ARTICLE AD BOX
[T]he rāhui [reportedly] “covers an area from the Ōpaoa and Wairau River confluence to the Wairau River mouth and prohibits the collecting of food and anyone entering the water.”
"That word 'prohibits' ... makes it sound like a legal ban, as though iwi now hold legislative power to dictate who can fish, dive or swim in our waters. A rāhui has no legal standing. It is a cultural practice, not law. No one can actually stop you from going about your day, whether that’s fishing, collecting seafood, or going for a swim.
"When did Māori iwi become the arbiters of who may and may not enter the water? Two hundred years ago, when food was scarce and survival depended on gathering kai from the sea, would the same blanket bans have been placed? If someone drowned, was the whole coastline suddenly closed off to the hapū and iwi who relied on it to eat?
"Of course, everyone should respect grieving families. However, there is a difference between mourning and dictating. Wrapping prohibition in cultural language does not change the fact that rāhui is not legally enforceable."
"When did Māori iwi become the arbiters of who may and may not enter the water? Two hundred years ago, when food was scarce and survival depended on gathering kai from the sea, would the same blanket bans have been placed? If someone drowned, was the whole coastline suddenly closed off to the hapū and iwi who relied on it to eat?
"Of course, everyone should respect grieving families. However, there is a difference between mourning and dictating. Wrapping prohibition in cultural language does not change the fact that rāhui is not legally enforceable."
~ Matua Kahurangi from his post 'Enough of this rāhui bullshit'
English (US) ·