Below Are the Recommendations to The Royal Commission on Genetic Modification:

1. That the crown honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

2. That a process for implementing constitutional change is negotiated between Maori and the crown which includes a revision of all legislation inconsistent with Te Tiriti o Waitangi inlcuding the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996.

3. That following such a process, any constitutional change implemented reflects a basis in tikanga Maori and acknowledges the following constitutional documents as the foundation for such process:
   
   • Declaration of Independence
   • Te Tiriti o Waitangi
   • Draft Declaration of Indigenous rights
   • Mataatua Declaration
   • An Aotearoa (New Zealand) Constitution

4. That the crown fund a parallel process which seeks Maori knowledge and opinions on Genetic Modification (GM) sourced from kaupapa Maori processes and contexts immediately.

5. That a moratorium be placed upon all activities related to GM and GMO’s immediately.

6. That we outlaw the patenting of any lifeforms.

7. That an inventory on GMO’s and GM activity in Aotearoa be completed by Maori and the crown. Such an inventory must source all GMO’s and GM research, outputs and activities to date.

8. That Maori in negotiation with the crown commence immediately an environmental , spiritual and cultural GMO impact assessment, followed by a cultural, spiritual and environmental clean up.

9. That the crown stop free trade negotiations and stop biotechnology multi-nationals from entering Aotearoa to conduct GM experiments.

10. That Maori in negotiation with the crown develop separate standards from the current ANZFA and other food standards that label GM foods.

11. That Maori in negotiation with the crown label all GM foods.

12. That Maori in negotiation with the crown halt the import of GM foods for the future.

13. That the crown fund sustainable organic agricultural practices and implement processes that will ensure that Aotearoa is an organic nation by 2020.

14. We declare that Aotearoa should be an Independent, Nuclear and GE Free Nation.

15. That the Royal Commission include the resolutions from the National Maori hui held 6-8 April 2001 in their final report, and to the New Zealand Government.

16. The National hui held at Turangawaewae acknowledge and support the recommendations presented by Nga Wahine Tiaki o te Ao and all other whanau; hapu iwi; and Maori submissions that were received and delivered.

Tewaka Kai Ora Declaration Against Genetic Engineering

At a Hui in Whanganui at Ratana Pa on the 23-25 February a National Maori Organics Meeting was held bringing together around 150 growers from throughout the country. At this hui the participants gave their support to the development of a National Maori Organics Organisation to represent aori interests in the organic sector. To achieve this a national working group called Tewaka Kai Ora has been mandated to bring together Maori and develop the kaupapa for this National Maori Organics Organisation.

The working groups name ‘Tewaka Kai Ora’ was chosen because it can be translated as being ‘a vehicle for healthy products’ or ‘the pathway for healthy food’. Looking at these two definitions the vehicle expresses taking ownership, control or tino rangatiratanga and the pathway embraces kaitiakitanga or guardianship, which are the goals Tewaka Kai Ora hope to achieve for Maori in the organic gardening and farming sector.

Te Waka Kai Ora has already presented a Maori Position Paper to the Governments Organic Working Group recently and we present it here as part of our evidence to the Royal Commission. In this paper we completely opposed genetic engineering and in particular any possible contamination of the environment and agriculture from GMO’s.

We stand at the precipice of a new age where everything that has gone before can now be remade, not in the crucible of creation/evolution, but in a scientists test tube. The scale of the proposed genetically engineered Second Genesis is one of turning every biological organism that has any material or economic value to biotechnology companies into genetically modified organisms. Despite its implications for all life on planet earth it is only a little elite that is using a lot of time and money to genetically engineer plants, animals, micro-organisms and people—and they do this out of a sick pursuit of power aimed at giving them complete control of the world. Unfortunately, there are many that don't want to take a position out of fear that those with monetary power will get them through the back door. The Royal Commission must avoid that fear.

From our perspective as a Maori organisation it is within the main principles of mauri, whanaungatanga and whakapapa that we raise our absolute disagreement regarding genetic engineering and GMO’s. If these principles are damaged or tampered with in any way upsetting the holistic world balance, so too will be the mauri, whanaungatanga and whakapapa of maori and following generations.

Whanaungatanga

The DNA genes biological language is a physical expression of the whanaungatanga (family connectedness) we have with all living things from God/Atua to all of creation. This whanaungatanga is a feeling that we have a positive connection to each other and a contact with ourselves and all living things. The natural world of Maori is seen holistically and without segregated divisions. Maori hold a common understanding of the dynamic balance that exists inter-relatively between all matter and being. The interactions within the physical and spiritual dimensions are seen as an integral entity for future sustainment.

In the last 25 years scientists have been researching into genetic engineering and thereby how they can most effectively come outside of getting in touch with whanaungatanga (family feelings) and responsibility for the wholeness of life that whanaungatanga (family feelings) involves. As such, genetic engineering is a destructive utilisation of family feelings.

The Biotech corporations and scientists are trying to replace contact and responsibility towards each other and nature with cold intellectualism and dissociation. As such, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) are an affront to Tikanga Maori, a breach of the Treaty of Waitangi and a threat to both the health of Maori, the environment and conventional and organic agriculture.

