Maori Counselling Article by Rawiri Waretini Karena

Kia ora all please find attached a link to a journal article posted in the MAI journal entitled "TAKITORU: FROM PARALLEL TO PARTNERSHIP: A ritual of engagement based on Te Tiriti o Waitangi for implementing safe cultural practice in Māori counselling and social science" by Rawiri (David) Waretini Karena, who is a tutor (faculty) teaching on the Te Whiuwhiu o te Hau Maori Counselling Degree program at Wintec (Waikato Institute of Technology), Hamilton, Aotearoa New Zealand. This article provides insight into practices and approaches of cultural safety practices in Maori counselling as well as highlights the creativity of faculty professors who are endeavouring to create models for best practice with Indigenous peoples. A good read, Taima It can be found under Mai Journal: 2012, Volume 1, Issue 1 at: http://www.journal.mai.ac.nz/content/takitoru-parallel-partnership

new book: Talking Back, Talking Forward

Talking Back, Talking Forward: Journeys in Transforming Indigenous Educational Practice (2011) is a new book edited by Greg Williams and printed by Charles Darwin University Press. It is made up of selected papers from the 6th International Conference on Indigenous Education: Pacific Rim Cairns Conference Australia in December 2010. I was privileged to attend this conference and learn from the many educators dedicated to Indigenous education in their countries. The following is our article which is in the new book: Dr Sheila Cote-Meek and Dr Taima Moeke-Pickering: Indigenous Pedagogies and Transformational Practices. Taima

Steve Jobs: A Biography

kia ora while holidaying in the Caribbean, I had a chance to read something that I consider to be non-academic. The book was Steve Jobs: A Biography by Walter Isaacson. I initially read the book for inspiration, as he was the main figurehead, visionary and initiator behind Apple/MacIntosh. However, what I got from this book is a couple of things: Simplicity is Sophistication and the ability to weave two worldviews, between artists and technology. The latter is about bringing two worldviews together to create a mechanism that would be useful to the world. This book to me was awesome, great, insightful and powerful. If you are looking to read beyond our normal academic sphere, I would recommend this book. Taima

Book: Realizing the UN Declaration and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Triump, Hope and Action

kia ora the following is a new book: Spring 2010. Edited by Jackie Hartley, Paul Joffe and Jennifer Preston called Realizing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Triump, Hope and Action. The contributors to this collection analyze the development of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, recall the triump of its adoption, and illustrate the hopes and actions for its implementation. The discussion moves beyond Canadian borders, providing accessible information and guidance on the Declaration and how it can be used to advance human rights around the world. Purich Publishing Ltd.

