DOCUMENT: MAORI.TXT *********************************************** N A T I O N A L M A O R I C O N G R E S S *********************************************** The founding constitutional document of Aotearoa New Zealand is the Treaty of Waitangi, signed by the British Crown with the indigenous Maori tribes in 1840. The Treaty of Waitangi established the partnership between Maori and the Crown, a partnership which has developed over the past 150 years into a far less than equitable one for Maori. The national Census figures approximate the 1991 Maori population as being 431,000 or 15% of the total national population. The Census data however defines Maori as those people choosing to confirm their Maori descent for the purposes of national statistics. At least 81,000 do not. The 1991 National census was the first Census to ever attempt to collect data on specific tribal as well as general Maori number. Tribal statistics on their own membership however, determined by genealogy, consistently indicates a higher number than the national figures. Maori tribes are united by a common language (Maori), a shared history and common cultural values and traditions. More recently Maori have also been united politically through the establishment of the National Maori Congress. Maori have a traditional philosophy on the environment and its development which incorporated four main concepts; Totemism, animism, reciprocity and guardianship. These are founded in our view of how the earth was formed and how people came to inhabit earth. Maori acknowledge Ranginui, the Sky Father and Papatuanuku, the Earth Mother, in all aspects of life. To further cement the bond with earth, each iwi/tribe is identified by its relationship with its own particular mountain and river. This identification forms the basis of tribal mana/pride and dignity. Unlike many other indigenous peoples whose members primarily occupy reservation settlements or isolated land areas traditionally exclusive of non-indigenous inhabitants, Maori people and traditional tribal lands occupy the total land mass of Aotearoa, New Zealand. This means that Maori inhabit the full range of geographic variety found within the country; coastal, inland and estuarine settlements, mountain, desert, forest, and pastoral land areas. It also means that Maori have limited autonomy over the lands they occupy, including traditional tribal lands. The bulk of the Maori population now resides in urban centers. Maori have been completely susceptible to the development values, priorities and policies of the successive governments. The most glaring example of this would be the devastating alienation of many tribes from their traditional lands due to the never ending need of successive governments to acquire lands for settlement and development purposes. Now, less than 5% of the total land mass is Maori owned and managed. 185 claims have been lodged by Maori tribes and individuals with the Waitangi Tribunal, the national body charged with hearing grievances arising from non-compliance with the Treaty of Waitangi. Of the 100 claims still outstanding, 90% of those relate to tribal/regional environment and development issues, particularly relating to land ownership and fisheries. Tribal developmental initiatives are still determined by regional and national policies. This factor along with the paucity of accurate and current tribal statistics have made any long term responsive and effective self-management development planning difficult to carry out. Instead, Maori as well as the rest of the national population have had to live with the development values of government. While the environment has been affected by such values, the destruction has been nowhere near as devastating as the effect such policies have had on the Maori population. Maori people are grossly disadvantaged socially, economically, culturally and healthwise. This is due in part to specific development and settlement schemes but can also be attributed to an often violent history of colonial domination. Maori have a lower life expectancy than other New Zealand nationals, they have one of the highest asthma death rates in the world, and high incidence of death due to various forms of cancer, especially lung cancer. Maori feature prominently as the labourers in many of our nation's development projects, and in particular pulp and paper mills and mining, and as such have been directly affected by negligent health and safety practices of their employers. Likewise pollution of our lands, waters and atmosphere caused by the very industries who employ Maori, is also a major concern. Our socio-economic situation often leaves Maori vulnerable. Some of the solutions for Maori, are common to other peoples: 1 The right to self-determination. 2 The settlement of outstanding land and resource grievances. 3 The active participation in all matters affecting livelihood. 4 Self-management of resources. 5 Self-management of the provision of health services and in particular health promotion. 6 Recognition and respect for traditional knowledge. 7 The provision of financial resources necessary to implement the above. 8 Access to and participation in relevant and appropriate education and training. BACKGROUND ON THE NATIONAL MAORI CONGRESS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. The National Maori Congress was formally established on 13 July, 1990 by the United Tribes of Aotearoa New Zealand. The geographic distribution of Congress covers the full territories, land and sea of Aotearoa New Zealand. Congress is made up of 45 participating tribes and bodies who in turn represent some 431,000, being the Maori population of Aotearoa New Zealand. Maori are the third largest indigenous population in the Pacific. 2. One of the major objectives of the National Maori Congress is to provide a national forum for participating tribes to address economic, social, cultural, environmental and political issues within a Maori framework, and to advance a unified national Maori position on significant policy matters both nationally and internationally. This is achieved through regular meetings of congress delegates (approximately 250), and through the ongoing work of ten committees set up to focus on the development of congress itself and to address significant issues on behalf of congress. 3. Congress was established to be administratively financially independent of the Crown and is therefore funded by its constituents. Tribes and other bodies pay an annual levy to support congress, but through its advisory work, it also contracts for services. This provides a cash flow allowing greater autonomy and a highly professional and coordinated approach to its work. 4. The congress committees concerned with specific issues are: JUSTICE, EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, FISHERIES, GOVERNMENT REVIEW and INTERNATIONAL. The remaining three committees are concerned with the administration and development of congress itself. All committees are staffed or convened by tribal nominated personnel and the work of all committees is referred back to the 45 participating congress tribes, for endorsement and further action. YEAR OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES 1993, AOTEAROA, NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL MAORI CONGRESS: Planned International Activities Aotearoa/New Zealand ================================================================== JANUARY 1 - 8, 1993 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES SOVEREIGNTY VENUE: HIKURANGI, RUATORIA CONTACT: TAMATI REEDY P.O. Box 5236 WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND Fax: 64-4-499-1418 JUNE 13 - 17, 1993 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INTELLECTUAL AND CULTURAL PROPERTY OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES VENUE: KOKOHINAU MARAE TE TEKO CONTACT: JOE MASON P.O. Box 76 WHAKATANE, NEW ZEALAND Fax: 64-7-307-0762 OTHER PLANNED INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FEBRUARY 3 - 7, 1993 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR INDIGENOUS WOMEN CONTACT: MARION ANTONIEVICH NATIONAL SECRETARY MAORI WOMENS WELFARE LEAGUE 24 BURNELL AVENUE, WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND Fax: 64-4-499-6802 FEBRUARY 12 - 18, 1993 INTERNATIONAL SPIRITUAL LEADERS CONFERENCE CONTACT: PAUL TAI R D 6 TAUMARUNUI AOTEAROA/NEW ZEALAND Fax: 64-7-895-9021 MARCH 1 - 15, 1992 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM OF WEAVERS CONTACT: TE WAKA TOI P.O. 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