Even introduced agricultural species, such as, vegetables like potatoes, carrots, corn, onions and animals like pigs, sheep, chickens and cows etc.., have become Taonga species to Maori. Just as much as kai moana, tuna (eel) and Kumara were before them and remain to this day. These introduced Taonga species were in widespread agricultural production and commercially traded with by Maori even before Te Tiriti o Waitangi was signed. They have helped sustain us as a people in the past as part of an organic farming system and now we are rediscovering those past skills and making a contribution to feeding our people with healthy organic food. As well as creating employment and profitable businesses as part of the rapidly growing commercial organics market. Unlike, conventional or GMO agriculture, organic farming allows us to do this in a way that does not pollute the environment, our kai moana and ourselves.

One of Tewaka Kai Ora's main goals as part of developing the National Organics Organisation is to help develop the framework for an indigenous organics verification and labelling system so that we can sell our own organic products under our own Maori organic standards. One of the biggest threats to this is GMO contamination from other farmers growing genetically engineered crops and animals. We know GMO contamination of organic crops and animals occurs overseas and we believe we have a Treaty right that guarantees our choice of staying free from contamination from such GMO pollution. Such choice can only be maintained if GMO’s are banned from use in the environment and agriculture in Aotearoa.

Unfortunately, the genetic engineers and Biotech corporations goal is to rule over nature and humanity without any consideration to the wholeness and connectedness of all life. Their attempt to remake agriculture and the environment with a genetically engineered Second Genesis is an attempt to build a perfect and effective world out from a little scientific elite's cold calculating intelligence which must be rejected.

As an example, the Life Science Network has tried to undermine organics by producing before the Royal Commission in Christchurch the American organic standards which specifically allow GMO’s to contaminate organic agriculture and yet still allow the end product to be labelled as organically grown. The rationale being that organics is about the process of production and not the quality of the end product. Wrong, Wrong, Wrong, Wrong!

As organic farmers and consumers we completely disagree with this manipulation. We disagree with this because of our holistic world view where everything is connected through whakapapa and mauri where the quality of the final product is just as important as the process of producing it. With GMO contamination the whakapapa and mauri of the species concerned becomes degraded and falls far short of being a quality life giving product. Our indigenous verification and label system will not just be about having a label which consumers will pay more for, but about producing a life sustaining product free from any form of contamination, including GMO’s.. It is our Treaty right to do so and the Life Science Networks manipulation proposes to breach our Treaty right of our agricultural Taonga to remain free from becoming contaminated with GMO’s. The Royal Commission must reject the Life Science Networks manipulations on organic standards.

Therefore, we at Tewaka Kai Ora believe that Aotearoa/New Zealand should officially become a GMO Free Nation because:

• Genetic engineering is a new form of human colonisation that attacks the Whakapapa of the organisms, flora and fauna concerned and will significantly degrade the Mauri (life force) of our foods, flora and fauna.
• Genetic engineering threatens Te Ira Hinengaro (the continuity of consciousness) by introducing un-natural phenomena thus breaking the chain of events stretching across time and space. When humans genetically engineer a plant they destroy the contact between the organisms/plants/animals. When we eat the genetically engineered product we destroy our inner contact--whether we are conscious of the mechanism or not. That we don't know what we are doing does not change the fact that we will suffer from the consequences.
• The Whakapapa of our indigenous and introduced agricultural Taonga species must be protected from being genetically engineered as this interferes with the Mauri of the species and usurps the role of God (Atua) and the connectedness of all beings.
• Genetic engineering threatens to confiscate Tangata Whenua Matauranga (knowledge) and flora and fauna resources for the benefit of others who have no interests in protecting the Treaty rights of Maori.
• Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) are an affront to Tikanga Mäori, a breach of the Treaty of Waitangi and a threat to both the health of Mäori and our environment.
• GMO pollution through cross pollination, super weed hybrids and general pollution of the environment has already occurred overseas and this must not be allowed to occur in New Zealand as it destroys the possibility of any choice of farming organically.
• As Tangata Whenua we have an exclusive Rangatiratanga right to our lands, forests, fisheries (both freshwater and marine) and Taonga (both indigenous and exotic) to remain free from being genetically engineered and from becoming polluted from GMO’s being released into the environment.
• GMO pollution threatens Te Hua Maori (natural produce) and indigenous organic farming production of food (Kai Parakore), clothing and housing.
• As Maori we have a Treaty right to all of our agricultural Taonga species remaining free from GMO contamination no matter when they were first introduced to Aotearoa.

ME WHAKAMUTU

Just because there are a minority of Maori who are willing to support genetic engineering this does not mean that they can take away the majority of Maoris Treaty rights to an environment and food chain that is free from GMO contamination. There is a simple principle that must be enforced here and that is that the activities of others must not fundamentally degrade, or in this case potentially destroy, our way of life as Maori as guaranteed to us in Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

We must stop the threat from a genetically engineered Second Genesis of GMO ’ s being released into our agriculture and environment to protect our Rangatiratanga and the Whakapapa and Mauri of our food, flora and fauna. Therefore, in conclusion we declare that:

1. Aotearoa/New Zealand should become a GMO Free Nation in its agriculture and environment.
2. Instead, emphasis should be placed on switching support for agricultural production to organic farming methods so that Aotearoa/New Zealand can progressively become an organic farming nation over time.