Third Readings
Hon Dr PITA SHARPLES (Minister of Māori Affairs)
on behalf of the
Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations: I move,
That the Ngāti Manawa Claims Settlement Bill and the Ngāti Whare Claims Settlement Bill be now read a third time. Tēnā koutou. Kua tae mai ahakoa te roa o te wā o te hīkoi kia tae ki tēnei wā, kua tae mai. Nā reira, e tika ana kia mihi atu ki a koutou kua whakakī nei i tō tātou atāmira nei, nā reira, tēnā koutou. Tēnā koutou i ō tātou tini aituā. Ka hoki aku mahara ki a Bill Bird tōna kaha ki te whai i tēnei kerēme, tae noa ki tōna matenga. Nā reira ngā mate ki a rātou, haere, okioki pai mai. Ērangi, ko te mea nui i tēnei hāora ko koutou, ngā mōrehu o ngā tīpuna mātua e noho tahi nei, kua whakakotahitia e te kaupapa e whakakotahi ai tātou i tēnei rā. Nā reira, nau mai, haere mai rā.
[Greetings. You have arrived at last, even though it has taken a long time for the journey to make it here; it has arrived. So it is fitting that I acknowledge you because you have filled our gallery to capacity—well done. I acknowledge our many, many deaths as well. My thoughts go back to Bill Bird. He worked hard to see this claim through, right up to the time of his death. So farewell, the dead; rest well. Let the dead remain there with the dead. The most important thing at this hour, however, is that you are remnants of the ancestral forefathers seated there as one, and bound together by the same policy. Welcome, welcome.]
This legislation brings together the Treaty of Waitangi claims of the descendants of Apa-Hāpai-Take-Take, Tangiharuru, and Toi Te Huatahi. These are peoples of the Kuhawaea and Kaingaroa Plains, Rangitaiki and Whirinaki Rivers, and the lands of Te Whāiti and Minginui, Te Whirinaki Te Pua-o-Tāne, Urewera lands in the east, and the mountains Tāwhiuau and Tūwatawata. I welcome the descendants of Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare to this House. Ko Tāwhiuau te maunga, ko Rangitaiki te awa, ko Rangipō te wehenga o te tuna, ko Ngāti Manawa te iwi.
[Tāwhiuau is the mountain, Rangitaiki is the river, Rangipō is where the eels head off in different directions, Ngāti Manawa is the tribe.]
The late Ngāti Manawa rangatira Bill Bird was at the Rangitahi Marae with his people when I had the privilege of representing the Crown at the tribe’s signing of the deed of settlement back in December 2009. Bill was a leader, a visionary, but, importantly, Bill was a realist. “We’ve got to get real. The problem is real, so the solution has to be real.”, he once told a reporter. Throughout Ngāti Manawa’s many years of negotiations with the Crown, Bill and many others, including the late Denise Howden, made sure the Crown got real. Ngāti Manawa leaders urged their people to stay focused, and, most important, to stick together. Ngāti Manawa, me tōtara pakaua tātou, kaua e noho tōtara wāhi rua.
[Ngāti Manawa, we must be like a sinewy tōtara and not a splintered one.]
Ngāti Manawa—united we stand, divided we fall. Bill spoke of how he wanted his people to get out of grievance mode and into iwi dependency mode. He also spoke of how hard this would be while the sins of the Crown had not been identified.
The Crown’s sins against Ngāti Manawa people have taken many forms, perpetuated over many years, and remain etched into the lives of generations of the people of Tangiharuru. Ngāti Manawa’s claims relate to the region around Murupara, the
Kaingaroa Plains—the central Bay of Plenty. Their claims relate to the consequences of the Crown actions during the New Zealand Wars, Crown actions and omissions with regards to the native land laws, and Crown land purchasing techniques.
The Crown recognises Ngāti Manawa’s traditional historical, cultural, and spiritual interests, and seeks to strengthen those bonds through the vesting of sites of particular significance, cultural redress, and first right of refusal to purchase certain commercial properties. Significantly, today marks the gifting of the ancestral mountain Tāwhiuau to the people of Ngāti Manawa, and then the gifting back of the maunga to all the people of New Zealand who will recognise Ngāti Manawa’s sacred association with Tāwhiuau.
Inland iwi Ngāti Manawa’s destiny has been for ever linked with their waterways—their ancestral river. The Crown’s takeover of the Rangitaiki and other rivers began in the late 19th century. Large parts of New Zealand were soon powered by three hydroelectric dams located throughout the region. However, while New Zealand benefited, Ngāti Manawa suffered. They suffered the comprehensive loss of their ancestral river, the destruction of their primary food source, and the demise of their cultural and economic asset base.
Today’s legislation will see the creation of a body to restore Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare mana over the Rangitaiki and other waterways. They will by law take part in a management regime that will seek to restore and protect their ancestral waters. The Rangitaiki River Forum will be comprised of equal iwi and council representatives in order to protect and enhance the health and well-being of the Rangitaiki River catchment and its tributaries. This shared redress is a model for future relationships between iwi Māori and the Crown. Ko au ko te Whirinaki; ko te Whirinaki ko au. I am the Whirinaki; the Whirinaki is me. The people of Ngāti Whare’s kaitiaki bond to Te Whirinaki Te Pua-o-Tāne spans generations and has endured the challenges of land alienation, disenfranchisement, industrial expansion, and environmental destruction.
In recent years the rest of the world has discovered something Ngāti Whare people have always known—that the Whirinaki is a unique taonga found nowhere else on the Earth. Likened by international conservationists to a living cathedral, the Whirinaki is one of the planet’s last prehistoric rainforests. Of enormous cultural and spiritual value to Ngāti Whare, the Whirinaki contains numerous wāhi tapu and sites of significance.
