You are here

February 2009

Submitted by admin2 on Thu, 23/04/2009 - 1:06pm

In this report:           

 

 

1.         Te Hui Topu o Te Hiku o te Ika (Te Hiku Five Iwi Forum)

The Forum continues to take up a lot of our time. We have been unable to recommence formal negotiations with the Crown towards Ngati Kahu's Deed of Settlement because of the Crown's insistence on sorting out the shared interests with other iwi first. Those negotiations remain focused on the shared interests of the five iwi in Te Aupouri State Forest and Te Oneroa-a-Tohe (Ninety-mile Beach). We are concentrating on getting all the lands under the forest returned (the forest itself (the trees) belong to Juken Nissho) at little or no cost to us, and complete control over Te Oneroa-a-Tohe.

 

On 2 February we met with the Chief Crown Negotiator, Pat Snedden, in Auckland to try to reshape the package we have been jointly designing. Pat reported to us that Treasury had examined the package and then more than doubled its monetary value by adding all sorts of imaginary costs to the Crown which it perceived were in there. Treasury is therefore arguing that they are demanding far too much, which is complete rubbish. We removed Treasury's imaginary inflations and managed to reduce the package by more than 150% without foregoing anything we had argued for. Pat undertook to take that back to the Minister who will take it to the Treaty Cabinet Committee on 18 February.

 

On 16 February the Mana Whenua subcommittee met to try and finalise a process for determining who holds mana whenua where on Te Oneroa-a-Tohe and Te Aupouri forest. Lloyd reports much more progress than usual being made, with agreement reached on setting up a kaumatua group internal to the five iwi, drawing on kaumatua (which includes kuia) from each of the iwi for its membership. The role of the group would be to provide reflection for the discussions and to keep everyone on track and peaceful. Contingency plans were considered in case agreement cannot be reached, including a mediation process to be determined by the wider forum. It was emphasized that all the relevant stories must be told and be listened to respectfully. Mana whenua would be determined along traditional lines including mana tupuna, mana tuku, ringa kaha and ahi kaa. Iwi were to decide who they would each hold discussions with and arrange dates to do so. Ngati Kahu will meet with Te Rarawa and Ngai Takoto at times yet to be determined.

 

  • 2. National Iwi Chairs' Hui, Waitangi, 5 February 2009

Eleven of us travelled to the National Iwi Chairs' hui which was held at the Copthorne Hotel at Waitangi. It was hosted by Te Taitokerau, although neither we, nor the other iwi of Te Hiku o te Ika, were informed about it until a few days before. About 30 iwi chairs from around the country attended with as many people observing.

 

It became obvious that there have been several National Iwi Chairs' hui that we didn't know about - three last year. Those who attended had been working on papers in those hui on Treaty settlements, water, the Resource Management Act and infrastructure.

Numerous papers had been prepared along with resolutions for tautoko. There was also a presentation for the Prime Minister, John Key, to be tautoko'd. He and several cabinet ministers, including Pita Sharples and the Maori Party MPs, were to attend after lunch. The resolutions were

 

1. The special Treaty cabinet committee lead by the Prime Minister should be activated as soon as possible. They seek assurances that the Deputy PM and Minister of Finance, Bill English, the Minister of Treaty Negotiations, Chris Finlayson, and the Minister of Maori Affairs, Dr. Pita Sharples play strong roles in the committee.

I tautoko'd this as it is consistent with what we know. When the Prime Minister met with us, I also told him and his ministers that they must reconsider the "full and final" aspect of their policy because the next generation will not accept the compromises our generation has made and the very unfair settlements we've entered into that are simply not durable. I also reminded the Maori Party that they'd been very strong on this in opposition.

 

2. That key Ministers and Treasury officials work with Iwi to look at ways to provide for direct investment in infrastructure and utilities.

Ngati Kahu has not discussed this and so I did not comment. However I later sat down with the Minister of Treaty Negotiations, Chris Finlayson, and put to him that our social revitalization package of $7.5m was an infrastructure project. He thought that would be very helpful and we provided him with a one page statement explaining it the next week. Chris told me he was really looking forward to his sites visit and wants to see the reality of the housing in particular. Hence they will be focusing on this when he comes.

 

3. That the Iwi leaders and the Prime Minister's Group meet regularly, at least quarterly, to discuss water management and allocation initiatives;

That the Crown agree that there shall be no disposition or creation of a property right in freshwater without prior engagement and agreement with Iwi; this is critical;

That we want direct involvement in phase 2 of the RMA review; we need to be there to define the Terms of Reference and to design the review for water allocation.

