C4 MAINLANDER Saturday, July 2, 2011 ,

Survivor: Ngai Tahu chairman Mark Solomon at the tribe’s business premises at Wigram. Photo: DEAN KOZANIC

A rattle along for Ngai Tahu’s legacy

closely to what Maori are saying. work force will be Maori, Pacific Ngai Tahu’s already sizeable involvement in He recently spoke to the Coastal Island and Asian.’’ Coalition, the group ardently That is the reality that New against any give on the foreshore Zealand has to be working Canterbury affairs is set to grow even bigger and seabed, and Solomon says they towards, Solomon says. And now were surprised his views seemed think about these figures. as a result of the earthquakes’ ructions. reasonable. ‘‘They asked why The way the country operates at hadn’t they heard any of this the moment, he says, some 54 per before?’’ cent of Maori boys and 58 per cent JOHN McCRONE reports. Turning serious, Solomon of Pacifica are leaving school considers why it matters that New without a qualification. Absolutely t is the natural thing these of Canterbury chief executives and It has been quiet just recently, Zealand get its bicultural identity none. And these are the youth who days. At the recent big other worthies, it was noted there but there is a kaiwhakahaere sorted – why it is in the Pakeha will somehow need to be earning land remediation had been a surprising number of election later this year and a few self-interest as much as the Maori. the money that pays the rest of the announcements – who is in public calls for a greater sense of familiar faces have been biding The natural response of any country’s health care and the red zone, who in the Maori identity in the Central their time at home with the majority is to ask ‘‘why should we superannuation in future years. green – Ngai Tahu’s Business District (CBD) rebuild. runanga. So does Ngai Tahu have change?’’ Regardless of past rights Solomon says it is hard to kaiwhakahaereI (tribe chairman) The question was bravely the long-term stability to be a or wrongs, what counts is the explain why the brown education Mark Solomon was there. raised, well what does that serious player in the region’s weight of numbers right now. That record is so dire. He certainly does Mayor and actually mean? Cue some shuffling destiny? defines the norm and so should not blame a white schooling Earthquake Minister Gerry in seats and anxious blinking, a determine a nation’s future system as his generation had the Brownlee thanked him graciously general silence that said, ‘‘do we ❏❏❏ course. same teachers. ‘‘And if I look at all for his presence. Announcements really want to go there?’’, before But Solomon says that Pakeha my cousins and siblings, every one were made too that the planning the issue was parked in the too- Mark Solomon leans back in his (and Solomon’s mother was of them got School Cert, University objections to a Ngai Tahu-led hard basket and the meeting green plastic chair looking Pakeha) need to check their Entrance.’’ development for 2600 homes on a quietly moved on. comfortable. He is not long back demographic facts because New It could have been the 1970s, the Marshlands subdivision were But it is the time to be asking from holiday and has his annual Zealand’s future is increasingly rise of Maori disaffection, the being dropped in the light of the because white New Zealand, to be performance review scheduled brown. Treaty anger, which switched off a urgent need for building plots on blunt, is so troubled by the immediately after our interview. Maori have gone from 7 per generation, Solomon suggests. But the east side of Christchurch. question of what the end game is We will have to finish on time. cent of the population in 1951 to for the country’s sake, it is why Even 10 years ago, Ngai Tahu for Maoridom. Since the earthquakes put Ngai 14.5 per cent in 2006 and will be 17 forging a bicultural identity would not have been so smoothly a With activists like Hone Tahu’s central city office block out per cent by 2026. Add in Pacifica matters. The trends are too part of public life, an automatic Harawira and his Mana Party, of action, it has set up and Asian, and the complexion of alarming to be filed in the too-hard presence at any of the region’s top Ngapuhi’s Treaty claim that it headquarters in a sprawling New Zealand will be even more basket. tables. never ceded sovereignty in any village of Portacoms beside its Sacha McMeeking: Maori feel let down over the way the Treaty process has gone. changed. Solomon says it is this And with the earthquakes – the form, and the continuing ructions latest 1600-section subdivision at ‘‘By 2026, according to the understanding about the future, as scale of rebuilding and rethinking over the foreshore and seabed, Wigram airport. shoulder-tapped the foundry Tront, formed by the elected Department of Statistics, Maori, much as the need to redress being demanded – Ngai Tahu is set Pakeha are wondering if the past Solomon has no office of his supervisor from Kaikoura to be representatives of 18 runanga, or Pacific Island and Asian will make historical injustices, that drives to become a still greater influence can ever be buried. own as yet, so we are in a cramped their ‘‘leader for the peace’’. local councils spread throughout up 42 per cent of the population. Ngai Tahu. on the future of Christchurch and And then there are the boardroom with its temporary Solomon, with his quieter, the South Island, is just like any And if you do the extrapolation, by ‘‘The settlement was our one the South Island (or Otautahi and questions about Te Runanga o garden chairs. consensual style, was seen to have other political party, he says. 2050, it’ll be 50 per cent, if not shot to go forth and create wealth,’’ Te Waipounamu). Ngai Tahu (Tront), the tribal Solomon’s story is well-known. the humility to bring the people Everyone wants to be the leader. slightly more.’’ he says. Whatever biculturalism looks ruling body itself. The workings of Ngai Tahu’s 1998 $170 million with him. But he has his bark in ‘‘It’s no different from the way Solomon points out that there is And the wealth will be used on like, Ngai Tahu has the mana and the organisation seem opaque, yet Treaty of Waitangi settlement had him too, and with the popular Jim Bolger was rolled by Jenny also a big age tilt in the data. Most creating education and the cash to mount now another big its internal ructions are also barely been signed when the iwi backing of the tribe, has managed Shipley and Jenny Shipley was Pakeha will be pensioners by then. opportunity for the Ngai Tahu push towards its tribal goals. legendary. Nearly every year dumped the leadership that had to survive the numerous attempts rolled by someone else. It’s about ‘‘By 2050, around 50 per cent of people, and to participate in a Which has a way of making brings stories of factions fighting got it there. to unseat him in the 13 years since. power plays.’’ all Pakeha people in this country shared process of nation-building. some people nervous. Even at the for control of Ngai Tahu, of yet Tribal elders, looking for a less At mention of this, Solomon As to opaqueness, Solomon will be aged 65 or older. So top tables. another coup attempt against dominating figure than the tough- shrugs and chuckles. The media counters it is more a case that whether this nation likes it or not, ❯❯ At a recent recoverySAM workshop Solomon. nut generals who had won the war, may love a bit of raruraru, but often people don’t want to listen in 2050, the bulk of the tax-paying To C5 LOVES IT

The Christchurch I love is still here.

Christchurch is a great place to study. There are so many talented students who are sticking it out here and can’t wait to put their skills to use rebuilding our city. The showed what can be achieved when we all pull together and look out for each other. – , Student Volunteer Army Make/McCarthy CDC0711/SJ