Political Reviews Micronesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015 michael bevacqua, monica c labriola, kelly g marsh, clement yow mulalap, tyrone j taitano Polynesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015 mary tuti baker, lorenz gonschor, margaret mutu, christina newport, forrest wade young The Contemporary Pacic, Volume 28, Number 1, 171–244 © 2016 by University of Hawai‘i Press 171 political reviews • polynesia 227 -proposes-new-path-to-sovereignty keola Nākoa. 2014. Ancestral Places: [accessed 15 October 2015] Understanding Kanaka Geographies. Corvalis: Oregon State University Press. Hawaii Revised Statutes. 2011. Chapter 10h: Native Hawaiian Recognition. Peralto, Leon No‘eau. 2014. Portrait. Section 10h-2: Purpose. http://www Mauna a Wākea: Hānau Ka Mauna, the .capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol01 Piko of Our Ea. In Goodyear-Ka‘ōpua, _Ch0001-0042F/HRS0010H/HRS_0010H Hussey, and Wright 2014, 230–243. -0002.htm [accessed 5 Aug 2015] Perez, Rob. 2014. Consensus from Hawai- Hawaii State Auditor. 1998. Audit of ians Would End U.S. Effort. Honolulu the Management of Mauna Kea and the Star-Advertiser, 13 July. http://www Mauna Kea Science Reserve: A Report to .staradvertiser.com/newspremium/ the Governor and the Legislature of the 20140713__consensus_would_end_us State of Hawai‘i. Report 98-6, February. _effort.html [accessed 19 July 2015] Available via http://auditor.hawaii.gov/ Ramones, Ikaika. 2014. oha Backs reports/ [accessed 5 Aug 2015] Down from Contesting the tmt Sublease. ———. 2005. Follow-Up Audit of the Hawaii Independent, 17 July. http:// Management of Mauna Kea and the hawaiiindependent.net/story/oha-backs Mauna Kea Science Reserve: A Report to -down-from-contesting-the-tmt-sublease the Governor and the Legislature of the [accessed 18 July 2015] State of Hawai‘i. Report 05-13, December. Sai, David Keanu. 2011. Ua Mau Ka Ea: Available via http://auditor.hawaii.gov/ Sovereignty Endures; An Overview of the reports/ [accessed 5 Aug 2015] Political and Legal History of the Hawai- Ho, Sterling Kini. 2003. nasa Will Do ian Islands. Honolulu: Pū‘ā Foundation. Impact Study on Mauna Kea. Ka Wai Ola Thirty Meter Telescope website. 2015. o OHA 20:5, 15. Science with a 30-Meter Telescope. Ka‘iama, Manu. 2014. Kū i ka Pono. In http://tmt.org/science-case [accessed Goodyear-Ka‘ōpua, Hussey, and Wright 18 July 2015] 2014, 98–114. Yamashiro, Aiko, and Noelani Goodyear- Kauanui, J Kēhaulani. 2014. Resisting the Ka‘ōpua, editors. 2014. The Value of Akaka Bill. In Goodyear-Ka‘ōpua, Hussey, Hawai‘i 2: Ancestral Roots, Oceanic and Wright 2014, 312–330. Visions. A Biography Monograph. Honolulu: Published for the Biographical Lander, Joan, and Puhipau, directors. Research Center, University of Hawai‘i, 2005. Mauna Kea: Temple Under Siege. by the University of Hawai‘i Press. Video, 57 minutes. Produced and distrib- uted by Nā Maka o ka ‘Āina, Nā‘ālehu, Hawai‘i. McFarling, Usha Lee. 2001. Science, Culture Clash Over Sacred Mountain. Māori Issues Los Angeles Times, 18 March, Sunday We lost a number of well-known Report section. http://www.moolelo.com/ Māori leaders in the past year. Henare maunakea-latimes.html [accessed 5 Aug Rakiihia (Rik) Tau, a Ngāi Tahu 2015] leader, passed away at the end of June Na‘i Aupuni website. 2015. http:// 2014. He filed the Ngāi Tahu claim naiaupuni.org/ [accessed 28 July 2015] against the Crown in 1986 and was Oliveira, Katrina-Ann R Kapā‘anaokalāo- the driving power behind the success- 228 the contemporary pacific • 28:1 (2016) ful hearings of the claims and their government on Māori law and culture eventual settlement. Amster Reedy, and served as the Rotorua Lakes a Ngāti Porou leader, passed away Council’s director on Māori mat- in September. He was an expert in ters. We bade each of them a peaceful ancient Māori rituals and was called journey as they traveled to rejoin their on as the kaumātua (expert elder) ancestors in far-off Hawaiki. and cultural advisor to New Zealand Leaders of the caliber of these peo- teams for four Olympic games. In ple—who spend a great deal of their October, Jonathan Mane-Wheoki, of lives in the service of their whānau Ngāpuhi, Te Aupōuri, and Ngāti Kurī (extended family), hapū (grouping of descent, passed away. He was a profes- whānau), and iwi (grouping of hapū, sor of fine arts and one of New Zea- nation) as well as the wider commu- land’s leading art historians. Rāhera nity—are greatly sought after. Most Barrett-Douglas, Ngāti Maniapoto, often in the Māori world they are also passed away in October. She identified at a young age and trained led her iwi (nation) as the chair of by their elders to take over the mantle the Ngāti Maniapoto Trust Board in of leadership at an appropriate time. the 1990s. In November, it was Eru Whakapapa (genealogical) links are Thompson, a Tainui leader. He was an very