underreported struggles 66, 67 and 68

More essential underreported struggles from Ahni at Intercontinental Cry. I have been unavailable the last few months so I am putting up number's 66, 67 and 68.

underreported struggles 66

A group of Naso protestors blocked access to the Bonyic Hydroelectric project in Bocas del Toro province, western Panama. The protestors, who issued an urgent plea for international solidarity, say that a new road will cut through an ancient archaeological site, which has already been damaged by bulldozers. They say the site is extensive and that they have collected a variety of ceramic shards, implements, huacas (pre-Colombian ornaments) and a piece of human bone from the area, indicating it was once perhaps a burial ground.

The Chumash Nation raised numerous concerns over the proposed Diablo Canyon Seismic project off the Central Coast of California. Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) intends to carpet bomb approx. 580 square nautical miles of sea floor with powerful Air Cannons that will blast every 10 to 20 seconds for 42 days straight. The 260db sonic blasts, which will travel through the water and 10 miles into the earth's crust, will devastate the local marine ecosystem and possibly destroy fragile and sensitive Sacred Chumash Cultural Sites.

The Amoonguna people in Australia's Northern Territory issued a statement requesting the removal of all government work­ers from their community by the end of September or face charges of tres­pass. The Amoonguna are also refusing to sign another five-??year lease after being forced to accept the first one (along with 5 dozen other communities) in 2007 as a part of the government's draconian 'intervention' programme.

underreported struggles 67

In a stunning development, villagers in Kurukshetra, India, forced the Haryana Agriculture University authorities to fulfill their promise to completely destroy field trials of Monsanto's GM corn. The welcomed display came only after Monsanto officials--with the support of University staff--tried to sneak out the GM corn. Alert villages stopped them in their tracks.

The Batwa Peoples of southwest Uganda, after being evicted from their traditional territory in 1991, are finally returning to their homeland; but they can only visit, as tour guides. The Batwa are taking tourists on $80 treks deep into Mgahinga to encounter first hand "the lost world of the Batwa". Not all Batwa have been displaced. Over all, there are as many as 500,000 Batwa--more indelicately known as "pygmies"-- who continue to inhabit the rainforest that stretches from Cameroon to Uganda. However, they continue to face the same old threats: encroachment, logging,evictions, racism, health problems, extreme poverty and censorship.

Indigenous Peoples throughout Brazil are mobilizing to repeal a dangerous new law that opens the doors to a full-scale military invasion of Indigenous lands, prohibits the distribution of news lands, restricts autonomy, and permits the construction of various industrial projects (like the Belo Monte Dam) without consultation. Protests against the law known as Decree 303 are ongoing.

underreported struggles 68

Activists from across Canada and the world stepped forward in solidarity with the Unis’tot’en, who grabbed national headlines after evicting shale gas pipeline surveyors from their territories in the interior of BC. The Unis’tot’en have made it clear that no proposed pipelines will proceed in Unist’ot’en territories and that corporations, investors, and governments have no jurisdiction to approve development on their lands.

Alberta's Court of appeal dismissed Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation's plea for a review concerning the Crown's inadequate consultation before deciding to approve Shell’s Jackpine Mine expansion project. The First Nation is extremely disappointed and is currently reviewing their options to address the lack of adequate consultation with respect to Shell’s tar sands project.

Indigenous Mongolian herders, who have been evicted from their land to make way for a Rio Tinto gold and copper mine, have lodged a complaint with the World Bank which is providing US$900 million of financial backing for the project. The herders have not been adequately compensated for their eviction and loss of herd since the project began, and have their free, prior and informed consent was not obtained in the process of undertaking the project.

Visit Intercontinental Cry to read about these issues and many others.

Beneath Te Papa

A busy time at the moment with assignments due left, right and centre - but I am enjoying the deadlines for some reason, even though I am moving house again. Whew - must be time for a poem.

This poem got 2nd place in BayLit which I was really pleased about. I've decided to leave it unchanged with its flaws intact, although in some ways I'd still like to rework it and make it better.

Beneath Te Papa

My knee clicked loudly like an out of time fingersnapper

as I entered Te Papa. A museum, as am I, both hoarding

treasures deep on this day of my birth.

I am 50 today as I descend below Te Papa, the oversized

lift looming around us like an atrium, my socks slip

on the floor. A slow motion ritual fall to our past.

The doors weep quietly aside and I find them along walls.

Taiaha stacked supine, appearing settled yet expectant,

as poised as hungry white herons staring at faint flickers of fish.

They watch as years slide by. Discarded weapons now relics,

longing for a warm hand, the lightest touch of emotion, we were

forged for our time, as useful as a steady pay packet, or an edge.

A weapon-less warrior watching warrior-less weapons.

Te Papa and I are the cave mouth open everyday, and they enter

to see, to touch, to feel - the museum, but not the man.

I also received news that somehow two poems from the blog have been included within  brief magazine issue 44-45. The editor of that issue was Scott Hamilton aka Maps from Reading the Maps so I believe I have Scott to thank for my inclusion - Kia ora Scott. I am not sure which poems were selected and I'm awaiting a copy to check - the anticipation is intense, I'm loving it!

direct and true

Leadership is leading and standing up for what you believe in and that is why I support Hone and his actions, which have resulted in his arrest last night. They do want to get rid of state housing and turn the whole thing into some market, that is obvious. The people thrown out suffer and we already have a massive housing crisis - many people are really suffering. This is exactly the type of attention that the Mana Party should be highlighting and they are doing it. The poor and most affected by disadvantage need support, active support that gets the cameras clicking. It seems that is the only way to cut through the gray-daze of public perception - I don't like it but it is what we have to work with - so I say work with it. It isn't easy to oppose the apparatus of state especially when you are a representative of the system - it takes personal and moral courage and Hone has those qualities in abundance. The people need leaders and leadership, they need hope and a vision for the future and they need support now. 

Hone Harawira displays his mana with this action.

if we let them

I’m increasingly concerned about the proposed open-cast mine on the Denniston Plateau and also the Crown Minerals (Permitting Crown Land) Bill. That bill has seriously eroded the protection from mining that we give our most protected land. That Bill allows decisions on access to conservation land for mining to be made by the Minister of Conservation, as well as the Minister of Energy and Resources and that a economic benefits test be included in the evaluation. This is important because of the proposed Escarpment Mine Project on the Denniston Plateau. That’s an open-cast mine on a unique, fragile ecosystem with the devastation accepted from both sides of the argument. This ecosystem was assessed recently in a BioBlitz by Forest and Bird, and over a weekend 505 species were catalogued, including a new discovery of a moth and 77 species of insects. We just don’t find this ecosystem intact any where else – it is unique. The mine will dig up 6 million tonnes of high quality coal for export. That’s 12 million tonnes of CO2 spewed into the atmosphere when it’s burnt. The Environment Court and The High Court have both agreed that the effects of coal on climate change cannot be considered under the Resource Management Act and the appeal to the Appeal Court is pivotal to putting the brakes on this insanity of a mine.

