Category: Te Ao Māori

Source: Radio New Zealand

Te Pāti Māori’s co-leader Rawiri Waititi is blaming two of his MPs for turmoil within the party, accusing them of going “rogue” and trying to roll the leadership.

On Monday, party president John Tamihere called on Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Tākuta Ferris to “do the honourable thing” and step down.

But neither MP looks like leaving of their own accord. In a statement, Kapa-Kingi told RNZ she was “not going anywhere”. Ferris has yet to publicly respond, but his electorate branch is calling for Tamihere instead to resign.

Arriving at Parliament on Tuesday morning, Waititi told media the party’s national council now had a “process in play” regarding whether to expel Kapa-Kingi and Ferris from the party.

“That’s not a decision for me. That is a decision for the electorates. We’ve taken it back to the people.”

The party’s national council includes representatives from all six electorates held by the MPs.

Asked whether the party might invoke the waka-jumping provision to eject the two MPs from Parliament altogether, Waititi said their electorate seats had been “determined by their voters”.

“They are MPs of those particular electorates,” he said.

Asked for clarification later in the day, Waititi said the waka-jumping option had not been considered “at this time” but remained a possibility.

“We’re allowing our national council to work through the constitution and we need to be able to allow them to do that without having to deal with that through the media.”

Waititi said he stood by Tamihere as president and pinned blame for the internal ructions on “allegations and two rogue MPs” gearing up for a leadership coup.

“All in good time you will find that out,” he said.

Waititi confirmed he would meet with representatives from the Iwi Chairs Forum later today to “solidify the kaupapa”.

“We’re cleaning up our whare,” he said. “Our tipuna traversed the oceans to get here and many storms, and we will get through this.

“We will go through a reset. Resets don’t happen overnight and resets will continue as we continue to build the momentum of our Māori voice here.”

Fellow co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer later told reporters at Parliament it was an “honour” to meet with the iwi leaders.

“I know that it’s been disruptive, and I know that we’ve made the headlines for the reasons we don’t want to, but it’s actually been really great to know that we are owned and they feel aligned and they feel whanaungatanga [kinship] to us to be able to turn up. That’s an honour.”

Iwi Chairs Forum spokesperson Bayden Barber told RNZ on Monday iwi leaders were going to “give it our best shot” to reconcile the differences.

Tamihere avoided reporters on his way into Parliament on Tuesday morning, ducking into an apartment building’s parking lot.

Earlier, he told RNZ’s Morning Report the party’s leadership would “very shortly” consider whether to expel Kapa-Kingi and Ferris.

When asked directly if he still wanted the two MPs in the party, Tamihere said: “Not if they continue to be rogue.”

In a statement to RNZ, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi said Tamihere did not speak for her Tai Tokerau electorate.

“The people voted me as an electorate member, I’m proud to say, and therefore I’m not going anywhere. I have a job to do and I plan to continue to do it best way I know how – show up, prepare and remember who you represent.”

Asked for comment, Ferris said only that his electorate’s executive would be sending out a statement “in due course”.

Speaking before a caucus meeting on Tuesday, Labour leader Chris Hipkins reiterated his calls for Te Pāti Māori to “sort themselves out”.

“But I’d also remind people that four years ago, the National Party was tearing itself apart, and now they’re in government.”

Senior Labour MP Willie Jackson, a long-time friend of Tamihere, said he would not be taking sides.

“We’re sitting back … and just watching how this rolls out.”

Jackson said Labour would not be welcoming any defectors. He said the party was prepared in the case of any by-elections.

“We would be irresponsible if we weren’t ready … given all the talk coming out of Te Pāti Māori.”

ACT leader David Seymour said Labour had a big problem because it needed Te Pāti Māori’s numbers to take power.

“They’ve got more coup-papa than kaupapa.”

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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 group of Māori landowners taking the government to court over freshwater rights allege the current system of water allocation is degrading water quality and shutting Māori out.

Wai Manawa Whenua is seeking timely and effective Crown action to halt further decline in water quality and a fair and durable water allocation system.

The case is [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/577593/landmark-maori-freshwater-rights-case-in-court-this-week set down in the High Court] in Wellington for Monday and Tuesday, the Crown is expected to present its evidence on Tuesday.

Lawyer Matthew Smith KC told the court that a key problem is the “first in, first served” water allocation system.

Federation of Māori Authorities (FOMA) chairperson Traci Houpapa said in many catchments water has either been fully or over allocated, which has led to a degradation in water quality.

“As ahuwhenua, we need water in order to operate our farms, our landholdings. Māori are a significant holder in the primary industries, but more importantly, we’re calling on the Crown to recognise our rights as Māori, to create a fair and equitable water allocation system with us, and then also to recognise our role as kaitiaki.”

Sometimes water isn’t available for Māori authorities because its already been allocated to other entities in the region, she said.

