Disconnection and reconnection: Jeremy Banks

 

This is Jeremy Banks.

 

Jeremy, Ngāti Rārua, Rangitāne, Ngāti Kuia, has a BSc (Hons) in Computer Science from the University of Otago and has had a successful career in software development. He is also involved in governance, initiated through the associate director governance succession program run by Wakatū Incorporation.

 

Jeremy has recently given evidence on our behalf in Stafford v Attorney-General.

He started by sharing his own story of reconnecting with the whenua.

 

“My story is a fairly typical one of disconnection and reconnection that my generation has to navigate as a result of our tūpuna losing their land and the resulting disconnection from our cultural identity.

 

It was not until I became an adult that I began the substantive journey of reconnection to my identity, to my language, to my whakapapa, to my whenua and most importantly to my whānau whānui.

 

Our stories of who we are, and our journeys of reconnection to overcome the historical injustices wrought by colonisation, also speak directly to why we are pursuing this Court case for our whānau and hapū.”

 

Jeremy’s evidence to the Court covered:

 

• The importance of continuing this case for the whānau and hapū.

 

• The engagement hui and wānanga that have taken place since 2017 with whānau, and the work that is planned following the trial to reconnect whānau to whakapapa and whenua.

 

• The fundamental principles and the core values that underpin this work, including kotahitanga, whanaungatanga and whakapapa to whenua.

Jeremy is also a member of the Te Here-ā-Nuku Working Commitee

 

Ngā mihi, Jeremy

 

Paul Morgan on our relationship with the Crown

 

This is Paul Te Poa Karoro Morgan, CNZM, QSO.

 

Paul, Ngāti Rārua, Te Māhurehure, has recently given evidence on our behalf in Stafford v Attorney-General.

 

Paul talked about our relationship with the Crown, citing examples where the Crown has been willing to settle with whānau and hapū groups to resolve long-standing matters like ours.

 

He described Making the Tenths Whole as his life’s work.

 

“The responsibility for seeking the return of our land and resources, the restoration of mana, lost income, and opportunities, has passed through many generations of our people.

 

There is still a great deal of work to be done to realise our full potential and to reconnect our people to their land and whakapapa so that they can assume their full rights and responsibilities as ahi kā.

 

I have devoted my life to making sure that justice is done. I sincerely hope that that can be achieved so that the next generation do not have to take up the fight.”

 

Paul is also a member of the Te Here-ā-Nuku Working Committee

 

Ngā mihi, Paul.

 

Nelson Tenths and the Nelson Weekly Leaders’ Debate

Johny O’Donnell pressed Nelson’s four political candidates to reveal their position on the Nelson Tenths during the Nelson Weekly Waimea Weekly Leaders’ Debate.

 

Here’s a few of his questions and comments.

 

To New Zealand Labour Party MP Rachel Boyack MP

 

• Why hasn’t your government picked up the phone or got around the table with the customary Māori owners?

 

• Is it good enough that the Government hasn’t formally engaged with whānau the entire time you’ve been in office?

 

• You’re the local MP so it’s entirely appropriate that you have a position on this. The largest budget allocation for Te Arawhiti – The Office of Māori Crown Relations – this year was $5m to fight local tangata whenua here in their own court case; it seems bizarre that you don’t have a stronger position on it.

 

To New Zealand National Party candidate Blair Cameron for Nelson

 

• You’ve got an opportunity tonight to actually throw your support behind resolving this case. On the other side of settlement of this case are huge economic opportunities for Nelson. Will you back the whānau as the Nelson candidate for National?

To ACT MP Chris Bailie

• Let’s go to the party of property rights, because this is a property claim. It’s the longest-standing property litigation against the Crown. Why don’t the ACT party step up and commit to resolving this property rights claim?

To Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand candidate Jace Hobbs

• The Green party has quite a bold policy around the return of whenua to Māori, so does the Green party stand with the whānau of the Nelson Tenths?

 

It’s crucial that we have clarity on the position our Nelson candidates take regarding our case. Listen to the candidates’ responses from 43m30s.

https://www.facebook.com/NelsonWeekly/videos/2031904590478738