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The Nature of Power - What exactly is power? This seemingly simple question lies at the heart of political and philosophical theory; entire corridors of social science departments commit wall space to graphically communicate the rich tapestry of theory and action associated with power; rivers, coal, the sun, even the wind have aspects of significance with the word power. But none of this tells us what power is. So what is power?
In a whanau, power can be seen in two forms – the power of relationships and the power bill that needs to be paid. In the power of relationships, every person interacts with one another based on factors like gender, age, birth place, association, appearance, temperament and interests; while we would hope that power exchanges are positive, they can sometimes be abused and used against others in subtle ways, as through the use of gentle manipulation for gain, or in ugly, brutal ways that result in harm, violence or death. The power bill is another something that is ugly, although most of us begrudgingly pay.
At work, power is almost nakedly displayed, as hierarchy, procedure and regulation are rigidly promoted and instilled. Often the underlying stream of thought is “power through unity and unity through conformity” (although thankfully, originality is a human inevitability). Perhaps this is a cynical view, but the exchange of goods and services is power-laden; not to mention the advertising and marketing of any service, the harvesting of goods, or how each employee communicates with their boss. And let's not forget about powerful companies and powerful people…
In the street, power is the electricity that turns the light red, it's the current that moves trains and buses, it's the ability to influence others, it's how people dress, it's the type of job one has. SNAP sang “I got the power!”, while rappers Public Enemy said “Fight the power!”; numerous entertainers have sung about “the power of love”, and Brother Jimmy Cliff spoke about “the power and the glory”.
In Aotearoa, power is interesting, because for the most part, it is invisible. Very few stand up and say they are the most powerful person in the country; equally, the most powerful forward pack often meets its match on any given day. Back in the day, the power of the Rangatira was often held in trust by the people, the power of the Tohunga rested in the elements. Today, Maori retain some vestiges of authority, but the power remains invisibly in the hands of Pakeha politicians, councilors and bureaucrats. However, in the next few months, that power could again be seen, with the holding of the Maori Electoral Option, and the power for Maori to participate in the democratic process.
But does any of this tell us what power is? I recall a lecturer from my first year sociology class saying that power can be seen as the ability to impose one's will upon others, and in the hardest applications of power, asserted on any who may resist; this definition matched true with my experience. But is my experience the experience? Is power relative? Or can power transcend human definition? Is power a math equation, is it related to strength, is it associated with influence or is it merely the measure in watts? Or is it all of the above? If you feel so inspired, why not send me your thoughts on power.
RANGIKAINGA would also like to kindly welcome the State Services Commission and their Treaty of Waitangi Unit to our digital online community. The Unit's aim is to increase the public's knowledge of the Treaty and Tiriti through the Treaty of Waitangi Information Programme. They are currently promoting their Te Tiriti o Waitangi site (in te Reo Maori) as well as their touring exhibition, Treaty 2 U. We greatly appreciate the work they do and encourage you take the time to check out their site.
Voting for the 2006 People's Choice Net Guide Web Awards began on 14 November 2005 and will close online at 5pm on 13 March 2006. We'd love if you took the time to vote for www.TangataWhenua.com as the Best Government or Community Site. Click on this link, enter your details and give us your vote! Kia ora e hoa ma.
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Te Houtaewa Kai Maori Food Festival, held between March 7-11 focuses on traditional kai preservation and cooking. There will be demonstrations and a different menu each day. On March 11 the Te Houtaewa 90 Mile Beach marathon honours the legend of the great athlete Te Houtaewa. Categories include a 60km ultra-marathon, a 42km marathon and a 6km walk for life. For more information phone (09) 408 6060. To register for the marathon, click here. Te Houtaewa Surf Challenge will be held in April and we'll bring you more on that in our next issue. It's hard not to miss the array of news reports that have been following the H5N1 virus, commonly known as the Bird Flu (similar to the strain which caused the Spanish Flu in 1918 - resulting in a large number of deaths here in Aotearoa). Latest reports indicate that the virus has arrived in continental Europe, most recently France and Germany, as well as reported outbreaks in Africa and India. Regardless of whether you think that Bird Flu is going to mutate resulting in a worldwide pandemic or simply a Roche inspired Y2K (i.e. a dud), the most important point to come out of this discussion is the need to be prepared! Whether it's a virus, an earthquake or tsumani we need to know how to deal with emergencies and disasters and the key to this is preparation. Now is a great time to sit down with your whanau and talk about the best way to deal with such events, whether it's a phone tree or a meeting point, take the time to educate yourselves and your family. The following are some websites and documents which may be of use with regards to Bird Flu: New Zealand Influenza Pandemic Draft Action Plan (41 pages), Ministry of Health Avian Influenza website, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Avian Flu Fact Sheet, World Health Organisation Avian Flu updates
 A hikoi to "raise awareness of the dangers of the drug P left Auckland on Monday 20th Feb and will converge on Parliament Grounds Thursday 23rd Feb. Marchers will sleep at marae in Hamilton, Rotorua and Otaki before arriving in Wellington on Thursday to lay wreaths on the steps of Parliament in memory of the lives lost to the drug". To read more click here. |
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 Although the housing market seems to be settling, the desire to own a home of one's own is still stronger then ever. If you are based in Invercargill and are a would-be home owner help is at hand. A series of free workshops about all the things first home buyers need to know is coming soon. The Home Ownership Education Programme supported by Housing New Zealand, will take people through the entire house buying process so they can carefully plan a successful move from renting to home ownership. The Home Ownership Education Programme is free to attend and run by Creative Solutions in conjunction with the Southern Institute of Technology. Registrations are being taken now, with the workshops commencing at the end of February. Daytime, evening and weekend options will be available. To register or make enquiries, contact Robin McCall at Creative Solutions. More programmes around the motu are set to take place and we will keep you updated.