Tariana Turia: Open letter to New Zealand

Kia ora, This is an awesome letter and explanation of Te Tiriti O Waitangi and its positioning in NZ economic, political, social and cultural usage. Awesome, Tau Ke Tariana, Taima Tariana Turia: Open letter to NZ By Tariana Turia 10:30 AM Monday Feb 6, 2012 NZ Herald In writing to you, I take my lead from Sir Graham Latimer. Twenty-four years ago, he published a full page advertisement in major newspapers throughout the land. His letter included the English text of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. He wrote to the people, telling them what they had told him - that the Treaty had no meaning, for most New Zealanders it lacked any relevance to their lives. Sir Graham begged to differ. He did so on the basis of 24 words, encapsulated in section nine of the State-Owned Enterprises Act 1986. "Nothing in this law shall permit the Crown to act in a manner that is inconsistent with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi." With those words, a platform was established for Treaty jurisprudence; but more importantly the pathway to nationhood which enables all of us to call New Zealand home. Out of those words have emerged far-reaching decisions in education, land, te reo Maori, in forestry, in radio, in television. They have, in many respects, defined our nation, ensuring that Maori have the same right as others to the protection of the law; recognising their unique distinctiveness as tangata whenua and as one of two partners to the Treaty. And vitally, it reminds us all of the constitutional significance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi as instructing us how to live together as Treaty partners. Protecting the special character of our "home" has been at the essence of the action we have taken last week. I am not one prone to idle threats. Only one month into the 50th Parliament, the last thing anyone would have wanted would be disruption as is now likely. But to be honest, we never contemplated that the Government would dare to throw into question a legislative clause which many have described as establishing the foundation for a treaty-based nation. Section nine. One sentence of law that changed, forever, the landscape of the Treaty debate that shapes our nation. Those words provided the basis for placing the Treaty at the heart of our ongoing growth as a nation. I talk about our concept of home. When we think "treaty" it is so often in familial terms. We refer to Waitangi as the birthplace of the nation; the signing of the Treaty as the birth of this land we know as Aotearoa. And so it was not surprising to read a description of the key players in the 1987 Lands Case as "parents". Justice Sir David Baragwanath, who as QC led Sian Elias and Martin Dawson for the plaintiffs in New Zealand Maori Council v Attorney-General, has written powerfully about the significance of that case as a turning point in our history. In his contribution to the "In Good Faith" symposium of June 2007, he traced the impeccable lineage of the key players involved some 20 years earlier. He named several true parents of the Maori Council case: Dame Whina Cooper, the matriarch of the 1975 land march; Matiu Rata, the visionary behind the Waitangi Tribunal; Nganeko Minhinnick, the driving force in the Manukau claim. We must never forget the heroic courage of Sir Graham Latimer, or as Sir Howard Morrison once said, "the bloke who mortgaged his farm in 1987, with Lady Emily's support, to take on the Crown". The chairman of the Maori Council - and Maori vice-president of the National Party from 1981 to 1992 - Sir Graham has done much to bring the Treaty into focus for us all. Our home today in Aotearoa owes so much to these people who dared to have the audacity to believe, "in good faith", that the Treaty was worth fighting for. It has been so disappointing that the advice the Prime Minister received last week did not enable him to see the magnitude of section nine. It was a mistake to suggest that section nine was "largely symbolic" and to extrapolate further that it had not even been used. Frankly, it missed the point. Numerous commentators have proven otherwise - that section nine led directly to the more empowering provisions of sections 27a-d in the State-Owned Enterprises Act; it had direct bearing on the coal case, the broadcasting assets case that was central to the creation of Maori Television; the New Zealand Maori Council's settlement over the forestry assets. And, as public law specialist Mai Chen said in the Herald recently, it was the starting point of "an incremental but significant constitutional change in New Zealand". The encouraging advice that nothing should permit the Crown to act in a manner that was inconsistent with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi provided clarity to the courts; it enabled them, for the first time, to test the actions of the Crown against the principles of the Treaty. Although the statute stands as an important testimony to the power of the Lands Case, it is the ongoing journey towards nationhood that has kept me awake over this last week. And so to coin a phrase, I believe that the elegant way forward that is being sought comes back, ironically, to the nub of the debate over section nine. Over this last week, I have thought back to the legacy of the leadership that brought the lands case to fruition. These were people in our living memory; too many are no longer with us, but their imprint will never die. They had an expectation of us that we will uphold the importance of the Treaty relationship; an expectation that I cannot ignore. The representations made to Government at that time were hard fought for. We must honour the legacy of those who campaigned to create the constitutional guarantee to Maori that has arisen through interpretation of the Treaty principles. Any diminution of section nine would be mana-diminishing for the Crown and the people she represents. There are times when you know that the essence of all you believe in will be undermined by a particular action - and you have to make a stand. This is one of those times. We have no option but to stand strong on this matter; to take other New Zealanders along with us; to have faith in our foundations as a nation. Section nine is not just a technical provision in law. At its core, it is about people talking together for our common good. For the fundamental import of section nine was the pathway it provided for the creation of principles which have influenced the courts, settlement legislation and indeed our most intimate and meaningful relationships between Maori and the Crown. Those principles included themes of partnership, protection and participation; they represent the ultimate expression of good faith; of being fair to one another; of acting honourably. The principles outline a prescription for a relationship which is central to our constitution; an exquisite blueprint for a nation in which kawanatanga and rangatiratanga sit alongside each other. There is a natural tension between these two forces which must be resolved in each case as it occurs. The nation should expect this from time to time. The Treaty provides a framework for how we might be. And quite simply, that's worth fighting for. - Na, Tariana By Tariana Turia

