New Zealand Births, Deaths Marriages Available Online

New Zealand Births, Deaths Marriages Available Online For individuals researching their New Zealand whakapapa (genealogy), the  New Zealand Ministry of Internal Affairs offers  online access to New Zealands historical birth, death and marriage records. To protect the privacy of living people, the following historic data is available: Births that occurred at least 100 years ago Stillbirths that occurred at least 50 years ago (officially recorded since 1912) Marriages that occurred at least 80 years ago Deaths that occurred at least 50 years ago, or the deceaseds date of birth was at least 80 years ago Information Available Via Free Search Searches are free and generally provide enough information to help you ascertain that you have the correct individual, although information collected prior to 1875 is fairly minimal. Search results typically provide: Births - registration number, given name(s), family name, mothers given name (not maiden name), fathers given name, and whether a the birth was a stillbirth. Expect to find a large number of births with no given name recorded for the child. Births were required to be registered within 42 days, yet children were often not named until they were baptized.   Deaths - registration number, given name(s), family name, date of birth (since 1972) or age at death Marriages - registration number, brides given name(s) and family name, and grooms given name(s) and family name. Parents for the bride and groom can often be found after late 1880/early 1881. You can sort search results by clicking on any of the headings.   What to Expect from a Purchased Printout or Certificate Once you find a search result of interest, you can either purchase a printout to be sent via email,  or an official paper certificate sent through postal mail. The printout is recommended for non-official research purposes (especially for registrations after 1875) because there is room for  more information on a printout than can be included on a certificate. The printout is typically a  scanned image of the original record, so will contain all the information that was provided at the time the event was registered. Older records which have been since updated or corrected may be sent as a typed printout instead. A printout will include additional information that is not available through search: Births 1847–1875:  when and where born; given name (if provided); sex; name and surname of father; name and maiden surname of mother; rank or profession of father; signature, description and residence of the informant; date registered; and signature of the deputy registrar   Births post 1875:  when and where born; given name (if provided); whether child was present at the time of registration; sex; name and surname of father; rank or profession of father; age and birthplace of father; name and maiden surname of mother; age and birthplace of mother; when and where parents were married;  signature, description and residence of the informant; date registered; and signature of the deputy registrar.  Information available for births recorded in the MÄ ori Registers (1913 – 1961)  may be slightly different. Deaths 1847–1875: when and were died; name and surname; sex; age; rank or profession; cause of death;  signature, description and residence of th e informant; date registered; and signature of the deputy registrar   Deaths post 1875:  when and were died; name and surname; sex; age; rank or profession; cause of death; duration of last illness; medical attendant who certified the cause of death and when they last saw the deceased; name and surname of father; name and maiden name (if known) of the mother; rank or occupation of the father; when and where buried; name and religion of minister or name of witness to the burial; where born; how long in New Zealand; where married; age at marriage; name of spouse; children (including number, age and sex of living children); signature, description and residence of the informant; date registered; and signature of the deputy registrar. Information available for deaths recorded in the MÄ ori Registers (1913 – 1961) and War Deaths from WWI and WWII may be slightly different. Marriages 1854–1880: when and where married; name, surname, age, rank or profession, and marital condition of the groom;  name, surname, age, rank or profession, and m arital condition of the bride; name and signature of officiating minister (or Registrar); date of registration; signatures of bride and groom; and signatures of the witnesses. Marriages post 1880: when and where married; name, surname, age, rank or profession, and marital condition of the groom;  name, surname, age, rank or profession, and marital condition of the bride; if widow/widower, the name of former wife or husband; birthplace of bride and groom, residence (present and usual) of the bride and groom; fathers name and surname; fathers rank or profession; mothers name and maiden surname; name and signature of officiating minister (or Registrar); date of registration; signatures of bride and groom; and signatures of the witnesses.  Information available for marriages recorded in the MÄ ori Registers (1911 – 1952)  may be slightly different. How Far Back are New Zealand Births, Marriages and Deaths Available? Official registrations of births and deaths began in New Zealand in 1848, while marriage registration began in 1856. The website also has some earlier records, such as church and place registers, dating back as early as 1840. Dates for some of these early registrations may be misleading  (e.g marriages from 1840–1854 may appear with a registration year of 1840).   How Can I Access More Recent Birth, Death or Marriage Records? Non-historical (recent) records of New Zealand births, deaths and marriages can be ordered by individuals with a verified RealMe identity, a verification service available to New Zealand citizens and immigrants. They can also be ordered by members of  organizations approved by the New Zealand Registrar-General.   For a fascinating historical overview of the keeping of New Zealands registers of births, deaths and marriages, see the free PDF version of Little Histories, by  Megan Hutching of the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage.

