Mana Motuhake wants responsibility by the Maori People

Tu Tangata, Issue 3, 1 November 1981, Page 12

Mana Motuhake wants responsibility by the Maori People

Matiu Rata

“The primary objective of Mana Motuhake is to transform New Zealand in its active practices and laws to reflect the true nature of a bi-cultural country.’ ’

MM believes in achieving commercial prosperity by advancing with co-operative means, enterprise and control and ownership. MM seeks equality not conformity and believes the rights of the family must be restored. The present insistence on the rights of the individual must give way to family and collective decisions and obligations. At present the Maori people are almost homeless, landless, aimless, jobless with the suggestion of helpless. MM is now going to establish political rights to insist upon changes that will define Maoris as an entity and not the present mushed-up version that constitutes a mono-cultural New Zealand. Furthermore MM seeks a social order based on our forefathers, an order that sees Maoris sharing responsibility and obligations.

Land As land is economic and social power, MM wants to encourage Maori land holding and to this end would work to see that not less than 10 per cent of New Zealand’s total land holdings would stay in Maori ownership. It wants the government to return all Maori land wrongfully taken. As the biggest alienator of land is leases, we want all forestry leases renegotiated, and the State forbidden to lease Maori land without the unanimous consent of the owners. The return of Grown land would

be allied to employment creation for our own people. MM would encourage Maori authorities to cooperate in this field so that Maori enterprise could flourish with the establishment of insurance, finance and banking facilities. The high unemployment of the Maori people means that Maoris have got to be more responsible for themselves. MM would, offer wage incentives, tax concessions, suspensory loans and government contracts to employers who advertise the fact that they’re an equal opportunity employer. Active recruitment of Maoris would also take place in government departments and public authorities with the Maori Training Board being attached to the Vocational Guidance Service to encourage more skilled Maoris. Families

Families are taking a beating in this day and age and the uncertainty facing youth today makes it imperative that the strength of the New Zealand family is reasserted. In the economic sense this would be encouraged by making families eligible for suspensory loans and trading licences etc. We believe family business as opposed to small business should be supported to make it possible for families to be involved economically, socially and culturally. Restore Power To foster the decision-making and

responsibility needed by the Maori people MM wants to restore the power of tribal assemblies to cover those areas related to affairs of the Maori people. Thus the Bill of Rights should be made to include protection for customary inheritance of the Maori, at the moment the Bill favours the individual. If Mana Motuhake’s request is ignored, it will push ahead with its demand for the ratification of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Media We believe Te Reo O Aotearoa should be given full broadcasting status as it was previusly set up to be and Maori authorities should be encouraged to apply for radio and television broadcasting licences. MM believes the Maori people have a right to be part of the decisionmaking when it comes to broadcasting Maori programmes. As the media considerably influences society, MM believes an advertising levy should be imposed to ensure that 10 per cent of advertising revenue goes into promoting human and family worth. In the education field there is great need for co-operation between learning institutions and Maori assemblies. We believe a cultural exchange of not just the Maori language, but also Maori values must take place because the New Zealand citizen is entitled to a dual heritage. Encouraging this Mana Motuhake would expand alternative schooling and second chance education. Mana Motuhake is a homegrown philosophy that’s an integral part of New Zealand. It doesn’t advocate separatism or apartheid. However first it must gain the support of the Maori people. “There are no free rides on the Mana Motuhake canoe, only free paddles. Dip your paddle into the water and let’s go.”