UN Conduct Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women in Canada

Kia ora This is awesome news although in saying this, its a shame that it took so long for the government to do something about it. Taima NWAC Press Release – For Immediate Release Ottawa, ON (December 13, 2011) – UN Will Conduct Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women in Canada (Ottawa) The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has decided to conduct an inquiry into the murders and disappearances of Aboriginal women and girls across Canada. The Committee, composed of 23 independent experts from around the world, is the UN’s main authority on women’s human rights. The Committee’s decision was announced today by Jeannette Corbiere Lavell, President of the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC), and Sharon McIvor of the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA). The inquiry procedure is used to investigate what the Committee believes to be very serious violations of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. In January and in September 2011, faced with the continuing failures of Canadian governments to take effective action in connection with the murders and disappearances, FAFIA and NWAC requested the Committee to launch an inquiry. Canada has signed on to the treaty, known as the Optional Protocol to the Convention, which authorizes the Committee to investigate allegations of “grave or systematic” violations of the Convention by means of an inquiry. Now that the Committee has formally initiated the inquiry, Canada will be expected to cooperate with the Committee’s investigation. “FAFIA and NWAC requested this Inquiry because violence against Aboriginal women and girls is a national tragedy that demands immediate and concerted action,” said Jeannette Corbiere Lavell. “Aboriginal women in Canada experience rates of violence 3.5 times higher than non-Aboriginal women, and young Aboriginal women are five times more likely to die of violence. NWAC has documented the disappearances and murders of over 600 Aboriginal women and girls in Canada over about twenty years, and we believe that there may be many more. The response of law enforcement and other government officials has been slow, often dismissive of reports made by family members of missing women, uncoordinated and generally inadequate.” “These murders and disappearances have their roots in systemic discrimination and in the denial of basic economic and social rights” said Sharon McIvor of FAFIA. “We believe that the CEDAW Committee can play a vital role not only in securing justice for the women and girls who have died or disappeared, but also in preventing future violations, by identifying the action that Canadian governments must take to address the root causes. Canada has not lived up to its obligations under international human rights law to prevent, investigate and remedy violence against Aboriginal women and girls.” “The Committee carried out an inquiry into similar violations in Mexico five years ago and we expect the process will follow the same lines here in Canada,” said McIvor. “Mexico invited the Committee’s representatives to make an on-site visit and during the visit the representatives interviewed victim’s families, government officials at all levels, and NGOs. The Committee’s report on the inquiry spelled out the steps that Mexico should take regarding the individual cases and the systemic discrimination underlying the violations. Mexican women’s groups say that the Committee’s intervention helped to spur Government action and we hope to see the same result here in Canada, said McIvor.” Download PDF press release. For further information, please contact: Jeannette Corbiere Lavell, President, Native Women’s Association of Canada, Tel.: 613-899-2343