“What we’re saying is we need to be part of the redistribution of those allocations and to look at a new allocation system.”

Wai Manawa Whenua chairperson Kingi Smiler said Māori have been trying to resolve their rights and interests with the Crown very actively for over three decades.

Starting when the Resource Management Act was first being put in place in 1991, then again in 2012 during the policy to partially privatise state-owned enterprises, he said.

Then Deputy Prime Minister Bill English gave assurances that the Crown was committed to recognising and making appropriate provision for Māori rights and interests in water and geothermal resources, he said.

“They gave solemn promises in the Supreme Court and there have always been annually reviews by the Crown with Māori and others as to what the rules should be for allocating water in the country but they continue just to be cynical promises, not meaningful at all and simply empty promises where no action has been taken.

“Until there’s action being taken on the first-in-first-served allocation system and that system is changed, then no improvement in water quality will result.”

Smiler said in his region of Wairarapa the water quality of Lake Wairarapa has degraded dramatically to the point where it is considered super-trophic.

“So this is a very serious situation and for many years as part of treaty settlements we’ve tried to have the opportunity to have this resolved with the government but there’s no clean-up fund that’s been put in place that will address the issues that are there.”

Houpapa said there have been a number of initiatives between Māori and the government to improve water quality, including Kāhui Wai Māori/the Māori Freshwater Forum and Te Mana o te Wai, but they have only gone so far.

“In our discussions with government, we have been unhappy with the lack of progress and the lack of action. We believed coming to High Court was the course that needed to be taken in order for us to hold the Crown to account.

“What we’re doing today is asking the Crown to deliver. This is a matter important for whānau, hapū, for ahuwhenua, our trusts, Māori trusts and corporations, Māori landholding, so that we can be part of the conversations and the design of a fair water allocation system for our whenua and for ahikā.”

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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 Pāti Māori president John Tamihere has told MPs Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Tākuta Ferris to “do the honourable thing” and quit Parliament, accusing the duo of “greed, avarice, and entitlement”.

It is the latest salvo in an increasingly public fallout between the party leadership and the two MPs.

The party’s National Council last month voted to suspend Kapa-Kingi, who is MP for Te Tai Tokerau.

The executive of Te Tai Tonga electorate – which covered the South Island and parts of Wellington – abstained from the resolution, and later called for a vote of no confidence in Tamihere.

Ferris, the MP for Te Tai Tonga, has previously backed Kapa-Kingi, telling 1News he did not support her suspension. Members of Te Tai Tonga electorate have now petitioned for Tamihere’s resignation as president, saying he has not acted in good faith.

In response to the petition, Tamihere has posted a lengthy statement on Facebook, alleging Kapa-Kingi and Ferris were destabilising due to a “desire to take over leadership” of Te Pāti Māori.

But Kapa-Kingi told RNZ she was not going anywhere and Tamihere did not speak for Tai Tokerau.

“The people voted me as an electorate member I’m proud to say and therefore I’m not going anywhere. I have a job to do and I plan to continue to do it best way I know how. Show up, prepare and remember who you represent.”

Tamihere alleges that in July, he was contacted by a Te Tai Tokerau iwi leader who had expressed concern that Kapa-Kingi had asked iwi leaders whether they would support her in a challenge for the party leadership against Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, and Ferris against Rawiri Waititi.

He said he rang Kapa-Kingi on the evening of 18 July.

“I indicated to her that if there was a case for change of leadership there had to be some reason or some cause and could you please advise me what it was. Ms Kapa-Kingi was unable to do so.”

Tamihere’s statement also references the release of documents suggesting Parliamentary Services had warned Kapa-Kingi she was on track to overspend her budget by up to $133,000, as well as the accusations Kapa-Kingi’s son Eru had unleashed a profane and threatening “tirade of abuse” at Parliamentary security last year.

“There is no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of anybody in Te Pāti Māori leadership. It is not the fault of Te Pāti Māori that Kapa-Kingi overspent her budget. It is not the fault of Te Pāti Māori that payments to her family have been disclosed,” Tamihere said.

“It is not the fault of Te Pāti Māori that Eru Kapa-Kingi seems to be the only bully in the party. It is not the fault of Te Pāti Maori that the personal interests and entitlement of Ms Kapa-Kingi and her family are now known to everyone.”

He also claims that the Kapa-Kingi family had disagreed with the 2023 draft list placings, which put Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke ahead of Mariameno Kapa-Kingi.

“Their argument was that ‘somebody in nappies’ should not be placed ahead of a Wahine Rangatira from Te Tai Tokerau. It came to pass that the Kapa-Kingi’s had no process or policy to determine anything other than Mariameno Kapa-Kingi should be number one on the list,” Tamihere said.

“The outcome of that hui was she was invited to tender her resignation as our candidate if she felt that aggrieved and we would open nominations in Te Tai Tokerau. Faced with that ultimatum we all ended up going into the wharekai for a cup of tea and the rest is history.”

