Letter to the Editor Tuesday January 6, 2015

Looking to tomorrow

I respond briefly to your article about my actions to address the lack of public concern about the oil companies coming to pillage and pollute our seas and coastlines. Make no mistake Mr Editor that this event is guaranteed to occur; the historical evidence of oil companies' negligence is well known.

There is no income for Northland, so I fail to understand why local businesses that depend upon the marine environment for sustenance of their economy sit on the fence, as do the government departments, scientific faculty and iwi leaders.

The population of this region increased ten-fold these past four weeks for one reason. They all came here to enjoy our beaches, to fish, dive, surf, swim, bathe, and eat all of our vast succulent, sweet resources from Tangaroa. Many came home to be with their whanau, but again we choose to live here because of our moana that has sustained us for over 20 generations ... so why the lethargy?

Is it fear of this government? Perhaps retribution by government contracts and funding being cancelled? Is it ostracism from our society because protest and activism is frowned upon? Is it because we just don't care enough about the future that we will question our generation's decisions and take our accountability seriously?

Whatever the reason, it is minuscule compared to the massive marine resource we risk to lose for a zero return ... so why?

Whatever the reason, I am only doing my small part to protect the culture of my whanau and hapu. It is not just my responsibility. Nor do I have anything to gain from this activity except for a clean pristine rock pool for my kids to play in and the odd bucket of tuatua for my manuhiri.

My dedication extends further than just the deep sea oil threat from Simon Bridges endorsing foreign oil companies, and you will usually find me at the forefront of the most contentious threat to our marine community.

At the original hui I organised in 2008 at Roma Marae, which united our community to support a one-year rahui in Otia Bay, I stayed until the kaupapa was under way and then moved on to this issue as the next issue of importance. There are others to continue that mahi for now, and it is always good to delegate projects back to others in the community.

Your questions of the paua issues around Tauroa are best directed towards them, as I look for other work to commit to for the benefit of our mokopuna and our culture.

Interesting facts have surfaced since the event where I attempted to remove the steel pole submerged below the foreshore in Te Kohanga Bay. The captain of the boat wreck received 2000 acres of Ngai Takoto whenua Maori for grievance of salvaging debris from the wreck. This was known as 'Stevenson's Gift' ... not too shabby a compensation I dare say? Other evidence is arising to confirm my action as being a positive one for the future of our mokopuna. Our generation has had a great time of gluttony, and so my concerns about us are minimal, and more focused upon tomorrow.

I had offered to meet the locals last week, however trustees of Te Kohanga had concerns about access, timing of the hui, while some local whanau preferred to move on with their end-of- year celebrations and the weather was not favourable for an outdoor hui either.

However I am still very keen to meet and discuss better activities that could better highlight the need for our entire region to take up this concern at a higher level to #STOPSTATOIL, since its impacts upon us all.

Having said that, should silence, lethargy and fear continue amongst this community then I will continue to challenge and confront the very society that benefits from this beautiful moana that we continue to take sustenance from, until such a discussion takes place.

If this government has a gag upon our conscience then we have a responsibility to remove that gag and allow freedom of speech to thrive in its many forms, as long as it does not hurt anybody ... and I have not hurt anybody.

RUEBEN

Ahipara