The Wire with Caeden

A new study of European Beech forests has discovered the impact of the summer solstice as a “celestial cue” on the species’ mast seeding production. This discovery may assist in efforts to protect biodiversity in Aotearoa, due to its relevance to our species of native southern beech, which comprises nearly half of our remaining native forest. Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Emeritus Professor and co-author of this research, Dave Kelly, on how this discovery can support conservation work here in Aotearoa.

Last week, New Caledonia became the site of widespread civil unrest and mass riots. Protests erupted in response to a decision made by the French government to grant voting rights to residents of New Caledonia who had been residing on the Island for at Least 10 years, overturning a previous constitutional amendment that only permitted the Island’s indigenous Kanak population and residents residing on the Island before 1998 to vote in local elections. 

New Caledonia’s Indigenous Kanak people, who have largely resisted French rule and have campaigned for independence for several generations, said that the constitutional amendment would undermine their push for independence and give greater preference to newer French settlers. 

Oto spoke to Professor Yvonne Underhill-Sem, a professor of Pacific studies at the university of Auckland, to discuss the context behind the current unrest, and the Kanak independence movement as a whole.

From January 1, 2025, the New Zealand Council of Legal Education has plans to make teaching tikanga Māori and te ao Māori compulsory in the legal curriculum for students, meaning all core law courses will have a compulsory tikanga Māori component.

On the 7th of May, King’s Counsel Gary Judd filed a complaint to the Government’s Regulations Review Committee over this move, claiming that tikanga didn’t fall under “proper law subjects”.

Producer Sofia Roger Williams spoke to co-Tumuaki at Te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa, the Māori Law Society, Tai Ahu (Waikato, Ngāti Kahu (Te Paatu)), about these changes to the legal curriculum and the role of tikanga Māori in law.

The Waitangi Tribunal recently found the government’s plans to reinstate a rule requiring all Māori wards to go to a local referendum, is not in line with the government’s obligations under Te Tiriti.

Introduced in 2001, the required referendum was cited by many as a significant barrier to Māori representation in local government. Before 2021, there were three councils with Māori wards or constituencies. After the requirement was removed in 2021, 34 territories and 7 regional councils have Māori wards or constituencies, increasing Māori representation and strengthening the overall decision making process.

This Māori wards legislation follows a slew of similar legislation surrounding Māori representation and the role of Te Tiriti in politics, with the current government continuing to remove protections and ignore advice or summons from the Tribunal.

In our weekly catchup with the National Party’s Katie Nimon, Wire host Castor asked about the Māori ward legislation and the government’s relationship with the Waitangi Tribunal.