After years of negotiations, today the Crown and Ngāti Whare are breaking new ground regarding the settlement of Treaty of Waitangi claims. Their co-governance plan for Te Whirinaki Te Pua-o-Tāne forest park is another model for future negotiations. Included in this unique arrangement is Crown assistance to enable Ngāti Whare to regenerate indigenous mataī, rimu, and kahikatea in areas of pine forest within Whirinaki Crown forest licensed land.
The claims of Ngāti Whare also relate to the Crown’s shameful actions against their members during the New Zealand Wars—actions that have resonated through generations of families over 144 years. The storming of Te Hārima Pā is an event that has lived in the memories and the hearts of Ngāti Whare since the Crown raided this kāinga in May 1869. Several men were killed in the surprise attack—some elderly, some trying to escape with their families. According to Ngāti Whare oral tradition, women were raped during the invasion, and, as a consequence, some committed suicide. Fifty women and children were imprisoned. Te Hārima Pā, their home, was destroyed along with other kāinga, cultivations, and provisions in the valley, as per the Crown’s scorched earth policy at the time.
Today the Crown acknowledges with deep regret the harm inflicted on the people of Ngāti Whare during and after the attack on Te Hārima. Today the Crown unreservedly apologises to Ngāti Whare for these actions. Ko Tūwatawata te maunga, ko Whirinaki te awa, ko Wharepākau te tangata, ko Ngāti Whare te iwi.
[Tūwatawata is the mountain, Whirinaki is the river, Wharepākau is the man, Ngāti Whare is the tribe.]
As we stand together today, the Crown alongside Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare, we look at the past with our eyes wide open. We do not shy away. All those things Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare families have lost due to the actions of the Crown can never be totally replaced, and yet today, Ngāti Whare and Ngāti Manawa settle their grievances with the Crown and, in doing so, honour us all with their mana. To quote a Ngāti Whare saying: “Kia mana ai ō rātou whakapapa”. By their actions, they instil their whakapapa with mana. I commend these bills to the House.
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Labour—Ikaroa-Rāwhiti)
: E tautokotia atu te mihimihi mō tō tātou Minita Māori ki a koutou katoa e tae tahi mai ki konei, e mau ake i ngā nawe, ngā taumaha mai rā nō, mō te otinga o ngā kerēme. Ahakoa te roaroa hoki o te tae ki tēnei wā, e, kua tae atu koutou. Nō reira, mihi kau ana. Mihi kau ana ki a koutou e noho rōroa atu i roto i te ngahere, i ngā wāhi e tuku kōrero atu tō tātou Minita. Nō reira, tēnā koutou. Ahakoa ngā piki, ngā heke, ngā pakanga, i konei kē tātou hei whai kaha, hei oti pai mō koutou.
E tika atu ki te mihi atu ki a rātou e rere atu, e haere atu ki tērā wāhi. E mōhio atu tātou ahakoa nā wai, nō whea, e tae atu katoa ki reira, ngā tangata pērā i a Bill, i a rātou mā, ngā tū pakeke e kore i konei. Mōhio atu tātou, he nui atu ngā kanohi kāre i konei e whārakitia atu te huarahi mō te tae pēnei tonu. Nō reira, i a koutou katoa e mihi kau ana. Tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa. E hiahia ana ki te tuku kōrero mō ia ingoa e waiho atu wētahi ki waho, ēngari ki a koutou katoa, tēnā koutou.
[I endorse the sentiments of welcome expressed by our Minister of Māori Affairs to you all who have arrived here with your grievances and burdens from way back about the completion of claims. Even though it has taken a very long time to reach this point, hey! You have made it. And so I congratulate you. I do appreciate the great length of time you have waited in the bush and at places where our Minister sent you information. I acknowledge your patience. Well done. Despite the ups, downs, and differences, we were here working hard to ensure that it works out well for you in the finish.
Of course, it is appropriate that we acknowledge those ones who have passed away and gone. We know that regardless who it is or where they are from, persons of that calibre, like Bill, all of them—elders who are no longer here—will eventually end up in that place. We know that there are many, many faces that we no longer see today. They have gone ahead to line the pathway to that place. And so I salute you all. Even though I would like to say something to each of you individually, it is possible that I will leave someone out and hence the salutation; greetings all.
]
Labour will be supporting the Ngāti Manawa Claims Settlement Bill and the Ngāti Whare Claims Settlement Bill, as we have done from 2004, and we look forward to a great day finishing well for these people, who have travelled a long, long way. I join with the Minister of Māori Affairs in the references that he has made to the dastardly deeds of the Crown and everything else, certainly mentioning clearly about trying to put things right. It is not everything that should be put right, but at least it is a start in relation to nationhood. We preach and preach at times about nationhood, but certainly one wonders whether we are serious about it. And today in this claim from Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare, certainly we hope that it is a start to correct those things that were not good, that were not nice, and that certainly have sat around for a long, long time. I want to commend Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare for their patience, for their perseverance, and most of all for having enough courage to get to this stage of the settlement process.
The Ngāti Manawa agreement in principle was signed on 18 September 2009. It certainly is important to mention Bill Bird. There are people whom you meet in working in this place when you are a long time working with Māoridom. There are certain characters who stand out, and Bill was just that. He had a smile a mile long. I saw him convince Pākehā minds to turn round, through his sheer tenacity. Certainly Bill is missed here today, and so is Maramena Vercoe and all of those people who really supported this thing.
The legislation settles all remaining historical Treaty claims of Ngāti Manawa. Both iwi were part of the central North Island deal in 2008. The real issue for me in relation to Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare is that they took the time to step back in relation to their settlement pathway, to make sure that the central North Island deal was settled, and they need to be recognised for that. In the financial redress through the central North Island forest lands settlements, Ngāti Manawa’s share is $12.2 million. We need to recognise that Ngāi Manawa’s negotiations were put on hold, and that they had some real tensions in getting here. There is special unique redress in relation to Ngāti Manawa, and I wish there was more of this, Minister, in other settlements. It is $2.6 million for special projects nominated by Ngāti Manawa. That certainly is recognising and showing courage in the trust.
