Stories by Laura Bootham

The Christchurch City Mission says Māori are suffering disproportionately in the aftermath of the earthquakes with overcrowding and increased homelessness.

Ratana Church's young people say they have stopped selling blue t-shirts after a comment made by the Prime Minister John Key at last year's annual celebration.

Te Papa Tongarewa says it expects the number of treaty claims for cultural redress that involve the whare taonga to increase over the next few years.

Precious taonga steeped in the history of the Treaty of Waitangi have been put on public display at Te Papa for the first time. Audio

The Māori Law Society says it is only consulted on an ad hoc basis when it comes to providing suitable tāngata whenua as candidates to be judges.

The Māori legal profession is calling for more indigenous judges, after the release of figures showing only 28 working in New Zealand's legal system. Audio

There are only 28 judges who define themselves as Māori working in New Zealand's legal system.

There are too many schisms between Māori and non-Māori according to a church leader, who is urging non-Māori to work harder to form positive relationships with tāngata whenua.

A senior member of the Rātana Church says the Maori King would have been very disappointed that John Key did not attend the church's annual celebrations.

A group protesting against plans to destroy 80-year-old pōhutukawa trees in central Auckland is urging people to voice their concerns at a public meeting tonight.

A customary fisheries forum has slated the decision to grant a marine consent to OMV to continue its development drilling programme in the South Taranaki Bight.

A lawyer representing Māori military veterans says the Government should acknowledge all Māori who fought in battles, not just those fighting on behalf of the Crown.

The Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association is backing a move by Māori military veterans seeking compensation, but says everyone who served should be entitled.

Lawyers representing Māori military veterans have laid out their claims today before the Waitangi Tribunal.

Local Government New Zealand's Lawrence Yule is backing a demand by Northland Regional councillor and former MP that Māori landowners pay their rates.

An organisation that supports contemporary Māori artists says there is a belief that Creative New Zealand has no will to support quality Māori theatre in Wellington.

Leading New Zealand performing artists say tāngata whenua in the industry are being forced to leave Wellington or give up their profession as Creative NZ funding dwindles.

The North Island's Whānau Ora commissioning agency says a lack of money led to many good providers missing out in a recent funding round for its Collective Impact for Whānau strategy.

A moving ceremony at Te Papa was held today to welcome home ancestral remains of tangata whenua to Aotearoa. The repatriation is the largest in NZ's history. Video, Audio

Māori actor and director Jim Moriarty is calling for a national theatre for tāngata whenua to be created and housed at the national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa.

Newly-released statistics show Māori smoking rates have dropped by nearly 10% from 2006 to 2013. But health specialists say Māori still lag behind non-Māori when it comes to quitting.

A "landmark" book on Māori has been launched, with high-profile Māori such as Pita Sharples and Sir Tipene O'Regan praising it for its comprehensive coverage of the history of tangata whenua.