Our Stories - Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu

Poroporoāki Aunty Jane Davis

Nō hea rā te takiauē e tō ana i kā au o te manawa? Nō Ōroko, nō Ōkākā, nō Ō te Wao Ko te taki o te Hākuwai e pāoro nei He au moana nō Te Takutai o Te Tītī e toro atu ana ki te mano o Tahu Pōtiki e hotuhotu ana i te…

The Eyrewell Beetle

Lately, there has been discussion in the media about the beetle, particularly centred on whether it is extinct and whether enough has been done to protect it. This is an issue of importance to Ngāi Tahu Farming, and the team has taken great care to monitor the beetle closely alongside ecologists from Lincoln University for several years.

Tā Tipene O’Regan’s Waitangi address at Ōnuku

Ngāi Tahu Treaty Commemoration Hui Ōnuku Marae, Akaroa 6 Feb 2019 He Taumata Kōrero nā Tā Tipene O’Regan Kāti Rakiamoa, Kāi Te Ruahikihiki, Kāti Kuri , Kāti Waewae me Kāti Irakehu Upoko, Te Rūnaka o Awarua Kā mihi ki te Kāwana me tana hoa (Tauranga Moana/Takahanga Kaikōura). Mihi ki a Piri hoki. Mihi ki kā…

Ngā Hau e Whā
From the Editor

In the last issue of TE KARAKA we featured an opinion piece by Ward Kamo entitled “Māori victims of crime”. In this column Ward argued that rather than focusing on criminals and the justice system, we should focus on the victims of their crimes – often the offenders’ families and communities – and provide support and skills to help them break the cycle. This view has sparked considerable reaction, not only among our TE KARAKA readers, but much further afield. In this issue we hear an alternative viewpoint from Dr Moana Jackson, who has been actively involved in mahi relating to Māori and the criminal justice system for several decades. Feedback is always welcomed and encouraged, so if you feel strongly about anything we feature, please send us your thoughts.

From the CEO

It is hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner once again. As we fast approach the end of another year, I find myself looking back and reflecting on these past 12 months with mixed emotions. On a personal level, 2018 has been tinged with sadness and a huge sense of loss, with the passing of my mother a few months back, and the adjustment to a new normal for our whānau without our beloved Pani. Professionally, it is with a sense of pride at the achievements and progress we have made in the delivery of meaningful outcomes for whānau on many levels.

Whenua

In 1863 Dr James Hector recruited Henare Paramata and five other Māori guides for his Fiordland expedition. On 26 August 1863 Paramata guided Hector into Whakatipu Waitai, where they were looked after by Tūtoko and his whānau. The snowy peak of Mount Tūtoko, which was named by Hector, can be seen in the background.

The Wisdom of Drug Testing

I write this article the day after the University of Canterbury Students’ Association Tea Party, a big dress-up-themed party on Ilam Fields where students drink in the sun and dance to bands and bass. A few friends asked me if I had put on any sunscreen. I replied that I was a “hearty brown boy” and didn’t need to, so naturally I’m pretty red – sunscreen, water, food, break-out spaces, and support workers were all provided to those smart enough to use them. All told, everyone had a great day. However, one thing was missing – drug testing kits. And by that I mean kits to check that drugs are not cut with dangerous chemicals, rather than kits to test whether you’ve been taking drugs.

Breaking free from victimhood

Could it be that we have become so defined by our past that the more things improve, the harder we cling to an abstract sense of oppression? Any statistic, even an improving one, that has Māori behind Pākehā is immediately cited as evidence of the inherent and unashamed racism of
New Zealanders

He Reta

My whole thinking revolves around the idea that we need a complete tribal effort to enhance our natural biodiversity – to enable all of our people to become kaitiaki in action for our whenua, water, and indigenous taoka species. We do have our lovely people from the Te Ao Tūroa team at Te Rūnanga who do wonderful work in this realm, but they have neither the budget nor the capacity to create change on the level that is necessary.

Māori Victims of Crime – an alternative viewpoint

Sometimes it’s hard to even think about crime. Especially when a violent crime is committed by Māori. It can unleash feelings of anger and sadness because it evokes realities that can be shocking in their brutality. And it’s always hard because most of the victims of offending by Māori are other Māori; often women or children hurt by a violent partner or family member.