We can’t pin any hopes on the courts I suspect – no it is going to be up to people power, it is us that will stop them. What about the Department of Conservation aren’t they working to protect the Plateau? Their submission to the RMA was neutral, neither for nor against. But a Department of Conservation briefing paper to the Minister, released under the Official Information Act, says "The entire Denniston Plateau lies within the "West Coast Kawatiri Place" and is identified as a "Priority Site for Biodiversity Management. It is also described as a nationally outstanding landscape…". This landscape will be permanently altered by the mine and overburden dumps and this has the effect of, “leaving post rehabilitation in the vicinity of 75% of the altered landscape unrevegetated” The briefing paper also describes how the “current ecological integrity” of the Denniston Plateau will experience “profound change” including the increased exposure of acid forming rock which would,” likely create a far more significant acid mine drainage problem”. 

They all know what will happen and they don’t care because of the supposed economic benefits but they are all illusion. They admit that at the moment the market for coal has slumped, they talk about 400 jobs – that’s the same number of workers recently dumped when the Spring Creek mine closed down so there are no new jobs. They base their big payoff on imaginary future scenarios that don’t consider any macro or micro event that could affect the maximum potential money (assuming everything goes exactly right), and their future predictions are junk, fallacy. Funny that the opponents to this mine have facts - abundant facts. Facts like the inevitable damage the mine will cause, the 21 identified inconsistencies between the Resource Management Act and proposed mine showing adverse effects on the environment that are more than minor. Facts like inconsistencies between the stated objectives within local, regional and national planning documents and the activities of this mine. These are FACTS. The opposite of the wishes and hopes of the economic growth fantasists, and they won’t change their minds, no. Their minds are made up. But they need the acquiescence of the people to do it. They can only do it if we let them.

For another brilliant post on this subject matter please read Claire Browning at Pundit - she writes so well and she hits every nail on the head. 

grief creates grieving

The best thing about this “colourblind NZ campaign” launching soon from ansell, is the comedy it will generate. Ansell is a comedic genius and I like this plan of bringing all these 'like-minded people' together so we can know who they are. That is an important part of nation building. Yeah you bastards come-out, come-out whereeveryouare - just joking - ha ha 

Note the new term “Treaty Grievers” – ansell is usually good on these pithy, racially divisive terms, but this one is a fizzer. Getting too close to grief which is accurate and that must be avoided when ‘othering’ groups.

My favourite for comedy in this one is the reference to Martin Luther King by ansell.  They both share the same dream apparently and ansell is convinced that King would approve of his goals. I would like to see them meet to hear what King thinks of that.

Of course the mention of King is a thinly disguised attempt at showing they are okay with people of colour. It’s pretty ham-fisted though, very iwi/kiwi. ansell has run out of ideas and recycling everything multiple times – sad really but sums up well the campaign and its supporters.

Maps did an accurate dissemination of ansell here.

Update. Oh dear - the  Rotary Club of Remuera have said they don't want ansell there anymore - lol.

Maps has more here.

underreported struggles 65

More essential underreported struggles from Ahni at Intercontinental Cry. The first story is of real concern to me and I hope this move can be defeated by the First Nations.

The Canadian government is getting ready to introduce legislation that would allow individuals to own private property on reserves, effectively abrogating collective ownership of reserve land for any First Nations that adopts the law. The government claims this will encourage economic development; but the reality is far less economical. As Pam Palmater observes, the new law will open the floodgates for the gradual takeover of indigenous lands by non-First Nations peoples, including land-holding companies, banks, corporations; heck, even bored Canadians looking for an adventure!

An International Fact-Finding Mission (IFFM) recently confirmed that the Philippines-based A. Brown Company, Inc. never had the right to open a palm oil plantation in Opol, Misamis Oriental in Southern Philippines, where it displaced hundreds of families from the Higaonon Peoples. The IFFM has since issued a call for A Brown to immediately pull-out of Opol and respect the farmers' and indigenous peoples' right to their ancestral lands.

The Ktunaxa Nation is attempting to challenge the British Colombia government's recent approval of a controversial year-round ski resort that will sit in Qat'muk (GOT-MOOK), a profoundly sacred area to the Ktunaxa Peoples in southeastern British Columbia.The Ktunaxa are now in the process of applying for Judicial Review of the approval.

A Barabaig community in Tanzania has teamed up with the Indigenous Knowledge Project (IKP) to develop a sustainable economy that works for the people. The initiative is a rarity, founded on the ideals of sharing, autonomy, participation and sustainability. In the words of IKP co-founder Heather Cruise, it has to be “heart-to-heart, grass roots, participatory.” In this special series, Intercontinental Cry takes a look at the project, its purpose and the people involved in it.

The Dongria Kondh, who've all but faded away from the international community's gaze, renewed their opposition to Vedanta Resources' plan to mine a sacred mountain for bauxite. Ahead of Vedanta's AGM in London, the Dongria Kondh sent a strong message to the company's chairman Anil Agarwal, "Even if Anil Agarwal himself comes here, we won’t leave our land. We will use all our strength to make them leave this place. Let us live our lives in peace".


Visit Intercontinetal Cry to read about these issues and many others.

just business

Sometimes an event just sums it all up and those of you who have been reading the last few posts will know that I have been showing the connection between a number of actions by the prime minister john key and his government and the bigger picture of what they are after. Deliberate ignorance, court case on water, PR push by oil and gas exploiters, reduction of protection for conservation areas against exploitation. The digging up of Papatūānuku and the desecration through exploitation is a large part of their end game IMO. 

So what is the latest? At the world’s largest conservation summit a motion to protect the world’s rarest dolphins and porpoises, including New Zealand’s Hector’s and Maui’s dolphins was passed by 576 for and 2 against - and one of the 2 against was this country - New Zealand.

Scoop

Karli Thomas, Greenpeace Oceans Campaigner, said: "Our government is letting minority business interests ride rough shod over the values of ordinary New Zealanders. By voting against this call to protect our most endangered dolphin, New Zealand has arrogantly dismissed international concern and has severely tarnished our global reputation.”