Tamihere said Kapa-Kingi and Ferris should “do the honourable thing,” referencing Hone Harawira, who in 2011 quit the party and Parliament. Harawira’s resignation prompted a by-election in Te Tai Tokerau, which he won as the leader of the Mana Party.

“I guarantee Kapa-Kingi and Ferris will not do the same thing because their conduct is not based on mana, is not based on integrity and honesty or on principle. Their conduct is based on greed, avarice and entitlement,” Tamihere wrote.

RNZ has approached Te Pāti Māori and Tākuta Ferris for comment.

‘I don’t really care’ – PM

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was asked about Te Pāti Māori’s internal problems at his regular post-Cabinet press conference on Monday afternoon, and did not mince his words.

“I don’t think Te Pāti Māori are a serious outfit. I think they are activists, I think they’re performative,” he told media.

“I’ve never heard of a single policy idea from Te Pāti Māori about how they’re going to improve outcomes for Māori students, Māori health, Māori achievement, and so, you know, I don’t take them seriously.”

He said questions about working with Te Pāti Māori should be directed at Labour’s Chris Hipkins because “they have the same voting record”.

He would not say if National would rule out working with Te Pāti Māori if there was a change in the latter’s leadership.

“We came here to do serious things. This is a country that has been through a difficult set of times. We are fixing the basics and we have an awesome future that we’re focused on realising for this country, and that’s what I’m getting out of bed to do every day.

“What the hell everyone else does, I don’t really care, frankly.”

Hipkins said Te Pāti Māori’s internal issues were for it to resolve.

He repeated his call for the party to “prioritise” sorting itself out, and that the party was a “long way away” from playing a constructive role in government.

“We’re here to represent the people that put us here, we’re here to make decisions on behalf of the whole country, not just the people that vote for us. Everybody needs to keep that in mind in discharging their duties as a Member of Parliament.”

Hipkins said Labour would be competing “vigourously” in the Māori seats at the next election, but he would set out beforehand where Labour had common ground with other parties, and the bottom lines it would not cross.

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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 Pāti Māori president John Tamihere says the party’s leadership will “very shortly” consider whether to expel its MPs Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Tākuta Ferris.

Iwi leaders will meet with Te Pāti Māori leadership at Parliament on Tuesday in an effort to put a stop to extraordinary infighting.

It comes after Tamihere publicly called for MPs Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Tākuta Ferris to quit politics, accusing the pair of conspiring to overthrow the leadership. Ferris’ Te Tai Tonga electorate has separately called for Tamihere to stand down.

Kapa-Kingi last night told RNZ said had no plans to leave politics.

“JT [Tamihere] doesn’t speak for Tai Tokerau – only people of Tai Tokerau do. The people voted me as an electorate member I’m proud to say, and therefore I’m not going anywhere. I have a job to do and I plan to continue to do it the best way I know how – show up, prepare and remember who you represent.”

Ferris has not made a public comment yet, saying only that his electorate’s executive would be sending out a statement “in due course”.

Appearing on RNZ’s Morning Report, Tamihere said he did not know what issues the two MPs had.

“At no time have the Kapa-Kingis or Ferris ever put their gripe or their problem on the table. This is despite a whole range of meetings,” Tamihere said.

“We have been deeply constrained because we have to follow our constitution and our tikanga. So, as a consequence, we’ve not been able to go to the media until very recently.”

When asked directly if he still wanted the two MPs in the party, Tamihere said: “Not if they continue to be rogue.”

Tamihere said the party’s national council would be having a conversation “very shortly” about whether to expel the two MPs, but he reiterated his call for them to go of their own accord.

“If you haven’t got the numbers to change the leadership in the caucus, you haven’t got the numbers to change the leadership in the electorates. You should do the honourable thing, understand that, and go and do a Hone Harawira.”

Harawira quit the Māori Party and Parliament in 2011 and then won his way back in during the by-election as leader of the new Mana Party.

In response to calls for his own resignation, Tamihere said he would not still be in the position if there were widespread calls in the party for him to go.

“I’m not overly worried about that [petition]. That’s just the people’s choice. And it’s not running as hot as it should,” he said. “Where’s the revolution?”

He refused to respond to the MPs’ claims that he was running a dictatorship, saying they should first provide evidence of that.

“In any caucus, it’s about being disciplined. It’s about being organised. It’s about having some form of teamwork.”

Ngāti Kahungunu chairman Bayden Barber is among a handful of iwi representatives that will sit down with the party’s co-leaders and president on Tuesday to work out what, if anything, can be salvaged from here.

“We’re going to try. We’re going to give it our best shot. There’s a lot at stake in terms of an upcoming election. We’ve been challenged like no other generation from this government.

