Is climate change a Treaty issue?
As part of the Living on the Edge series, reporter Deena Coster explores a Ma¯ori perspective on climate change.
Taranaki’s Emily Bailey believes climate change is a Treaty of Waitangi issue.
The environmentalist thinks the issue presents a direct threat to Ma¯ori and she’s not the only one.
Last year, a statement of claim was lodged with the Waitangi Tribunal by the Mataatua District Maori Council.
The claim, made on behalf of all tangata whenua, asserts the Government had failed to fulfil its Treaty of Waitangi obligations to protect Ma¯ori land and property.
As a result, it said Ma¯ori will suffer serious consequences.
In particular, the claim pointed to the ‘‘devastating’’ impact on the Ma¯ori economy as well as social and cultural practices. Water scarcity, the impact on Ma¯ori agribusiness and the million-dollar forestry venture were all highlighted as being at risk.
A recent government report, from the Climate Change Adaptation Technical Advisory Group, also identified New Zealand’s indigenous population as being vulnerable to the fall-out caused by climate change, in that it presents a risk to marae, cultural heritage sites and food gathering sources.
To date, Bailey said central government’s response to the growing problem has been ‘‘shameful’’.
She said the country’s decision makers have delayed making any major moves on the issue or been realistic about what is needed to cut emissions.
‘‘The only solution is changing how we live,’’ she said.
Climate change is an issue being spoken at during hui and gatherings Bailey attended around the Taranaki region.
‘‘People are worried,’’ she said. One of the primary concerns is the impact warmer ocean temperatures will have on shellfish stocks.
‘‘We’re going to lose our kaimoana if we’re not careful.’’
Another is the increased risk of flooding and drought, resulting from weather changes.
‘‘It’s just getting more extreme and unpredictable,’’ she said.
Bailey, a keen gardener, said she nearly lost all her seeds last year and crops like potatoes had fallen prey to fungus.
‘‘It’s just getting really, really hard to grow food and collect food.’’
Marae on low-lying areas, like Oakura Pa¯, could also be under threat with rising sea levels and the impact of coastal erosion.
‘‘Often, more importantly, a lot of urupa¯ (burial grounds) are on the coast,’’ she said, including those belonging to Te A¯ tiawa and Taranaki iwi.
This fact is stressful, Bailey said, and with the legacy of land confiscation still keenly felt by Taranaki Ma¯ori, creating new places to bury their dead were already limited.
Bailey works with the Para Kore or Zero Waste movement and sits on the Taranaki Regional Council’s policy and planning committee as an iwi representative.
She said one of the recent wins at the regional council was getting an agreement to promote and encourage measures to mitigate the effects of climate change, albeit within the restrictions placed on local authorities under the Resource Management Act. ‘‘There is a consensus that clearly we have to do something.’’ She said there were increasing numbers of people who were ‘‘on board’’ with the message and the number of people who denied the role humans played in climate change was almost non-existent. The focus was now on how to deal with it, she said. For Bailey, this included a need for a change in consumer behaviour.
‘‘We have to be happy with less, but nobody likes saying that.’’