use tikanga not leaks

It is time to talk a bit about Ngāi Tahu and the situation at the top.

Sir Mark Solomon is stepping down after 19 years as Kaiwhakahaere, leader of the Iwi. This is a big thing, especially as there are now 'issues' in the media. 

I am of the mind that Mark has been a good leader that has helped the Iwi and that it is a good time for a change.

In recent times I have been especially impressed by Mark. The historical sexual abuse case has shown his leadership. He has said

Sir Mark said he had been campaigning for some time to stamp out all forms of violence and abuse within Ngāi Tahu communities.
On the runanga website, Sir Mark said the descendants of Kurī, the hapū in Kaikoura, were facing a challenging time.
Sir Mark, who is from Kaikoura, said his whanau had found it difficult living within the community, knowing some of their whanau had been perpetrators - or victims - of sexual abuse.
It has been reported a kaumatua has been convicted on sexual abuse charges.
Sir Mark said the hapū was addressing the issue as a community, rather than ignoring the issue and sweeping it under the carpet
the complainants are some of the bravest people he knows.

I also read the letter he sent to all members of the Iwi and within it he was accurate - all communities have sexual abuse victims and perpetrators, this is a community issue and the victims especially need support, they need to know they are supported and loved by the community, the community that includes relatives and friends of the perpetrator and that individual too. This issue within that community is the visible side of sexual abuse and it is within all of our communities. Don't be fooled into thinking it is rare - it isn't.

Mark resigned as chair of Takahanga, he said he will not seek re-election as the Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Representative for Kaikoura and thus his time as Kaiwhakahaere is completed.

and now we have leaked confidential letters showing a real conflict - perhaps personal, perhaps ideological but definitely public now.

A confidential memorandum has been leaked containing a raft of allegations by chairman Sir Mark Solomon that the perception of nepotism and corruption were creeping into the way the iwi conducted itself.

I think the tense is wrong in that statement - "were creeping" nah it creeped a long time ago and guess what? I don't think it is necessarily a bad thing at all.

This bullshit of the "best person" for the job is imposed rubbish that just creates roles for non-iwi members - those roles could and can be filled with Iwi members - and that is what I would like.

I know nepotism has a bad name - and it is a pain when you are not in the inside running - and I know about that from bitter experience but the fundamentals are correct - use people you know, trust and can rely on.

The response from Chief Executive Officer of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Arihia Bennett was very good

asking him to show restraint in his statements, or have the integrity to state them openly and with supporting evidence.

It is interesting to note that in her Iwi profile she writes

“Ko te whānau te mea tuatahi – Family comes first; everything I touch and do must be about the whānau way.”

So we get to the same spot as we have been in the past - and the media will lap it up because they love controversy.

What do I think about it all, whose side am I on?

I wish they'd just get their shit together and use tikanga to sort out their differences not leaked documents like some slimey politician. And at another level I just don't care - when you are in the mode you think you are a big fish, you think you matter, you think you are important - you aren't, you are just another cog, another descendant - our mana is your mana - sort your shit out top table!!!

A teacher teaches

Racism is a funny (not ha ha) old thing - race is a discredited concept so how does racism work? - based on generalisations about what people see and/or hear and the misconceptions that people have about the groups being generalised. Denigrating people by ridiculing them and disrespecting them, and for indigenous people, doing the same to their culture too, creates distress for the people unfairly targeted. The Green Island Postshop/Kiwibank, just out of Dunedin, has got a few questions to answer after this appaling example of disrespect. From ODT

"Asked to provide the name of the account by the female teller, she answered "Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Otepoti".

"She just laughed. And then she got her manager and said, 'Come and listen to this'," Miss Amiria Stirling said.

She repeated "Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Otepoti" to the pair, and then a nearby cafe worker was invited by the bank staff to listen as she repeated the school's name for a third time.

To add further insult, when asked her surname to complete the transaction, she was told it "was much better" to understand, before being farewelled with "kakariki", which translates to "green", as she left the building.

This is just appaling - I am going to give them a point for attempting to say goodbye in te reo because at least they tried. And it is fair to say that the first time you hear Otepoti (awe-tay-paw-tee) it can sound a little funny to uneducated ears - but still that is no reason to insult the woman. These people never considered that their actions were hurtful, it just didn't enter their head. Are they racist? No more than many others, certainly they are culturally insenstive and I hope they feel ashamed and tidy up their act, but I suspect they may be going, "What is the problem", "I have lots of maori friends", "People are just too PC and oversenstive", "It was just a bit of fun".

Anyway, what has been the result so far

"Miss Stirling said she was stunned by the incident and, after consultation, decided to write letters of complaint to the bank and members of Parliament, stating, "Our school chose Kiwibank because it's a bank for everyone.

"A founding belief of our school is that all languages and cultures are precious. All languages and cultures should be uplifted and celebrated, never laughed at."

The letter finished with an open invitation for branch staff to come to the school, which has a roll of 10, and to participate in free Te Reo Maori lessons.

Miss Stirling said the incident would serve as a lesson for the schoolchildren on conflict resolution, and the school was likely to continue using the branch in the future.

I would be very happy for Miss Amiria Stirling to teach my son - a brilliant example of mana and how to make lemonade from a couple of lemons. Thank you Amiria for this lesson.

Hat tip - Halfdone

Day of Action for Rivers on 14 March

The international Day of Action for Rivers is on 14 March. Twenty-three actions in fourteen countries have been organized so far. That's pretty good - it is time for more action to protect our rivers. A couple of examples.

"The Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF), is working hard again for the restoration of the Indus River by demanding decommission of its existing dams.

Based in the Hunter Valley of Australia, the No Tillegra Dam Group have planned a meaningful, symbolic action. They have arranged a "Walk for the Williams River," where participants will walk the length of the river from the top of the proposed Tillegra Dam site to Nobby's Head at Newcastle.

No activites for this country. We have had a number fo activites around our rivers recently, whether the gathering for the manawatu river, russel norman's canoeing down our polluted rivers, the various damn dam ideas and irrigation scheme proposals. It would be great to coordinate with these world events, it would strengthen all people who participate and raise awareness of the issues around protecting our rivers.

Hat tip Intercontinental cry

start with yourself

I'm doing a course on saturday called Non-Violent Communication

Why? - I want to be a better communicator

What is this NVC?

"Have you ever wondered if there was a way all people could live in peace? Have you ever longed to reach a point of understanding with someone you care about when you find yourselves divided by disagreements or differences? Maybe you’ve longed to express what you really feel or what is important to you? Or, have you ever wanted to foster agreement with a group of people who was unable to agree with another group—especially when the disagreement became life-threatening?

Simply put, Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is a way of relating to ourselves and others, moment to moment, free of past reactions. By learning to identify your needs and express them powerfully, as well as to bring understanding to the needs of others, you can stay connected to what is alive in you and create a life that is more fulfilling."

Does it work?

"Throughout the world, Nonviolent Communication training helps:

•School systems-teachers, parents, students, administrators

•Health Care-with doctors, nurses, patients and managers

•Prisons-with inmates, prison staff, and prison officials

•Workplaces-from the boardroom to the shop floor.

•Law enforcement and the military-exploring restorative justice rather than punitive justice

•Social service agencies-from day care to drug treatment

•Couples, families and communities-life skills for healing and connection

Look around - don't you think we need better more effective and satisfying ways of dealing with conflict - the techniques used in our society today often lead to deeper, more painful conflict. I'm not going to sit around waiting for someone else to fix everything - i am going to do my bit and start with myself.