“That’s why we see it as really important to offer an opportunity for reconciliation between both parts of the party and hopefully find a solution going forward.

“Those posts that came out [on Monday] from both sides were unhelpful and unnecessary.”

Barber said the Iwi Chairs Forum wanted to meet with Kapa-Kingi and Ferris too, with the ultimate goal to get everyone together for a hui at a marae in Wellington “sometime in the near future”.

The forum wanted the party to focus on policy, he said.

“We have a government that has attacked us from every front the last couple of years, so having the only kaupapa Māori party imploding is not helpful to the cause of iwi and aspirations that we’re trying to achieve for our people.

“At the moment, there’s a big distraction and it’s been caused by the in-fighting in the party at this time, and we felt it’s important to try and get that back on track because we have a vested interest.

“This isn’t just about Te Pāti Māori supporters, this is about Māori community right around the country all feeling a bit disappointed and overwhelmed by all the tit-for-tat happening on social media.

“So we’re trying to reach out to build a bridge and find some common ground and reconcile hopefully the relationships, but the longer this goes on, the harder that is going to be.”

Labour leader Chris Hipkins told Morning Report Te Pāti Māori had “major issues” it needed to sort out, but added it’s not uncommon for political parties to have internal turmoil.

He did not rule out working with the party after the election.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Actor Te Kohe Tuhaka has paid tribute to late filmmaker and mentor Lee Tamahori, describing him as a trailblazer for Māori in cinema.

In a statement his family said Tamahori died peacefully today at home surrounded by his long-time love Justine, his beloved children Sam, Max, Meka, and Tané, his daughter-in-laws Casey (who is expecting) and Meri, his darling mokopuna Cora Lee, and whānau.

Lee Tamahori from Ngāti Porou, made his directorial film debut with the ground-breaking Once Were Warriors.

Born in Tawa, in Wellington he started Flying Fish, one of the country’s most successful advertising production companies.

His first short film, Thunderbox, was developed during the Te Manuka series with Don Selwyn and Larry Parr.

He went on to forge a remarkable international career, directing Hollywood and independent films such as Mulholland Falls, The Devil’s Double, and the James Bond film Die Another Day.

Tuhaka said in some ways he was relieved he was finally at peace following a battle with Parkinson’s disease.

“Having known his very valiant battle with his Parkinson’s and having worked closely with Lee over the years, I’m not surprised that he went into battle the same way he went into shooting a film, all guns a blazing.

“It’s a big loss for us here in Aotearoa and also throughout the world.

“The man pretty much shaped a lot of things in our film industry with the likes of Once For Warriors, but even prior to that working in the advertising business, he was a huge, a huge mentor to me in many, many ways on many, many kaupapa. So he will be, he will be missed, but he will definitely be remembered,” he said.

Tuhaka said Lee Tamahori was also one of the most important figures in connecting Māori to Hollywood.

He said he shone a lens on Māori stories, language and issues.

“So that legacy of being able to not only go international, work on the big stage there, but also have an eye and a heart to coming home, to telling our stories, to opening up doors for our crew, our young producers like myself, young actors like myself, the myriad of people he’s influenced in their careers from in front of the lens and behind the lens.

“So he did it seamlessly… we walked the path that he was paving for us as Māori filmmakers in this industry equally,” Tuhaka said.

“I really feel at this time, like, I think about all of the people that he’s worked with, and all the kaupapa that I’ve worked with him on, and just having memories of, you know, watching him work. And he knew exactly what he wanted, and he knew exactly how to get there.

“It was like watching a Ngāti Porou cowboy on a mean-ass horse, just going for it and everybody around him just had to hold on!,” said the actor and producer.

He praised the late filmmaker’s work ethic, saying he put younger people to shame with his energy and enthusiasm.

“My own thing on Lee’s legacy, is that fella was a mahi fella. So when it came to shooting, he had more energy and more drive than anybody else on set, which I would laugh at.

“I was just like, man, this fella, he is going for it, like really going for it. Knew what he wanted, knew how he wanted to get there, and just drove, drove, drove.”

“I believe his legacy will be one of being a mahi fella, a real trailblazer,” Tuhaka said.

Friends and colleagues are invited to pay their respects on Sunday, 9 November, at Te Mahurehure Marae, in Point Chevalier in Auckland.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Te Wharekura o Kirikiriroa have been named Ngā Toa Whakaihuwaka, the overall winners of Te Mana Kuratahi, the national primary schools kapa haka competition for 2025.

The group from Hamilton bested 62 other kapa haka from 17 regions who took the stage this week at Mercury Baypark in Tauranga.

Fellow Tainui group Te Wharekura o Rakaumanga from Huntly finished in second place.

While locals Te Whānau o Te Maro Hauhake from Tauranga Intermediate School rounded out the podium in third place.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A quiet trailblazer, a beloved kōhanga reo nanny and the translators behind the first-ever bilingual Olympic sporting glossary are among those recognised at Ngā Tohu Reo Māori 2025, the annual Māori Language Awards held in Wellington on Friday.

