more like McLean’s purchasing practices where he nominate who were the people he would deal with, whether they were leaders or not, of the people that owned the land. He set the terms of negotiation. It was an either accept or leave it deal, and those hapu and rangatira who he identified, they were first up best dressed in his mind and they ended up with the lion’s share,” Ms Sykes says.

MAORI PARTY OPPOSING SHARED FISHERIES PLAN

The Maori Party is lining up against the Government's shared fisheries policy.

The deadline for submissions on the plan closed last week, and the Fisheries Ministry has indicated it wants to get legislation through this year to implement the policy, which will take quota off the commercial sector to increase the amount available for recreational fishers.

Iwi, commercial and recreational fishing groups have condemned the plan and asked the Government to abandon the plan and let them develop an alternative.

Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples says it can't be described as a serious proposal.

“A lark that totally undoes the fisheries settlement, and we will be leading the charge on that – the iwi are leading the charge on that but we will be right there beside them to undo that whole programme of shared fisheries,” Dr Sharples says.

NGAPUHI FESTIVAL ATTRACTS 20,000

The Ngapuhi Festival held in South Auckland over the weekend proved there is a strong desire by northern Maori living in New Zealand’s largest city to learn more about the largest iwi.

Over 20 thousand people made their way to the Telstra Events centre in Manukau, to take part in wananga on moteatea, history and whakapapa, and to hear from top entertainers who share a whakapapa to the north.

Julian Wilcox, one of the MC's for the day, says with the majority of Ngapuhi living outside the tribal district, most of them in Manukau and west Auckland, the decision to hold the festival in Auckland was well received.

The festival will return to Kaikohe next year

JONES SAYS INTERNAL PRESSURE GOT LAND SALE HALT

Labour Maori caucus chair Shane Jones says the party’s Maori MPs count the halt on sales of Landcorp properties as a significant win.

The Maori Party has claimed its call for further land occupations forced the government to stop the sale of Rangiputa in the far north and Whenuakite in the Coromandel.

But Mr Jones says by the time the Maori Party MP's started protesting outside the tent, Labour MPs inside the tent had achieved the required outcome.

“It was good to be able to play a role and convince the rest of our colleagues that that land is better off remaining in pub ownership so it can be considered for treaty settlements, considered for conservation, for campgrounds, but not sold to rich Americans,” Mr Jones says.

He says the review of Landcorp’s sale policies will look deeper than just the two properties which are currently occupied by Waitangi claimants.

BECOMING PRIEST RETIREMENT PLAN

A retired Taupo teacher has begun a new career as an Anglican priest.
Betty Reid was ordained at Te Rangiita Marae on Sunday by Bishop Ngarahu Katene, and will serve in Te rohe o Tauponui-a-Tia diocese from Turangi to Tokoroa.

Mrs Reid was born and raised in the far north and came to Taupo in 1952 to teach homecrafts at Taupo Regional College.

She says part of her mission will be to reach out to the young people she used to teach.

“We could, we should try hard to get our young people to come to church and learn about how to have faith and trust and love in God through Jesus Christ,” Mrs Reid says.

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