dedicated to tame iti and tona ropu rama

Commentary on the recent invasion into Tuhoe to get the whanau Tame Iti and Rama.

We are freedom fighters not terrorists . there is a difference

Tributes paid to Maori activist Jackson

He said his uncle Syd never voted because he didn't believe in
Parliament but fought for tino rangatiratanga - self-determination.

Veteran activist Titewhai Harawira said although the media and
politicians vilified Syd throughout his life, he remained a gentleman
and a staunch campaigner for te reo Maori.

Leading Maori rights activist Syd Jackson died in Auckland yesterday
from cancer at the age of 68.

Jackson was involved in the Maori rights movement for more than 40
years and has been credited with putting the Treaty of Waitangi on the
political agenda.

Jackson of Ngati Kahungunu and Ngati Porou was also an experienced
industrial relations worker, serving for 17 years as secretary of the
Northern Clerical Workers' Union.

Nephew Willie Jackson said his uncle walked the talk when it came to
activism.

From his early days as the spokesman for the Maori protest group Nga
Tama Toa right up to his position as CEO of Turuki Health Care.

"He put activism on the TV and talked about Maori rights, he was the
face of Maori rights," Willie Jackson said.

He said his uncle Syd never voted because he didn't believe in
Parliament but fought for tino rangatiratanga - self-determination.

Veteran activist Titewhai Harawira said although the media and
politicians vilified Syd throughout his life, he remained a gentleman
and a staunch campaigner for te reo Maori.

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"For myself, Syd and Nga Tama Toa, it was about fighting for our
language because to kill the language was to kill the people so we
made a determined effort to go out and rescue our language," Mrs
Harawira said.

She said despite getting kicked off Marae around the country and being
vilified by the media, Syd kept up the fight.

"The media painted him to be a two-headed monster but he was always a
gentleman," Mrs Harawira said.

She said the frontline of activism is thinner with the death of Mr
Jackson.

"He was an inspiration to everybody in the community, whether they
loved or hated him," Mrs Harawira said.

Syd Jackson's body will be taken to Hastings for burial.

Tame Iti's firearm convictions overturned on appeal

Maori activist Tame Iti has had his convictions for unlawfully possessing a firearm overturned by the Court of Appeal.

Iti, of the Tuhoe iwi, discharged a shotgun during a welcome for the arrival of the Waitangi Tribunal to hear historical grievance claims at a marae at Ruatoki, in the eastern Bay of Plenty in January 2005.

One shot shredded a New Zealand flag.

Iti was found guilty under the Arms Act on two counts of possessing a firearm in a public place except for some lawful purpose and was fined $300.

He appealed the convictions on the grounds that crown law did not stretch to the ceremonial area in front of a marae's wharenui.

The Appeal Court judges said they had two issues to consider in the appeal. Firstly, whether the atea (area) of Tauaarau marae was a "public place" and, secondly, whether Iti's acknowledged possession of the gun was "without lawful purpose".

In their findings, Justices Hammond, O'Regan and Wilson said it was important to be clear that the case did not question the "important historic event" taking place that day, and events were considered in that context.

Iti argued that he possessed the shotgun "for the express purpose of welcoming the Waitangi Tribunal". This included the discharging of live rounds.

The judges found that the consequence of "requisite harm" from Iti's actions had not been established to a criminal standard of proof.

The prosecution must therefore fail and the convictions be set aside, they ruled.

They warned that discharging the live rounds was "a foolhardy enterprise" and they hoped that Tuhoe recognised that, and would not repeat the behaviour again "even in the unique setting of something like this particular event".


Tame Iti's convictions overturnedWed-04-Apr-2007 11:53am

Maori activist Tame Iti has had his convictions for unlawfully possessing a firearm overturned by the Court of Appeal.

He discharged a shotgun during a welcome for the Waitangi Tribunal to hear historical grievance claims at a Ruatoki marae at Ruatoki in 2005. One shot shredded a New Zealand flag.

The Tuhoe activist was found guilty under the Arms Act on two counts of possessing a firearm in a public place except for some lawful purpose.

He appealed the convictions on the grounds that crown law did not stretch to the ceremonial area in front of a marae's wharenui.

His lawyer, Annette Sykes, says Iti was elated at the news when he found out at midday.

http://www.tv3.co.nz/News/NewsDisplay/tabid/209/articleID/24482/Default.aspx

http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/47136/index.php