Hosted by Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori the Māori Language Commission, the event celebrates those carrying te reo Māori into the future.

Te Tohu Oranga Angitu (Lifetime Achievement) award went to Piripi Walker whose work has quietly shaped the Māori language landscape.

A founder of Te Upoko o te Ika, Wellington’s first Māori radio station, and secretary for Ngā Kaiwhakapūmau i te reo Māori during the landmark Te Reo Māori claim, his influence is woven through decades of language revitalisation.

Te Tohu Tū Rangatira (Supreme Award) went to Lorraine ‘Nanny Lolo’ Pirihira Hale of Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Teko, who has devoted more than 40 years to her community. Representing Mātaatua-Tauranga Moana on the National Kōhanga Reo Trust Board, she has inspired generations to live and learn te reo Māori every day.

Hale told RNZ she was shocked when she found out the award would be going to her.

“Tino harikoa ahau i tēnei wā engari kei te whai whakaaro ake ahau tērā pea he rūkahu nō ā rātau kōrero mōku. Nā te mea ko Nanny Lolo te mea whakamataku tangata pea.”

I’m feeling very happy at the moment, although I did think they may be lying to me [when they told me I had won]. Because Nanny Lolo is someone who can be quite scary at times.

Hale said even after 40 years of working in kōhanga reo she still loves the kaupapa, having the chance to nurture tamariki in te reo and tikanga and thereby bringing their wider whānau into the kaupapa.

Te reo is going strong especially among younger generations, but there is a generation in between who missed out on kōhanga reo, she said.

She encouraged parents to keep learning and speaking te reo and not to feel ashamed to speak te reo to their children outside of school.

“Kua huri te kei o te waka, kua hoki mai wa tātau tamariki ki te whāngai i te reo, ko rātau mā he kaiako whāngai i te reo katahi, karua kei te whakahokia mai e rātau ō rātau ake tamariki mokopuna ki roto i te kaupapa.”

The stern of the canoe has turned around, our children are returning to pass on the language, firstly they are now the teachers and secondly they are bringing their own children into kōhanga reo.

When asked about her hopes for the future of te reo Hale said she would like to see te reo return as the main language of her marae.

“Ko tāku nei e wawata ana ki runga i ō tātau marae ahakoa pēhea mai i te hunga tao kai tae noa ake ki te pae, me Māori tō tātau reo. Me kōrero Māori i roto i ō tātau kauta, me kōrero Māori i runga i te marae kia tū rangatira ai tō tātau reo.”

My hope is that no matter where you are on our marae, from the cooks to the orators, we are speaking are speaking Māori. We need to speak te reo in the kitchen and in front of the wharenui for our language to be revered.

“Kei te hoki atu ahau ki ngā mahara o tōku pāpā, i roto i te tangi o tōna reo ka rongo koe i tana ngākau, ka rongo koe i te wairua o ana kōrero. Ina ka taea e tātau te whakahoki mai i tērā āhuatanga kei runga noa atu, kua piki teitei kē tō tātau reo.”

I think back to my father, in the sound of his reo you could hear his spirit, you could hear his soul. If we can bring that attribute of te reo back it will take our language to a whole new level.

She thanked her parents and aunties for setting the example that hard work is the way to realise her aspirations.

“Me raupā aku ringa kia ao aku wawata. Ki ahau nei na mahia te mahi kaua e warea atu ki ngā whakawhiu a etahi atu hīkoihia tō hīkoi i runga i te whakapono, te tika ki tāu ngākau.”

I need to work my hands to the bone to realise my dreams. Do the work, don’t be preoccupied with what others say, keep following your journey and trust your heart.

Te Taura Whiri chief executive Ngahiwi Apanui-Barr said it was an honour to recognise those who lead, inspire and carve out a future for te reo Māori.

“This is a woman with mokopuna, whānau, and te reo at the heart of all she does – moving mountains so others can learn their language,” he said of Hale.

Other winners include Dr Hona Black, Aukaha News, Arataua Media, Auckland Transport, Hākinakina Rangatahi, and the translators of the innovative project Te Reo Māori ki Parī 2024 – the first-ever bilingual Olympic sporting glossary.