Shameful? Disgusting? yes for sure all of that but why? Well it's a pain to issue exploitation certificates when pesky dolphins live in the area you want to dig up. Simple really those glorified fish have to go and we can't shoot them so let's keep getting them killed with nets and fishing and destroying their environment. Shameful? Disgusting? Yep and if you think like that, like me, then we just don't understand - it's not personal, it's business.

we know why

Further evidence of the long game of prime minister john key which I have been discussing over the last 3 posts. Deliberate ignorance, court case on water, PR push by oil and gas exploiters and now this - "The Crown Minerals (Permitting and Crown Land) Bill which will ensure that all land classified as a National park, Nature Reserve etc in future is automatically included in Schedule 4." That appears to be good but as I/S says it weakens the protection on that land so they can mine it. The proof is right there in front of us, as I/S states

No Right Turn

At present, decisions on whether to permit mining on Schedule 4 land are made by the Minister of Conservation, and strictly on conservation grounds. The bill would change that, inserting the Minister of Energy as a joint decision-maker, and adding an economic benefits test. So, the question of whether to dig up a National Park will be a question of "balancing" conserving the area with the projected economic benefits of destroying it.

This is not happening by chance - it is planned and not even hidden. Part of the strategy is to overwhelm, create a tsunami of information, events, and issues that people care about. They hope it all just becomes too much for people but as usual they are overconfident of their own opinions and judgements of human nature - they think everyone is like them - greedy and self obsessed. But people aren't like that all. They are wrong and that is how we stop their nefarious plans.

Hattip - No Right Turn

the journeyengagement

I talked in my last post about the prime minister john key and his deliberate ignorance designed to bolster the inevitable court case on water. Why is the court case so important for key? It's got nothing to do with Māori or water - it is about commodification and in a round about way, the oil and gas exploitation. He has promised and I don't think the powers that be will accept a backdown on that. News about the PR campaign that they are about to wind into is scary - they have the money and they have many of the politicians.

NZH

Senior figures from the oil industry and the Crown's resource management unit have stressed the need to step up community engagement at the Petroleum Summit in Wellington today.

Petroleum Exploration and Production Association chairman Chris Bush said public confidence was needed to fulfil the Government's exploration goals - and both the Government and industry needed to lay the groundwork for that.

"We need to take the time and explain why it is important to grow oil and gas exploration here in New Zealand, so communities have an understanding of the benefits and the future energy situation we may face without it."

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment unit tasked with managing oil and gas resources and issuing exploration permits is also pushing for greater community engagement.

New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals director of petroleum Kevin Rolens said it would be looking at how it engaged with local communities to build confidence and connect with the public.

Rolens said his unit was developing a stakeholder strategy to ensure the community received consistent messages.

Petroleum Exploration and Production Association chief executive David Robinson said "Our communities must come on the journey with us. Our panels on community engagement are an important part of making sure we are doing our best to engage with Kiwis across the country."

Their tactics are in play in the quotes - simple message driven relentlessly into the mind by repetition and the use of pseudo-words like journey and engagement. They had better get on with it though because the latest news report from their conference was dominated by the loud protestors outside - respect!

undo the gag

What a half-wit John Key the Prime Minister is - do you think this remark is off the cuff?

NZH

On his way into caucus at Parliament this morning he was asked about the unity around the water issue at the national hui last week called by King Tuheitia.

He suggested that from the media reports he had seen there wasn't unity.

"There are kind of more positions than Lady Gaga's got outfits."

I don't, I think it was deliberate. The point of the comment? To trivialise Māori and their belief systems. You see I don't agree with sharples that key is culturally ignorant - I mean of course he is, but like the banks affair, he is choosing to be. He isn't ignorant - no it is much worse than that - he is deliberately ignorant or choosing to be ignorant. And why would someone do this? It's all about the court case now - the hui that noone will attend, the public statements and the quips - he even says it here, it is a strategy. Key is a bankster he gets a buzz from riding the edge and he is going to ride this one all the way in. So why is he a half-wit? His deliberate ignorance is not an advantage it is a weakness and the more he speaks, the more that weakness is revealed. He thinks he is smarter than he really is - but he isn't.

now is the time and this is the place

Many have said that water will become a defining issue for the people of the world and here in Aotearoa that is manifesting right now. Māoridom have attended the hui called by King Tuheitia at Ngaruawahia and they have agreed on some principles.

Stuff

... overwhelmingly backed a resolution calling on the Government to halt the sale of power company shares until it had thrashed out a framework recognising Maori proprietary rights in water.

It also backed a resolution for that framework to be agreed before iwi and hapu enter into negotiations with the Crown over their water claims - and warned they could test the case in court if the Government worked around it.

Finally, it agreed that Maori should speak with one voice on the issue - a new body representing Maori interests across the spectrum will be set up to spearhead the negotiations instead.

Yes there are issues to resolve within the Māori nation to achieve this united front, this speaking with one voice, but it will be done because that is the kaupapa when faced with threat and this is a defining issue for this country and a threat to Māori mana. I have stated a few times that Māori are just not going to take the same old bullshit that has happened for years. The time is now, the line in the sand is here. We hold and fight here, for this.

This process is mana-enhancing for iwi and hapū, this is what our Tūpuna fought for and this is what we will fight for, so that our tamariki don't have to.

Mā te kotahitanga e whai kaha ai tātou - in unity we have strength.

1500 a moment to reflect

Well I thought I would just take a moment to reflect. This post is number 1500 which seems significant somehow. There have been 1415 comments and for everyone who has commented thank you, and also of course to all those who have read the posts. I started blogging Sunday 22 March 2009 - just about three and a half years ago! I started the blog for lots of reasons and one was I made a blog that I wanted to read, about the subjects I thought were important and weren't being discussed enough or at all. I thought like minded people would find the blog and that has happened and i'm really grateful and humbled by that. So thank you again. The most popular post is water tiger, I'm pretty sure because of the picture, but it's ironic nevertheless. Although I can be scathing on some politicians, I'm really more interested in building communities and bringing people together - that's another purpose of the blog. When I started there weren't many blogs that discussed Māori issues from a Māori perspective, thankfully there are now, and most are displayed down the side of this blog - they are all great and I love them all - even when I disagree with the writer. Indigenous blogs are there too and they are so important because they show our connection, our issues and struggles, our successes and victories are the same. That is my binding belief - that we are all equal and deserve and demand equality. That is why I put the left blogs and other blogs on my blogroll - they all relate to that concept. I have learned much from those blogs and they are there partly to make it easier for me to go and read their latest posts. I know - me, me, me... it's hard to write it any other way, I promise. And the truth is you cannot write blog after blog unless you are getting something from it. I am, and it is the connection with you the readers, as well as the self-centred but necessary enjoyment of being able to say what I want (within reason of course). I know most of you understand because you have your own blogs. As I said at the beginning this is a reflection but I do want to keep it brief.