I spoke only to the RMA review and asked that section 8 (Treaty of Waitangi clause) be strengthened as per the recommendations of the Waitangi Tribunal. We have said several times now that merely taking the Treaty into account, as provided by section 8, is not strong enough in terms of the Crown's Treaty obligations.

 

Toby Curtis, of Te Arawa, asked for a public statement that the Iwi Chairs do not condone violence in any form. However the wording wasn't finalised before John Key arrived and it got overlooked, which was a shame.

 

The next hui will be convened at Turangawaewae by Tainui to discuss constitutional reform.

 

The next National Iwi Chairs hui will be convened by Ngati Porou.

 

Ngapuhi asked to convene another at Waitangi on 5 February 2010 and called for other Taitokerau iwi to help coordinate it. I have volunteered Ngati Kahu and have asked to manage the communications and preparation of papers for the hui to ensure that everyone is informed and papers are distributed before the hui.

 

  • 3. Recommencing the Ngati Kahu show on Te Reo Irirangi o Te Hiku o te Ika 11 February 2009

Te Ikanui Kingi-Waiaua has been contracted to organize our communications strategies. He has started out by recommencing our Ngati Kahu show on the radio. This time it broadcasts on Wednesday nights from 7-9pm on Te Reo Irirangi o te Hiku o te Ika at 94.4FM in Kaitaia. It is also available via the internet.

 

Te Ikanui interviewed me at length about the progress of their claims. He also spoke with our secretary, Tania Thomas, and our CEO, Anahera Herbert-Graves.

 

  • 4. Minister's visit 23-24 February 2009

The Minister of Treaty Negotiations, Chris Finlayson, will arrive at Te Uri o Hina marae, Pukepoto, at 7pm on 23 February for a brief powhiri and presentation by the Forum. Everyone is welcome to attend.

 

On Wednesday, 24 February, each iwi will meet with him for two hours. He will meet us at midday at the Kaitaia airport and Lloyd and I will accompany him, Hone Harawira and Pat Snedden by helicopter to see our marae and papakainga. Our estimated flight schedule is as follows:

 

12.00 pm - 12.30pm  

1.         Leave Kaitaia Airport,

2.         Fly over Te Mataara marae, Oturu

3.         Fly over Pamapuria papakainga and Te Paatu marae,

4.         Land at Takahue for 10mins to note the contrast between the community centre and the marae.

 

12.30 pm - 1.15 pm   

5.         Fly over Mangataiore marae site,

6.         Fly over Te Kauhanga marae, Peria and papakainga,

7.         Fly over Toatoa papakainga and Te Ahua marae,

8.         Fly over Parapara marae,

9.         Fly over Karepori marae (Taipa),

10.       Fly over Kenana marae and papakainga,

11.       Fly over Aputerewa marae and papakainga,

12.       Land at Waiaua for 10 mins to note the lack of marae and papakainga

 

1.15 pm - 2 pm   

13.       Fly over Haititaimarangai marae and new marae site,

14.       Fly over Karikari marae site and papakainga at Merita, Waikura, Karikari, Maraewhiti and Waipapa

15.       Fly over Rangiputa station

16.       Fly over Werowero, Lake Ohia

17.       Fly over Kareponia marae and papakainga

18.       Return to Kaitaia airport.

 

 

  • 5. Strategic planning hui 21 February to be led by Wayne Walden and Kevin McCaffrey

Our second strategic planning hui to determine how we are going to manage our settlement is to be held at the Northerner Hotel in Kaitaia starting at 10am. It follows on from our first hui in December last year and delegates will report back on discussions they  have had with their marae on the outcomes of that first hui circulated in their last mailout.

 

  • 6. Continuing violations of tikanga (by same few individuals)

As you will note from the minutes of our January hui, the same individuals who violated Kareponia marae at the AIP signing and later, had to be evicted from Rangiputa by Landcorp, disrupted our hui at Kenana in January. Once again they severely violated the tikanga of that marae and caused unwarranted stress and distress yet again to the kuia and kaumatua. As a result we moved our hui to Karepori marae, Taipa. These on-going violations are unacceptable and marae are discussing how they will be handling the violators.

 

Professor Margaret Mutu

17 February 2008