The Seabed & Foreshore legislation is a hot topic at the present moment but I am wondering whether our leaders on the Iwi Trust and the new Runanga committee , understand what it means . How will they develop a process that enables Iwi members to understand and contribute to a Ngati Mutunga Iwi policy, on the Seabed & Foreshore?
I was especially concerned when I heard that the old song of " But you only want to take control away from the Island" was being sung by the committees again , when members say 'we want to have a say in what happens to our tribe.'
My question to them is" what do you control now?" .
This was a song sung by both NM Iwi Trust and the Runanga , way back in the 1990's, even after TOKM and government had made the rule that no iwi member could be excluded from the entitlements of Treaty settlements. It is what made a group from Christchurch and a group from the North Island, set up entities, to enable them to have a say in what was happening to their Iwi on the Chatham Islands. This was unfortunate as it set up another faction within Ngati Mutunga, which it did not need. However, we had no process to participate in the existing Iwi groups who represented Ngati Mutunga o Wharekauri.
In fact the only thing they controlled , was the money in the bank that they had received from leasing fish assets from TOKM. and who was got the leased fish each year. It became clear that those on the committees, wanted to keep control over the resources , rather then take responsibility for the rangatiratanga o Ngati Mutunga o Wharekauri, in its rohe potae.
Have things changed? What do they control now?
The customary rights of Ngati Mutunga? The land development ?, rates ? The government? The policies that affect the island? Submission to legislative changes are few and do you let the people know , what you are saying in the one's you do submit!! What about health services to the island? Education policies as they affect the island children? DOC? Economic development of the island? And the fish settlement for TOKM ? well...that is a story to tell your mokopuna....what a disaster!
How many millions have you received from the fish and how many millions have been spent on educating our children ? on training our young people? or on the health care of our old people and our young families? These are things you, as our leaders, ought to be dealing with. If you read your constitutions, it is all laid out there .
As well as all that, you are supposed to administer and manage the organisations , on our behalf and in the best interests of the members of the organisations i.e us the members of Ngati Mutunga o Wharekauri.
Rangatiratanga, manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga are principles of Kaupapa & Tikanga Maori. Do these committee's understand their fiduciary duties of care of the people, within these principles?
As far as I can see, you don't actually control any of those things now - so what is it you are really concerned about? At best, we only find out what you are doing , after it has all happened. As for the customary rights of Ngati Mutunga, how many tribal members have had input into any policy development over the past 4 years? .
It is a bit like living in the dark ages ! It would be too easy to say ' lets help them i.e those who are on the committees, ' but I don't think they would listen to anyone...and they certainly don't ask us for opinions ! . While other tribes seem to have come into the 21st century, and try to comply with normal management systems, or at least we can see and hear in the media when they do things that are not quite right. No doubt you have read about the Danny Mullins and his team of cohorts who managed the Te Runanga o Atiawa ki Whakarongotai of Waekanae. What people maynot know is the close association with the Ngati Mutunga o Wharekauri Iwi Trust as Danny was an active member of the Trust. . You might wonder how come ?
Well, if you go back to my earlier posts on the pre 1835 history, you will fiind some answers in the migrations that were taking place as settlors from Britian were making their mark in Aotearoa.
Along with the pressures that were occurring between tribes as they fought battles over territory, so too were tribes having to contend with the British settlors who were looking for land to settle. Soldiers, guns and new religions gave weight to the complexities of survival as a tribe. Mutunga Cheifs, along with those Cheifs of associate hapu and tribes, took part in various heke , to find new and safe havens for their whanau and hapu. These heke were usually carried out with great strategic intent, planned relationships and many battles that are still remembered today in whaikorero, waiata and haka. That was the custom pre 1840.
So what has that got to do with Ngati Mutunga o Wharekauri Iwi Trust and Te Runanga o Whakarongotai ki Waikanae and Danny Mullins and his cohorts ?
Whakapapa is a grand thing - you can pick your firends but you can't pick your relations.
What you will find is that many whanau from Waikanae are descendant to Wharekauri whanau i.e those who migrated in the various heke from Taranaki, Waikato and other areas, eventually moved on and settled either to south of Waikanae or to Wharekauri. That was the custom of pre 1840 life in Aotearoa...That is the whakapapa of Ngati Mutunga o Wharekauri
I was fascinated to find the names of tupuna of many whanau on the Islands today. Prominant names who laid claims to land blocks in Waikanae is that of Inia Tuhata.. and Mere Pomare..- she was the first wife of Inia Tuhata and the second wife of Wi Naera Pomare . Also we find tne names of Te Wiata, Tamati and many others...it explained why my father has land on Kapiti... It would be interesting to see who on the Islands Danny laid whakapapa to.
So.. that is why Treaty issues are critical for Ngati Mutunga...and the landblocks .that were set up by tpuna..It defines cut off points for those who settled on stayed and developed the land.and held the ahi kaa , those who .who love elsewhere, who while they may whakapapa , it is with a different relationship with the whenua, that needs to be defined and developed. I don't mean there is no relationahip , it will be different.
If you understand the full significance of the signiture by NZ to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, , you will understand why we have to get the Treaty Rights done properly. Before NZ signed ( by Dr P Sharples last week) 144 countries agreed and signed up, 4 had opposed (US, NZ Australia and Canado) and 11 had abstained. Australia and NZ have just signed.
Treaty matters are not racist issues, they are about the future of our kids and the Chathams.
The iwi of Wharekauri, seem to be lagging behind in the bog, a position that does us all no favours. It in fact, allows government to either keep on ignoring the Chathams or to just make rules to keep everyone in the same place., predictable and the same...
A website hides the truth - it looks good & probably cost as much, but where is it going? Where are the people policies ? It allows those with computers and internet connection ( those can afford it) to talk to each other.. but how about those who dont have computers? who don't have telephones?
A Chatham Island picnic won't cut it in a economic recession....makes you feel good but it but changes nothing...
Our whanau are leaving the islands so what are the leaders doing with our resources?
Find a way forward so that Ngati Mutunga can look after its people , its whenua and its future.
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