Blogging means a lot to me and I feel that I've learned so much and that I've been given so much. I'll continue to blog about things that catch my eye and try in my idealistic way to make the world a better place - I must - for my son and all of us - past, present and future.

dear john

Below is Hone Harawira's open letter to Prime Minister John Key. It sums up everything really well.

NZH

Kia ora, John

I'm down at Turangawaewae for the water hui, and I just wanted to clear up a few things before I go in. You see John, there's quite a bit of confusion about how Maori are being pushed to help you with your asset sales problem, but there doesn't seem to be much of a push from your side to help Maori with any of our problems - like poverty, low wages, massive unemployment, poor housing, benefit cuts ... you know the rest.

We know things are hard for your Government right now, what with trying to sell off power companies when you don't own the water that drives them - but really John, that's something your officials should have sorted out a long time ago.

The consultation hui earlier this year showed clearly that Maori don't support asset sales, there was that huge march on Parliament against it, and there's that petition on the street right now with 250,000 signatures and growing, opposing asset sales as well.

And you must have known John, that Maori would take action to protect their water rights under the Treaty of Waitangi.

That's why Maori were so upset when you ridiculed the idea of a claim to the Waitangi Tribunal, then belittled the New Zealand Maori Council for daring to take the claim in the first place, and then said that the Tribunal wasn't worth listening to anyway.

You see John, the Tribunal is one of the only avenues we have to present our claims in our own way. In fact it's the only place where what our kaumatua and kuia have to say has any meaning. It's deeply flawed of course, but it has a special place as the nation's only specialist judicial body on Treaty issues.

That's why when the Tribunal said that "government would be in breach of the Treaty if it proceeded with its asset sales programme before Maori water rights had been settled", we really hoped that you might do the right thing and let the judicial process run its course.

So when you decided to simply defer the sale, and engage in behind-closed-door deals with selected iwi leaders, you can imagine how ... upset ... we got.

Because this is an important issue John, to all of us. This is about water, and in particular Maori interests in that water.

And water really is a taonga to us John, a treasure. It's hard to explain in English but water is something to cherish, to care for, to respect and to protect for future generations. Moana Jackson says "every tribe has a river" and the people of Whanganui have a saying: "I am the river and the river is me". Water is part of who we are.

And Maori water rights need to be understood in that context, John. Not as a tradeable commodity, but as part and parcel of our very existence.

Even Pakeha people get that; I think that might be why so many of them oppose asset sales too.
The Tribunal has confirmed those rights (with the support of a number of your own Crown witnesses), and the Council has quite rightly asked the Tribunal to consider the extent of those rights and how best to recognise them in stage two of the hearings.

That's not to deny hapu and iwi their rightful claims to waterways in their territories, but the issue of Maori water rights calls for a nationwide discussion and commitment to standards and expectations far greater than what can be achieved by small groups meeting behind closed doors.

John, this is one of the biggest decisions Maori will ever make, and five weeks just isn't enough time to do it justice.

So where do we go from here?
Well ... if I were the Prime Minister John, I think I'd:
•Set aside the asset sales programme for a while.
•Give the Tribunal time to complete stage two of the hearings.
•Give Maori time to go back and share all that information with our kaumatua and our kuia, our cousins, our kids, and yes even our mokos as well, because the decisions we make today will affect them and their mokos too. And time, too, for hapu and iwi to consider the wider implications for them as well.
•Give the rest of the country time to give their views too, because on this issue, every New Zealander should have a say.
•And then I'd call everyone back to the table in 12 months, and see if we could come up with a solution that works for all.

Anyway, gimme a bell some time and let's have a cup of tea and a chat.

Yours sincerely,
Hone Harawira

I quite like these open letters, it gives a real chance to get the points across, it gives a little control, and it drives the recipient up the wall. Keep this good stuff going Hone - it is effective and inspirational and we need lots of that.

Hattip: Tiger Mountain commenting on the Standard

positive movement

Can a bad/useless/corrupt/putwhatyoulikehere government do good things? Can a bad person do good things? 

Obviously this has been a point of discussion around other areas and putting value judgements of what ‘bad’ is aside I want to thank finlayson (I don’t think he’s ‘bad’), personally and as a representative of the government, for saying these things

Stuff

“Ngai Tuhoe’s history shows clearly why it is so important to settle genuine historic Treaty grievances,” Finalyson said.

“The conditions in Te Urewera, which contains some of our most deprived and isolated communities, show the very real and continued effects of the Crown’s Treaty breaches on the daily lives of Ngai Tuhoe people in the present.”

Huge areas of Tuhoe land were wrongly confiscated and more purchased unjustly, Finlayson said.

“Military campaigns against Tuhoe prisoners and civilians were described even at the time as extermination and the Crown employed a scorched earth policy in Tuhoe settlements.”

This settlement is a strong step towards mana motuhake for Ngāi Tuhoe and I congratulate them.

It is not perfect but it is a step in the right direction and as Tuhoe negotiator Tamati Kruger has said, “he believed the tribe had ultimately won what it was seeking, which was control over the park.” 

I wonder about the figure of 170M – is that figure used for relativity or do they calculate it some other way?

saying less

I am not a fan of the term Hone has used – house nigger is not a term that anyone should use in my opinion – unless you are Malcolm X and you say house negro. I think it was a mistake from Hone and a worry too. There is no need to go into that type of insult – it doesn’t make any difference apart from increasing the notoriety of Hone – and that is playing into their hands because they love demonising him, and any reason is a good reason – so why do it? I really can’t see any reason other than publicity and that sits wrong with me. The alternative is that Hone has so little control over himself that he just cannot think or speak strategically and I just don’t believe that.

Everything is going okay and the Mana movement is building – cut the bullshit Hone and get on with the job e hoa.

birds of a feather

If anyone says they don't want sex with you and then you force them to have sex with you - that is rape. It doesn't matter if you had sex with them 5 minutes ago, it doesn't matter if you are in the middle of sex - if they say no, that means no. There are some people who do not agree with that view even though it is the law here in this country. George Galloway has said

NZH

In a video podcast which sparked outrage, the Bradford MP and notorious polemicist suggested sex without consent should not always be thought of as rape, if a woman has previously consented to what he called "the sex game". He added that Assange was merely guilty of "bad sexual etiquette".

This attitude seems to infect men of a certain age. On The Standard many debates have raged around this issue and posters such as RedLogix, Colonial Viper, Morrissey, vicky32 and others have added their views and they are similar to galloways, and IMO they all support rape culture with their comments and attitudes.

They are no better than Todd Akin and his sicko comments about legitimate rape.

Then on Sunday, he was asked by local news station KTVI-TV about his no-exceptions view on abortion. The 65-year-old lawmaker replied: "It seems to me, from what I understand from doctors, that is really rare.