Ngā Tohu Reo Māori 2025 recipients:

• Te Tohu Oranga Angitu – Lifetime Achievement Award
• Piripi Walker – Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga
• Tū Rangatira – Supreme Award
• Lorraine Hale (Nanny Lolo) – Ngāti Awa
• He Tohu mō te Reo Māori – Language Use Award
• Auckland Transport
• Aukaha News
• He Tohu mō te Whakaaweawe i te Reo – Language Inspiration Award
• Arataua Media
• He Tohu mō te Whakarangatira i te Reo – Language Leadership Award
• Hākinakina Rangatahi – NZ Sports Collective
• He Tohu mō te Whakapiki i te Reo – Language Enlightenment Award
• Dr Hona Black – Ngāi Tūhoe, Te Whānau a Apanui, Ngāti Tūwharetoa
• He Tohu mō te Whakahihiri i te Reo – Language Vitality Award
• Te Tira Kaiwhakamāori – Te Reo Māori ki Parī 2024

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Crown has apologised to Auckland and Hauraki iwi Ngāti Paoa for its actions which led to the iwi becoming “virtually landless.”

Around 500 iwi members travelled to Parliament to witness the third reading of the Ngāti Pāoa Claims Settlement Bill.

The rohe, or region, of Ngāti Pāoa extends through Hauraki and parts of the Coromandel Peninsula to Auckland and includes islands in the Hauraki Gulf.

For Rangitahi Pompey, it’s the end of a long road, as her father was one of the many people who carried the baton for Ngāti Pāoa through the long years to settle their historical grievances with the Crown.

“I often speak of him and talk of how he ate, drunk, slept and died, Ngāti Pāoa. Everything about him was for the people and that was at the calling of his father to come home.”

It was just over 40 years ago, in March 1985, that Ngāti Pāoa leader Hariata Gordon lodged the tenth claim to the Waitangi Tribunal – Wai 10, the Waiheke Island Claim. That claim was heard and reported on by the Tribunal in 1987.

Many of the Ngāti Pāoa claims were lodged with the Waitangi Tribunal and heard during the Hauraki Inquiry in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Pompey told RNZ it’s been a long journey and although the settlement has passed, it’s not over for the iwi.

“So even though we are where we are, we have still got things to do. We still have things to achieve and today, I guess we step into a new space where we can start to realise those dreams. Realise and bring to fruition the dreams of many people.”

It will be the mokopuna, the children and grandchildren who will carry the iwi into the future, she said.

Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Paul Goldsmith said in the settlement the Crown acknowledged the effect of its actions including raupatu (confiscation), the impact of the Native Land Courts and Crown purchasing which left Ngāti Pāoa virtually landless.

“The crown also acknowledged it breached the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles when it invaded the Waikato, attacking Ngāti Pāoa and shelled the unfortified village of Pūkorokoro in 1863 causing the death of iwi members.”

Goldsmith said no settlement can fully compensate Ngāti Pāoa for what they lost.

The settlement included $23.5 million in financial reddress, the opportunity to purchase seven commercial properties and the return of 12 cultural sites of significance including sites for a marae and papakāinga development in the suburb of Point England, he said.

The settlement consolidates the Waiheke Station Trust into the Ngāti Pāoa Iwi Trust so that all settlement assets are held by one organisation.

“This consolidation was strongly supported by iwi members during the ratification process” said Goldsmith

Ngāti Pāoa Iwi Trust chair Herearoha Skipper said this was a time to remember the Ngāti Pāoa leaders who, over decades, had sought justice from the Crown.

“In particular, we acknowledge the work of the Ngāti Pāoa Negotiators, Morehu Wilson and Hauauru Rawiri. Sadly, Morehu passed in 2022, and it is with aroha that we have his whānau join us on this momentous occasion.”

Skipper said there are other aspects of the Ngāti Pāoa settlement package that will need to be finalised.

“The Pare Hauraki Collective Redress Bill was introduced to Parliament in December 2022, but has not yet had a first reading. The Marutūāhu Iwi Collective Redress Deed needs to be signed by the Crown, on the basis of what was offered and without change. Without these, the Crown will not have fully delivered the Ngāti Paoa settlement package.”

“The Ngāti Pāoa Iwi Trust is confident that these matters can be resolved before the next general election.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Tauranga iwi Ngāi Te Rangi says the fight for te reo Māori is not over yet and that it’s going to continue promoting te reo regardless of what the government does.

The Waitangi Tribunal released its Taku Kura Reo, Taku Reo Kahurangi report on Crown policies concerning the use of te reo Māori in the public service in October.

The claim brought by Ngāi Te Rangi focussed on commitments in the coalition agreement between National and NZ First to ensure all public service departments have their primary name in English, except for those specifically related to Māori’. Secondly, to ‘equire the public service departments and Crown Entities to communicate primarily in English – except those entities specifically related to Māori’.

It was the first of a flurry of applications the Tribunal received for an urgent inquiry after the government came to power in 2023. Hearings took place in June 2024.

The Tribunal found the Crown breached the principles of te Tiriti / ​the Treaty, including rangatiratanga, partnership, active protection, equity and good government.

Judge Te Kani Williams said any diminishing of Crown support for the revitilisation of te reo was a matter of serious concern.

“As the Tribunal has previously observed, te reo has been matched only by Māori land as a galvanising force for Māori protest in recent decades.