I think one of the great things in Ngāti Manawa’s settlement is the name changes. I wish it could happen a lot more. I get sick of looking at Lochinvar Street or Westwood Way or whatever, and knowing that they have Māori names. There needs to be correction, and that Lake Aniwhenua and Aniwhenua Falls will be changed to Āniwaniwa is something worthwhile to recognise. I think it is good enough to do a lot more.
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Manawa fisheries advisory committee will have a direct link with the Ministers of conservation and fisheries. It will be facilitated in relation to having a key role between Ngāti Manawa, the Crown, Environment Bay of Plenty, and the energy industry reps to discuss these issues. It really is important that Ngāti Manawa takes the role, especially with all the agitation about fracking and tracking and everything else, and that they are in at the start in relation to all of these issues.
In 1874 and 1873 Ngāti Manawa agreed to lease several large blocks of land to the Crown and private parties. However, despite agreeing to lease these blocks, the Crown would not pay regular rent until the Native Land Court had determined ownership of it. Court hearings caused great disruption and hardship for Ngāti Manawa on several occasions between 1878 and 1890. In 1895 Ngāti Manawa were party to the agreement to establish the Urewera District Native Reserve. The Crown agreed with Māori that the land in the reserve would be under tribal administration, and excluded it from the Native Land Court process. Despite this agreement, the Crown later enacted legislation restoring the Native Land Court process and facilitating purchases from individual owners in 1914. By 1927 Ngāti Manawa were virtually landless. Some reserves were set aside for them from the land they had sold, but they were inadequate and did not include all the land Ngāti Manawa thought had been reserved.
There are issues in relation to future protocols. The deed of settlement provides for certain Ministers to issue protocols that set out how the respective agencies will interact with and consult Ngāti Manawa when carrying out statutory duties and functions. The protocols have been tailored to reflect the aspirations of Ngāti Manawa. These Ministers are the fisheries Minister, the Minister of Conservation, the Minister of Energy and Resources, and the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage. Not wanting to name the Ministers, but I want to suggest to Ngāti Manawa to make sure that you get a good team up there and that those Ministers stick to the charter, not like in 1927.
In the case of Ngāti Whare the deed of settlement by Chris Finlayson, the Minister, is dated 8 and 12 December 2009. I want to mention my whānau over there James Carlson and Bronco, Kōhiti Kōhiti, Lena Brew—and it is no good carrying on naming people, because you leave people out. The financial and commercial redress provided from the central North Island settlement has a similarity to Ngāti Manawa’s. Co-management of the Whirinaki Forest Park with the East Coast Bay of Plenty Conservation Board is part of the unique special redress. There are 640 hectares of Crown land, 10 percent of the central North Island forest lands, for Project Whirinaki, a regeneration project, and I think that is where the iwi show their kindness. Somebody else chops the forest down and gets the lumber, and they miss out.
In relation to Ngāti Whare, Minginui and Te Whāiti were huge workforce towns. Māori are loyal, especially in Ngāti Whare and Ngāti Manawa. If you take Murupara, those three towns had huge workforce populations. In relation to the atypical departure of the Crown, a lot of people were put asunder with high unemployment, unnecessarily failing economic businesses and things like that, and the Māori people there suffered. It certainly is a great testament to their ability to be here to finalise these settlements. I think we need to remember that Māori were loyal for years and generations. They worked for the company, they built Murupara, they built Te Whāiti, they built Minginui, and they lived in them and they thrived. They are towns that are still thriving. There are empty houses, and there are a whole lot of sections and opportunities for these two great iwi in relation to this settlement.
We will be supporting this legislation to the end, and we want to thank Minister Finlayson especially for his efforts, and to thank those members of the Office of Treaty Settlements, the Crown Forestry Rental Trust, Te Puni Kōkiri, and all those officials who were sometimes damned for whatever they may do. Today certainly is a day for Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare, and I wish them all the best. Kia ora tātou.
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations)
: I thank previous speakers and, like them, welcome the representatives of both iwi who have travelled for this very special occasion from their home in the centre of the universe. Your journey towards this settlement—and, it is fair to say, the Crown’s as well—has taken some unexpected byways. From the inception of the push towards settling central North Island claims back in 2002 to the developments last year, you have been at the forefront of settlement negotiations. I too acknowledge the leadership, the pragmatism, and the hard work of both negotiating teams. It is through their diligent labour that we are here today.
I too want to acknowledge those who are no longer with us, particularly Bill Bird, who provided key leadership and guidance for Ngāti Manawa to come to the settlement. I myself will never forget the last time I met him at a hotel in Rotorua. He was in dreadful pain. It took him quite some time to get out of the car, but he was absolutely determined to ensure that the settlement addressed the grievances of Ngāti Manawa and that there was meaningful redress that would benefit the iwi both now and in the future. I also want to pay homage to Denise Howden, a negotiator for Ngāti Manawa, who also passed away. Her legacy will live for ever in the settlement, especially in the commercial redress.
Ngāti Whare have also lost people on the long path to settlement. I recognise Jack Ohlson, whose recent passing is still being mourned at Te Whāiti. I am saddened that he passed away prior to this legislation being enacted.
This is a very important day, not only for those of us gathered here but for those who have gone before us and those who will follow in our footsteps. It was once said about Māori that they are not just knowing the grievances or feeling the grievances but living the grievances, and both iwi here know this in their hearts, because their grievances are
longstanding and significant. They have been passed on from generation to generation. Each has had an obligation and a duty to seek resolution in a meaningful way, and these bills, the
Ngāti Manawa Claims Settlement Bill and the Ngāti Whare Claims Settlement Bill, address those grievances. They settle all of the iwi’s historical Treaty of Waitangi claims. Both iwi have a close relationship, and their areas of interest overlap. It is important to remember that these iwi are intrinsically linked, so it is fitting that the two iwi come together as whānau to reach settlement at the same time.
