Latest news with #ka
Hamilton Spectator
4 days ago
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
New admin at two Kahnawake schools
Kahnawake Survival School (KSS) will have a new leader next year, with Sha'teiohserí:io Patton set to become the school's new principal, while Melissa Lasante will serve as the new associate principal at Kateri School. 'We're just very proud of both Melissa and Sha'teiohserí:io,' said Kahnawake Education Center (KEC) director Falen Iakowennaiéwas Jacobs. 'They both have the leadership skills and the qualities that can really bring the roles they're taking on forward, and we're really excited to have them in the roles.' Patton was associate principal at KSS for most of the academic year that is now coming to a close, having started in that role in October at the impressive age of 25. Having learned from that experience, the Stanford University graduate is now ready for her next challenge. 'Honestly, the right word is gracious. I'm also very humbled by being selected. I'm really eager to be able to step into the new role and support the student body, the teachers, and the greater community of KSS. I'm very excited,' said Patton. That overarching view of the school's place in Kahnawake will be fundamental to her approach, she suggested. 'I think a successful student is as strong as the community surrounding them,' said Patton, who views collaboration as a critical component of local education. Getting to know KSS as a kind of family is one big observation from her tenure so far, she said, and one she will focus on preserving going forward. 'We have so much love for each other. That was my biggest takeaway. It is a community school. It's filled with so many passionate people and minds and feelings that really extend a lot farther than academics,' she said. She emphasized the importance of her own family's support, citing her loving parents, in helping her get to where she is today. Perhaps this is one reason she wants to give parents every opportunity to participate in school life. 'I think what I'd like parents to know is they have as much of a voice in school policy and culture as the students, as the teachers, as the staff. I would love to have greater parent collaboration in the coming years,' she said, adding that the outreach is likely to include updates to the school's communications strategies. From the beginning of her tenure at the school, Patton has also seen how important student wellness and safety are to academic success, so it will be a priority to ensure this is reflected in the school's policies and protocols. 'We're also looking at strengthening the identity of culture as well as tradition in the school, so getting more perspective from the student body about what that means, what Kanien'kehá:ka identity is all about, what are the school values,' said Patton. This approach is one reason Patton was selected for the role, according to Jacobs, as her outlook aligns with the KEC's emphasis on strengthening Kanien'kehá:ka culture, which will continue to be one of the core priorities in the years ahead. 'I've always been impressed with Sha'teiohserí:io's drive and her community vision, and that includes incorporating our ways and our culture, tsi niionkwarihò:ten, into everything that she does,' said Jacobs. A new associate principal at KSS will be needed, for which a callout will be coming soon. The school's current principal, Sarah Phillips, has decided to return to the classroom as a teacher for the time being, according to Jacobs. Lasante, meanwhile, will be moving from the position of resource teacher at Kateri School to become that facility's associate principal. 'We're really excited to welcome Melissa on board in her position,' said Jacobs, noting Lasante's extensive experience in education in Kahnawake, which goes back more than two decades, including at Step By Step Child and Family Center. 'She has a lot of the background and the leadership skills and qualities needed to fulfill the role of associate principal,' said Jacobs. One of her assets is the way she's proven adept at creating ties with community members, Jacobs said. 'That's what our whole system is based on is parental voice, parental guidance, parental connection, and it's so imperative to foster those bonds and establish good relationships with parents from the get-go, from when they enter into the KEC system, to know their perspective and their opinions are so valuable. They're their children's first teachers, so we can only work together to meet the needs of our students,' she said. marcus@ Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How uproar over a Māori haka, beloved in New Zealand life, sowed chaos and gridlock in Parliament
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The haka, a chanting dance of challenge, is sacred to New Zealand's Māori people but it's become a beloved cultural institution among New Zealanders of all races. Spine-tingling performances at sports events, funerals and graduations often go viral online, a non-partisan point of pride for the country abroad. But one haka performed in protest in New Zealand's Parliament by three legislators last November has provoked fierce division among lawmakers about whether it was an act of peaceful dissent, or disruptive and even intimidating to their opponents. A vote to approve unprecedented, lengthy bans from Parliament for the Māori party lawmakers who enacted the protest was unexpectedly suspended on Tuesday. Debate will resume in June, when it threatens to gridlock the legislative agenda until politicians from all parties reach consensus on what the punishment should be. Hundreds of protesters against the sanctions waited outside Parliament's front doors in New Zealand's capital, Wellington, on Tuesday to greet the Māori party lawmakers with a haka when they emerged. What is the haka? The haka was once viewed as a war dance, but that understanding has changed in New Zealand as it has been embraced in a range of celebratory, somber and ceremonial settings. It's an expression of Māori identity and while sacred, it can be performed by people of any race who are educated by Māori in the words, movements and cultural protocols. Emotional haka have generated news headlines in the past year when performed by soldiers farewelling a New Zealander who died fighting in Ukraine, and in Paris by athletes from New Zealand's Olympic team. While the best-known haka is 'ka mate,' the chant often performed by the All