INDEPENDENT NEWS

Iwi Strategic Planning - Tariana Turia Speech

Published: Mon 24 Feb 2003 09:41 AM
22 February 2003 Speech Notes
Iwi Strategic Planning
Speech to Te Rünanga O Raukawa, Tatum Park, Waikawa
E nga mana, e nga reo o tenei rohe, tena koutou katoa.
Ngati Raukawa, karanga mai, karanga mai, mihi mai.
It is a great privilege to be asked to attend and address you today.
The privilege lies in the fact that Ngäti Raukawa are exemplars and leaders in strategic planning.
In 1975 the Raukawa Trustees put their stake in the ground with Whakatupuranga Rua Mano.
This weekend you are once again setting the foundation for Ngäti Raukawa, albeit for a shorter period.
Whakatupuranga Rua Mano
The aim of Whakatupuranga Rua Mano was to assist the iwi and hapü of the confederation to prepare for the twenty-first century. It is useful to remind ourselves of the four key principles of Whakatupuranga Rua Mano, which were described in 1975:
1. That the marae is our principal home and, as such, it must be well serviced and maintained and thoroughly respected. It is the place where distinguished manuhiri (visitors) are to be extended hospitality and where extended families meet for significant events.
2. That the language, as a deeply treasured taonga left by the Mäori ancestors of New Zealand, is to be protected from further decline and our activities must guarantee revival.
3. That the people are our wealth and that their development and retention is more important that the development and retention of any other tangible resource.
4. That we will strive to govern ourselves. (That all decisions of significance to the confederation and its people be subject to initiatives or responses from and close scrutiny by the Trustees or their representatives.)
Whakatupuranga Rua Mano is outstanding because the visions were;
- so simple but far sighted for the time,
- absolutely achievable,
- still valid, and
- determined by the needs and visions of the Iwi and hapu.
Tino Rangatiratanga
The vital link between Whakatupuranga Rua Mano and what you are undertaking is the capacity of Ngai Raukawa to be self-determining.
I firmly believe that tangata whenua succeed where they identify and determine their own direction.
It is absolutely vital for Raukawa to determine your own directions, objectives and strategies for achieving them.
Government’s response to self determination
It is clear that mainstream services haven’t worked for Mäori.
Policies which were designed to assist Mäori have failed when they did not take into account the traditional whänau, hapü and iwi structures of society, in which power comes from the people on the ground.
I believe that it is time to recognise and support whänau, hapü and iwi to find their own solutions.
The government has a commitment to supporting self determined Maori development, e.g. “the purpose of the state sector strategy for Mäori capacity building was to mobilize and co-ordinate “whole of government” support …. for responding effectively to the needs and priorities of whänau, hapü, iwi, Mäori organizations and Mäori communities”.
Government agencies can resource where necessary, but our development is in our hands, and we must take the initiative.
That is why it is heartening to see you all here today…. participating and voicing your opinions.
Project Tu Rangatira - a Local Level Solutions project
The Government’s response to needs identified earlier by Ngäti Raukawa was to approve funding for Project Tu Rangatira.
The approved project was for Te Rünanga O Raukawa to employ and train hapu coordinators who will be responsible for assisting hapu to access social, economic and cultural services by providing a rapid response system of whänau support.
It is very heartening to see that the outcome sought is the provision of whänau support and development.
I am very keen to see some movement on this project. If the project needs to change from what was originally identified then please work with Te Puni Kokiri to find a way to make those changes.
Be aware, though, that if the project changes too much from the original then we may need Cabinet approval.
Whänau and hapu development
I think the challenge for the runanga today is how to develop and strengthen the whänau of Ngäti Raukawa.
Whänau are the foundation of Maori, they are the source of identity, security, support and strength.
Whänau development is where you can make the most significant differences in the situation for Maori in the future, for our tamariki and mokopuna.
Project Tu Rangatira seeks to support and develop whänau and is a great step; let’s get it working.
The key is to get past just supporting whänau in need, and to work with them to identify and develop their aspirations. The aspirations of whanau will provide strategic direction for the iwi as a whole.
Let us not forget that in the past, our iwi functioned quite well, thank you very much, without trust boards, incorporated societies or statutory bodies!
Historically, those bodies were established to facilitate iwi dealings with the Crown, so officialdom had the corporate entity and ‘legal personality’ that they needed to engage with us. Iwi authorities have mediated between the Crown and the people on the ground, and delivered to the people whatever benefits have been offered by a relationship with the Crown.
However, to get the financial and other rewards of those relationships, iwi authorities and Maori service providers have to respond to the Crown’s policy priorities and accountability requirements.
In some cases, the needs of the people on the ground have come second, and I can think of several effective organisations that have collapsed under the burden of their obligations to the Crown, or the contradictions of their dual accountability.
While our corporate iwi authorities can do corporate planning very well, our whanau are not part of a corporate culture. They are 100% indigenous. That is their great strength, and their value to our future.
Article 23 of the UN Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples says:
“Indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for exercising their right to development. In particular, indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop all health, housing and other economic and social programmes affecting them and, as far as possible, to administer such programmes through their own institutions.”
Let us build on our traditional structures and values, and recognise and promote customary leadership, to ensure our cultural integrity.
Whanau planning is indigenous planning. Without the active involvement of whanau, iwi organisations are like houses built on shifting sands. If the runanga can find ways to broaden the involvement of whänau and hapu in planning and development, then you can expect to consolidate and entrench the changes that have happened within your iwi in the last 25 years, and strengthen your foundations for the future.
Conclusion
I spoken about just a few of the fabulous things that you have done and opportunities ahead of you.
- Whakatupuranga Rua Mano was incredibly far-sighted and successful.
- Project Tu Rangatira is an opportunity for whanau and hapu development determined by you.
- This planning process also offers tremendous opportunities.
- The challenge today is how the runanga can continue to develop and strengthen the whänau and hapu of Ngäti Raukawa.
I’d like to quote from the 1990 Human Development Report, in which the UN Development Programme said:
“The real wealth of a nation is its people. And the purpose of development is to create an enabling environment for people to enjoy long, healthy and creative lives. This simple but powerful truth is too often forgotten in the pursuit of material and financial wealth.”
And with that, I’d like to encourage you to take this opportunity to:
- Identify your true needs as whänau, hapu and iwi,
- Keep your goals high, and
- Be innovative with your solutions.
I congratulate you for being here today and I look forward to seeing the results - both the strategic plan, and the results for the whänau, hapu and iwi of Ngäti Raukawa.
No reira, kia kaha koutou, kia ora tatou katoa.

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