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Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Sir Archie Taiaroa dies suddenly

Maoridom is rocked by the loss of Sir Archie Te Atawhai Taiaroa from Te Atihau a Paparangi, Tuwharetoa, Maniapoto and te Arawa, who died yesterday evening of a stroke at the age of 73.

Labour MP Shane Jones says he owes a personal debt to Sir Atawhai, who nominated him to chair the Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission.

He says like New Zealand Maori Council deputy chair Jim Nichols, who also died this week, Sir Atawhai was a leader in the classic mold.

“Someone of the ilk of Sir Bob Mahuta, Honorouble Matiu Rata, passes from our midst, so a deep level of sadness and some uncertainty really whether or not the generation between basically 50 to 60, will our skills, our experience and confidence be up to the task of carrying on the work which the likes of Jim and Archie did not only in their own iwi but for Maoridom on a national stage,” Mr Jones says.

Sir Atawhai Taiaroa will be taken back to Taumarunui, but other iwi he whakapapas to are asking he spend time with them on the way.

SEAFOOD STRATEGY TEMPLATE FOR OTHER PRODUCTS

A member of the Minister of Maori Affairs' Maori economic taskforce says a plan to boost seafood exports could bring benefits for other sectors of the Maori economy.

Ngahiwi Tomoana from Ngati Kahungunu says iwi fishing companies are looking at marketing their crayfish directly into China, bypassing the middlemen in Hong Kong.

He says the Koura Inc strategy could be used for other products.

“If we can show our people that we can get two, five, even 10 percent value by going as one, that model can be transplanted to a whole lot of other products including fruit, including wood, including meat, including fashion, including tourism, including the lot,” Mr Tomoana says.

What he learned by accompanying the minister, Pita Sharples, to China this month was that relationships and whanaungatanga are critical to doing business in Asia.

MAORI ORGANIC GROWERS CREATE OWN CERTIFICATION

Te Waka Kai Ora will today launch the world's first tikanga based organic certification system.

Percy Tipene, the chair of the national Maori organics authority, says products which pass muster can carry a new new produce label - Hua Parakore, showing it is kai atua or food fit for the gods.

He says Maori organic farming requires a fundamental change of approach.

“A lot of our whenua and the landscape we have today is the result of western science. What Maori are talking about is redesigning it to create the safe environment we want to create so we can produce a product of integrity, a product that’s been grown, fostered, nurtured in the hands of Maori tikanga,” Mr Tipene says.

Te Waka Kai Ora has just completed a two-week hikoi around the country promoting organic farming among Maori landowners.

TAIAROA THE PEACEMAKER REMEBERED

Atihau-a-Paparangi, Tuwharetoa, Maniapoto and the motu are mourning Sir Archie Te Atawhai Taiaroa, who died in Waikato Hospital last night of a stroke at the age of 73.

Sir Atawhai was made a Distinguished Companion of The New Zealand Order of Merit in 2003 for his contributions to Maori, and he was reclassified a Knight Companion of the Order in 2009.

Sir Atawhai chaired the Whanganui River Maori Trust Board and was a member of Te Ohu Kaimoana, after stepping down as chair last year.

Peter Douglas, the chief executive of the Maori fisheries settlement trust, says the former Maori affairs official and former deputy mayor of Taumarunui was chosen for the trust in 1992 because of his skills as a peacemaker.

“If you look at the things that people remember about him, they remember him as someone who listened, someone who understood, someone who went to the trouble of trying to understand how people felt in making sure that message was properly understood by other people, those sort of people who make decisions, so people like that are rare and that’s why he’s regarded as highly as he is,” Mr Douglas says.

Kua riro ra taku kura tongarewa. E te rau titapu, moe mai ra.

SHARPLES LOOKS FORWARD TO CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW

The Maori Party co-leader, Pita Sharples, says the constitutional review promised as part of the support agreement with National should start soon.

He says while the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill isn't everything the party hoped for when it demanded the repeal of the Foreshore and Seabed Act, the review will give Maori another opportunity to fight for their rights.

“You know we're waiting for the day we have our Maori parliament up and running, who knows, or something similar. However the review of the constitution which we’ve initiated should reveal some opportunities for us to create new pathways and I hope Maori will engage in that,” Dr Sharples says,

The government is currently picking the team to conduct the constitutional review.

PORIRUA TOTEM POLE TO RECEIVE BLESSING

The return to Aoteraroa of an indigenous carver from British Columbia means a totem pole standing outside Te Pataka Museum in Porirua will be blessed today by kaumatua from Ngati Toa Rangatira.

Tamahou Temara from Toi Maori says Dempsey Bob and his son David Bob carved it from New Zealand-grown redwood at last year's Maori Art Market at the Te Rauparaha Arena.
He says Dempsey Bob’s return means Te Pataka director Darcy Nicholas asked for the blessing to be done.

Tamahou Temara says the exchanges between the Canadian First Nations carves and Maori tohunga whakairo have been valuable for both groups.

1 Comments:

Blogger manuenterpriseltd@xtra.co.nz said...

hoki atu ke tera kianga e Taumaranui, Ngapuwaiwaha Ta Archie Taiaroa takoto takoto.
Teni nga uri noa Bell,Wahapa, Hikairo, Whanau.Ngati Maniopoto.

7:38 pm  

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