What Ihumātao activists need to do next
Ihumātao: One year on from eviction notices which sparked massive protests
It’s been a year since protesters living at south Auckland’s long-disputed Ihumātao sitewere served eviction notices by Fletcher Building.
A karakia and media stand-up will take place at the site on Thursday to mark the anniversary, but what happens next is still unclear.
If I have one message to the courageous protestors at Ihumatao, it is this.
Chill out, park your ego at the door and ensure Labour gain a second term because there are two things that are certain after this election.
The first is that a huge defamation case against the Spinoff will be launched for their appalling false sexual assault story that cost Nigel Haworth his job and reputation and the second is Labour settling Ihumatao.
When Muller was Leader, Labour would have settled this because he was simply too weak to push back on it, but under Judith, it would be madness to settle this 9 weeks before the election because if there is any politician alive who can weaponise settlement for Māori, it’s Judith bloody Collins.
There is a just way forward that respects the mana of that land and the mana of the activists who have fought so bravely to save it.
Settlement is coming, but the activists of Ihumatao just need to wait 2 more months.
Don’t gift this to Judith.
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Agree. The core group have put up an amazing struggle, and there are many thousands of supporters out there. The Auckland Police operational shortcomings, in terms of being able to put numbers on the ground, were well exposed by a social media call out to supporters–the cops were outnumbered!–that is what secured the next level of negotiation–a small militant group alone would have been just a snack for Iwi elites and the NZ ruling class. Mass action of Māori and Pākhehā together is what turns their innards to water.
Now on tactics, it is no secret to the observant that the Ihumātao group has been advised by ex NZCP members–which is a double edged sword. Class solidarity and fight to the end–good! Militant minority tactics–bad! The old NZCP were hardly tactical geniuses in their hey day, constantly sniping at the Federation of Labour and kiwi unionists. Pania Newton is a class hero, and no disrespect intended, but she made two mistakes by blabbing to media ahead of several alleged “victories” and “settlements”–best to keep it under your hat till the resolution has actually been achieved.
The spinoff need to be sorted for what they did to Nigel Haworth. And I believe the best thing our Maori people can do is to make sure them and their whanau are all registered to vote and vote this election. It is no good sitting back and bitching and moaning about issues when you haven’t bothered to vote. Here is a chance to truly see if Labour really do want transformational change. National had nine years and they blew it so they had there turn.
They could consider getting a job and being a contributing member of society.
Who – Crusher Collins.
Yes it would be transformational for her to actually contribute something worthwhile to society no matter how small.
Good call John, but please, don’t feed the trolls, it just encourages them to breed in the sewers. Anyone who can’t manage more than a one sentence cliche doesn’t deserve to be dignified with a response.
You sound like judeath gollins cousin Dean.
Saint Jacinda gets protected no matter what.
right on
This shows the contempt Jacinda shows for Maori. It is the same thinking that has driven the COL to chose the second cheapest version of how to run the next census which will lead to a poor outcome for Maori and Pacifica.
We have had three years of inaction from Labour on almost every issue of importance to the people of New Zealand, so why would we expect them to settle the matter of Ihumatao in their next term (assuming the voters give them a second term in office)? They might settle or they might not.
We simply have to be prepared to fight. Fight Jacinda or fight Judith. It makes no difference. When it comes down to it we will be fighting the same colonial regime that we have been fighting for the past 180 years. If the regime chooses a peaceful settlement, we will be respectful. If it chooses war, we will be ready.
“There is a just way forward that respects the mana of that land and the mana of the activists who have fought so bravely to save it.”
The only just way forward is for the protesters to decamp and leave the rightful owners of the land to do with it as they’re permitted to do under the terms of the Auckland district plan.
The government knows this full well. The land is privately-owned: it cannot alter that situation, without putting at risk the private property rights of all NZers.
Ardern should have kept her nose out of it. I’d have expected that she would have been advised beforehand of the perils attendant upon her appearing to get the government involved. Sadly, either that didn’t happen, or it did, but she thought that she knew better.
The so called property rights are not the only issue here.
Confiscation of land was never effectively addressed in Iwi settlements and the historic significance of this land is outside of so called property rights and settlements ‘covering” confiscations which were illegal and corrupt.
The fear of precedent being set is a red herring and fear mongering.
Of course you as a white male should tell people of colour what their next move should be! This is the point where you listen to what they want you to do.