REPORT FROM THE NATIONAL IWI CHAIRS FORUM

A large contingent from Ngāti Kahu attended the Te Ātiawa o te Waka a Māui hosted National Iwi Chairs Forum (NICF) hui at Waikawa (Picton) from October 31^st to November 1^st where a number of important matters were considered, including:

(a)    Freshwater: The Freshwater group has received legal advice that it has a strong case to take to the courts over ownership of freshwater and the Forum supported this action being taken. Tainui is leading this work.

(b)    Climate Crisis: In addition to taking legal action against the Crown in this country, the Climate Change group Chair, Mike Smith, is also taking legal action against the Austrian company OMV in the International Criminal Court (which sits in The Hague, Netherlands). OMV is the large international oil-drilling company that is drilling off the Taranaki coast.

(c)     Data: The Forum’s Data group has managed to negotiate an agreement on how Statistics NZ is to engage with them. It is called Mana Ōrite (Equal Authorities) and requires each party to have equal standing and respect for each other in the work they do. It took a multiplicity of approaches and strategies to achieve this agreement.

(d)    Pou Tikanga:  Despite the Tiriti Framework agreed to by the government and the Statement of Engagement between the Crown and the Forum, the government is effectively ignoring it.  

The Forum also delivered the following key statement to the government party when they came on the final day of  the hui.

NATIONAL IWI CHAIRS FORUM KEY STATEMENT

·         Under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Crown is obligated to engage iwi early, meaningfully and effectively on any matter affecting iwi, hapū and whānau.

·         The National Iwi Chairs Forum provides a forum for the Crown to work alongside member iwi on improving delivery of this obligation, while maintaining the mana and independence of all iwi of the motu.

·         The Forum notes that the Prime Minister and the Crown have made commitments over 2019 to a relationship with the Forum that the Crown has not fulfilled.

·         Meanwhile the Crown has embarked on several important policy decisions over 2019 without direct input from the Iwi of the motu and without regard for our individual settlement legislation and in the absence of any discernible plan for engagement with Iwi.

·         This situation leaves the Forum member iwi considering taking direct courses of action to address the serious derogation of Crown obligations to iwi under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

·         This statement serves as notice to the Crown of this situation.

Finally, the forum unanimously supported the government being asked to issue a statement repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery. The Forum will be writing to Jacinda Ardern asking her to issue a statement repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery.

The next Forum hui is set for 4th and 5th February 2020 and will be hosted by Ngapuhi in Waitangi.  The Forum asked that its February hui spend the bulk of its time determining strategic priorities. Ngāpuhi as hosts will determine how best that can be achieved.