Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Radio New Zealand

Kereama Wright (Te Arawa), senior member of haka rōpū Ngāti Whakaue and Te Matatini 2025 champion, says kapa haka is a form of rongoā – healing body, mind and spirit – and one of the strongest expressions of Māori culture.

“It’s a vehicle for us to tell stories – stories of triumph, stories of oppression, stories about the birth of our children – but it’s a vehicle to continue our history, our stories and our legacy, and pass it on to our future generations,” he told RNZ.

Before cameras and social media, Māori preserved knowledge and stories through whakairo, waiata and mōteatea that traversed generations, Wright said.

“That’s why it’s important for me to perform and keep practising kapa haka – because it’s about an expression of our culture.”

Wright said kapa haka was also a statement of survival.

“It’s telling the oppressor that you’re never going to kill us, you’re never going to get rid of us, no matter how you try. Despite all the legislation you can put in place, we’re still here and we’re not going anywhere.

The whakapapa of haka

Wright said the origins of haka could be traced back to Tāne-Rore and Hine-Rēhia.

Tāne-Rore, the personification of shimmering heatwaves and the origin of dance, is the son of Tamanui-Te-Rā (the Sun) and Hine-Raumati (the Summer Maiden). When the land is hot and the air shimmers, Tāne-Rore performs the haka for his mother.

This is represented on stage through the trembling hand movement, known as wiriwiri or ‘Te Haka a Tāne-Rore’.

Hine-te-Rēhia is the goddess of entertainment, pleasure and games. Her influence ensures audiences are entertained and engaged, known as ‘Ngā Mahi a Hine-te-Rēhia’, performed on the stage or Te Whaitua o Rēhia.

“Over time, haka was used by our ancestors to prepare for battle,” Wright said. “Mentally, physically and spiritually.”

Today, haka is seen on the international stage, for example with the All Blacks, used to honour opponents or guests.

“All of those various expressions are still relevant today,” he said.

“Nowadays, it’s a heavily contested competition, but at the root of something like Te Matatini is practising our culture, keeping it alive and letting the world know that we’re still here.”

At the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education 2025, which took place over the week in Tāmaki Makaurau, crowds were given the opportunity to see the Matatini champions in action.

Wright said the message Ngāti Whakaue brought to the kaupapa was ‘Poua te Aroha’ – “share the love and spread the love”.

“It’s an ingredient that’s absent in many countries around the world, but it’s at the heart of everything we do as Indigenous peoples.”

He believes all indigenous cultures have a lot in common.

“We are fighting for our survival – the survival of our language, the retention of our land and the survival of our culture,” he said. “If we can’t practice now, if we don’t continue practising our culture and the teachings of our ancestors, then the coloniser will win.

“It’s important that we keep practising, and pass on variations of kapa haka, culture and dance to our children, so that our stories can live on.”

He also described kapa haka as a form of rongoā or Māori medicine.

“Not only for the body, physically, but the movement, the sound, the beats. It’s been scientifically proven that it can reduce dementia – it’s rongoā for illnesses like that.”

“You’ll see groups who live by the sea dance differently to groups like Tūhoe, who live in the bush. The movements we perform depict the environments we come from.

“We are the environment. That’s why it’s important for us to keep moving the way we do – it benefits mental, physical and spiritual health as well.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A person and their dog have been winched to safety by helicopter, after getting stuck on a cliff in Otago.

Emergency services were called about 1pm Saturday and responded to the incident close to Thompson Hill, near Arrowtown, along the Twin Rivers Trail.

A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said the pair had to be rescued using harnesses and a helicopter, as they were trapped about 60 metres down.

The person became stuck, when they tried to rescue their dog and found they could not get back up to the track.

Two crews of firefighters from Frankton and one crew from Arrowtown were sent to the scene.

The rescue was wrapped up by 4pm Saturday, the spokesperson said, and there were no reports of injuries.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police say it may be some time before they can provide answers to the family of four who died in a housefire in the Manawatū town of Sanson this month.

On Saturday, Manawatū Area Commander Inspector Ross Grantham confirmed the names of those who died in the 15 November blaze – Goldie May Iris Field, 1, Hugo John Field, 5, August James Field, 7, and 36-year-old Dean Michael Field.

Grantham said the whānau were receiving “wrap-around support”, as they dealt with the devastating loss, and acknowledged the grief felt throughout the community.

“The scene examination at the property has been completed and this was handed back to family on Thursday morning,” he said.

Grantham stressed that the investigation into the fatal incident remained active.

“Police’s investigation into the fatal incident is ongoing and it will take time for us to get answers for the family,” Grantham said.

“We would like to acknowledge the community for their outpouring of support for the family, as they come to terms with this tragedy.

“I would also like to thank the many police staff who have worked tirelessly over the last week and continue to work on this difficult investigation.”

Police have not released any further details about the cause of the fire.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu is taking the Crown to the High Court over proposed Conservation Act changes, claiming the plans are a threat to its Waitangi Treaty settlement.

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka proposed the changes in August to address a backlog of concession applications that he said “sometimes take years to process”.

The changes included streamlining and centralising conservation land management, and a review of Section 4 of the Conservation Act, requiring the Department of Conservation (DOC) to give effect to the principles of the treaty.

Ngāi Tahu Kaiwhakahaere Justin Tipa told RNZ the proposal would shift decision-making from conservation boards and the Conservation Authority to the minister.

He said the Ngāi Tahu treaty settlement guaranteed the iwi representation in decision-makng and the proposal would lead to the privatisation of public conservation land.

“What they are proposing is that concessions may be granted up to 60 years for critical infrastructure and that essentially means that, on public conservation land, it’s going to be privatised by stealth.

“It’s alienating Māori, it’s alienating Ngāi Tahu, it’s alienating New Zealanders from the whenua.”

Tipa said the iwi had been left with no other choice and taking action in the High Court was not a step taken lightly.

“That’s the problem iwi are confronted with. Governments come and go, and they have no institutional memory of their commitment, so we are compelled to spend significant amounts of our settlements defending and protecting our settlements.

“Every time a new government comes into power, we are having to educate and re-educate on what our claims are, what they mean, how they work with legislation.

“At the end of the day, treaty settlements didn’t appear our of thin air. They were the culmination of sustained legal political and social dialogue spanning decades.”

Two-thirds of public conservation land sits within the Ngāi Tahu rohe and Tipa said vital contribution of localised knowledge would be lost.

“We always stand at the ready to engage with government departments, with ministers and ministries to help shape policy, and test thinking.

“Unfortunately, the advice we attempted to give fell on deaf ears and they went ahead with these proposals that would undermine the integrity of the Ngāi Tahu settlement.”

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka told RNZ he had been advised Ngāi Tahu had taken the matter to court.

“Our government remains focused on delivering clear, decisive conservation reform that strengthens biodiversity and provides greater certainty for communities,” he said. “We are progressing this work diligently.”

Tipa said the High Court action was only the first step and the iwi was determined to hold the Crown to the promises it made almost 30 years ago, when the Deed of Settlement was signed.

“I would like to see the changes scrapped, but if they don’t, we stand ready to engage,” he said.

“I don’t have a lot of faith. I’ve seen this government consistently overturn the rule of law.

“They don’t listen to the majority of New Zealanders. There’s a minority in this country that has a very large powerbase in this country and, unless we stand up and take action, I don’t have a lot of faith in the future for Māori under this government.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand