March 23, 2018
Tikanga Maori crucial in new ministerial role
SIR TAIHAKUREI DURIE INTERVIEW
Maori Council chair Sir Taihakurei Durie believes the new Crown-Maori Relationships portfolio should be concerned with ensuring the crown acknowledges tikanga Maori and customary values – but he won’t hold his breath waiting for it to happen.
The Minister, Kelvin Davis, is consulting with Maori over the next month on how his new role should work.
Sit Taihakurei says he told Mr Davis the greatest need is for the crown to understand the Maori way of doing things.
The Government already has a department, Crown Law, to advise on whether it is acting within the law.
"What I would see happening under an ideal scheme would be a Government that sets up a Maori section to advise it on whether it would also be operating in accordance with Maori customary law," Sir Taihakurei says.
He expects Minister Davis will opt for a more narrow focus on working with post-settlement iwi on economic development projects.
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