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Māpuna for Saturday 5 August 2023

Claire Charters: Nelson land case an example for other indigenous peoples

Claire Charters is wearing glasses with long brown hair, she is standing up and smiling at the camera.

Legal Scholar and Rongomau Taketake at the Human Rights Commission, Claire Charters. Photo: Provided

In 1839 Maori landowners in the Nelson area sold 151-thousand acres to the New Zealand Company on the condition that ten percent of their land would be reserved for Maori in perpetuity. But that agreement was never honoured and soon the Wakatu Incorporation, which represents descendants of the original owners, will soon take their case in front of the High Court. Professor Claire Charters from Auckland University law school was involved with Wakatu's Supreme Court case in 2017 and she says Wakatu's efforts are an example for indigenous peoples worldwide to assert their rights and reclaim their cultural heritage.  

 

AJA on her new album due for 2024 release

AJA

Photo: AJA

AJA is singer based in Porirua who started singing at a young age and began her first band at high school. Just yesterday she released a new waiata 'Te Reo ki Whakarongotai' written by her uncle Kahu Ropata. It's part of her new album to be released in 2024.