By RICHARD KNIGHT and VERNON SMALL
Prime Minister Helen Clark appears to be in a no-win situation over Waitangi Day after a weekend hui failed to produce assurances that she would not be attacked if she attends celebrations at Waitangi.
A personal plea by Maori Affairs Minister Dover Samuels to veteran activist Titewhai Harawira not to disrupt Waitangi Day commemorations was rejected on the grounds of kawa (protocol), leaving Helen Clark's programme in doubt.
She has also been invited to attend ceremonies on Banks Peninsula near Christchurch and at a marae near Dargaville.
Mrs Harawira's stance seems to leave Helen Clark with an unenviable choice.
If she snubs Waitangi, she risks offending some Maori.
If she goes, she would risk her own dignity in another standoff with Mrs Harawira, or could appear to undermine Maori women by accepting an exemption to the rule that females are not allowed to speak on the marae forecourt.
National MP Marie Hasler yesterday zeroed in on this, saying Helen Clark was self-centredly concerning herself with getting an exemption to speak on the marae.
Instead, she should be backing Mrs Harawira's stance on speaking rights for Maori women.
"There is no reason Ngapuhi elders can't be asked to change their outdated protocol," said Marie Hasler. "Other iwi have."
Muriwhenua spokesman Shane Jones said it seemed unlikely Helen Clark would now go to Waitangi.
"It is not a good look that our national day should be dominated by contretemps on the marae," he said.
"If she is not at Waitangi we do not intend to give her any grief over that decision."
A spokesman for Helen Clark said she would wait for a full report from Mr Samuels before deciding if she would go to Waitangi.
In 1998, Helen Clark - then Opposition leader - was reduced to tears when Mrs Harawira challenged her right to speak on the marae.
Mrs Harawira believes Maori women should be allowed to speak on Ngapuhi marae, and will not make an exception for the Prime Minister until protocols are changed for Maori women.
Mr Samuel's plea was made at Te Tii Marae in Waitangi at the weekend when Ngapuhi met to thrash out the protocol for speaking rights for Helen Clark and the official party.
Mr Samuels asked Mrs Harawira in the spirit of cooperation and for the sake of the tribe to forgo any plans to challenge Helen Clark.
"There is a desire to bring it all together for us," he said. "Titewhai, let us see Waitangi in the year 2000 be a new beginning of a new era."
But Mrs Harawira said she would not ignore years of kawa for the sake of compromise or to make people happy.
"You want me to let you change our kawa for the day and then after that return to what has been a practice that degrades Maori women," she said. "I have been in this marae many a time when women have been told to sit down, shut up and maybe we will let you talk after everyone has gone to sleep. I don't think so."
At the hui, Ngapuhi kaumatua Graham Rankin said one person should not be dictating what the tribe did.
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