“The language remains in a vulnerable state (something the Crown readily acknowledged in our inquiry) and te reo advocates are quick to remind us that there is no margin for complacency.”

Ngāi Te Rangi chairman Charlie Tawhiao told RNZ the iwi was compelled to take the claim to the Tribunal because the “attack” on te reo is also an attack on Māori cultural identity.

“From our perspective, it’s led to Māori thinking harder about the fact that the fight for our reo is not over yet. So we’ve got to continue to keep promoting te reo amongst our whānau, particularly the mokopuna we’ve got coming up behind us, and ensure that regardless of what the Crown does, that te reo won’t vanish or be extinguished.”

Tawhiao said if iwi leaders didn’t model to the next generation that they would not tolerate the attack on te reo, then they would end up paying the price with “another silent generation of Māori”.

“I think at a higher level, protecting and upholding te reo Māori as the first language of this whenua, this place we now call Aotearoa, is an obligation, not only for us as iwi Māori, but actually for all thinking Kiwis in our view.

“But the recovery and the progress has been remarkable… not only for Māori, but there’s a whole generation of tangata Tiriti who have also taken efforts to learn te reo Māori, not because they must, because they want to.”

Tawhiao said despite the efforts to recover te reo Māori there remained a “stubborn and outdated” view that the indigenous language of Aotearoa had no value.

After the Tribunal had finished writing its report, Judge Williams said they “were appraised of further steps being taken by the Crown to relegate the placement and status of te reo Māori behind English”, referencing Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden’s announcement that New Zeland’s passport was being redesigned to place the English words above the te reo text.

Tawhiao said it is just the latest of a “whole basket of policies” designed to assimilate Māori.

But for Ngāi Te Rangi he said the best thing they could do was to follow the words of the late Kiingi Tuheitia, to be “Māori everyday, in every way”.

“I think that’s something we’ve got to encourage our people to do, that our cultural identity doesn’t require or depend on any government acknowledging it. But at the same time, we don’t want to be spending our time defending our very identity and who we are, which is where people were starting to feel.”

The iwi would continue to encourage its people to carry on speaking te reo wherever they chose to and however they could, he said.

“Just as an example of what happened to te reo, when I was learning as a young fellow, and I was visiting my dad one day, and every time I met with him, I talked to him in Māori, so he talked back to me so that I could hear, first of all, did I make sense? Did he hear me? But secondly, to hear how he spoke so I could learn more.

“And I remember we were sitting in a coffee shop having a cup of tea and I was talking to him in te reo Māori and then some people came in and he was looking nervously at them and I said, ‘what’s up?’. He said, ‘well, it’s a bit rude to talk Māori in front of Pākehā people’. And I thought, oh God, and I said to him, ‘Dad, it’s an official language now, we’re allowed to speak Māori’. You know, we’re recovering from that trauma.”

Tawhiao said unlike his father he never lived through that trauma, but he lived through its impacts.

The next generations have lived with the revival of te reo Māori, and he said he didn’t want to see that progress stifled by “continued outdated views that come from an age that’s long past”.

Judge Williams, quoting from the landmark 1986 Tribunal report on the te reo Māori claim, said, “To recognise Māori officially is one thing, to enable its use widely is another thing altogether.

“There must be more than just the right to use it in the courts. There must also be the right to use it with any department or any local body if official recognition is to be real recognition, and not mere tokenism.”

The Tribunal’s recommendations

• Take immediate steps to reverse actions and policy concerning the use of te reo in agency names and government communications.
• Ensure new governments comply with the Crown’s obligations to te reo Māori under both existing legislation and te Tiriti / the Treaty and its principles.
• Strengthen the wording of Te Ture mō Te Reo Māori 2016.
• Make Te Tohu Reorua i te Reo Māori me te Reo Pākehā – Māori-English Bilingual Signage 2016 guidelines compulsory.
• Amend the 2024 Government Workforce Policy Statement “so that the payment of te reo allowances to government officials continues regardless of whether te reo skills are a requirement to perform their role or not”.
• Increase the bilingual aptitude of the public service.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Dr Alex Barnes, a Pākehā father who grew up in the kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa movement, says proposed changes to the Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories curriculum risks “leaving our past to chance”.

The government released the full draft of the curriculum for year 0-10 students in October with Education Minister Erica Stanford calling it another significant step toward delivering a world-leading system for every learner.

ACT Party leader and Associate Education Minister David Seymour also celebrated the draft curriculum, saying the proposed social sciences changes would “restore balance” and remove political bias.

The Ministry of Education said the new curriculum still reflected Te Tiriti o Waitangi and te ao Māori principles, while giving students broader opportunities to learn about global history.

However, the proposed changes – particularly to the social sciences curriculum, which dropped Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories and added more international topics – has faced backlash from educators as being “dishonest”, “regressive” and “not an honest reflection of our past”.