Blue Bach Productions is seeking participants for the successful television series, Tatai Hono, on Maori Television. The television programme is aimed at reuniting people with their Whanau, their Hapu and Iwi. If you or anyone you know is interested, click here to download the questionnaire and email it by 27 February 2006 to: Huia Lambie, huialambie@paradise.net.nz. Their website is currently under construction but check back in the near future.  If you happen to be in the Wellington region, check out the Ko Tawa - Taonga from our Ancestral Landscapes at Pataka Museum in Porirua. The exhibition runs between March 1-31 and highlights the extraordinary taonga gifted to Captain Gilbert Mair during his work with Maori communities in the late 19th century. Unlike other collectors, Mair – having grown up amongst Maori – understood the importance of receiving such gifts. He ensured the associated narratives remained attached to the taonga after he passed them into the safe-keeping of the Auckland Museum in 1890. The exhibition includes a cloak evidently worn by Te Kooti and the flute used by Tutanekai to guide Hinemoa to Mokoia Island.
RANGIKAINGA sadly mourns the loss of Matua Wi Kuki Kaa, who died on Sunday 19 February, aged sixty-seven. Kaa was involved in New Zealand film, television and theatre, for over forty years. Over the years he appeared in a number of films, including Ngati, King Pin, Te Rua, Utu and most recently, River Queen. He worked in Australia for almost fifteen years. "He is remembered by his family as a character, and an inspiration". Nga Mihi... Nga Mihi... Nga Mihi...
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 The Stuff has reported that a group of Indigenous Canadians from the Big River First Nation are in New Zealand to learn what they can from Maori and apply it to their own millions of hectares of land (Galloway, 19 Feb). As well as tribal chiefs from the four corners of Canada, the First Nation group included Indian students from the Cree, Deni, Blackfoot and Algonquin tribes. Tribal chief Lyle Whitefish from Big River First Nation says a group of nine Indians has been in New Zealand for three weeks, observing and exploring Maori investment in fishing, forestry and land use. The group has met with Professor Mason Durie to discuss Maori land development and talked with Esther Tinirau who has recently completed her studies on Maori land corporations on the Whanganui River. To read the full article click here.
Trustee Training 2006 is available in March from Sat 11th to Tues 14th. If you are interested in attending, please contact Rachel Tata for an appointment to register. Remember it's a FREE 4 day intensive Trustee Training workshop! Take the opportunity, it's simple! Just contact Rachael Tata or phone 027 33 33 758 to register.  The next Tipu Ake Leadership Retreat is planned for 3-5 March and will be held at Te Whaiti Marae.
Are you looking for a organisational leadership capability building retreat that will challenge your team and stretch your boundaries? If so join Tipu Ake on an intellectual "Outward bound". Tipu Ake thinking aims to keep a balance between work and the rest of life, so workshops are run partly over the weekend to enable partners and family to participate in the rich experience.
