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Strengthening the focus on whānau, hapū and iwi, and consolidating Māori leadership, are the key principles underpinning the proposed new Māori Language Strategy which the Minister of Māori Affairs, Hon Dr Pita Sharples, has released today for consultation with Māori language stakeholders.

“Te reo Māori is the cornerstone of our Māori culture and identity. We must look to new approaches to continue our journey of language revitalisation in order for it to survive,” said Dr Sharples.

The Minister of Maori Affairs today pays tribute to the descendants of Te Whakatōhea rangatira, Mokomoko, and welcomes the passing of the 3rd reading of  the Mokomoko (Restoration of Character, Mana, and Reputation) Bill.

“The passing of this Bill marks the end of a long journey for Te whānau a Mokomoko, who have fought to restore the character, mana, and reputation of their tipuna Mokomoko, who was tried, convicted and executed for his alleged role in the murder of Rev Carl Sylvius Volkner,” said Dr. Sharples.

The Government has received the Constitutional Advisory Panel’s final report which recommends that the conversation about New Zealand’s constitutional arrangements should continue, Deputy Prime Minister Bill English and Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples say.

The 12-member independent panel spent more than six months having a conversation with New Zealanders about  our constitutional arrangements. These included the role of the Treaty of Waitangi, Maori representation in Parliament and local government, the Bill of Rights Act and other matters.

Te Puni Kōkiri will have an enhanced strategic and leadership role across government, as part of changes announced by the Minister of Māori Affairs, Dr. Pita Sharples today.

“There will be changes to refocus Te Puni Kōkiri’s core functions, which will position them better to lead the Crown-Māori relationship into the future, and to help the Crown deliver greater results for Māori,” said Dr. Pita Sharples.

“The changes reflect the fact that Te Puni Kōkiri’s work has become too thinly spread.”

Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Education Minister Hon Dr Pita Sharples confirmed today that the Independent Review of Public Funding to Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust Board is underway.

“A lot of work has been completed to establish this independent review, with Ernst & Young commissioned to carry it out. I am pleased that this has moved forward with urgency,” says Ms Parata.

Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Minister Dr Hon Pita Sharples have met with representatives of the Kōhanga Reo National Trust Board tonight to discuss the allegations made against them.

“While we were encouraged by the actions that the Trust has taken so far, which they have advised us of tonight, we have informed the Trust that the Ministry of Education will be commissioning an independent, specialist audit firm to review the controls the Trust has in place to assure itself that public funding is being used appropriately.

The Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Board has announced two new education initiatives as part of this year’s 70th anniversary celebrations of one of New Zealand’s greatest war heroes.

In recognition of the awarding of the Victoria Cross to Second Lieutenant Te Moana Nui a Kiwa Ngārimu, the Board will invest $250,000 into resourcing histories of each of the Māori Battalion's four rifle companies and related initiatives.

Māori Affairs Minister, Hon. Dr. Pita Sharples is reassuring people that there is no agenda to get rid of the New Zealand Maori Council, and is urging Māori to have their say on the Māori Community Development Act 1962 which is currently out for public consultation.

The Act established three mechanisms to support Māori community development; the New Zealand Māori Council supported by three levels of Māori Committees, Māori Wardens and Community Officers.

Māori are now well placed to draw on a proud history of innovation to grow collective assets, Māori Affairs Minister Hon. Dr Pita Sharples said today.

Dr Sharples was hosting an event at Waka Maori based in New Zealand’s America’s Cup Village aimed at celebrating Māori business innovation.

He drew upon the story of San Francisco’s Silicon Valley and said the small area had built a huge economy based on ground-breaking ideas and innovation.

Māori Affairs Minister Hon Dr Pita Sharples urges Māori business leaders to hold steadfast to our traditions as the Maori economy grows.

Dr Sharples spoke today at the Māori Bootcamp being held this week at Stanford University. The Bootcamp is focused on Māori in primary industries and exposes leaders to world-leading business perspectives.

The Government’s Drivers of Crime programme continues to make excellent progress in reducing offending and supporting victims, a new progress report released today by Justice Minister Judith Collins and Māori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples shows.

Launched in December 2009, Drivers of Crime coordinates the crime prevention work of the justice and social sector agencies to tackle the underlying causes of crime.

The first comprehensive public consultation on the Māori Community Development Act since it was passed more than 50 years ago will take place throughout September, Māori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples announced today.

Dr. Pita Sharples said “the Māori Community Development Act 1962 had its genesis in a national conference of Māori leaders – 51-years on Māori people are being consulted on its future.”