In November 2003 the Crown recognised the mandates of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Manawa and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whare, and negotiations began with the signing of joint terms of negotiation in 2004. Both iwi were part of the Central North Island Iwi Collective, whose forestry claims were addressed as part of that settlement, and, since the settlement, Ngāti Whare and Ngāti Manawa have progressed largely in parallel to complete their comprehensive settlements. In 2009 the Crown and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whare and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Manawa signed separate deeds of settlement to settle all of their outstanding historical Treaty of Waitangi claims. It is significant and a reflection of their longstanding whakapapa ties that these two have travelled through the legislative stage together in this settlement legislation.
I now want to turn to each of the settlements. The lodging of the Wai 66 claim some 25 years ago started the journey for Ngāti Whare. In early 2003 the Crown gave priority to settling the historical claims within the central North Island. Ngāti Whare responded by mandating Te Rūnanga to enter into direct negotiations with the Crown. Your vision and leadership throughout both the Central North Island Iwi Collective and the negotiations have been critical to the success of the Crown and Ngāti Whare achieving this settlement today. Your package sets an example for current and future settlements, with unique arrangements that have been developed for the forest within the Whirinaki Valley. Co-governance of the forest park centres on development of a conservation management plan approved jointly by the Crown and Ngāti Whare. This is the first such arrangement in the history of Treaty settlements. I commend your leadership in recognising the need to find solutions that work for all parties. The idea of the co-governance arrangement in relation to the forest park has paved the way for other iwi where a long-term view of the Crown-iwi relationship needs to be taken. In addition, the regeneration scheme is another way in which Ngāti Whare is forging a new path, and I certainly hope that the trees I planted are doing well.
I now turn to the Ngāti Manawa settlement. Ngāti Manawa’s settlement is intended to meet the traditional, historical, cultural, and spiritual needs of the iwi. They were loyal to the Crown during the New Zealand Wars, but this did not protect them. Like iwi throughout the country they suffered from the effects of the native land laws and the Crown’s land purchasing techniques, particularly in respect of the land they wished to retain. Twentieth-century land, river, and forestry development by the Crown added to their misfortune, and I pick up on what Mr Horomia said. If one wants any justification for Treaty settlements and why they are so necessary, let them go to Minginui today. Let them see just how bad things are and can be.
The key aspects of Ngāti Manawa’s cultural redress package aim to reinvigorate the relationship between Ngāti Manawa and sites of significance in their area of interest, including the vesting of sites of particular significance to Ngāti Manawa, the erection of a pou rāhui to mark traditional iwi boundaries, and the creation of a body to restore Ngāti Manawa’s and Ngāti Whare’s mana over their ancestral river and their relationship with eel and tuna. I look forward to when Ngāti Manawa once again reclaim ownership and kaitiaki of their sacred maunga. I honour your generosity to the nation in consenting to gift Tāwhiuau to the people of New Zealand.
Given the significant historical and contemporary links of the iwi, it is appropriate that the two settlement bills include joint redress. In a spirit of pragmatism and fellowship, which has been ever-present in these negotiations, both iwi jointly negotiated the return of four sites, which will be vested in the names of their ancestors. Of particular note in these settlement packages is the innovative and groundbreaking development of a co-governance regime for the Rangitaiki River. Both iwi broke new ground with this redress. The redress providing for new engagement between iwi and local government, developed by you, has become the model for Treaty settlements and has been sought after in all subsequent negotiations. It is typical of the generous nature of your negotiations that you have sought to include all iwi with interest in the Rangitaiki River in this redress. Both iwi told me how important inclusiveness is to these arrangements, and I understand that seats are available for all iwi with interests, to be provided through their own settlements.
In conclusion, the Crown is acutely aware when it enters into negotiations that full restitution is impossible. We cannot turn back the clock. We cannot return all that was taken. I am very aware of the generosity of Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare in accepting this, and pay tribute to that now. Their gift to the nation is gratefully respected and acknowledged. I acknowledge the trustees of both iwi. Their dedication and determination have been vital in the path towards achieving settlement.
I want to thank other Ministers—both present and past—and departments involved in this negotiation. Many people from across the political spectrum have made important contributions to this settlement over the years. As has oft been said, although individuals, companies, and Governments come and go, the iwi will always remain. I very much look forward to keeping in touch and to seeing your iwi prosper and grow in the years to come.
Hon NANAIA MAHUTA (Labour—Hauraki-Waikato)
: Tēnā koutou, Ngāti Manawa, Ngāti Whare, koutou i hara mai ki te whakarongo ki ēnei o ngā mahi kei mua i te aroaro o te Whare Pāremata. E tika ana me mihi atu ki a rātou e kawe ana i ngā wawata o ngā mātua tūpuna, rātou kua huri ki tua o te ārai, heke iho mai ki a koutou i tēnei rangi. Tēnā koutou katoa.
[Greetings to you, Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare; you have come to listen to these addresses before the House of Parliament. It is fitting that we acknowledge those who have passed away and who carried the aspirations of the ancestral forefathers, and you as well present here today. Congratulations to you all.]
I spent much of the second reading and Committee stage of the legislation commenting on the Ngāti Manawa Treaty settlement, and for that reason I will confine my comments today to Ngāti Whare. Ngāti Whare has significant historical kin connections to Maniapoto. In fact, on Saturday there will be a commemoration at Ōrākau to remember what happened in the 1860s in terms of the wars between Māori iwi and the Crown. There is a profound sense of gratitude amongst Waikato Maniapoto for those of Ngāti Whare who joined my ancestors at Ōrākau.