"If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has said Mr Akin's claim "contradicts basic biological truths".

Galloway and the assangefanboys are guilty of failing equality 101 - it is very basic stuff but the truth is easily hidden when privilege is being protected. 

United Nations’ International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

Although I am busy with study I still love physical work and today I helped build a retaining wall. Lots of shovelling - great for the body and soul.

TangataWhenua.com is an awesome site with many great articles and interaction. I just noticed this scorecard and I'm going to copy it here - hopefully everyones cool with that.

It is the United Nations’ International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples today - I wasn't aware of that. 

The Mana Movement have released a scorecard measuring the New Zealand government’s three-year progress against the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 

Zero indeed and that's being optimistic.

Metiria Turei, co-leader of the Greens has also issued a statement to the government today. It is a powerful statement that demands action from the key government.

Voxy

... the Key Government needs to honour its commitments under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (DRIP) and agree to negotiate with the pan-Maori group on water rights

Maori have agreed to create a single forum to negotiate water rights with the Government. John Key has so far not acknowledged this new pan-Maori group and has stated that the Crown will negotiate with Maori iwi by iwi.

The right of indigenous people "to participate in decision-making in matters which would affect their rights, through representatives chosen by themselves in accordance with their own procedures" is guaranteed in the DRIP. The Key Government endorsed the DRIP in 2010.

"If the international commitments that New Zealand signs up to are to have any meaning, then the Government must honour them at all times, not just when it is convenient," said Mrs Turei.

This is really great to hear. One of the best qualities of The Greens for me is their commitment to tino rangatiratanga.

Hattip TangataWhenua.com

water and a seal

There is a lot on at the moment, I've got 3 assignments due at the end of the week so head down time. It interesting how sometimes we try to make life easier and we end up making it a bit tougher. I thought I'd do a couple of double semester papers to ease the load... and I've managed to end up with a lot more to do this semester, as in 5 papers. Doh! 

Perhaps prime minister key is thinking the same as his desire to sell off our assets hits the immovable wall of Māori rights. I am sure he thought he was making life easier for himself and his mates - you know, to make more money. The Waitangi Tribunal have stated, that the government request to hurry up their process of deliberation, is "unusual and inappropriate". Sums it up well.

I came across this photo from a while ago. What a beautiful animal. Popoiangore - The Leopard Seal

underreported struggles 64

More essential underreported struggles from Ahni at Intercontinental Cry.

underreported struggles 64

The indigenous Nasa Peoples carried out a peaceful but daring effort to demilitarize their traditional lands in Cacua, Colombia. In one confrontation, the Nasa removed police trenches from an urban center and disassembled homemade FARC missiles found on their lands. Days later, Nasa forcibly removed troops from El Berlin’s mountaintop base. The Nasa were responding to a week of intense battles between Colombia's armed forces and the FARC. It is but the latest in a long list of such encounters in a war that has stricken the Nasa to constant anguish, exploitation and abuse. Despite the effort, Colombia is now preparing to increase its military presence in the region.

Representatives of the Taos Land Trust have officially returned the Ponce de León Hot Springs to the Taos Pueblo Tribe. The sacred site has been used by Taos Pueblo for ceremonial activities since time immemorial. For more than a century, however, the 44-acre area had been in the hands of private landowners. According to a press release, Taos Land Trust, a local land conservation organization, received funding in 1997 to acquire the property from private landowners, to protect it from commercial development. After a 15-year search for the best entity to preserve the land and its natural and cultural resources, the organization has now transferred legal ownership to the Taos Pueblo, returning the site to its original indigenous owners.

The Sarayaku people, after waiting patiently for nine years, have welcomed with open arms a decision by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The court has declared that Ecuador is responsible under international law for the violation of Sarayaku's rights to prior consultation, communal property, life, judicial protection, and other important rights. The Sarayaku say they will now closely monitor Ecuador's compliance with the sentence and ensure that indigenous peoples' territories be respected in the face of damaging extractive industries such as oil drilling.

Newly announced plans by China's central government for the "resettlement" of the last remaining nomads have sparked protests in Inner Mongolia, with traditional Mongol herders accusing authorities of the illegal expropriation of grazing lands for development projects. At least four protests by Mongol herders have been reported over the last month.

The regional government of the Altai Republic reviewed and passed a new decree to protect sacred sites from being wrongfully damaged or destroyed. "Essentially, through this decree, the governor of the Altai Republic is instructing local authorities to make laws to protect these sacred sites which are being threatened by the construction of a gas pipeline by the Russia’s natural gas company Gazprom," says Cultural Survival. "The pipeline across the Ukok Plateau has been called a 'moral violence against people,' by Urmat Knyazev, a deputy in the Altai republic’s legislative assembly."

Visit Intercontinetal Cry to read about these issues and many others.
 

me moralise d land

Eddie on The Standard has highlighted a very good point about the water debate. Prime Minister key doesn't even have a clue.

The Standard

The Waitangi Tribunal has noted it has the power to make binding recommendations over memoralised land. Key doesn’t think Mighty River has any memoralised land. Yes, it does.

As Eddie notes this is the flagship policy for key, this is the one they are pushing through against all opposition and this is the one where key doesn't even know the slightest about the law or Māori rights. Mei Chen calls keys optimism that 'she'll be right',  "misplaced" and that is the mildest thing you could say.

I have posted on The Standard thread that

My big worry is the Maori Party, because key will be applying the instruments of displeasure to them soon and they will not like it. They will fold into the narrative key and his minions have constructed, and before you know it they will have justified it all away. I hope my fears are unrealised.

If that does happen, we will see Māori deliberately pitted against Māori. Keeping on top of the issues and making sure sunlight is liberally applied are the answers. If we know their game, we can defeat them.

Hattip The Standard

slipping on water

Great news from the Waitangi Tribunal – they have issued an interim decision, that the government , “not go ahead with its proposed partial privatisation of power generating SOE until the Tribunal has at least had a chance to issue its full decision on stage one of this Inquiry”. They have been direct in their language which I take as a pointed challenge to big mouth key. 

For instance in in the conclusion they state in point 59 that

Scoop

In the interests of the Maori-Crown relationship, and all New Zealanders, the issues raised in this stage of the inquiry are serious ones that warrant measured consideration.

And in point 61

We therefore conclude that the Crown ought not to commence the sale of shares in any of the Mixed Ownership Model companies until we have had the opportunity to complete our report on stage one of this inquiry and the Crown has had the opportunity to give this report, and any recommendations it contains, in-depth and considered examination. (my emphasis)

Key is a bit stuck now and this will get nasty make no mistake about that – this was not planned for and the lie about what was said at the infamous meeting between the Maori Party and key will now be tested. Key will never listen to Māori, never. It is not in his interest to. So the slippery one is about to coat himself in grease and start being even more slippery and we will be watching.

sullied waters

So The Maori Party and John Key the Prime Minister had their meeting last night and the Maori Party are pleased. It is interesting to look a little closer at this.

