October 24, 2013
Urban advocates take on tribal aristocrats
Urban Maori advocate Willie Jackson is in the High Court today challenging his failure to be appointed to the Auckland Maori Statutory Board.
The appointments panel, which consists of iwi in the Tamaki Collective, picks seven mana whenua representatives and two members to represent maataa waka of people from iwi outside Auckland.
The panel reappointed the two members from the first term, Waipareira chief executive John Tamihere and Papakura Marae manager Tony Kake.
Mr Jackson says it failed to take into account the views of maataa waka.
He filed nine documents supporting his application, including from marae, the Mormon and Destiny churches, Maori wardens and the Maori council – while Mr Kake filed none.
Mr Tamihere says he’s supporting the action because it’s important the panel picks the best people to advocate for all Maori in the super city.
"On mandate alone in terms of support from our communities, Willie had it ahead of anybody else. Now what that Iwi Electoral College did was grossly unfair, discriminantory and prejudicial to our rights. We're not going to tolerate new tribal aristocrats running over the top of us when they've already got the lions share anyway," he says.
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