In a sense, the topographical features of Ōrākau tell the story far better than I could in this House today, and also the living memories of the descendants of those families who fought at Ōrākau and passed the story down from generation to generation. Indeed, if you visit Ōrākau you will understand when you go there that for those people who went there to fight, there was no ability to retreat. When you went there to fight, you had to fight until the end. For that reason I pay tribute to Ngāti Whare in this House today.
From Ōrākau was the well-known saying “Ka whaiwhai tonu mātou, ake, ake, ake”. [“We will continue to fight on for ever”.] It is within that spirit of kin connection and historical gratitude of those relationships that I want to make my contribution. Treaty
settlements are more than just words on paper. Treaty settlements are a living recognition that, despite the hurt and the historical actions that took place between iwi and the Crown, this is a real attempt to try to restore some of that hurt and seek redress, albeit insufficient, I think, in the living memories of the descendants today. But it is a start, and it is an important start to ensure that future generations can move forward. Tēnei e mihi ana ki a koutou, Ngāti Whare. [I acknowledge you, Ngāti Whare.]
There are key components to their settlement that on paper are very straightforward, but again I make the point that if Treaty settlements are to be more than words on paper, it is how Ngāti Whare and the Crown—and, indeed, instruments of the Crown, which means Government departments and local government—give life and breath to the living aspirations of what Ngāti Whare are trying to achieve. There is a historical account that is recognised by and large through the Crown apology, there is cultural redress, and there is financial and commercial redress that has been achieved through the central North Island settlement.
When we look at the Crown apology, in part what it does is rectify a story that was not told that can be told now. Probably the real living legacy of a Crown apology will be in the ways that future generations of Ngāti Whare can learn their history and have it recognised in their schools and in the education system. That will be, I think, a go-forward opportunity to retell and keep telling a very important part of Ngāti Whare’s history.
In the cultural redress part of the settlement there are some very, I think, innovative opportunities here going forward. The fact that the Whirinaki Conservation Park has an opportunity for a joint conservation role between the Crown, the Department of Conservation, and Ngāti Whare through a conservation management plan affords itself a real living legacy to what a model for conservation management can look like in a country like New Zealand. We do not need to look to Australia and the Kakadu National Park; we can look to our own models and our own unique opportunities to have an approach that will be about not only preserving the natural history of New Zealand but also telling the story as it applies within that conservation park, and Ngāti Whare can make a huge contribution in that part. Ngāti Whare is making a commitment to regenerating indigenous planting in that area, and there is a regeneration project fund that has been established.
There are also components of the settlement that I think are important to highlight in terms of the transfer of ownership of important sites. About seven sites have been transferred, or vested, and they are outlined in the summary statement of the deed of settlement. But the story I really want to tell that sits alongside this is the acreage that is given back. A lot of the general public are under this misleading thought that a whole lot is being given back to Māori. It is just a small drop in the bucket, but, as I say, an important drop, and it is a start, but it should be recognised that Māori continue to make the greatest contribution to this nation in the way that they are entering into the Treaty settlement process.
With the seven sites that have been handed back, 36.2 hectares, in terms of the general benefits to New Zealanders what remains with regards to those sites is the protection of conservation values, the assurance that public access will continue to be guaranteed over these sites, and the retention of reservation status. This is all a great contribution on Ngāti Whare’s part to the nation, and that must be recognised in the House today. There will also be a return of five wāhi tapu sites, which in total amount to 10.3 hectares. These are very important wāhi tapu sites that have significant stories, which, in time, if the aspirations of the conservation plan are realised, could be a real opportunity again to preserve and tell the history as Ngāti Whare would like to tell that history.
There is a joint vesting of four sites totalling 13 hectares, and the Whirinaki Conservation Park will have a new name. I would hope, and the comment was made by Parekura Horomia before me, that we should not have to have a Treaty settlement to rectify the misspelling of Māori names, which goes through a process of going to the New Zealand Geographic Board and then it becomes whether you have an “h”. The real opportunity through these Treaty settlements is to, I think, put a stake in the ground and say that many of our names, actually, are not spelt correctly, and as a matter of course, in terms of ensuring New Zealand’s history is told with the inclusion of Māori, ensure that the spelling of those names is rectified. I want to applaud Ngāti Whare for making that particular start. As I say, it should not take them a Treaty settlement to continue along this process.
There are statutory acknowledgments as a part of this Treaty settlement to recognise the special association that Ngāti Whare have in connection with certain sites. In time, I believe that these acknowledgments should be recognised in the planning process undertaken by the regional council. These are important sites that have been recognised through a Treaty settlement, and in the planning process of the regional council it should recognise, again, the importance to Ngāti Whare and how it can be included in terms of long-term planning.
There are many other aspects of the Ngāti Whare settlement, all too many for me to comment on today, but I would like to speak to one part, which the Minister really concluded his speech on, and that is the innovation around a joint management approach to the Rangitaiki River. The real opportunity here, if it is to be the living embodiment of what is intended by Ngāti Whare as I read it, is to ensure that they have a continued and ongoing opportunity for the management and governance decisions around their waterways that is not heavily dependent on the Minister of the day or on the Government of the day—that is instituted into a long-term process. Ngāti Whare should not have to be arguing continually if there is a change at the local government level through the planning process and the regional policy statement process to have their views with regards to the management of the Rangitaiki continually resurfacing during that planning cycle. This Treaty settlement should give them absolute assurance that their aspirations for Rangitaiki will be timeless, regardless of who is sitting at a local government level or on the Crown benches.