NZH

Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples had previously indicated the meeting was called to discuss Mr Key's comments which they said undermined the Waitangi Tribunal which is currently hearing the Maori Council's bid to halt the sale of Mighty River Power until Maori rights and interests in water are defined.

However after emerging from the meeting late last night Mrs Turia said "the main issue was that this Government would treat our people in the same way the Labour Party did by legislating away their rights".

Hmmm they seem like totally different issues to me. Key's comments have morphed into something Labour did years ago - but what they did affected Tariana significantly. She continues to try and exact revenge but I'd suggest she go to New York and get into Helen if she is so hellbent on retribution.

Mrs Turia was asked whether that meant that should a court decision subsequent to the tribunal find that Maori did have proprietary type right over water, the Government would not legislate against that.

She said: "That was what they told us tonight".

'They' - not nice Mr Key, or The Prime Minister, or Johnny - no it is they. I wonder who 'they' are. The use of 'they' implies wriggle room to me but who will do the wriggling, I'm not too sure. To date I have not heard key say it or agree with Tariana's statement.

Meanwhile in a joint statement issued by Mrs Turia, Dr Sharples and Mr Key, they said that both parties had agreed that when the Waitangi Tribunal report on the Maori Council's claim was issued that, "as part of developing their respective responses, the two parties will jointly discuss the matter".

Nice, a joint statement and key is happy to put his mark to this one. I wonder why. Could it be the slamdunk statement that they will, "jointly discuss the matter" - jeepers expect the shit to fly NOT.


So what have we got really? Joint discussions and that is it. Until I hear the words out of key's mouth about not legislating against any decision I won't believe it - and if he does say it i will still be unconvinced - key will not do it - they will not let him, and he doesn't want to anyway.

the drip continues

It has indeed been interesting watching the debate about the indigenous rights of Māori and water. Key the prime minister calls the claim by The Māori Council, "opportunistic" and that shows what a dim he is - hey key, how long have Māori been fighting for equality? Don't bother answering bankster I wouldn't believe what you say anyway. Perhaps key should heed Annette Sykes advice that key should, "either get a law degree or stay quiet about Maori water rights issues". 

Yes STFU because this following comment from key is outrageous

NZH

and I think that there's no merit in the case that the Maori Council is bringing.

No merit? How the fuck would you know key. Read all the evidence already have you?

The pressure is building on The Maori Party.  Maanu Paul

Maori Council spokesman Maanu Paul said it was "crunch time" for the party and co-leaders Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples, who have argued they need to stay at the Cabinet table to make a difference.

and

“In a Maori world, they should act like Maori – defend their mana, not the money.”

and from Annette Sykes

I beg Tariana, who I've got the hugest respect for, to sit back and reflect and in the spirit of Che Guevera who obviously influenced her last week, position herself for freedom and the rights of our people rather than to take money as a Prime Minister's friend at the table.

Initially i thought they would never walk but now I dunno, they actually could and I hope they do - for all of us.

 

Key has made a blunder with this whole fiasco and part of that blunder was to insult Tariana and Pita by not seeing them sooner. But i'm not worried about them, they have made their bed and if they did resign from their agreement with national, well that would be good, a final positive to add to the mix.

 

The wheels are starting to fall off - time to up the pressure!

underreported struggles 62 & 63

More essential underreported struggles from Ahni at Intercontinental Cry.

underreported struggles 62

The O'odham community of Gila River is coming out in full force against the proposed Florence Copper Project. In addition to ever-growing grassroots opposition, The Gila River Tribal Council has voted 15-0 to oppose the project. A resolution from the Tribal Council cites the potential for the development to impact water on the reservation.

The ministers of the Supreme Court of Paraguay withdrew the tenure of settlers who were illegally permitted to invade Indigenous Land in the 1960s. As a result of the decision, the Pataxó Hã-Hã-Hãe, after nearly a century, are now ensured full occupation of the territory demarcated in 1938.

After decades of struggle, Indigenous Peoples in El Salvador will finally be recognized in the constitution – a first step towards recovering their community identity, which they have been denied by the state and by society at large. A reported by IPS News, Article 63 of the constitution will be modified to acknowledge indigenous languages and other expressions of indigenous culture.


underreported struggles 63


To the shock and dismay of Indigenous Peoples throughout Australia, the Australian Senate rushed through a new law meant to extend the despicable Northern Territory intervention for another ten years.

A consortium of indigenous and non-governmental organizations have sounded the alarm over a disturbing new eco-tourism scheme by the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department (MPFD). The MPFD, a government agency responsible for managing all forest areas in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, says it wants to lease out 50 to 150 sq km bricks of land to interested tourism companies. Those companies would then be free to change the livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples to something more 'compatible' with conservation.

After a 30-year struggle, two indigenous Wounaan communities in the eastern Panamanian province of Darién finally received titles from the government to their traditional lands. Thousands of other Wounaan and Emberá are awaiting their own titles in another 39 communities.

Visit Intercontinetal Cry to read about these issues and many others.

stopping the rot

There are many big issues at the moment and two of the most important are the weakening of the RMA, and the Claim put to the Waitangi Tribunal today on Māori rights and ownership of water.

Both of these issues are interrelated and they are both connected to the exploitation of our natural resources for the illusory benefit of a few and the detriment of the many. 

The report released last week by the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) outlines substantive changes to the principles of the RMA and as Green spokesperson Eugenie Sage says

Scoop

The TAG recommendations are weighted towards facilitating development. This Government’s agenda is to weaken the RMA to advance its dig it, drill it, mine it, irrigate it agenda for resource exploitation. The proposal to drop the requirement for councils and decision makers to provide for the “preservation” of natural character and the “protection” of outstanding landscapes and significant indigenous vegetation and habitats as matters of national importance ignores Environment Court case law which had built up over the last 20 years. Changing these fundamental parts of the RMA will cause unnecessary litigation and tilt the playing field heavily towards development.

Yes this weakening of the RMA is a pretext for lowering standards to facilitate exploitation of our natural resources.

Fish & Game NZ chief executive Bryce Johnson has commented

Scoop

The technical advisory group (TAG) seems to have gone way beyond its terms of reference, and indeed it smacks of political opportunism to fit a perceived Government ‘economic growth’ agenda,” Mr Johnson says removing the clause 7(h) – which specifically references ‘protection of the habitat of trout and salmon’ – would lead to further water quality decline.