important. The English words acknowledged and respected historian lead and leader are considered inad- and traditional expert whose knowl- equate descriptors for the role and the edge and wisdom were sought after people we refer to as our rangatira. throughout Tāmaki Makaurau (Auck- This word provides some insight into land). In February 2015, both Apirana the role: ranga is a shoal of fish that Mahuika, Ngāti Porou, and Tama swims in unison; tira is a group of Huata, Ngāti Kahungunu, joined their people. The derivation raranga is to ancestors. Apirana Mahuika led his weave. Rangatira are those who weave iwi as chair of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti the people together so that they move Porou from its establishment in 1987 in unison (Mutu 1992, 60). Their until his death. Tama Huata was an role has nothing to do with either the outstanding leader in Māori perform- assertion of power by one (or some) ing arts; he founded the Kahurangi over others or notions of hierarchy, Māori Dance Theatre and the Waiata superiority, and dominance (Mikaere Māori Music Awards. In May 2015, 2010)—meanings that are inherent there was the sudden passing of Erima in the English word leader. Rangatira Henare, a Ngāti Hine leader. He was require attributes of integrity, generos- an acknowledged expert and authority ity, and humility, the abilities to listen on Māori language, history, traditions, to and take the people with them, to genealogies, and laws, particularly in keep their word, and to enhance the Te Tai Tokerau (the North); he was mana (power and authority derived also the chair of the Māori Language from the gods) of the people (Dia- Commission. Mauriora Kingi, Te mond 2003). Māori societal values Arawa, passed away suddenly a including mana, tapu (spiritual power month later. He was a respected and or protective force), tikanga (correct influential advisor of local and central way of doing things, law), whanau- political reviews • polynesia 229 ngatanga (kinship), and rangatira- visitors’ directives (Mutu 2012b, 103), tanga (exercise of mana) determine and demonized those who put the how rangatira conduct themselves and well-being of their people ahead of carry out their roles. the desires of the foreigners (Henare True rangatira these days are the 1989). Since the mid-nineteenth cen- heads of their whānau and hapū. tury, the British tried either to recruit Sometimes iwi leaders are rangatira, young Māori leaders to retrain them but the imposition of Pākehā (Euro- or to train young Māori and then pean) legal structures on iwi bodies declare them to be Māori leaders. as part of the treaty claims settlement These attitudes and behaviors carry on process makes it difficult for them to to this day. adhere to Māori values that define the From the outset of the current drive role of a rangatira. Processes imposed to extinguish all Māori claims against by these structures for appoint- the British Crown, governments have ing the organizational leaders favor tried to impose their preferred nego- those who have experience in Pākehā tiators on iwi entering negotiations organizations, particularly government (Mutu 2005, 201) in an attempt to departments. Those who are able to marginalize the rangatira mandated by get around the assimilationist aims of those iwi as negotiators. Where this these structures are the ones who put failed, they began incentivizing Māori their people’s needs ahead of Pākehā government servants to take over the demands, who know and understand leadership and control of their own their people and their whakapapa, iwi’s negotiations with the Crown their customs and traditions, their and to drive them through to govern- lands and resources, their relation- ment-determined settlements (Mutu ships and obligations to neighboring and others in preparation). Despite and related whānau, hapū, and iwi; protests from those iwi about conflicts how to settle disputes; and how to of interest, corruption, and the major represent their people with pride and upheavals that these divide-and-rule dignity. They work for little or no tactics always cause, the practice has financial reward, their hours of work become increasingly common (Mutu are endless, and most are only known and others in preparation). One of within the Māori world (Knox 2003; the incentives provided to govern- H Mead and others 2006; A Mead ment servants and collaborators is 1994). the awarding of Queen’s Honours Part of the colonizing agenda of the to those who achieve settlements—a British was to replace Māori society token of the government’s gratitude and culture with their own and in at having been delivered an escape doing so to assimilate and redefine route from the astronomical liabilities Māori leadership. British histories arising from past and ongoing govern- written about early European encoun- ment atrocities against Māori.