Places are limited to 30 delegates plus whanau. Corporate costs per delegate is $300 and $150 per each accompanying person. Non-waged people and volunteer organisations - koha. For enquiries and to reserve your place call Peter at pgoldsbury@stratex.co.nz or phone 09 445 4454. | |||
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Further details, dates and venues of these hui can be found on NZ Notify's website. |
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Nga Kaihautu o Te Arawa Executive Council
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 The School of Maori and Pacific Development at the University of Waikato still has places available for those interested in the enrolling in a Post Graduate Diploma in Maori and Pacific Development. The diploma can be taken totally online either full time (2 papers a semester for one year) or part time (1 paper a semester over two years). The following papers are being offered in A semester (27 Feb - 2 Jun): Resource Issues and Comparative State Policies and Indigenous Development. Click here to view their 2006 Handbook. For more information contact SMPD's Academic Programme Manager, Louise Tainui.  The contestable round of the Knowledge Exchange Fund of Nga Pae o te Maramatanga (their website is currently under construction) opened on 13 February 2006. The round is open to all Maori researchers and research organisations and closes on 24 March 2006. Please note that there is limited funding available in this round and as such, successful proposals will impact positively on the key audiences and communities of Nga Pae o te Maramatanga. Those audiences/communities are: Maori communities; National communities; and Academic & International communities. Further information is contained in the guidelines and application form. For further information on this round or the Knowledge Exchange programme, please contact Programme Officer Donna Gardiner on 09 373 7599 ext:89119 or dn.gardiner@auckland.ac.nz. If you would like copies of the guidelines and application form please contact Anihera Rawiri.  The Maori Education Trust 2006 scholarship applications are now open and available for download. The following are now available: Secondary School Scholarships, Undergraduate Scholarships, Postgraduate Scholarships and Manaaki Tauira applications (click to download). |
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 Statistics New Zealand, recently reported in their 2006 Census E-Panui that they, will be making an effort for Census 2006 to include rangatahi Maori, who research suggests seem to be largely unaware of what the census is. A recent survey showed that three out of four rangatahi Maori had never heard of the census. As a significant part of the Maori population and an important part of the future labour force, they have been identified as a critical audience to reach.
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In response to this, Statistics NZ has appointed two Mangai Rangatahi (youth ambassadors) to get out the message that "census night on 7 March 2006 is the time for rangatahi Maori to stand up and be counted". The two Mangai Rangatahi, based in Auckland and Wellington, will be explaining to rangatahi how the data gathered from the census affects their lives and how important it is to answer all the questions on the census form. 
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 The New Zealand Herald (19 Feb) reported that "Teachers Eastern are hoping the lure of the TV cameras will help them field an all-Maori team in this year's Auckland club competition. The Herald on Sunday revealed last year that Maori playing numbers have been in decline for the last decade with less than 2000 of Auckland's 19,000 registered players from either Pakeha or Maori descent." "Teachers Eastern, whose Orakei Domain ground is on Ngati Whatau land, have been aware of the decline in Maori numbers for some time now and are looking to field a Maori Under-85kg team when club rugby kicks off in April." "Should they find enough numbers - approval has been granted by the local iwi, as well as the Auckland and New Zealand Rugby Unions - the team could be the subject of a reality TV show that will follow their fortunes. The idea behind the show is to highlight the ups and downs, struggles and successes, as well as the social and cultural side of an all-Maori team." We'll keep you posted!  Sporting Greats are cracking the CODE on Maori Television. Legendary Kiwi sporting greats are making a comeback on Maori Television for the second season of the sports entertainment show CODE. Rugby league giants Tawera Nikau and Ritchie Barnett join former Silver Fern Jenny-May Coffin, Warriors' star Wairangi Koopu and rugby representative Matua Parkinson to present the programme every week. Former All Black Glen Osborne will be a newcomer to the CODE couch - recently returning from a stint playing rugby in Japan. Catch the premiere of CODE on Maori Television on Thursday February 23 at 8.30pm.
 For Waka Ama enthusiasts, the Hauraki Hoe 2006 is a 64km outrigger canoe race that circum-navigates the inner islands of the Waitemata Harbour, Auckland, New Zealand. The Hauraki Hoe is the first race on the international calendar of marathon outrigger canoe races. This year the race is being held on the 11th of March. Race entries close 24th February 2006. Click here for the Hauraki Hoe application. Check out these links to view course details and to read about the history of the Hauraki Hoe, click here.
 Just a reminder that the Waka Ama IVF Va'a World Sprint Championships are taking place between 21-25 March at Lake Karapiro. Every two years teams from around the world meet to determine the best Va'a paddlers in the world. This year will see over 5,000 paddlers compete over a 4 days, an event not to be missed. For more information contact Ben Hemi, 07 846 0404, benjamin.hemi@eventeam.co.nz or check out their fantastic website. | |
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Managing Director: Potaua Biasiny-Tule RANGIKAINGA Web Site: http://www.tangatawhenua.com/rangikainga.htm Copyright © 2006 RANGIKAINGA Indigenous Media Network Limited. All Rights Reserved.
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