Bright Stars Of Our Future....

We are not good at celebrating our achievements and we ought to.. Instead we are more likely to give out a sarcastic slur... a joke.. as a way of dealing with our feelings about success ..or ..whatever.it is that makes us do what we do.

Here is someone we can all celebrate as she is one of us...
She is the mokopuna of Uncle Raape Tuuta and Aunty Joan...
And she already has LLB ( Honours) and BA Maori...!

Click here http://www.usyd.edu.au/news/molecular_bioscience/1893.html?newsstoryid=4980

Congratulations to Meika Foster on being awarded the 'Faculty of Science Postgraduate Research Prize for Outstanding Academic Achievement'.

Isn't she cool!!

Messages From The Mists Of Time...

Technology has opened up the world and as information spreads far and wide, old ways of doing things, are falling over. People can read and search for information about what ever they want ...and that is great.

I had a great teacher of customary Maori law and was taught about Maauriuri.

These things always held a sense of the unreachable .. of things known only to a few. It was easy to hold that sense that I now knew something 'special' and would only engage in conversation about such matters, with those who already knew.

That was 30 years ago. Now it is all on the Internet... open for all to see and to know .. and that is great..

Here is an article that contains some of those 'special ' bits of information ..
Read about the Chathams and enjoy it for what it is...... A story of our past that can bring clarity in our present...

Is it a myth of not? Enjoy.

Click here: Te Runanganui O Waitaha me Maata Waka Inc . - Te Kauwae Raro

The question is, ' Who do we believe ?

a.The Maui Solomon/ Mana Cracknell / M King version?
b.The H T Whatahoro ( Maori version ) ?
c. S Percy Smith version of the account of Whatahoro. ?
d)And you can add to that, the stories of A Shand and Captain Gilbert Mair..
To add to the maze of myths and stories written by people who could write stories , are those found in the...
e) Maori Land Record's ... spoken by the Chiefs (in Maori) who actually 'did the deeds'.

So Where Do We Go Now?

The challenge is that NZ (represented by Dr P Sharples)have finally signed the Charter earlier this year, for the United Nations Permanent Forum of Indigenous Peoples Rights, having previously refused to do so. Moana Jackson is now drawing up a constitution to represent the indigenous peoples of NZ, to fit within the structures of that UN forum.

Click here if you want to read more on these issues for yourself..

www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/drip.html

www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/declaration.

www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/3599153/NZ-does-U-turn-on-rights-charter


The question is, .. how will the Chatham Islands fit itself into the new constitutional framework, being developed for the indigenous people of NZ?

How will it deal with the constitutional issues ( i.e. Treaty of Waitangi issues} of conquest? Raupatu? within its own Rohe, so that it can legitimately and authentically, fit in with the traditional and cultural norms of tribes in NZ. i.e tribes who practised the same customary traditions. No special deals this time....as in the case of Ngati Mutunga o Wharekauri, when it came to raupatu at Wharekauri. it has been marketed as very uncommon....different...

In fact, the body of public and 'expert' opinion, can, at times, be said to have placed the raupatu of the Chatham Islands, within a zone of similarity not unlike that of the war crimes of the 1st and 2nd World war's of Europe..

I was once questioned by the media at the launch of the Waitangi Tribunal Report. We had already questioned why Parliament and not the Island , our papakainga. Consequently , a small team of Tribunal staff, including a few whanau, had flown in to the Islands, to deliver the document to the people. The flight down, apparently revealed a tale rather like the Erebus intrigue...
Moriori , however, preferred to have the document delivered in the that venerable icon of demacracy that we have in NZ, Parliament.

I was asked to go by those on the Islands, to 'keep an eye on things" .
At this event, I was asked by the media whether I felt sorry ...to which I replied “For what?” . I had no idea what they were talking about ..until I was given a copy of the Waitangi Tribunal Report "Rekohu" in its own special kete..... ....and then I got it......
They already had their copies and were well aware of what was in the document.

I too, already knew... What we had guessed 8 years previous ,was now being delivered with pomp and cakes and ale, in the very heart of the institution that continues relentlessly, to pursue the glorious -splendour of their tribal past - in a clone of their Westminister tikanga... parliament.