“This would remove what water resource developers see as a roadblock to environmentally unsustainable development, enabling further and faster decline of freshwater quality. Make no mistake – any attempt to lessen the protection of trout and salmon habitat in the RMA is full-frontal attack on the environment.”

Very strong words indeed, highlighting the real concerns and danger of these recommendations from TAG. They need to relax the laws so that they can really get the exploitation ripping along – the Greens and Fish and Game NZ are fighting hard to stop them and Māori are too – just not the Maori Party.

And this issue directly relates to the other big issue of the moment. As The Māori Council nicely states

Scoop

“Maori interests in national freshwater and geothermal resources will be crystal clear when Maori and specialist experts present their evidence to the Waitangi Tribunal hearing,” say New Zealand Maori Council co-chairs Sir Edward Taihakurei Durie and Maanu Paul.

 “The claim sets out what interests Maori had and continue to have in springs, rivers, lakes, aquifers, waterways and geothermal resources,” said Sir Edward.

“The Council became concerned when Government announced its intention to sell off some of its assets without full consideration of the impact on Maori interests in water resources,” added Mr Paul. “The NZMC has a statutory responsibility to advise Government on behalf of all Maori.”

The Mana Party support the claim

Scoop

"Government has consistently refused to deal with the Maori interest in water, instead running the line that "nobody" owns the water, while maintaining all rights of management and jurisdiction over it" said Harawira "but if that was the case, then what gives them the right to sell shares in power companies that use that water""

"Maoridom will be pleased to know that newly appointed Council co-chairman Sir Taihakurei Eddie Durie is spearheading the claim. Taihakurei Durie is one of this country's pre-eminent jurists, and has a greater understanding of the Treaty law than anyone else alive".

"I suspect that there will be many Pakeha supporting this claim as well" said Harawira "as more and more of them come to realise that The Treaty is the only chance of keeping our power companies in the people"s hands".

This line "nobody owns the water" that key is using is a smokescreen especially when in his next breath he says

NZH

"The Waitangi Tribunal's rulings are not binding on the Government, so we could choose to ignore what findings they might have - I'm not saying we would, but we could."

Get it? That is the key way - threats and spin. This will be a very interesting hearing and the report that comes out will show the truth, but the truth is irrelevant to key and his cronies. It is money they want and they will destroy us all to get it - well fuck them I say - we will stop them and we will do it with integrity and honesty - the two qualities our opposition lacks.

no equality if there is inequality

Morgan at Maui St has a good post about Hone Harawira and his personal attitude towards gay marriage. 

Maui St

as I said Hone Harawira is opposed to gay marriage, or marriage equality as it’s positively framed. This position has been opposed universally within the Mana Party. Leading members have asked Hone to justify his position, but he is yet to face the membership with a justification. This is unacceptable from the party leader and he will be rightly savaged for it. 

Hone says he is morally conservative and he is going to hear what Mana Party members think before he declares his position.

Tangatawhenua.com

Yesterday, he said he would not give his position until the Mana Party decided on its formal policy. When asked if he still had morally conservative views about it, he said: “I have views which are relatively conservative on a range of moral issues”. However, he indicated he would vote accordingly if the party decided in support of gay marriage.

Well I am a paid up member of Mana and my opinion is that all inequality is wrong and must be opposed. Hone has to listen to the voices that will articulate equal rights for same sex couples. There is no compromise on this and I don't think there will be from Mana.


Mana isn't Hone, it is bigger than that and that is why it is a movement of and for the people. I have no issue with any attitude of any office holder as long as it aligns with the parties polices. Hone is a man of mana and he will be learning a lot at the moment and hopefully he is learning the truth of the history about oppression of sexuality and gender. Our struggles are interrelated and there can be no equality if there is inequality. 

Hattip- Maui St, Tangatawhenua.com

noisy now

There is an agenda afoot to sell off this country and recently we have seen three developments that are connected to that agenda. The selling of state assets, the TPP and the opening up of exploitation of oil and gas seem to have a momentum that is relentless. They really want to push these through - why is that I wonder.

A great speech by Hone regarding the government selling of our assets. Now is the time to sign the petition and keep the pressure on. 

Scoop

But the really surprising thing to me, is how long it has taken us to wake up to the fact that selling off resources and assets and services built up by generations of New Zealanders will leave our children and our mokopuna with a future almost too bleak to contemplate.And yet such is the future that this bill and this government, offers us all.

Mr Speaker, MANA opposes this bill to sell off 49% of the shares in Mighty River, Meridian, Genesis and Solid Energy

The opposition is widespread but the fasttracking of the legislation shows the government can't afford to give way on this. If they did their TPP dirty deals mas suffer for instance, and they are dirty indeed. Gordon Campbell has an awesome post on the TPP, as he concludes


Scoop

Right. In sum, the public has very good reason to feel concerned about (a) the adequacy of the TPP investor state dispute panels (b) the secrecy in which the TPP discussions are being pursued and (c) the emptiness of the Trade Minister’s assurances that everything will be hunky dory. If there is nothing to fear, why the secrecy? Can Groser at least give an assurance that before a document that will bind present and future New Zealand governments is signed, it is submitted to Parliament for scrutiny – and if not, why not?

They will also find it stickier trying to sell off the exploitation rights to oil and gas. As the ODT says

Oil and gas exploration companies have until October to submit exploration work programme bids for one or more of the 23 areas, covering just over 40,000sq km of offshore seabed and more than 3300sq km of land in Waikato, Taranaki, Tasman, the West Coast and Southland. 

These developments are connected, as well as many more that struggle to see the light of day. We have seen the backdown with teacher/student ratios, but these issues are more hidden and have less direct impact on averagekiwi. Key knows this and he has to hold the line - unless we force him not to. Time to up the ante and disturb key's comfort zone and the best way to do that is noise - visual and auditory, consistant and focused. We can do it, we can stop them - we will stop them.

let them walk

I saw the headline, "The Treaty of Waitangi on the move" and I thought great, the treaty is being moved around this country and maybe discussions on the treaty and tangata whenua and how we sort out the foundational problem of this country, where the treaty has not been honoured, could be facilitated. I imagined events and community involvement when the treaty comes to town, as people use the opportunity to create connections. I thought about the debates we could have that would not be adversorial but cooperative, the insights we would gleen, the maturity as a nation we could attain. And then I read the article about moving the documents to another building to preserve them. It reminded me of when I went below Te Papa and saw the cloaks of our ancestors - the kahu kurī , kahu kiwi, and korowai. Can we really understand without wearing? The feel, the smell, the weight - these cannot be understood while the taonga is lying in a draw. Why not take them out to the people - let them experience the power. And in the same way take the treaty out of its museum and let it walk among the people.

paula bayonet

Paula Bennett the Minister of Social Welfare continues her attacks on the disadvantaged and vulnerable in our society. She wants Cabinet to consider “introducing court-ordered sanctions or legislative changes to stop some parents from having more children”. For ‘some parents’ just read ‘Māori’ because that is what she is alluding to. Does she really believe in sterilization of some parents or is it a line to generate outrage. Bennett is letting us all down by ignoring the reasons behind this abuse and murder. Those reason lead to the real solutions and Māori such as Rawiri Taonui articulate them well.