Blacks rugby team before games, there are many variants. Why was this one controversial? Last November's protest wasn't the first time a haka has rung out in Parliament. Performances regularly follow the passage of laws important to Māori. But some lawmakers decried this one for two reasons: because the legislators from Te Pāti Māori, the Māori Party, left their seats and strode across the floor toward government politicians while performing it, and because it disrupted the vote on a proposed law. When asked how the Māori party would vote on a bill they said would dismantle Indigenous rights, Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke – New Zealand's youngest parliamentarian, at 22 – tore up a copy of the law and began the haka, joined by two of her colleagues. The law, an attempt to rewrite New Zealand's founding treaty between Māori tribal leaders and the British crown, was widely unpopular and has since been defeated. But for six months, a committee of the lawmakers' peers have fought furiously about how — or whether — their protest of it should be punished. Why is debate about it still going? Usually there's agreement among parliamentarians about penalties for errant behavior. But this episode polarized the committee considering the lawmakers' actions. Its report recommended Maipi-Clarke, who the committee said showed contrition in a letter, be suspended for seven days and her colleagues for 21 days. That's the harshest penalty ever assigned to New Zealand lawmakers; the previous record was three days. Parliament Speaker Gerry Brownlee this month scheduled a rare, unlimited debate in Parliament until all parties could find consensus on the penalty, citing the severity of the proposed bans. But minutes after the debate began Tuesday, it was adjourned at the government's behest after they allowed the Māori party lawmakers to stay until after Thursday's budget was delivered. It permitted the government their budget week agenda and meant the Māori lawmakers — opponents of the government — wouldn't miss one of Parliament's most significant dates. But the debate about the bans will then resume. Opposition leader Chris Hipkins, the only opponent of the sanctions to speak before debate was suspended, cited episodes where lawmakers have brawled in Parliament and driven a tractor up the building's steps, but were not suspended, as evidence that the bans weren't fair. But Judith Collins, the chair of the committee that produced the sanctions, said the penalties were 'not about the haka.' Collins said the lawmakers' behavior was the most egregious she'd ever witnessed. What happens next? The debate will resume on June 5, when it threatens to stall usual government business once more. The government said Tuesday that it would not back down from the punishments suggested and opposition parties said they couldn't be swayed from disputing them. Outside Parliament, activist Eru Kapa-Kingi told the assembled crowd that the haka was 'a source of fear' in Parliament. 'Even though when the All Blacks do it it's a good thing,' he added.
San Francisco Chronicle
20-05-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
How uproar over a Māori haka, beloved in New Zealand life, sowed chaos and gridlock in Parliament
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The haka, a chanting dance of challenge, is sacred to New Zealand's Māori people but it's become a beloved cultural institution among New Zealanders of all races. Spine-tingling performances at sports events, funerals and graduations often go viral online, a non-partisan point of pride for the country abroad. But one haka performed in protest in New Zealand's Parliament by three legislators last November has provoked fierce division among lawmakers about whether it was an act of peaceful dissent, or disruptive and even intimidating to their opponents. A vote to approve unprecedented, lengthy bans from Parliament for the Māori party lawmakers who enacted the protest was unexpectedly suspended on Tuesday. Debate will resume in June, when it threatens to gridlock the legislative agenda until politicians from all parties reach consensus on what the punishment should be. Hundreds of protesters against the sanctions waited outside Parliament's front doors in New Zealand's capital, Wellington, on Tuesday to greet the Māori party lawmakers with a haka when they emerged. What is the haka? The haka was once viewed as a war dance, but that understanding has changed in New Zealand as it has been embraced in a range of celebratory, somber and ceremonial settings. It's an expression of Māori identity and while sacred, it can be performed by people of any race who are educated by Māori in the words, movements and cultural protocols. Emotional haka have generated news headlines in the past year when performed by soldiers farewelling a New Zealander who died fighting in Ukraine, and in Paris by athletes from New Zealand's Olympic team. While the best-known haka is 'ka mate,' the chant often performed by the All Blacks rugby team before games, there are many variants. Why was this one controversial? Last November's protest wasn't the first time a haka has rung out in Parliament. Performances regularly follow the passage of laws important to Māori. But some lawmakers decried this one for two reasons: because the legislators from Te Pāti Māori, the Māori Party, left their seats and strode across the floor toward government politicians while performing it, and because it disrupted the vote on a proposed law. When asked how the Māori party would vote on a bill they said would dismantle Indigenous rights, Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke – New Zealand's youngest parliamentarian, at 22 – tore up a copy of the law and began the haka, joined by two of her colleagues. The law, an attempt to rewrite New Zealand's founding treaty between Māori tribal leaders and the British crown, was widely unpopular and has since been defeated. But for six months, a committee of the lawmakers' peers have fought furiously about how — or whether — their protest of it should be punished. Why is debate about it still going? Usually there's agreement among parliamentarians about penalties for errant behavior. But this episode polarized the committee considering the lawmakers' actions. Its report recommended Maipi-Clarke, who the committee said showed contrition in a letter, be suspended for seven days and her colleagues for 21 days. That's the harshest penalty ever assigned