Taha Maori suggestions for House

Press, 26 July 1984, Page 19

Taha Maori suggestions for House

PA Wellington Daily prayers and greetings in the Maori language one day and English the next are two ways Parliament could incorporate Maori concepts, a Maori professor in Wellington has said. Professor Whatarangi Winiata, of the Wellington region’s Ngati. Ruakawa people and professor of accountancy at Victoria University of Wellington, also suggested that members of Parliament could make greater use of the Maori tradition of offering a koha, or gift, on occasions when it was important to make a bicultural act. Professor Winiata was commenting on the incoming Labour Government’s plans to change the opening ceremony for Parliament and its procedures generally. Introducing taha Maori (the Maori dimension) into the opening ceremony, for example, would mean incorporating the basic elements of spirituality, time, the work of ancestors, the Maori language, and recent

bereavements, he said. The spiritual aspect could be catered for by having an ecumenical service with a well known Maori hymn such as “Tama Ngakau Marie.” The language requirement could be satisfied by having part of the proceedings at the opening in Maori. As a frequent event, also, the Speaker or other leaders of the House should give mihi, or speeches to acknowledge bereavements. They should be done in both languages by both Maori and pakeha members.