Pono Marika Issue 39 2014 Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi-O-Ngāpuhi Magazine Hapū Join Forces to Manage Environment • Tūhoronuku: steeped in history and psyche • The Dust Hasn’t Settled in Pipiwai • The Leaders of Tomorrow Gather IN THIS ISSUE Pono Marika 2014 Contents 3 Hapū Form Group to Protect Waterways 4 Tūhoronuku 6 Funding: HYPE 7 Council Comes to Waima 8-11 Dust Problems Still Iritate 12 Funding: Retracing the Steps of the 28th Māōri Battalion 13 News Briefs 14 Communications Workshop for Marae 15 2014 Ngāpuhi Scholarships List Some of the participants at the Social Workers in Schoolss leaders conference during March this year. 2 HAPŪ Hapū Form Group to Protect Waterways THROUGH strength in whakapapa and whanaungatanga Ngāpuhi hapū are working together to replenish the mauri of the Awaawa - waterways from Te Ruapekapeka, Tapuhi and Puhipuhi to the Wairua Mangakahia. Ngā Kaitiaki o Ngā Wai Māori was formed by Ngāpuhi hapū including Ngati Hau, Ngati Kahu o Torongare, Te Orewai, Te Uriroroi, Te Parawhau, Te Kumutu and Ngāti Hine. The group was established in 2012 in response to Ngāti Hau’s concerns in 2007 about pumps installed in the Hikurangi swamp cutting up tuna during every flood. From sharing stories about the ill state of the waterways, the struggles of migrating tuna and the lifeless stretches of re-directed water-drains they decided on the name Ngā Kaitiaki O Ngā Wai Māori - Te huarahi hei whakahokia mai te mauri o nga awa (Caretakers of fresh water rivers and tributaries - a pathway to return the essence of life to the water ways). Now in it’s third year Ngā Kaitiaki O Ngā Wai Māori has formed partnerships with Northland Regional Council, Far North and Whangarei district councils, National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Fonterra, Department of Conservation, Rayonier/Matariki Forestry, Northpower, farmers, fisheries, Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi-O- Ngāpuhi (TRAION) and others. The group’s strategic plan, facilitated by TRAION Hapū Development Natural Resource Manager, Tania Pene, has a timeframe of five years. “The Rūnanga is there to provide support and guidance to the rōpū - we are working alongside them,” she said. Ngā Kaitiaki O Ngā Wai Māori continues to work with NIWA to run tuna workshops, tagging and releasing of tuna, weighing, measuring, ageing, and identifying the species of tuna including their sex. Last year 50 breeding-age tuna were fitted with transponders to enable scientists to track their paths as they migrate. In April this year members of the group and community, with students from local schools, NIWA staff and Tania worked together as part of the tuna-monitoring programme at the Wairua River Hydro Station. With work on the North Power station involving the dewatering of the canal connected to the river, they were able to enter the water to catch, record and release migrating tuna. Hoori Tuhiwai from Korokota Marae, who manages the elver trap and transfer operation said there are approximately 6500 elvers in every kilogram he releases upstream. Information collected from the waterways and tuna-monitoring programmes supports the aspirations of Ngā Kaitiaki O Ngā Wai Māori to better protect and return the mauri to Ngā Awa o Te Ruapekapeka, Tapuhi and Puhipuhi to the Wairua Mangakahia. Being able to track migrating tuna means that Ngā Kaitiaki O Ngā Wai Māori will get better data about the way tuna journey to Tonga, including the obstacles they encounter along their travels. The Stream Health Monitoring Assessment Kits provided by the regional council has enabled them to study the quality of the waterways and detect any changes that may occur. The need for future generations learning how to be sustained by whenua, and replenished by wai, in order to appreciate and in turn tiaki these taonga was identified by the group in their strategic plan. Young Māori students from the local area have been taught to use the kits and continue to be involved in other waterways and tuna programme fieldwork. “It’s about sharing knowledge so there are up and coming kaitiaki.” 3 3 Pono Marika 2014 Tūhoronuku is Steeped in our History By Haami Piripi Ngāpuhi need Ngāti Hine to complete the roof of our Ko Ngāpuhi e Ko te house, and we must find a way to ensure Ngāti Hine Koko Kai can achieve what it requires from within Te Whare Tapu THE notion behind o Ngāpuhi, not outside of it. Leadership of this nature Tūhoronuku is will dissolve the mirage and provide a more appropriate steeped in our perspective for hapū to concentrate on. ancestry and psyche From what I have observed and experienced among as Ngāpuhi. In my the kotahitanga camp their mandate is thin, and their view, it is disrespectful leadership is severely diminished in capacity. In fact there of our forbears is no Māori entity better than an iwi to consolidate and for us