The changes are part of a growing wave of criticism of the government’s approach to Māori language, culture, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi in schools. On Tuesday, the government announced it would remove schools’ legal obligation to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, a move that has again alarmed educators and Māori leaders.

Barnes, who has studied how the Aotearoa NZ’s Histories curriculum was implemented and its impact agreed with the critics, and was concerned about the government’s plan to fold the histories curriculum into the wider social sciences framework, rather than keeping it as its own subject.

“Integrating it dilutes its power,” he said.

“It weakens its importance and leaves it to chance whether our histories are taught accurately or prominently.”

He told RNZ that approach risked undoing the progress made over the past year.

“That effectively removes it as a key part of our education system.

“People want accurate history. Māori and non-Māori. They’ve been saying for years, ‘I didn’t learn this at school.'”

Barnes has spent over 20 years in education and adult learning, and completed a PhD on te Tiriti-based co-governance education in Aotearoa.

He was also one of the kairangahau (researchers) at the New Zealand Council for Educational Research, studying how the Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories curriculum was implemented, and found it helped schools connect learning to local places and stories.

“Teachers and principals saw the histories curriculum as a chance to deepen understanding of whakapapa, place, and identity,” he said.

“It gave schools a framework to connect students to their own stories while recognising how local and global histories intersect.”

Barnes is also a graduate of the early kaupapa Māori education movement and now works in Māori health and wellbeing research. He said learning Māori histories from a young age shaped his sense of connection to the whenua and people of Tauranga.

“I grew up with local pūrākau, stories from hapū and iwi about the origins of the whenua and the waka there. It gave me a deep sense of identity and belonging,” he said.

“The fact that I was Pākehā didn’t really matter. I was part of the whānau.”

He said that same sense of belonging is what the Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories curriculum offers tamariki when it’s taught well.

“There’s a strong desire for our kids to develop pride in who they are, their sense of identity and belonging to Aotearoa,” he said.

“You can only be Pākehā in Aotearoa because that identity exists through our relationship with Māori. Understanding both Māori and non-Māori history builds pride and confidence in all children.”

Barnes said the curriculum also encouraged schools to build relationships with local hapū and iwi, helping students understand the significance of the places they lived.

“Trips to wāhi tapu (sacred places) or wāhi whakahirahira (place of spiritual or historical significance), sites important to hapū, iwi, and whānau open up a knowledge base that might not have been possible before.”

He said teaching Aotearoa’s histories helped children make sense of the world and see how communities – Māori and non-Māori – valued collectivity and whānau.

“History isn’t static, it lives in the present. When taught well, it helps us understand each other.”

RNZ approached the minister of education for comment regarding concerns and was redirected to the Education Ministry.

Deputy secretary Pauline Cleaver said it would consider feedback over the six-month consultation period and maintained the framework still reflected the Treaty and te ao Māori principles.

“In Social Sciences, students will be taught about Māori as tangata whenua, the Treaty of Waitangi, the Kīngitanga Movement and Māori concepts such as tūrangawaewae and mana.”

Cleaver said Māori history remained a key focus, while global history had been added in response to student interest. Consultation is open until 24 April, 2026.

“The goal is to reflect the diversity of New Zealand and deliver great outcomes for all learners.”

She said, in relation to the government’s decision to remove the requirement for schools to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, that under changes passed in the House this week, schools would still be required to offer Māori language education if requested by parents, and boards must take steps to achieve equitable outcomes for Māori students and reflect New Zealand’s cultural diversity.

“These requirements ensure Māori language and culture remain an integral part of our education system,” she said.

‘Histories should stay accurate’

David Seymour celebrated the draft curriculum, and said in a statement that it delivered on ACT’s coalition commitment to “restore balance to the Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories curriculum”.

“The Marxist ‘big ideas’ such as ‘Māori history is the foundational and continuous history of Aotearoa New Zealand’ and ‘the course of Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories has been shaped by the use of power’ are gone,” he said.

“In their place is a new and balanced History Curriculum… No longer will it indoctrinate young people for political purposes – history education will be for the benefit of the children.”

However, Barnes believed that removing the curriculum’s focus on colonisation or Māori perspectives did not create “balance”.

“If we take out the histories of pre-colonial Aotearoa, colonisation, and its impacts, that continues an imbalance,” he said.

“Everything is political, but accurate history doesn’t mean indoctrination. It means honest discussions about what shaped Aotearoa.”

As a pāpā, Barnes said he wanted his daughter to grow up with a holistic understanding of history. One that connected identity, language, environment, politics, and economy.

“I want her to know she belongs, that her identity is valid, and to understand how our history shapes the present and future.

“Histories should stay accurate, intact, and prioritised, not left to chance.”

He said teaching accurate and inclusive histories was vital for tamariki to build identity, belonging, and understanding of Aotearoa’s place in the world.

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