Nau mai, haere mai, Ngai Tahu whanui
I thought that because of the article in the latest Te Karaka, that I might welcome you and offer an introduction to my blog. Hopefully it will give you an idea of where I'm coming from.
The blog is a mixture of my views and ramblings and news or something I notice, that catches my eye and elicts a response from me.
I set up this blog so that i could offer my views for others to read. And they are just my views, my opinions and my passions. I'm not affiliated to any position other than my own.
I love debate and discussion. Comments and other opposing views are not only desired, they are essential. So feel free to add your voice on any topic that you feel strongly about. It is also more than okay to just listen and read the debates.
I write in english because I want the site to be widely read, and i can't write or speak te reo. I haven't worked out how to get the blog to do macrons so I apoligise for that. My views can be strong but I decided long ago that it is easier to beg forgiveness rather than ask for permission, but I do realise that once spoken, words cannot be taken back.
My only rule around comments is no personal abuse. Make your argument strongly, with wit, compliments or cutting remarks but leave whanau, slander and unsubstaniated abuse out of your comments, please. And if there is something that is bugging you – what solutions do you suggest? what could be done to fix the problem you have identified? Don't forget to tell the good news too, the successes, the victories – there are many out there, we just have to hear about them, and support each other. We are kin, and connected and i know that you, just like me want the best for our iwi, for all Ngai Tahu whanui, for us and the children after us. We care, that is why we speak.
Before I talk about what i talk about, my vision is that this blog is an inspiration to you to set up your own blog. We could link them all together and really improve our internal communication. Or perhaps we could set up a Ngai Tahu site where we could have multiple Ngai Tahu bloggers, posting about everthing and anything to do with Ngai Tahu, similar to, as an example 'The Standard' blogsite, which is a left wing political blog that uses multiple anonymous posters.
Until we get there, I am open to Guestposts from anyone who has something that they want to say. Just send me an email to martytakaka@gmail.com and we can chat. Mars2earth has a RSS feed to the Office, it is on the intranet there. People read what is posted. So, on mars2earth we fight the old way, with respect to our opponents, with respect for ourselves and always knowing that we belong and have a right to speak.
So what catches my eye? Anything to do with Ngai Tahu is the first area. I have posted on a number of topics such as our sacred 'Rock Art', 'Heroes of Ngai Tahu', What I think is wrong with 'NT Tourism', the TRONT website 'opening statement', 'other ways to spend $50 million', telling our stories, the 'economic tsunami', the 'Titi Island courtcase', 'Herewaka aka Harbour Cone in Otago', a 'Ngai Tahu movie', and 'Te Karaka'. Plus many others, in fact in some ways, all of the posts connect to Ngai Tahu in some ways. The most comments I have received was on the subject of 'employing Ngai Tahu as directors', and I also wrote about 'why I think it is up to Ngai Tahu to paddle the waka'.
Another major area I talk about is environmental and conservation subjects, especially when they intersect with Ngai Tahu. So 'water' is often mentioned. I especially concerned about out kaitiakitanga role within Te Wai Pounamu and some of the solutions such as this 'innovative Ngai tahu idea'. I do post on other Iwi's struggles to protect their mana and general maori topics.
Politics, other indigenous cultures, such as inspiring stories like 'Lessons from Whitney White' success for the Ngobe people and also in Peru.
I like when racists such as 'Roseanne Hawaden' or supporters of fake theories such as 'were celts here first and taught maori all they know', get their comeuppance. I don't like racism both obvious and subtle and had a good debate with Gosman about the subject on this post about 'allowing people to walk on Uluru'.
I enjoy talking about fatherhood, and space and post photos like these sometimes, books that I have read or are reading such as Ensteins Biography, Mata Toa , music, art, time, developing communities, nature, good writing and debate on other blogs and many other things.
Enjoy.
Nga mihi
Marty
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