Down at the pa- Iwi Politics
Posted by Mapuna Turner on Saturday, June 26, 2010
After two long years of nothing we had finally have had two meetings of Trustees. But attendance has been poor with only four out of ten Trustees there. A special resolution was passed so that the meeting could continue given that people had travelled long distancees to ge to it. From now on there shall be a meeting down at the pa the third Sunday of every month at 10am. The issues to be resolved are:
1. Trustees attendance
2. A Marae Committee to be established by ruby and Barbara to support bookings
3. An Iwi Committee to be established to manage tribal affairs of Ngati Rahiri-Tumutumu
The next monthly meeting of Trusteees is to be held at 10 Leslie Place Otara, 10am the residence of JessiePakura
In December 2009 the Crown initiated a Treaty of Waitangi Direct Negotiation process. All of the 12 iwi named in the Hauraki Maori Trust Board Act 1988, were invited to call a hui-a-iwi to discuss whether or not the iwi would sit at the table together or collectively and to elect two people to act as the mandated Interim Iwi Negotiators. Jill Taylor and Mapuna Turner were duly elected. To date there have been fourteen hui. The meetings have been held fortnightly since March the main purpose being to formulate a Framework Agreement to work with Crown to settle the 54 Claims of the Waitangi Tribunal Hearings from 1998 to 2002- within the 12 iwi structure!!! The Hauraki Maori Trust Board is no longer recognised by the Crown and indirectly by 9 of the 12 iwi, as the entity with which the Crown will negotiate the settlement. So another collective in Hauraki has been established for Hauraki whanui to add to the existing Hauraki Maori Trust Board, the Hauraki Culture Festival Commitee, the Tikapa Moana Marae Mussel Farms and Te Kaunihera Kaumatua o Hauraki. Please tell everyone that the Hauraki Maori Trust Board prosecuted the Wai 100 assisted by other claimants. The Hauraki Collective is the group mandated by the individual iwi to settle those same claims. Since five of the Board members are also Interim Mandate Negotiators and the Marutuahu faction and the 3 Tara, Hako and Tamatera iwi collective, within the larger collective, much confusion is abounding amongst the whanui. We need to be able to develop an environment where the best Hauraki minds sort what is best for every person who can whakapapa to the 12 tribes and claim to be a beneficiary to that tribe of Hauraki and therefore be eligible for cultural and commercial redress. The fact that the Crown acknowledged the 12 tribes of the Hauraki Maori Trust Board as the starting point, provides some truth to the concept that we need to take the best from the past to help us move positively forward into the future. I have no compunction in declaring that if it wasnt for the wisdom and guidance of the kaumatua in setting up the Hauraki Maori Trust Board and the work undertaken by the Trustees and Staff over the past twenty years, there would not be a settlement table today, working for the whole of Hauraki. The kaupapa is the same, the table and some of the people are different. Work together for each other. The meeting last Friday was so long. After a kauwhau about watching what we say according to Jepther, harsh words were uttered from both sides. I am mindful of the whakatauki that says 'one can parry the thrust of a spear but one cannot parry the thrust of words'. Thank goodness te reo is on the agenda for the next meeting.
1. Trustees attendance
2. A Marae Committee to be established by ruby and Barbara to support bookings
3. An Iwi Committee to be established to manage tribal affairs of Ngati Rahiri-Tumutumu
The next monthly meeting of Trusteees is to be held at 10 Leslie Place Otara, 10am the residence of JessiePakura
In December 2009 the Crown initiated a Treaty of Waitangi Direct Negotiation process. All of the 12 iwi named in the Hauraki Maori Trust Board Act 1988, were invited to call a hui-a-iwi to discuss whether or not the iwi would sit at the table together or collectively and to elect two people to act as the mandated Interim Iwi Negotiators. Jill Taylor and Mapuna Turner were duly elected. To date there have been fourteen hui. The meetings have been held fortnightly since March the main purpose being to formulate a Framework Agreement to work with Crown to settle the 54 Claims of the Waitangi Tribunal Hearings from 1998 to 2002- within the 12 iwi structure!!! The Hauraki Maori Trust Board is no longer recognised by the Crown and indirectly by 9 of the 12 iwi, as the entity with which the Crown will negotiate the settlement. So another collective in Hauraki has been established for Hauraki whanui to add to the existing Hauraki Maori Trust Board, the Hauraki Culture Festival Commitee, the Tikapa Moana Marae Mussel Farms and Te Kaunihera Kaumatua o Hauraki. Please tell everyone that the Hauraki Maori Trust Board prosecuted the Wai 100 assisted by other claimants. The Hauraki Collective is the group mandated by the individual iwi to settle those same claims. Since five of the Board members are also Interim Mandate Negotiators and the Marutuahu faction and the 3 Tara, Hako and Tamatera iwi collective, within the larger collective, much confusion is abounding amongst the whanui. We need to be able to develop an environment where the best Hauraki minds sort what is best for every person who can whakapapa to the 12 tribes and claim to be a beneficiary to that tribe of Hauraki and therefore be eligible for cultural and commercial redress. The fact that the Crown acknowledged the 12 tribes of the Hauraki Maori Trust Board as the starting point, provides some truth to the concept that we need to take the best from the past to help us move positively forward into the future. I have no compunction in declaring that if it wasnt for the wisdom and guidance of the kaumatua in setting up the Hauraki Maori Trust Board and the work undertaken by the Trustees and Staff over the past twenty years, there would not be a settlement table today, working for the whole of Hauraki. The kaupapa is the same, the table and some of the people are different. Work together for each other. The meeting last Friday was so long. After a kauwhau about watching what we say according to Jepther, harsh words were uttered from both sides. I am mindful of the whakatauki that says 'one can parry the thrust of a spear but one cannot parry the thrust of words'. Thank goodness te reo is on the agenda for the next meeting.
