From the CEO

Mā whero, mā pako, ka oti ai te mahi.
The task shall be achieved through unity.

I have recently attended my first Iwi Chairs Forum and was struck by how similar the concerns and issues of Ngāi Tahu are with this forum. The forum, which was this time hosted at Takahanga Marae in Kaikōura, was held against a backdrop of general elections and a returning National-led government – a government that is likely to have a busy programme of policy change and legislation, many of which will affect Māori.

For me, it reinforced the importance of relationships and partnering in general, and of iwi and indigenous co-operation specifically. There is strength in numbers. Ngāi Tahu cannot do everything alone and there is a commonality of issues and values that make co-operation sensible and powerful.

Education was one example. To quote National policy documents “good education is a game breaker” and yet the existing systems seem to be failing Māori children and have been doing so for generations. The education recovery plan for Canterbury though, along with current initiatives and a new secretary who has identified this area as a priority, create some hope for change. But that hope must be realised and the endorsement of education priorities by Iwi Chairs will hopefully support Ngāi Tahu efforts in this critical space (and vice versa). Hekia Parata has been named Minister of Education and she will bring a Māori perspective to this challenging area. Ngāi Tahu, along with other iwi, will look forward to meeting with her in her new role.

Affordable social housing is another issue. In Christchurch we have over 7000 residents leaving the “red zone” seeking new homes and we need that process to be as affordable as possible. Our own Whai Rawa scheme seeks to support increased homeownership by Ngāi Tahu. It’s a key issue and government is reviewing policy. At the forum, Iwi Chairs mandated the formation of an Iwi Leaders Group for housing that I expect will support our efforts.

In another sphere, we heard about the Rena disaster and the incredible efforts to not just “fix” the spill but to ensure proper government readiness and tangata whenua engagement, which will hopefully lead to lasting improved relationships. It’s a matter Ngāi Tahu can sympathise with and it’s an experience all iwi can share and learn from.

Rena has another dimension and that is it reminds us of the risks of mining. There is an Iwi Leaders Group on mining and I couldn’t help but note the following in the report to Iwi Chairs “…to adopt a precautionary approach….; only activities that can clearly demonstrate utmost environmental protection will be considered”. This is clearly another area with common interest and one Ngāi Tahu can learn from.

Of course, partnership lessons can be extended elsewhere. Ngāi Tahu are presently discussing co-governance of Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere and we can look north to learn from iwi experiences there. We have a dairy farming pilot and can learn from iwi with established farming experience. The list goes on and on.

In many ways all of this is comforting. We have our challenges but many others are walking the same path and that gives us strength.