There are also relationship protocols, and again this is a really important issue, given the nature of restructuring that has taken place. It is absolutely critical that the Crown undertake some obligation to monitor how the relationship protocols with the Ministry of Fisheries, Ministry for Culture and Heritage, and Ministry for the Environment are occurring, and continue to give life to what is intended in the spirit of Ngāti Whare’s Treaty settlement. If this is going to realise its true aspirations, then there should not have to be a to-ing and fro-ing between Ngāti Whare leaders and the Crown to say “Your ministries are not doing what the Treaty settlement intended them to do.”, and that has certainly been the experience of some iwi to date, in terms of giving life to their relationship protocols. This is not to ascribe blame to any individual in particular; it is just the nature of how things work and what people lose sight of when it comes to practical implementation of Treaty settlements.
There is also a letter of engagement, which I think, again, is an important part of the Treaty settlement. I want to pay tribute to Ngāti Whare in the House today, I want to pay tribute to Ngāti Manawa in the House today, who have come to hear these speeches, and I want to give my absolute confidence and assurance that we on the Labour benches want to see you live these settlements for the benefit of future generations. Kia ora koutou.
DAVID CLENDON (Green)
: Kei te mihi nui ki a koutou ki ngā rangatira mā, ngā kuia mā, ki ngā hapū katoa o Ngāti Whare me Ngāti Manawa. Tēnā koutou katoa.
[I acknowledge you greatly, leaders, elderly womenfolk, and all subtribes of Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare. Salutations to you all.]
It is a pleasure to take the call for the Greens to confirm our support today for these settlement bills, the Ngāti Manawa Claims Settlement Bill and the Ngāti Whare Claims Settlement Bill. I would like to begin by acknowledging and echoing the remarks made by Minister Sharples and by the Hon Parekura Horomia and in particular their recognition of the very long struggle of these iwi to arrive at this place today—a struggle for redress; we are talking of over a century of effort and work by many people—and their acknowledgment of those who have passed away. One hopes that the events of today will help those who have passed to rest more peacefully, and give hope and opportunity to the current leadership and people of these two iwi to reclaim their own future, to restore the well-being of their people and, indeed, of the land that sustains them.
I think it is worth noting, as ever, the history of these claims. They are important historical documents, the bills that will become the Acts of settlement, because they do record the histories. It is interesting that both of these iwi endeavoured to stay aloof from other people’s wars. They endeavoured to simply get on with their own lives in the 1840s and 1850s, but unfortunately, as we know of course, the events of the 1860s overtook them. These iwi were obliged to entangle themselves in other people’s disputes, to take sides, and it was at considerable cost. It was the beginning of a long history of degradation of their land, of their social well-being, of their lives indeed.
We know that what little was left to these iwi, at the conclusion of the shooting war, continued to be whittled away over time by the machinations of the Native Land Court and the Crown of the day. The actions of the Crown were neither honest nor honourable, and it is a privilege and a pleasure to us all, I am sure, to endeavour to restore, to give back a little of what was taken, today, albeit after a very, very long time has elapsed. I think recognising the very poor treatment of the Crown in the past simply reminds us of the responsibility all of us parliamentarians have to ensure that all people are treated fairly and decently and in an honourable way.
These settlement bills for Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare also highlight the importance of rivers, the lifeblood of the land and of the people who depend on that land, critical to the identification of us as Māori through our whakapapa, and increasingly important to non-Māori New Zealanders who have considerable physical and spiritual attachments to the riverways, to the waterways, in this country. It is clear that our rivers have not been well managed. They have not been protected. They have been degraded, as have been the catchments that feed them. It is a very positive thing that these bills restore the status of kaitiaki to the people who know the rivers best, who have got the longest history of caring for them, of managing them, and it is a good thing that there is more opportunity now for the kaitiaki to exercise a degree of power, a degree of authority, in the restoration and the well-being of those rivers.
I note the Māori Affairs Committee report did express some regret that the level of control, of authority if you like, is perhaps not consistent with that which has been allowed in other bills, notably the Waikato river settlement, which some of us hoped might set the standard, and might set the baseline. But nevertheless there is a considerable step forward, and I am sure that the commitment and the determination of the people who have these rights restored to them will ensure that these rivers do thrive, do improve, and to the benefit of us all.
The select committee also noted that there was some nervousness among consent holders—people who have resource consents that are relative to the waters and to the
riverways—and that they were concerned that giving iwi and hapū a degree of control might threaten their resource consent renewals. I say to them that if those people act honourably, if they act in ways that respect and acknowledge the importance of those rivers, and if they are respectful of the conditions that apply to their current consents, then they will give iwi and hapū no reason to not restore or to not renew their consents in time. It is in the hands of those people holding those consents to ensure that the future of those consents is assured.
I think I will leave my comments there, simply, again, to acknowledge the very, very long struggle of Ngāti Whare and Ngāti Manawa, to offer the respects of the Green Party to them, and to wish them all the best going into the future. May they thrive as they deserve to. Kia ora koutou.
BRENDAN HORAN (NZ First)
: I rise on behalf of New Zealand First to support this settlement legislation: the Ngāti Manawa Claims Settlement Bill and the Ngāti Whare Claims Settlement Bill. Today is a landmark day in history, because, for the first time, here in our lion’s den that we call Parliament, settlements reach their third readings in the bright light of day for all to easily comprehend.
Today we will hear many of the reasons for the settlement of the historical grievances. We will hear of heartbreaking stories, and we will gain a greater understanding of why many Māori have been previously disadvantaged in education and commerce—some things as simple as not being able to leverage equity off farm land, because the Crown insisted to Māori farmers that their land be amalgamated, and the consequences that brought.
We will learn of the special connection we have to our streams, our rivers, our lakes, and our land, and of the synergy of life, history, and love that binds us. New Zealand First is proud to be here to enjoy this convergence, this memorandum of understanding, in what will be an enlightenment for many people and will bring us closer together as New Zealanders—one nation moving into tomorrow.
