Please note that the `proposal to settlement' involves the government's
providing NZ 1 billion dollars to be allocated by Government (less
expenses) amongst ALL tribes (actually Government regulated Tribal
Authorities) as final settlement of all grievances stemming from the
Treaty.
This proposal has been wholly rejected by ALL tribes (including Tainui)
First the Government has no right to allocate amongst tribes in this country.
The Government has set the Terms by which it will determine what claims are
valid.
The greviances are entirely based on land taken and ignores all other
greviances.
The type of land to be return has been determined by Government.
The land greviances alone amount to over 50 billion dollars not the miserly
1 billion which they offer
The tribal Authorities are Government established and regulated bodies
which do not represent the interest of all tribal members and which often
work without mandate.
> The treaty promised the Maoris "full, exclusive and undisturbed possession
> of their lands and estates, forests, fisheries and other properties".
>
> In return, they accepted British sovereignty. By general consent, the Maoris
> got the raw end of the deal.
The Maori language version of the Treaty says that the British were granted
KAWANATANGA the limited right of Governorship, whereas Maori were
guaranteed their TINO RANGATIRATANGA (Sovereign Authority) - Rangatiratanga
was used in the 1835 Declaration of Independence of New Zealand (the
document signed by assembled chiefs) to mean Independence
> More than 150 years later, the treaty is now being enforced by the courts
> and Mr Bolger's government is to set aside #400 million to settle the claims
> in full. [ That's four hundred million pounds sterling. --Gary ]
155 years later Iwi maori still suffer like all other colonised peoples
this country's worst statistics in health (except melanoma), education,
employment, welfare and crime. Including the world's highest suicide rate
for indigenous youth. As for the courts Ken Mair a `known Maori Activist'
active in the Pakaitore (Moutoa Garden) occupation has been imprisoned - he
is a political prisoner!
And as I said the money set aside by Bolger's government is token and has
been rejected by Maori.
> "I hope all New Zealanders will consider the size and nature of the task
> before you, a task that calls for patience, tolerance, perseverance and a
> will to succeed."
Iwi maori have been waiting patiently for the past 155 years
> Today, the Queen will sign her assent to the first piece of legislation
> drawn up under the new proposals.
>
> It will say that the Crown "apologises" to the moderate Tainui tribe for
> what has happened since 1840 and that the New Zealand government has pledged
> a compensation package worth #75 million.
I cannot speak for the people of Tainui, but know that many are not happy
with the deal and believe that they have been sold out.
Also as I stated in my earlier post we believe that their queen has no
right or ability to sign legislation in this country as soverignty is the
perogative of the assembled chiefs (nga Tino Rangatira o nga Hapu) as
stated in the Declaration 1835
> In keeping with this major theme of the tour, yesterday morning's opening
> engagement took the Queen to a Maori arts and crafts institute at Rotorua.
Recently that same institute was subject to occupation
> Outside, around 60 Maori militants made a vocal but peaceful demonstration
> demanding, among other things, that the Queen go home, that the Queen tell
> the government to hand back all Maori land and that the Queen remove herself
> from the governmental process altogether.
>
> The Queen preferred to look at displays of Maori dancing and crafts, a
> cluster of geysers and a baffled, one-legged Kiwi called Kes.
Isn't that nice of the Queen to see the natives jump through hoops, the
scenic wonders commercially exploited and that poor little bird (dosen't it
make you sick?)
> A handful of elders from the Te Arawa tribe lined up to "hongi" on the
> island of Mokoia in Lake Rotorua - a rubbing of noses "to share the air".
>
> But as the Prince set about his task, the line of elders and noses began to
> grow. He called it a day at 36 and went to share the air with some
> stitchbirds, whose breeding programme is funded by one of his charities.
The Hongi is a very significant part of traditional rituals of welcome
preformed between dignitaries of differing tribes (Iwi and Hapu) and links
back to the very beginning of humanity in Maori cosmology. For Phillip to
disregard this should be seen as a grave insult to the Te Arawa elders and
not made light of as this article intends.
I hope the birds and their queen were happy...
Kia Ora koutou I do not claim in responding to these to represent the views
of all Iwi maori.
I will if it is deemed necessary forward copies and translation of both the
Declaration of Independence of New Zealand 1835 (by which New Zealand was
declared an independent state in international law, with sovereignty vested
in the assembled chiefs of the hapu) and the Treaty of Waitangi 1840 .
If you have any questions please ask ...
[ Actually, copies of a number of important documents can be obtained
via the World Wide Web. For example, the Treaty of Waitangi is at
"http://charm.wcc.govt.nz/poneke/treaty.htm" There is also the Waitangi
Tribunal Reports Database ("http://202.14.100.10/waitangi/welcome.htm")
and the New Zealand Constitution ("http://www.govt.nz/constitn.html").
For convenience, I've created a page containing these links and a few
others at "http://www.fdl.cc.mn.us/natnet/aotearoa.html" --Gary ]
*********************************************
*KO TONGARIRO TE MAUNGA *
*KO TAUPO TE MOANA *
*KO TUWHARETOA TE IWI *
*KO TE HEUHEU TE TANGATA *
**********************************************
G Ngaiterangi Smallman
Maori Students Officer
Te Roopu Maori
HOMEPAGE: RANGIATEA
http://www.otago.ac.nz/Web_menus/Dept_Homepages/Maori_guy/HOMEPAGE/RANGIATEA
.html
Otago University Students Association
PO BOX 1436
Dunedin
New Zealand
Home Address (Term)
126A Habour Terrace
Dunedin
New Zealand