Urewera issue isn't just going to lie down and die

Wairua motuhake.

He aha te kai o te rangatira? He korero, he korero.

It was under a cool afternoon sun that a fortunate few sat and listened to the blessed oratory of our elders.

As each speaker called to the heavens above to unite with the earth below, all eyes gazed towards the forecourt of the wharenui, Rangitihi.

Some of us cooks came from around the back to watch our kaumatua greet the Kingitanga and Te Kahui ariki on to Taheke Marae for this year's poukai. Listening to our leaders share whakapapa and exchange old stories had a special way of keeping us captivated that day as did the waiata that followed.

If I can, may I first mihi to the organising committee of the poukai 2012 - kei te mihi nui ki a koutou katoa. What a brilliant day.

So, while many people have moved on with their lives, our Uncle, Tame Iti, sits in prison. No one can beat the state, especially after it spends millions of dollars trying to prove that Tame Iti and Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara were planning a revolution. In all honesty, putting Uncle Tame and Rangi in prison does not change the fact that colonial New Zealand stole the Urewera and every government since has chosen to ignore the pain of Tuhoe.

Prime Minister John Key went one further to poke fun at us.

I remember my kuia, Te Rangiaukume Kereopa, talking to us kids about what the Urewera meant to our people and why we had to keep fighting to have it returned.

This case reinforces why many of us think that the justice system is racist and not just at all. Ask the whanau of Anthony White about how the legal system is not just. He is innocent and the police know it. That is why we loudly say "Free Tame Iti, free Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara and free Anthony White now".

Our heart goes out to the Weekes whanau who lost their precious babies in that tragic fire in Doha and to the local whanau who have lost members in these last weeks; aroha mai ki a tatou.

And this one goes to all you little eggs out there breaking into houses, stealing things that ain't yours and breaking into our cars - I hope we are all there when karma catches up with you fools.

Calling all geeks

This panui is for all us geeks out there, if you're interested in making an android app or wondered what it would take to make an iPhone or iPad app, plans are under way to host a Rotorua app camp in early September.

It will be a two-day interactive workshop, where you will hear from app developers and join them in making an app or two. So far, we have the Maori News app on iPhone but look forward to creating many more like the When's the Next Bus app or Who has the Cheapest Milk app. Will holler shortly.

And what is up with the tap and gap? When I was with the cousins the other day, all anyone could talk about in the shed was the tap and gap and how Rotorua is getting famous for it. Are we?