It was a self fulfilling prophesy..playing out an irony that was both a tragedy and a comedy to watch...a bit like the Sealords Deal signing ...same place...same irony...same tragic comedy..

So you see.. these issues are not little matters. They are not the ravings of a ranting woman sending out 'diatribes ' as some would believe and say... They are about the legacy that has been left for you and for me and the one that you and I and what ever we each choose and decide to do, will leave our whanau ...our mokopuna......

It is as simple as that...It is not about the fish..or who got the quota...In a few years time.. the stocks will probably deplete ....and then what?

The unresolved matters of customary traditions as they affect the constitutional status of the iwi o Wharekauri, has to be resolved. Not talking about it, won't make it go away..It is a global issue now...

So What do you think or more importantly, what are you going to do?

Cheers Evelyn

You Cannot Travel On The Path Until You Become The Path Itself. (Gautama Bouddha)

There can be no doubt that the path to a better future for the islands of Wharekauri, has been long entangled in its historic past.
Driven since the 1700's by a global demand for the economic gifts from the sea,and the pursuit of advantage by those who sought such riches, the island's are peopled by a mix of those who found safe haven, in those times of exploration.
Like many other NZ'ers, we grew up not knowing anything about that past, so I am always fascinated by the story of the battle with the French on Waitangi Beach - the same beach that we played on , got pipi and blind eels, and trained race horses or just raced for the fun of it.....the recent TV programme showing that Mark fella' (?) was a reminder that it is a local 'tradition' that still brings a lot of Island style fun.

And the attempt to buy the Islands ,by that astute German businessman back in the 1842, that eventually resulted in the British, ( we were under British rule - what ever that was ! ), intervening to stop the sale . The Brit's brought the Islands into the jurisdiction of NZ by moving to issue a Letters Patent , modifying the Charter of 1839 Colony of New Zealand, to include the Chathams. It shows that we have never been without importance in the economic equation of NZ as a nation, or indeed, other trading nations of the world.

Not only does it remind us of the rich history, that shaped the Islands before we were born, it also reminds us that the habits of history, are not easily discarded.. That it is the people who lived in those times, that set forth pathways for those of us who are now here. That's whakapapa...

There is nothing more frightful then ignorance in action

There are major changes going on, that will affect the economic realities of whanau on the Islands - even more, I would hazard a guess, then those of us in NZ. The Treaty settlement for the Islands , are also on the move again and we need to be reminded that the manawhenua of the Chatham Islands, has not been resolved yet.

There are those who would assume that the settlement for the fish, would be the way to go with the rest of the Treaty settlements, however, we must also realise, that raupatu has its own rules that are well laid down in legal precedent.

There's more then one issue to resolve. Lets not confuse them.

It cannot be assumed that the politics of fish will decide the land and lake settlements. That would be sheer arrogance ...even though some leaders are already pushing this....Just as well we have a independent Chair of the Runanga who is also an expert in the legislation as determined by the Maori Land Court! Lets hope we can find a way through the egoism of ignorance and self serving competitiveness of 'what's in it for me'.
You see, if there is going to be hope for the future for our mokopuna, then we must build our communities from the bottom up ....and that means focusing on what is happening inside our whanau and finding ways to bring out the best in them....Our kids and those still to come, deserve that respect and care. . .

I previously posted a story about what happened in the fish story and how the decision about islands around the Chathams, were dealt with.. well... not all of it. You see, again I am reminded of how people shape outcomes ..sometimes in a very disastrous way.

I have attached a followup to the last documents ,about how TOKM decided on how to deal with the Islands around the Chathams ..AND WHO was instrumental in making it happen. You see there were two submissions called for , within a very short time .. almost too short for credibility.. actually. the final draft was already on its way to the printer.before we finished .... but that's another story.......

Anyway , read and enjoy the game that went on...just remember, it was your islands , your papakainga, your manawhenua rights , your Treaty rights that were being decided.

My view is that the way to sort out this huha and fighting between the 'rellies, is to set up under our own Act of Parliament , seperate from other tribes ... after all we do have our own 200 mile zone outside the NZ 200 miles that's why we are 800 kms east of NZ... in most places... ... 2 + 2 = 4 and there's 4 left over..