to New Zealand lawmakers; the previous record was three days. Parliament Speaker Gerry Brownlee this month scheduled a rare, unlimited debate in Parliament until all parties could find consensus on the penalty, citing the severity of the proposed bans. But minutes after the debate began Tuesday, it was adjourned at the government's behest after they allowed the Māori party lawmakers to stay until after Thursday's budget was delivered. It permitted the government their budget week agenda and meant the Māori lawmakers — opponents of the government — wouldn't miss one of Parliament's most significant dates. But the debate about the bans will then resume. Opposition leader Chris Hipkins, the only opponent of the sanctions to speak before debate was suspended, cited episodes where lawmakers have brawled in Parliament and driven a tractor up the building's steps, but were not suspended, as evidence that the bans weren't fair. But Judith Collins, the chair of the committee that produced the sanctions, said the penalties were 'not about the haka.' Collins said the lawmakers' behavior was the most egregious she'd ever witnessed. What happens next? The debate will resume on June 5, when it threatens to stall usual government business once more. The government said Tuesday that it would not back down from the punishments suggested and opposition parties said they couldn't be swayed from disputing them. 'Even though when the All Blacks do it it's a good thing,' he added.
Hamilton Spectator
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
How uproar over a Māori haka, beloved in New Zealand life, sowed chaos and gridlock in Parliament
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The haka, a chanting dance of challenge, is sacred to New Zealand's Māori people but it's become a beloved cultural institution among New Zealanders of all races. Spine-tingling performances at sports events, funerals and graduations often go viral online, a non-partisan point of pride for the country abroad. But one haka performed in protest in New Zealand's Parliament by three legislators last November has provoked fierce division among lawmakers about whether it was an act of peaceful dissent, or disruptive and even intimidating to their opponents. A vote to approve unprecedented, lengthy bans from Parliament for the Māori party lawmakers who enacted the protest was unexpectedly suspended on Tuesday. Debate will resume in June, when it threatens to gridlock the legislative agenda until politicians from all parties reach consensus on what the punishment should be. Hundreds of protesters against the sanctions waited outside Parliament's front doors in New Zealand's capital, Wellington, on Tuesday to greet the Māori party lawmakers with a haka when they emerged. What is the haka? The haka was once viewed as a war dance, but that understanding has changed in New Zealand as it has been embraced in a range of celebratory, somber and ceremonial settings. It's an expression of Māori identity and while sacred, it can be performed by people of any race who are educated by Māori in the words, movements and cultural protocols. Emotional haka have generated news headlines in the past year when performed by soldiers farewelling a New Zealander who died fighting in Ukraine, and in Paris by athletes from New Zealand's Olympic team. While the best-known haka is 'ka mate,' the chant often performed by the All Blacks rugby team before games, there are many variants. Why was this one controversial? Last November's protest wasn't the first time a haka has rung out in Parliament. Performances regularly follow the passage of laws important to Māori. But some lawmakers decried this one for two reasons: because the legislators from Te Pāti Māori, the Māori Party, left their seats and strode across the floor toward government politicians while performing it, and because it disrupted the vote on a proposed law. When asked how the Māori party would vote on a bill they said would dismantle Indigenous rights, Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke – New Zealand's youngest parliamentarian, at 22 – tore up a copy of the law and began the haka, joined by two of her colleagues. The law, an attempt to rewrite New Zealand's founding treaty between Māori tribal leaders and the British crown, was widely unpopular and has since been defeated . But for six months, a committee of the lawmakers' peers have fought furiously about how — or whether — their protest of it should be punished. Why is debate about it still going? Usually there's agreement among parliamentarians about penalties for errant behavior. But this episode polarized the committee considering the lawmakers' actions. Its report recommended Maipi-Clarke, who the committee said showed contrition in a letter, be suspended for seven days and her colleagues for 21 days. That's the harshest penalty ever assigned to New Zealand lawmakers; the previous record was three days. Parliament Speaker Gerry Brownlee this month scheduled a rare, unlimited debate in Parliament until all parties could find consensus on the penalty, citing the severity of the proposed bans. But minutes after the debate began Tuesday, it was adjourned at the government's behest after they allowed the Māori party lawmakers to stay until after Thursday's budget was delivered. It permitted the government their budget week agenda and meant the Māori lawmakers — opponents of the government — wouldn't miss one of Parliament's most significant dates. But the debate about the bans will then resume. Opposition leader Chris Hipkins, the only opponent of the sanctions to speak before debate was suspended, cited episodes where lawmakers have brawled in Parliament and driven a tractor up the building's steps, but were not suspended, as evidence that the bans weren't fair. But Judith Collins, the chair of the committee that produced the sanctions, said the penalties were 'not about the haka.' Collins said the lawmakers' behavior was the most egregious she'd ever witnessed. What happens next? The debate will resume on June 5, when it threatens to stall usual government business once more. The government said Tuesday that it would not back down from the punishments suggested and opposition parties said they couldn't be swayed from disputing them. Outside Parliament, activist Eru Kapa-Kingi told the assembled crowd that the haka was 'a source of fear' in Parliament. 'Even though when the All Blacks do it it's a good thing,' he added.