to belittle and authenticity of our history, that strategically align all the aspirations into a single vision expresses the ethos of our cultural identity as Ngāpuhi of the people. That is the purpose of the iwi which is descendants. Rahiri was a long time ago, chosen as our a confederacy of hapū constituents and whānau who eponymous ancestor by better and more learned people commonly affiliate to achieve a purpose. than our generation today. In the old days the purpose was war or some other major Within this context of Ngāpuhi identity Ngāti Hine undertaking that required a large and diverse spectrum have always had an important place. The ariki lines of knowledge skills and networks to overcome any of genealogy that lead to Kawiti mana have always challenge. Today the battle arena is somewhat different displayed a captaincy of our iwi affairs. The subsequent and the challenge is now to obtain Crown recognition leadership of Tau Henare and his association with the and subsequent redress for the unconscionable action of young Māori Party in the early 1900s followed through the Crown in relation to our communities and kainga. with political influence and today Ngāti Hine continue to It seems so logical that a unified approach ought to produce young raNgātira of immense potential who were be employed where the mana, tapu and autonomy born to lead. of iwi constituencies remain in tact. So it becomes a It has always been of great concern that Ngāti Hine have whakatoputanga of many identities not a kotahitanga sought to severe themselves from the Ngāpuhi Rūnanga of a single one. We must remember that on the back of and more recently Tūhoronuku. To extract a hapū the old korero, we as Ngāpuhi have already established a like Ngāti Hine, from on-going Ngāpuhi development body (or waka) to represent us, beginning with fisheries robs the entire iwi of its potential. Aside from the and then the delivery of important services of our advantage gained for Ngāti Hine, the effect on the wider Ngāpuhi whānau and communities. iwi of Ngāpuhi would be severely debilitating. This is To my mind we would be foolish to now walk away from exasperated by the oasis mirage which is created by the the institution to look for another reiteration of our Treaty Claims industry. Once hapū think they see this identity. The odds of getting it right the first time are mirage, they chase after it like fools gold, and the more pretty slim, as they would be, with something like 150 unprepared and disempowered the hapū is, the more hapū, 118 marae and over 144,000 people scattered chance there will be for them to chase the mirage. around the world. This is the case with several hapū leaders advocating for We should remember also, that the very same people the Kotahitanga o Ngā Hapū approach. Right now they leading the charge against the Rūnanga were once the find strength by unifying with the battle of succession architects of it. There is something wrong with that by Ngāti Hine from the iwi of Ngāpuhi. Ngāti Hine picture. Sure, the entity will also need reviewing and leaders should not countenance this approach to iwi reforming, but never will it need abandoning. development in Te Taitokerau, and must put aside its It was the Rūnanga of Ngāpuhi in an expression of own iwi aspirations in order to resume their rightful love for its people that initiated Tūhoronuku out of an place in the leadership of Ngāpuhi. obligation to provide infrastructure for its membership. Indeed it is sacrilege for discord to continue when Once again it would need constant and ongoing attention brilliant young leaders lie on both sides of the argument to make it effective, but instead the initiative has and are right now on a collision course, the price of received scorn and attacks from individuals and groups which will be our iwi sovereignty. We the people of from whom there has come no strategic direction or 4 effectively coordination. of our Rūnanga as such, but with our kahui rangātira, If it’s broken, why don’t we just fix it on the assumption whose knowledge skills and oratory is suppose to lead that we all want the same thing for our future, the us out of the wilderness. Instead we have developed thing our nannies wanted. How on earth can the abuse entrenched position, polarisation and large doses of hurled at Tūhoronuku and the Rūnanga achieve that. ignorance. The Rūnanga and Tūhoronuku must also show Quite simply it cannot. It describes a scenario where that they are capable of responding and fulfilling our the two groupings are going in opposite directions and respective hapū aspirations. This is pretty much a mission the dialogue is becoming more and more toxic creating impossible but the effort must be made by the elected pathways of no return and burning the bridges that are leadership (as opposed to unelected) to build the bridge necessary for progress.