“We’re not asking you to turn into a Māori language expert overnight: We’re just asking you to give it a go.”

This is the call from Māori Affairs Minister Hon Dr Pita Sharples at the start of Māori Language Week 2013.  This year’s theme is Ngā Ingoa Māori: Māori names.

“For those of us with Māori names – just knowing someone is trying to say your name properly means a lot.”

The Ministers of Economic Development and Maori Affairs have appointed a five member Advisory Board to assist in the implementation of the recently adopted Māori Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan, He Kai Kei Aku Ringa.

The strategy and action plan, prepared by the independent Maori Economic Development Panel, provides a blue print for Māori economic development through to 2040.

The Advisory Board’s responsibilities are on-going stewardship, monitoring and evaluation of the strategy and how it will be implemented.

Budget 2013 provides for new and increased funding for Māori language initiatives, Māori Affairs Minister and Associate of Education Minister Dr Pita Sharples says.

This lays the foundation for the Māori Language Strategy, which will be released later this year.

“Vote Māori Affairs provides $8 million over four years for a new Māori Language Research and Development Fund, which will be administered by Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori to strengthen the evidence base for effective Māori language policies and programmes,” Dr Sharples says.

Budget 2013 has provided more funding towards the highly successful Māori Affairs cadetship programme, which has supported more Māori into jobs and kept them there.

“We established this programme in 2009 to address Māori unemployment, and to provide Māori new to the workforce - or those with low qualifications - the opportunity to gain work experience and formal qualifications as a means of enhancing employment outcomes,” Māori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples says.

Māori Affairs Minister, Dr. Pita Sharples has welcomed news that Waka Māori will be used in San Francisco during the America’s Cup, and says that the pavilion will show our Māori culture to the world.

Dr Sharples said “Waka Māori was a hit during Rugby World Cup 2011. It was used as a Māori cultural venue and events base, and clocked more than 400,000 visitors during the time that it was open.”

Poroporoaki ki a Parekura Tureia Horomia
Ka tanuku! Ka tanuku! Ka tanuku koa te tihi ki Hikurangi, ka tanuku!
Haruru ana te Tai Rāwhiti i te hinganga o Parekura, tangi ana te motu.
E te rangatira, kua moe koe i te poho o tō whānau, o tō iwi. Takoto mai, takoto mai.
E kī ana te kōrero: ‘Rārangi maunga, tū i te ao, tū i te pō; rārangi tangata, ka ngaro, ka ngaro.’
He maunga tangata koe – he maunga aroha, maunga kōrero, maunga o ngā tikanga tuku iho a ngā tīpuna.

Eight outstanding Māori leaders of tomorrow have been recognised with education scholarships totalling $115,000.

A pōwhiri and festival are to be held in Auckland to celebrate Maori and Chinese cultural bonds, and to consummate the relationship between the two cultures. The Minister of Māori Affairs, alongside hosts Ngāti Whātua o Orākei, and Auckland Chinese community leaders announced details of the ‘Taniwha & Dragon’ festival during the Prime Minister’s visit to China to celebrate 40 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Māori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples today formally received a Māori feather cloak (kahu huruhuru) in Beijing, which will be temporarily loaned to Te Papa for display later this year.

The cloak was given to Chairman Mao Zedong in 1957 by New Zealand pioneer film maker Ramai Te Miha Hayward on behalf of the fifth Māori King, Korokī. It was presented to Dr Sharples and the Prime Minister’s delegation at a ceremony at the National Museum of China in Beijing, China today.

Minister of Māori Affairs, Dr. Pita Sharples, has congratulated Miraka, a Māori owned milk processing company for entering into a Memorandum of Understanding with Shanghai Pengxin.

The relationship signed today signifies the intent by Shanghai Pengxin to secure supply of milk from their New Zealand farms for processing at Miraka’s planned UHT plant once it has been completed.

The government is seeking feedback on five major proposals to streamline the complex rules governing Māori land, freeing its economic potential and strengthening guardianship, Associate Minister of Māori Affairs Christopher Finlayson and Minister of Māori Affairs Dr Pita Sharples announced today.

Minister of Maori Affairs, Hon Dr Pita Sharples has welcomed the news that today Australia’s House of Representatives unanimously passed an Act of Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as first peoples of Australia, which also commits the next Parliament to hold a referendum with the intention of recognising their indigenous status in Australia’s Constitution.

Dr Sharples said “I applaud the commitment shown by Australia’s House of Representatives to provide recognition for the rights and status of indigenous people in Australia.”