What do you think ?. ...solves all those problems we have with the coastline calculations done by those clever people in TOKM, when they reduced out Treaty entitlements to fish species - and increased the right of all NZ tribes to our fish....around our coastline and within in our own 200 mile zone. .

Worse then that, they even took our Treaty rights and gave half away !!.. and some of our 'yes sir, no sir , three bag's full sir' whanau on the committees, nodded their heads in agreement, behind the cowsheds... but that's another story still to come....

But they forgot to ask us.....

Oh well...I suppose they got first bite at the 'fish and chips' ....that's called competitive advantage I suppose ..... good old fashion 'management technologies.' ....this is the way we do it around here.... .

That brings me to that $6million given to Hokotehi Moriori Trust

" Money is like manure. If you spread it around, it does a lot of good.
But if you pile it up in one place, it stinks like hell!"

WHAT WAS IT FOR ?
Perhaps it was part of their Treaty settlement? Does that mean all other tribes who suffered raupatu, are also eligible for compensation?
Shucks ! the government has only just given $6.5 million to hurry up settling the rest of the claims for all Maori, by 2014 !
But they are a special case...peaceful people ...so the myth goes..but whose myth is it?
..Moriori., we are lead to believe ....are different from Maori, ... ( that is , until the Sealords deal - they needed some fish! then they had to be considered as Maori ..what a drama that was ... full on fight...NO BLOOD WAS DRAWN....)......According to stories they were allowed to beat the s--- out of each other as long as they didn't draw blood...That's cool...a good idea if you are stuck on an isolated island with a fragile waka as the only means of transport and commnication . But what happens in the reality of now? Surely ,with planes and boats and trains and telephones and education and knowlege freely available to all as well as some handy colonial rules that banned slavery, female infanticide etc, the reason for crying , has long gone (I wonder if they knew about pressure points ? ancient therapies of Polynesia were well versed in these)

If they are so different , in what way? What is their whakapapa? Are they not from where other Polynesians come from? Who do they descend from?. (You might like to click on the article under WHAREKAURI on the right called = Ka haere a Kahu ki Wharekauri" Scroll down and you will reach the translation in english.)

You see , I am fully respectful of historic pasts and the colours and rich tapestries inherited from tribal cloaks. They maybe torn and tattered, but nevertheless, they are mine, handed down from times, now gone. And I am also respectful of those who are adorned by other tribal histories, that are very different from mine.
But lets clear out the weeds and scrub along the pathway .so that you can walk your path and I can walk mine.
...
There are tribal histories that are more ancient then the mists of time , and that are still untouched and unspoken by any of this modern colonial style tribal histories being dished up in the past 20 years , in the name of native rights. And I am in total respect and awe of the powerful messages, the fineness of leadership , the kaitiakitanga , rangatiratanga and manaakitanga, that those histories left as legacies for this time in our history. They are untouched and sit waiting for us to see it, to get it and to do it.

And so back to the myths of modern day Chatham Islands ! What a myth! ..but is it a myth deserving of an entitlement for more Treaty compensation then other Maori in NZ or the Chatham Islands? ..

What an ode to democracy and majority rule! .

You see, the Sealords Deal was hugely significant in customary terms as we witnessed the changing tides of tikanga Maori in a post modern Maori society, when it comes to the cutting edges of battle over territory and resources, with Crown. I have written about it as it affected us, and I will reference it on this site , when I can figure out how to do it.

SO WHAT WAS THE HUGE GRANT OF TAXPAYER MONEY FOR?
Not to save those trees surely? How old are those trees at Kaingaroa anyway ? Why are they saving those?
Why don't they use those trunks old Mrs Jefferson shipped back to NZ on te coastal trader ? - along with those bones she dug up.
All I know is most of the kopi trees around the Island, are dead . Are there any kopi tree's or any tree for that matter, 100 years old ? how old are those tree's with pictures ?
So ,I reckon our artistic uncles carved those taonga ? Leo can tell you some great stories .....like the ones we all did at some time in our younger days, on the limestone rocks and trees at home? It was part of life and what you did - if you wanted to..just for fun .outdoor learning and creativity...

Gosh, the more we ask, the less we know?