Winnipeg Free Press
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
How uproar over a Māori haka, beloved in New Zealand life, sowed chaos and gridlock in Parliament
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The haka, a chanting dance of challenge, is sacred to New Zealand's Māori people but it's become a beloved cultural institution among New Zealanders of all races. Spine-tingling performances at sports events, funerals and graduations often go viral online, a non-partisan point of pride for the country abroad. But one haka performed in protest in New Zealand's Parliament by three legislators last November has provoked fierce division among lawmakers about whether it was an act of peaceful dissent, or disruptive and even intimidating to their opponents. A vote to approve unprecedented, lengthy bans from Parliament for the Māori party lawmakers who enacted the protest was unexpectedly suspended on Tuesday. Debate will resume in June, when it threatens to gridlock the legislative agenda until politicians from all parties reach consensus on what the punishment should be. Hundreds of protesters against the sanctions waited outside Parliament's front doors in New Zealand's capital, Wellington, on Tuesday to greet the Māori party lawmakers with a haka when they emerged. What is the haka? The haka was once viewed as a war dance, but that understanding has changed in New Zealand as it has been embraced in a range of celebratory, somber and ceremonial settings. It's an expression of Māori identity and while sacred, it can be performed by people of any race who are educated by Māori in the words, movements and cultural protocols. Emotional haka have generated news headlines in the past year when performed by soldiers farewelling a New Zealander who died fighting in Ukraine, and in Paris by athletes from New Zealand's Olympic team. While the best-known haka is 'ka mate,' the chant often performed by the All Blacks rugby team before games, there are many variants. Why was this one controversial? Last November's protest wasn't the first time a haka has rung out in Parliament. Performances regularly follow the passage of laws important to Māori. But some lawmakers decried this one for two reasons: because the legislators from Te Pāti Māori, the Māori Party, left their seats and strode across the floor toward government politicians while performing it, and because it disrupted the vote on a proposed law. When asked how the Māori party would vote on a bill they said would dismantle Indigenous rights, Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke – New Zealand's youngest parliamentarian, at 22 – tore up a copy of the law and began the haka, joined by two of her colleagues. The law, an attempt to rewrite New Zealand's founding treaty between Māori tribal leaders and the British crown, was widely unpopular and has since been defeated. But for six months, a committee of the lawmakers' peers have fought furiously about how — or whether — their protest of it should be punished. Why is debate about it still going? Usually there's agreement among parliamentarians about penalties for errant behavior. But this episode polarized the committee considering the lawmakers' actions. Its report recommended Maipi-Clarke, who the committee said showed contrition in a letter, be suspended for seven days and her colleagues for 21 days. That's the harshest penalty ever assigned to New Zealand lawmakers; the previous record was three days. Parliament Speaker Gerry Brownlee this month scheduled a rare, unlimited debate in Parliament until all parties could find consensus on the penalty, citing the severity of the proposed bans. But minutes after the debate began Tuesday, it was adjourned at the government's behest after they allowed the Māori party lawmakers to stay until after Thursday's budget was delivered. It permitted the government their budget week agenda and meant the Māori lawmakers — opponents of the government — wouldn't miss one of Parliament's most significant dates. But the debate about the bans will then resume. Opposition leader Chris Hipkins, the only opponent of the sanctions to speak before debate was suspended, cited episodes where lawmakers have brawled in Parliament and driven a tractor up the building's steps, but were not suspended, as evidence that the bans weren't fair. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. But Judith Collins, the chair of the committee that produced the sanctions, said the penalties were 'not about the haka.' Collins said the lawmakers' behavior was the most egregious she'd ever witnessed. What happens next? The debate will resume on June 5, when it threatens to stall usual government business once more. The government said Tuesday that it would not back down from the punishments suggested and opposition parties said they couldn't be swayed from disputing them. Outside Parliament, activist Eru Kapa-Kingi told the assembled crowd that the haka was 'a source of fear' in Parliament. 'Even though when the All Blacks do it it's a good thing,' he added.