Before I turn to the contents of this piece of legislation let me acknowledge the representatives of Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare. Though they be modest in number, it is obvious that their tenacity and their ambition are prodigious. These tribes have witnessed some of the most extraordinary chapters of our colonial history. I need not recite at length the twist of that history; suffice to say, they experienced both the kinder face of the Crown and the scorched earth policies of the Crown.
It is important that we note the recitation of these colonial events in this proposed legislation. This reminds us that Treaty settlements are about history coming to collect its debts. We, the Māori members of this House, realise that the full weight of that debt can never be met by current taxpayers. This settlement, along with others today, is an attempt to restore honour to the Crown and to salve the wounds inflicted upon Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare by constant Crown ill-treatment.
Goodwill is what must underlie our settlements. Who knows what the future holds for tribes such as Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare? The leaders and their followers must chart this course. We parliamentarians must do our duty by passing the legislation and undertaking a responsibility to be vigilant in the future, to ensure that race relations enjoy a better trajectory.
My
Maniapoto cousin Nanaia Mahuta covered most aspects of
Ngāti Whare, but I would like to add to those sentiments, acknowledging on behalf of Ngāti Whare all the trustees—both past and present. I would also like to acknowledge the historian John Hutton and the lawyer Jamie Ferguson.
The term “manawa” means heart, such as in the famous Māori expression “kia manawanui”, meaning “be stout-hearted”. Ngāti Manawa tell us they derive their name from their tupuna Manawatū Manawaoho Manawarere Manawakotokoto. So much of
what we do in the Māori world is as much about heart and spirit as it is about logic. A key feature of this particular settlement given the location of the tribe and its larger neighbours shows that these people have heart.
As we have seen in earlier settlements such as the Māori fisheries one, the challenge is to take capital assets and the institution, and transform such a legacy into a viable long-term source of wealth and income. We hear so much as to who will benefit from such efforts, and our party, New Zealand First, believes that the benefits must improve the lives of the many, not a chosen few. We all know that there is a hierarchy within Māoridom, and people are often placed in positions without the full benefit of a lifetime’s preparation. This means advice, fiscal prudence, wisdom, and transparency are essential. There is an opportunity for all iwi to deepen the skill base and broaden the networks.
In the past, the focus was always on guarding your territory with a large patu. This is our history, but we need to retain such cultural strength and marry it off to a new force that ensures our resources endure and earn income either domestically or globally. To do this we will need to move beyond the shadows of our own mountains.
New Zealand First is solidly behind the development of an export economy. It is important that all iwi in a post-settlement phase have the chance and show the drive to maintain heritage whilst moving beyond the horizon. This is not new—after all, where did the waka come from? This spirit will be sorely needed as we move the settlements into a new phase. Kia ora.
MOANA MACKEY (Labour)
: I am very happy to take a call on the third readings of the Ngāti Manawa Claims Settlement Bill and the Ngāti Whare Claims Settlement Bill. I want to acknowledge the leadership and the tenacity of the negotiators and the people of Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare in what has been a long process.
As other members have done, I acknowledge those who have passed on. Treaty settlement legislation is not really done in 5 years; it is done over generations. It is done through the sweat and blood of many, many people who have fought long and hard so that we could be standing here in this House today passing this historic legislation. As others have done, I specifically want to pay tribute to Bill Bird and the hard work that he put into ensuring that we are here today celebrating the third readings of this legislation. I want to acknowledge the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations and the Minister of Māori Affairs, from both this Government and the previous Government, who carried out the negotiations.
Treaty settlement legislation really does go to the heart of our nationhood. It is always extremely satisfying to be able to reach the end of a process, and, in fact, the beginning of a new stage of a more mature relationship between the Crown and between the people of Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare. I want to recognise the generosity of those people in agreeing to the terms of these settlements. One of our former colleagues, the Hon Dr Michael Cullen, said the generosity in these matters always lies with the iwi not with the Crown, and I want to recognise the generosity of the people of Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare in coming to an agreement today so that this legislation can be passed.
It is appropriate that the claims of Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare are brought alongside each other in this legislation. As my colleague Parekura Horomia has said, Labour has supported this legislation since 2004, and, again, I want to acknowledge the generosity of the iwi in agreeing to put aside the negotiations on their Treaty settlement so that the central North Island deal could be done in 2008. It is not a small thing for an iwi to put aside those negotiations, and it is very important that it be recognised.
The claims in relation to Ngāti Manawa are primarily around the events of the New Zealand Wars. What is striking is how little New Zealanders in general know about the
events of the New Zealand Wars, and yet what an incredibly dramatic impact they had on the shaping of our nation in terms of the Crown’s actions and omissions in respect of the operation and the impact of native land laws. Again, this is not something that most New Zealanders know anything about, and that is something that needs to be rectified, because it is something that has shaped our nation, and it is something that I believe needs to be more firmly acknowledged across Aotearoa New Zealand.
The legislation also addresses the actions in respect of the Crown’s land purchasing techniques of land that Ngāti Manawa wished to retain and the grievances that come with that, and also the 20th century development of land, rivers, and forests. I will come back to that later, but I think that a very, very unique and special part of this particular Treaty settlement is the focus on conservation—both on land and on rivers.
When it comes to Ngāti Whare, the settlement relates primarily to the Crown’s actions, again during the 1860s wars; the impact of the Native Land Court and the subsequent land alienation; the Urewera District Native Reserve Act; Crown corporatisation; the cessation of indigenous forest logging; and the return of Minginui Village. Minginui Village was built by the State Forest Service in 1948 to support native milling and exotic replanting programmes, but when it was returned, it was not returned with the sufficient resources to ensure that it was able to be maintained at an adequate standard, and these are things that are being redressed in this legislation.