NOW WAS IT FAIR DISTRIBUTION OF TAX PAYER FUNDS?

HOW IS THAT GOING TO BRING PEACE ON EARTH AND GOODWILL FOR

THE PEOPLE OF THE CHATHAM ISLANDS?

Life is so perplexing sometimes!

cheers Evelyn

PS. Access to the documents has been changed because security systems
are changing. Click on the documents under WHAREKAURI up there on the right and
it will take you to the page.
Follow the instructions. There are plenty more to come.

The Tangled Web Continues...

The ownership of water supply to people and communities is under hot debate at this moment. Government are moving legislation to virtually privatise supply of water for 35 years.
............................AND THAT INCLUDES YOU ON THE CHATHAMS!!
But where does your water come from now? It might be a good idea to check up. I know we always had a huge water tank and the water came from God ....and when there was a drought.. the stock suffered and we had to be very careful having a wash. I wonder how they will cook up a scheme to fit the Islands current water supply to homes .

. A bit like when they privatised the power and you had to pay to put in your line to your house.
Imagine , just like the road works and the bus service to our schools - all run by NZ companies . Now government is moving legislation so that your water will also be owned and run by NZ owned companies.. for 35 years...

So too are mining exploration on so called DOC land.- and we all know about the mining rights around the Chathams and those minerals that lie hidden in the Big Lake....although some people may think we don't know..............in fact some people may not know at all..

Why am I bringing this up now?

Because you have to face what's happening to you.
You have the opportunity to stand up to government and say " No" no more .. you have taken everything we have ". And they have.

The fish settlement is a joke. I will lay out the behind-the-cow-shed negotiation with TOKM and Ngati Mutunga Iwi Trust all the while the people thought and attended hui , thinking they were part of the process. But it was a dual process as other hui were being held with Ngati Mutunga Iwi Trust ..and no one knew...Even those held in NZ, and those who attended the Waikanae Hui at Whakarongotai Marae , can well remember the farce as the constitution changed as people tried to have input...

And Ohh! guess who Chaired the Hui? No other then the now infamous Danny Mullins ..It will be interesting to see where and how and if any of his $300,000 income was derived from his business relationships with the Iwi Trust. Oh well, it is now all under investigation.
The point being , the foundations upon which the fish settlement was set up with TOKM and the Iwi Trust, lay the whaariki for its current problems . It had to happen... a bit like the leaky homes syndrome..

And so we have the water supply, the mining rights and the manawhenua of the Chathams still unanswered. TOKM was smart enough to set up the deal with the Iwi Trust and Moriori, with the proviso that it is without predjudice to manawhenua rights over the Chathams. both parties had to agree to the split coastline.

What I cannot workout is this.
In customary terms, you have to have continuous ownership of the land adjoining the sea and presumably the lakes & waterways. Lake Waikaremoana, Lake Taupo, Lake Rotorua, Lake Ellismere and others all set precedents for this question.
So what coastline did the Iwi Trust agree was Ngati Mutunga and what half what Moriori? What whanau still own those lands and many still live on the same land blocks from 1835 ?
.............and remembr, the Islands were not brought into the jurisdiction of the Crown unitl 1842. Do they fit the analysis done by the Iwi Trust or did they just do it as they are doing the yearly distribution of quota to the people? In a closed door hui behind the cowshed?

I'm picking no one knows what went on then and even less know about what is going on right now.
Who knows about how the water legislation will affect the Chathams? GO ASK THE CHATHAM ISL.ANDS COUNTY COUNCIL They are a Regional Council and
manage out to the 200 mile Zone.
Who knows how the mining in DOC land or anywhere on the Chathams 200 mile Zone, will affect the Chathams? GO ASK THE CHATHAM ISLAND COUNTY COUNCIL AND D.O.C. They will know
Who knows about what is happening with the assets of Ngati Mutunga Iwi Trust that have been liquidated ? GO ASK THE BOARD MEMBERS. ASK THE CHAIRPERSON. They will know and members have a right to know

Lastly but the most important of all, why is the Minister of Treaty Settlements meeting with .
Moriori and Ngati Mutunga Iwi Trust to discuss the lake this month?
I sincerely hope the Runanga has received the papers and the invitation to attend . This is where the rubber hits the road ...and thank God for having a Judge of the Maori Land Court as a Chairman , to guide the Runanga...

