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The Royal Commission on Genetic Modification - submissionsNga Wahine Tiaki o Te AoSTRATEGIC ISSUES & OPTIONSSubmission Nga Wahine Tiaki o te Ao submitted that Tino Rangatiratanga is guaranteed under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and that the Crown in its processes, including the Commission process, is operating in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Furthermore, the concept of Mana Wahine was stated to assert a fundamental belief that past, current and future generations have the right to tino rangatiratanga and the tampering with genetic material is in direct conflict with this right. Nga Wahine Tiaki o te Ao asserted, therefore, that there should be no application or experimentation with GM technology in Aotearoa. Importantly, this includes medical applications.
The opportunities that will arise from the avoidance of GM technology applications where then highlighted. Nga Wahine Tiaki o te Ao specifically mentioned organic food production. Furthermore, it is their opinion that the avoidance of GM technology will ensure the integrity of whakapapa and the continuation of the Iwi nations into the future. A GM free nation based soundly upon te Tiriti o Waitangi would be able to hold itself up as an example to the rest of the world.
RISKS & BENEFITSSubmission In the opinion of Nga Wahine Tiaki o te Ao, the only people who will be advantaged by the use of GM technology are trans-national and multi-national companies looking to exploit Aotearoa for their own profit. It was then stated that Maori will be severely disadvantaged by the application of a technology that will damage the environment for which they hold themselves responsible. The application of GM technology will also see their whakapapa changed beyond recognition.
LAW & LEGISLATIONSubmission Liability Nga Wahine Tiaki o te Ao stated they were adamant that they will pursue redress to the fullest extent of tikanga Maori should any person attempt to introduce GM technology applications into their combined territories. Should any traditional crops belonging to Nga Wahine Tiaki o te Ao be inadvertently contaminated by GM crops they will also pursue full redress under current New Zealand law and seek compensation for damages to their intellectual and cultural property. In their opinion, these are both examples of serious liability issues that effectively make a GM free Aotearoa the only sensible option. Intellectual property Nga Wahine Tiaki o te Ao maintained that Aotearoa is Maori land, and therefore any organism grown from it is subject to tikanga Maori. Anything created in Aotearoa will therefore be subject to Maori claims for ownership as kaitiaki. Furthermore, they stated that they will continue to exercise their rights as Maori to prevent the introduction of GM and GMO experimentation into Aotearoa. Specifically, Nga Wahine Tiaki o te Ao stated that they do not give permission for their intellectual property to be used for the purposes of GM experimentation. Concern was also expressed in respect to the concept of biopiracy. Nga Wahine Tiaki o te Ao contended that indigenous peoples around the world are currently engaged in resisting biopiracy within their borders. In their words, this ‘theft’ is occurring for no other purpose than for the financial gain of the greedy corporate entities that willingly facilitate these processes. |