Representatives of the Wai 262 claim, also known as the
Fauna, Flora, and Intellectual Property Rights claim, have
requested the exclusion of linkages to rongoā in their
submission on the Therapeutics Products Bill which seeks to
regulate therapeutic medicine. Submissions closed on Sunday
the 5th of March and there has been a stir of conversation
from Māori.
While rongoā is not expressly mentioned
in the Bill, taonga that tohunga work with in rongoā are
implicated. Tohe Ashby, a member of Te Taumata Whakapūmau
and tohunga of Te Aho Matua (experts leading Wai 262), says
that during discussions with whānau across the motu, a
common interest raised has been that any association to
rongoā Māori is not appropriate to be contained in the
Therapeutics Bill.
“Whānau are concerned about what
is going to happen with this Bill. For a lot of tohunga and
rongoā practitioners, the Bill itself doesn’t actually grab
the essence of what rongoā Māori is,” says
Ashby.
The Wai 262 submission asserts te tino
rangatiratanga and the duty Māori have as kaitiaki. The
roopu state that there are aspects of the Therapeutic
Products Bill that have the ability to prevent Māori from
exercising kaitiakitanga over all things Māori, whether
intended or not.
“We firmly believe our Atua Māori
should not be in a bill, and that rongoā does not belong in
the Therapeutics Products Bill,” says Ashby
Tasha
Hohaia, representative of Te Taumata Whakapūmau says,
“What is being proposed by Te Taumata Whakapūmau is
Māori-led Sui Generis taonga protection. This would ensure
rongoā and its associated mātauranga are adequately
protected, along with other taonga as outlined in the Wai
262 claim.”
Kahu Aronui, the expert technicians of
Wai 262, are currently designing taonga protection
mechanisms including Sui Generis Legislation which would
protect the use of rongoā Māori and other taonga. The
legislation is informed by Māori, particularly tohunga and
practitioners, heard through Wai 262’s Kanohi Ora
engagement process.
Initial Kanohi Ora Engagement has
taken place at Rātana, Waitangi and Te Matatini in recent
months. For more information on the process visit www.wai262.nz
ENDS
For
more information or to arrange an interview,
contact:
Noenoe Barclay-Kerr on 021-022-23432 / noenoe@maiastudio.co
or Mihi Blake on 027-577-2500 / mihi@maiastudio.co
About
Wai 262
Wai 262 is more commonly known as the Fauna,
Flora and Intellectual Property Rights claim. The aspiration
of the claim firmly asserts “Māori control over things
Māori”. The claim essentially seeks to restore “tino
rangatiratanga” (Māori authority and self-determination)
of the whānau, hapū and iwi of Aotearoa over our
“taonga” (those things and values which we treasure,
both intangible and tangible). Now led by descendants of the
original Wai 262 claimants through the group known as Te
Taumata Whakapūmau, they seek to engage claimant iwi and
all Māori who have hononga to the claim to come into the
claim and gain
protection over taonga Māori and
kaitiakitanga of said taonga in their respective
iwi.
The original six claimants
included:
Saana Waitai-Murray – Ngāti Kuri | Del
Wihongi – Te Rarawa
Witi McMath – Ngāti Wai | Tama
Poata – Te Whānau a Ruataupare + Ngāti Porou
John
Hippolite – Ngāti Koata | Kataraina Rimene – Ngāti
Kahungunu
The Four Objectives of Kanohi
Ora
Te Mana: Supporting and
strengthening the ability of claimant whānau and their iwi
as a lead voice of Wai 262
Te Kōrero:
Hosting conversations among Kanohi Ora, connecting
legacy holders & others
Te Tikanga:
Developing a mechanism at the interface with the
Crown to preserve, protect and promote taonga &
mātauranga Māori
Te Whakawhitiwhiti:
Supporting the emergence of a nātional Māori
voice to speak with the Crown on ngā kaupapa o Wai 262 ngā
mahi kua
ea
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