My question ' Why is the Minister looking at the lake as an issue associated with the Seabed & Foreshore Review WHEN THE LAKE IS NOT AN ARM OF THE SEA?

His comments that it was left out of the Review , leads one to think
there is an assertion that the lake is part of the sea. It may be large..but it is not an arm of the sea.

Just remember, you don't have to agree with the Minister. it can be left until you do your settlements with Crown rather then have to fight to get it back of them because of the political aganda.

I suspect they are trying to do a deal like the Waikato deal with Tainui..

What are you going to do about it?

The tangled web goes on...as does life...

cheers e

" ,,,The Tangled Web.continues......

I was reflecting upon the dilemma that must face those who liquidated the assets of Ngati Mutunga Iwi Trust recently. How on earth did it happen?

Someone once said we should reflect on our past as it allows us to find the wisdom of where we have been. Those words came to me as I began to wonder what Trust entity could still be in place that would create the confusion that lead to liquidating assets.

And then I began to remember .... and I am almost sorry I started to remember until I realised..' not many know this story ..and they deserve to know so that they may think about what happened and why and whether it contributed to the chaos of the Treaty fish settlements to the Islands. and our whanau.. ....as it all occurred during their lifetimes. If nothing else, it brings light upon a time that has been hidden ... and there is no need for it to be so...

I was emptying by files and came across a letter following up a submission to TOKM, on the final allocation policies for allocation of the fisheries assets. I focused on a section of a letter sent to TOKM,, challenging the fact TOKM had ignored the Runanga submission regarding the Islands surrounding the Chathams. TOKM was stating , instead, that the Runanga was not seeking entitlement to the coastline lengths of all our Islands...which, in fact, was a whole lot of ...B...S...! The submission of the Runanga, had clearly included manawhenua of all the surrounding Islands in its Rohe potae.
.
" I note your endorsements of the Commissions proposal for a seperate fishery for the Chatham Islands as proposed in "Ahu Whakamau" and 'He Kawai Amokura' and also that Te \Runanga o Wharekauri Rekohu Incorporated, does not seek entitlement to the coastline lengths of any other Islands...."

I have posted the Runanga submission to TOKM on ' Islands ' and you can click on it, in the right column of the blog.
Try finding the statement that may have persuaded TOKM that the Runanga was not seeking manawhenua or entitlement to the coastline lengths of the Islands.of Wharekauri....!!.

So why did TOKM cook up that b...s....? More importantly, HOW ?

A way through the intrigue, the deceit, the chaos of the Treaty fish settlement for the Chathams, can be found, but if we can reflect upon what happened... to find a way forward , using the wisdom found in the pain and conflicts ... that is the nature of human survival, the nature of hope...
Doing the same things will not bring greater health , wealth or a better future. for Ngati Mutunga o Wharekauri, our whanau or those generations yet to be born.
..
More next time..
cheers e

What A Tangled Web We Weave, When First We Practise To Deceive"

There are things going on with the groups that purport to represent Ngati Mutunga o Wharekauri, that reminds me of a Chocolate Wheel at the School Fair.
We are all holding our batons with our numbers, that we have bought ( no Treaty rights here!) watching it spin , hoping it will stop at our number...
The problem is, you don't have to be Ngati Mutunga to buy a ticket.. you can be another tribe in NZ, a commercial company, a local government ... just buy your ticket and watch the spin...

The question is .." Who's spinning the Wheel ? "

I am even more confused when I see that the Ngati Mutunga Iwi Trust have liquidated the trust that holds the assets of the Tribe . And even more intrigued when we see who has joined the Iwi Trust as ' helpers to the management' in some form or other....TOKM must be worried... Stock depletions, economic recession , liabilities of quota ownership, deepsea stocks depleting...contracts to meet....oohhh what a headache!
Might just join Twitter with this one...Don't you just love technology!..
Keep following this ...
I'm still trying to find a job to pay off my bills from the 3 years of nailing the Runanga Chairman and his cohorts ..
Almost there...Life's a B---- sometimes!
cheers