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and Animal Cruelty

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and Animal Cruelty The Iditarod Trail dog sled race is a sled dog race from Anchorage, Alaska to Nome, Alaska, a route that is over 1,100 miles long. Aside from basic animal rights arguments against using dogs for entertainment or to pull sleds, many people object to the Iditarod because of the animal cruelty and deaths involved. â€Å"[J]agged mountain ranges, frozen river, dense forest, desolate tundra and miles of windswept coast . . . temperatures far below zero, winds that can cause a complete loss of visibility, the hazards of overflow, long hours of darkness and treacherous climbs and side hills.† This is from the official Iditarod website. The death of a dog in the 2013 Iditarod has prompted race organizers to improve protocols for dogs removed from the race. History of the Iditarod The Iditarod Trail is a National Historic Trail and was established as a route for dog sleds to access remote, snowbound areas during the 1909 Alaskan gold rush. In 1967, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race began as a much shorter sled dog race, over a portion of the Iditarod Trail. In 1973, race organizers turned the Iditarod Race into the grueling 9-12 day race that it is today, ending in Nome, AK. As the official Iditarod website puts it, â€Å"There were many who believed it was crazy to send a bunch of mushers out into the vast uninhabited Alaskan wilderness.† The Iditarod Today The rules for the Iditarod require teams of one musher with 12 to 16 dogs, with at least six dogs crossing the finish line. The musher is the human driver of the sled. Anyone who has been convicted of animal cruelty or animal neglect in Alaska is disqualified from being a musher in the Iditarod. The race requires the teams to take three mandatory breaks. Compared to previous years, the entry fee is up and the purse is down. Every musher who finishes in the top 30 receives a cash prize. Inherent Cruelty in the Race According to the Sled Dog Action Coalition, at least 136 dogs have died in the Iditarod or as a result of running in the Iditarod. The race organizers, the Iditarod Trail Committee (ITC), simultaneously romanticize the unforgiving terrain and weather encountered by the dogs and mushers, while arguing that the race is not cruel to the dogs. Even during their breaks, the dogs are required to remain outdoors except when being examined or treated by a veterinarian. In most U.S. states, keeping a dog outdoors for twelve days in freezing weather would warrant an animal cruelty conviction, but Alaskan animal cruelty statutes exempt standard dog mushing practices: This section does not apply to generally accepted dog mushing or pulling contests or practices or rodeos or stock contests. Instead of being an act of animal cruelty, this exposure is a requirement of the Iditarod. At the same time, Iditarod rules prohibit â€Å"cruel or inhumane treatment of the dogs.† A musher may be disqualified if a dog dies of abusive treatment, but the musher will not be disqualified if â€Å"[T]he cause of death is due to a circumstance, nature of the trail, or force beyond the control of the musher. This recognizes the inherent risks of wilderness travel.† If a person in another state forced their dog to run over 1,100 miles through ice and snow and the dog died, they would probably be convicted of animal cruelty. It is because of the inherent risks of running the dogs across a frozen tundra in sub-zero weather for twelve days that many believe the Iditarod should be stopped. The official Iditarod rules state, â€Å"All dog deaths are regrettable, but there are some that may be considered unpreventable.