Attawapiskat Chief on notice of Third Party Intervention

Kia ora, it is a sad day when an Indian Agent assumes to take control of a crisis in First Nations territories and uses concepts such as third party intervention to intervene. This speaks alot to the way First Nations are treated in their own lands. This reeks to me of Governments who believe that their Indigenous peoples are likened to "wards of the state", as if they have no mind, no capacity to make decisions and no ability to resolve. Amazing!!! Taima Statement by Attawapiskat Chief and Council on notice of Third Party intervention ATTAWAPISKAT, ON – December 1, 2011 – On November 30, 2011, an official acting on behalf of Joanne Wilkinson, Regional Director General for Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada hand delivered to Chief Theresa Spence, a letter indicating that the Department was exercising its authority under the terms of the signed funding agreement with the First Nation to appoint a “Third Party Manager” to handle the affairs of the First Nation citing the health and safety of the community members. This rationale is mere political deflection as the conditions cited by the Department are present in numerous other First Nations communities, and this rational has been used by the Department to silence us when we brought these conditions to the attention of Canadian society. There are examples across Canada where Third Party Managers are allowing similar conditions to exist while offering little or no aide to their appointed First Nation communities. The communication of the decision to appoint a modern day Indian Agent was done by a Departmental official who interrupted a planning meeting of the communities’ emergency planning team, who were in the midst of implementing a strategy to assist the people living in tent frames and shacks. Chief Spence upon receiving the notification was incensed by actions of Aboriginal Affairs Canada, not only by interrupting a meeting of the communities’ emergency team, but also by the cited reasons for the imposition of an Indian Agent. Chief Spence expressed surprise that after over a month of inaction, the Harper government has elected to blame the poorest of Canadian society rather than to offer assistance. Chief Spence said “It is incredible that the Harper Government’s decision is that instead of offering aide and assistance to Canada’s First Peoples, their solution is to blame the victim, and that the community is guilty, and deserving of their fate.” Chief Spence also expressed concern about comments recently made in the House of Commons, regarding the funding levels claimed to be received by the Attawapiskat First Nation. Based on an analysis of the funding received by the First Nation, from the Department the amount received by the First Nation is in the range of $10,000 per capita on an annual basis for each on Reserve member, not the $50,000 as stated in the house and media. We have tabulated figures from 2005 to 2011 that clearly indicates the funding received is well below poverty line in Ontario. Housing and minor capital is a mere 6.5% ($6M over 6 years) of the $94M received over the 6 year period. The funding received by the First Nation is not distributed to on Reserve members as individuals. It is used to provide specific services, and programs for the benefit and use of on Reserve members. This is based on statistics maintained by the Indian Registry maintained by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. The First Nation has completed all of the necessary reporting requirements of the Department, including receiving unqualified annual audits for the funds received from the Department for the past six years. All of these have been reviewed, and have been accepted by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. If the Government of Canada wishes to re-examine the audits previously accepted by the Department, the First Nation will welcome, and cooperate fully with the exercise, and the true costs to operate in a remote, northern environment will be quantified. The taxpayers of Ontario and Canada should be made aware that the majority o the $94M received to support the Attawapiskat First Nation over the past six years from Aboriginal Affairs does not remain or circulate in our community. The majority of these funds go to support the greater economy of Northern Ontario and Canada for goods, materials, services, contractors, legal advice and auditing services to mention a few, which in turn support urban northern communities such as Timmins, Sudbury, Sault Ste Marie, Thunder Bay, North Bay, Toronto, Kenora and Winnipeg to name a few. The majority of these firms are non Aboriginal tax-payers. These are the very issues facing the community of Attawapiskat , and many other First Nation communities in Canada’s hinterland. Chief Spence has said, “On our traditional lands, that we once shared in the past with the visitors to our land, our lands, have proven to be bountiful in natural resources, and have been a benefit to all of Ontario, and Canada, but we were left behind. In our territory, we have a world class diamond mine, the pride of the Canadian, and Ontario governments as well as De Beers Canada. They have every right to be proud of that mine, but each party has failed to acknowledge the First Nation peoples who continue to use the land as our grandparents did.” While they reap the riches, my people shiver in cold shacks, and are becoming increasingly ill, while precious diamonds from my land grace the fingers, and necklaces of Hollywood celebrities and the mace of the Ontario legislature. My people deserve dignity, humane living conditions, for that our community asked for the assistance from my fellow citizens, for our simple request for human dignity, the government’s decision was to impose a colonial Indian Agent. Minister John Duncan has missed an opportunity to alter the relationships with First Nations across this country, and to renew the positive values of being a member of Canadian society. Prime Minister Harper has forgone another opportunity to build upon the good will developed from Canada’s National Apology for the abuses of the residential school system, a once in a generation opportunity. Governments of the past respected our Peoples by negotiating and honouring Treaty Agreements, this government does not have the same perspective. The United Nations Declaration on Indigenous Peoples, of which Canada is a signatory, outlines the obligations to maintain, and to ensure the position of my people. My First Nation has received generous support from the Canadian public, and many corporate sponsors who wish to address the concerns of my community, for which we are grateful. We have reached out to other First Nations in Ontario, and Canada, who share our concerns about the broken promises of Treaties, and lack of resource sharing for the wealth taken from our traditional Homelands. The era of not listening to the concerns of our people is at an end. This is the beginning..... For Additional information contact Chief Theresa Spence 705-997-2166 Theresa.spence@attawapiskat.org