So the judges shall decide who has children and who is not allowed to – we have seen the judgements of some of these judges in recent times – pathetic.

Bennett knows that currently a child at risk is removed from their parents and she admits that, “in the past year, 148 children were removed from a parent within days of being born”. So she is really after the children not being born at all because those 148 children aren’t with their parent/s anymore, so it is not about protecting them, they have been removed.

I agree with Metiria Turei co-leader of the Greens, who says about Bennett that

RadioNZ

“She expressed great enthusiasm for the idea of forced sterilisation and did say that Cabinet had been considering just that option. Now, she has corrected herself - but I'm not so convinced that they haven't considered or won't consider it in the future.”

How bennett became a minister I just don’t get – oh that’s right she reflects our society and its beliefs. Bennett says that it is not about banning people from having children, but instead giving them the message that if they have another child it will be removed from them at birth. This is already done but bennett doesn’t want that to get in the way of the story. Don’t be mistaken it is fiscally based as well as ideologically driven.

Within our society we have people from all ethnicities and backgrounds who abuse and kill their children. The children have to be protected but sterilizing the parents is not the answer, that solution is disgusting. Māori figure highly in the statistics relating to abuse and murder of children. Rawiri Taonui wrote Mana Tamariki: Cultural Alienation. Māorichild homicide and abuse published in AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Scholarship, Vol. 6 Issue 3, p187-202, (2011), on this subject and he found that the eye witness evidence from the first Europeans corroborate evidence from Māori knowledge including waiata and whakatauki showing children were treated with respect and tolerance traditionally by parents in Māori society. Yes, some children were abused or killed as isolated incidents, as is true within the histories of all peoples, but the prevalence of this abuse today, for Māori, has its genesis in colonisation and deprivation.

No one is trying to minimise the issue or pretend it doesn’t exist but to seriously deal with the issue means to understand what the real reasons are for it and that leads to where some of the solutions may lie. Re-enculturalization is one area of solutions, as Rawiri Taonui says,

“Promoting the rebuilding of culture within the perpetrator not only includes the beliefs and values of the ancestors, but also the history of the people, including colonization. At an individual level, this knowledge has the ability to dissipate anger by raising consciousness. Positive enculturalization enhances a sense of belonging, rebuilds identity and promotes self-worth. This facilitates the healing of relationships within families.” (p199).

Obviously there is still major work to be done and although current Māori child murder rates are decreasing at twice the rate as that for non-Māori, to achieve any momentum needs the government to support tangata whenua initiatives and ideas. Instead of sterilizing people, they need to be actually trying to fix the issues. There are considered views from Māori that need to be heard. Rawiri Taonui sums it up well,

“We rarely recognise that colonization and its concomitant intergenerational impacts constitute violence: colonization is the application of anger upon vulnerable peoples. This violence has a reciprocal reaction within the societies upon which it is inflicted: cultural alienation, forced assimilation and cumulative marginalization create anger in indigenous societies. Where this anger is not understood, it becomes internalized within the colonized society and inverts upon itself. The indigenous oppressed attack each other. Angry men fight each other, sometimes in gangs, the red fights the blue. Anger seeks the weak and vulnerable in the form of mothers and children, violence expresses itself by seeking innocence. Re-enculturalization can emancipate individuals, families and tribal groups” (p 199).

Now that is an analysis, not bennetts numbnuts approach. Sadly this whole angle from Bennett may just be a “go too far and then pull back to the actual position” approach – or maybe she really does believe it – I’m not sure which of those two scenarios scare me the most, they are both filthy.

underreported struggles 60 and 61

During my time away i have missed putting up Ahni's Underreported Struggles from Intercontinental Cry so i'll use this post as a catch up. All of our struggles are interrelated and connected and we can learn from other indigenous peoples and their challenges and successes, as they can learn from us.


Underreported Struggles 60

Mexico's Supreme Court ruled that a Tarahumara (Raramuri) community in the state of Chihuahua has the Constitution right to participate in the decision-making of any project that would affect them. The little-noticed decision could have far-reaching effects across the country. The high court also stated that relevant national law is similar to the International Labor Organization’s Convention No. 169, which protects the rights of indigenous communities and tribal peoples. Mexico is among 22 nations that have ratified the international agreement.

Naga Youth in Burma have formed a new group to resist the construction of the Tamanthi Dam which is located at Homlin township in Naga area, Myanmar. Once completed, the Dam reservoir would flood 1400 sq kms, permanently displacing 53 Naga villages, 15 villages inhabited by both Naga and Kuki people and 14 Kuki villages. At least 2400 people have been already relocated at gun point.

The Australian government passed new legislation to let nuclear waste be stored at a remote indigenous community in the Northern Territory, a decision that indigenous groups and environmentalists have vowed to fight. Muckaty Station was nominated by the Northern Land Council in 2007; But since then several traditional owners have argued they were not properly consulted and did not give their consent.

Underreported Struggles 61

The Chilean Supreme Court ratified a lower court ruling that rendered Goldcorp's environmental assessment for the El Morro mine null, due to a number of irregularities including the company's failure to properly consult the Diaguita Huascoaltinos Indigenous and Agricultural Community, whose lands would be destroyed if the mine is built. Goldcorp has since stated that they will not stop working until they receive an order declaring the Resolution of Environmental Quality, a kind of environmental permit, to be without effect.

The Hitorangi clan of the indigenous Rapa Nui people carried out a peaceful protest in response to an esoteric conference that was being held at Hanga Roa Hotel, a building that sits on the Hitorangi clan's ancestral land. Two years ago, the Rapa Nui occupied the hotel--along with 17 government buildings--in an effort to reclaim their ancestral land rights on the island of Rapanui (also known as "Easter Island" and "Te Pito te Henua", the Navel of the World).

In a major turn-around for the opponents of the Chinese-owned Ramu Nickel Mine in Papua New Guinea, the Minister of Environment and Conservation ordered the company, MCC, to halt work while he undertakes further studies on the environmental impacts of the mining project's tailings pipeline. The Ramu nickel cobalt mine has been widely opposed because of the environmental risks associated with it.

And so many more underreported struggles, all over this world, in every corner. Visit Intercontinental Cry there are so many great articles and stories there.