† Although the ITC may consider some dog deaths unpreventable, a sure way to prevent the deaths is to stop the Iditarod. Inadequate Veterinary Care Although race checkpoints are staffed by veterinarians, mushers sometimes skip checkpoints and there is no requirement for the dogs to be examined. According to the Sled Dog Action Coalition, most of the Iditarod veterinarians belong to the International Sled Dog Veterinary Medical Association, an organization that promotes sled dog races. Instead of being impartial caregivers for the dogs, they have a vested interest, and in some cases, a financial interest, in promoting sled dog racing. Iditarod veterinarians have even allowed sick dogs to continue running and compared dog deaths to the deaths of willing human athletes. However, no human athlete has ever died in the Iditarod. Intentional Abuse and Cruelty Concerns about intentional abuse and cruelty beyond the rigors of the race are also valid. According to an  ESPN article: Two-time runner-up Ramy Brooks was disqualified from the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race for abusing his dogs. The 38-year-old Brooks hit each of his 10 dogs with a trail marking lathe, similar to a surveyors stake, after two refused to get up and continue running on an ice field [...] Jerry Riley, winner of the 1976 Iditarod, was banned for life from the race in 1990 after he dropped a dog in White Mountain without informing veterinarians the animal was injured. Nine years later, he was allowed back in the race. One of Brooks’ dogs later died during the 2007 Iditarod, but the death was believed to be unrelated to the beating. Although Brooks was disqualified for beating his dogs, nothing in the Iditarod rules prohibits mushers from whipping the dogs. This quote from  The Speed Mushing Manual, by Jim Welch, appears on the Sled Dog Action Coalition: A training device such as a whip is not cruel at all but is effective [...] It is a common training device in use among dog mushers [...] A whip is a very humane training tool [...] Never say whoa if you intend to stop to whip a dog [...] So without saying whoa you plant the hook, run up the side Fido is on, grab the back of his harness, pull back enough so that there is slack in the tug line, say Fido, get up immediately rapping his hind end with a whip. As if dog deaths were not enough, the rules allow mushers to kill moose, caribou, buffalo, and other large animals â€Å"in defense of life or property† along the race. If the mushers were not racing in the Iditarod, they wouldn’t encounter wild animals defending their territory. Breeding and Culling Many of the mushers breed their own dogs for use in the Iditarod and other sled dog races. Few dogs can become champions, so it is common practice to  cull  the unprofitable dogs. An email from former musher Ashley Keith to the Sled Dog Action Coalition explains: When I was active in the mushing community, other mushers were open with me about the fact that larger Iditarod kennels frequently disposed of dogs by shooting them, drowning them or setting them loose to fend for themselves in the wilderness. This was especially true in Alaska, they said, where veterinarians were often hours away. They often used the phrase Bullets are cheaper. And they noted that its more practical for mushers in remote parts of Alaska to do it themselves. The Mushers Although the mushers endure some of the same harsh conditions faced by the dogs, the mushers decide voluntarily to run the  race and are fully aware of the risks involved. The dogs do not make such decisions knowingly or voluntarily. The mushers can also voluntarily decide to drop out and walk away when the race is too difficult. In contrast, individual dogs are dropped from the team when they are sick, injured or dead. Furthermore, the mushers are not whipped if they are going too slow. Changes After Dog Death in 2013 In the 2013 Iditarod, a dog named Dorado was removed from the race because he was moving stiffly. Dorados musher, Paige Drobny, continued the race and, following standard protocol, Dorado was left outside in the cold and the snow at a checkpoint. Dorado died of asphyxiation after being buried in snow, although seven other dogs who were also covered in snow survived. As a result of Dorados death, race organizers plan to build dog shelters at two checkpoints and also check on the dropped dogs more frequently. More flights will also be scheduled to transport dropped dogs from checkpoints that are not accessible via roads. What Can I Do? You dont have to be a member of PETA to believe in animal rights. Even with the entry fee, the Iditarod loses money on each musher, so the race relies on money from corporate sponsors. Urge the sponsors to stop supporting animal cruelty, and boycott sponsors of the Iditarod. The Sled Dog Action Coalition has a  list of sponsors  as well as a  sample letter.