Others have touched on the atrocities and devastating history of the people of Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare. Hopefully, although this legislation can never fully right those wrongs, it can start the process of healing. It is an important step in acknowledging the deep, deep regret of the Crown for the atrocities committed, for the loss of life, and for the harm inflicted on the people of Ngāti Whare relating to the 1869 attack on Te Hārima Pā. It also acknowledges the prejudicial effect on Ngāti Manawa of the several wars fought between the Crown and Māori in the Eastern Bay of Plenty from 1865.
This is truly comprehensive, practical, and groundbreaking Treaty legislation, and I want to particularly congratulate all those who were involved in the negotiations on the strong, practical emphasis around protection and regeneration of conservation sites. What this means is that future generations of Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare—and, in fact, future generations of all New Zealanders—are going to benefit from what is certainly natural taonga. We thank you for taking such a practical approach to that.
I particularly want to congratulate the iwi on the creation of the Rangitaiki River Forum. Certainly in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, the Rangitaiki and its tributaries are synonymous with the people of Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare. I have spent a lot of time travelling up and down the Rangitaiki River, observing the damage that has been caused particularly by the damming of that river. It is not something that you can see from the road; it is not something that a lot of people are aware of. This is a truly spectacular river—a truly spectacular river. As you travel up it, you notice the forests of petrified trees, but what you particularly notice is the erosion, the damage, the significant dropping in the level of the river when the dams on the river are at full bore, the impact that that is having on the ecology of the river, and the impact that that is having on the vegetation around the river.
It was of great concern to, I think, all people of the Eastern Bay of Plenty when TrustPower sought to actually increase its water take on the Rangitaiki River—to double it—and we can imagine what damage that may have caused. Although that did not go through, it did show, as my colleague Nanaia Mahuta said, the importance of having a forum where iwi are not subject to the waxing and waning of elected representatives and to what their personal views might be on some of these issues, but where some firm bottom lines can be put in place about the protection of the ecology of
the Rangitaiki River and the health of that river, because that river is in serious trouble. I congratulate you on so staunchly wanting to protect the Rangitaiki River and its tributaries, and I hope that we can see some improvement in the health of that particular river.
Again, touching on the comments from my colleague Nanaia Mahuta around the relationship with the regional council and the relationship with the management of those natural resources, we note that there are some significant local government reforms coming along soon. We wonder what that might mean for the Bay of Plenty as a whole, particularly as it has a regional authority that has elected Māori seats—which are working very, very well—and what any kind of amalgamation might mean for the future of those Māori seats is, I think, incredibly important. Although that is not a debate for today, it is important to put that on the table, because that definitely will have an impact on how the regional council manages some of those resources and will have an impact on the ability of iwi to have a say in that. Again, that is why this forum is so, so important.
So I am not going to take much longer, but I want to acknowledge the history in relation to the people of Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare. Again I find it very sad that most people in the Eastern Bay of Plenty do not know the history of the iwi in their own area. You cannot have a full appreciation of the significance of these settlements when you do not know what led up to them, you do not know the atrocities that occurred, and you do not understand why that redress needs to happen. We need to do better in this regard. That is, again, another debate for another day, but it is important to put it on the table.
So no Treaty settlement can ever fully right historic wrongs but it does provide a basis for moving forward, and it does provide the basis for a more mature relationship with the Crown. I congratulate the people of Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare. I wish you all the best for the future. Kia ora.
RINO TIRIKATENE (Labour—Te Tai Tonga)
: Tēnā koe, Mr Speaker. E aku rangatira o Ngāti Manawa me Ngāti Whare, rātou katoa kua tae mai nei i raro i te tuanui o tēnei o ō tātou Whare, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.
[Thank you, Mr Speaker. My chiefs of Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare, all of them who have arrived here beneath the roof of this our House, salutations, acknowledgments, and greetings to you all.]
I rise in support of my Labour colleagues on this momentous day to celebrate the third reading of this settlement legislation for Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare, the Ngāti Manawa Claims Settlement Bill and the Ngāti Whare Claims Settlement Bill. Indeed, I do join with all of our colleagues in our House today. This is a momentous day, and it actually hearkens back to my own memories of being in this House coming up to 13 years ago this year when I was sitting up there in the gallery for the passage of the Ngāi Tahu settlement. There was a huge representation from my own whanaunga from down south on that day.
This is a very momentous day, and I would like to just acknowledge all of Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare representatives who have come here today. I acknowledge all of the kaumātua, all of the leaders, and all of the people who have been involved in the settlement process as the legislation has moved through the various stages. It has been a long and arduous journey, so I salute you and mihi to you all for the hard work and perseverance in working to get the legislation to this stage. I would also like to mihi to Minister Finlayson and all of the Crown officials who have been involved with the settlements. Again, it is a very long process, but it is particularly gratifying to know that we have come to this third reading stage and that this is the big day, so I would just like to mihi once again to Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare.
In reflecting on 13 years of Ngāi Tahu post settlement, these settlements actually mark a significant turning point for all iwi. These settlements are a waka; they are a vehicle that can now take Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare into the future. I agree with my colleague the Hon Nanaia Mahuta that these settlements are more than just words on paper. They are more than just cheques being written out. They are not about money; they are really about restoring the permanence of Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare to their ancestral landscape, and they are about the Crown giving proper acknowledgment for the breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles. Those are the real important aspects for these settlements. It is the acknowledgment and the apologies from the Crown, and it is also all of the other cultural redress elements and the recording of the history.
Just going through the aspects of the settlements, it is those things like the deeds of recognition, acknowledging the special association to the landscapes, the place name changes, the river redress, and the joint sites that have now been vested back in Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare. I acknowledge the whanaungatanga of being able to work together right through the passage of this legislation, because it was a unique feature that we put the bills together in a conjoined arrangement, and that marks a first. All of those different elements to the legislation and to the settlements are the real important elements.
I would just like to reiterate that the vast majority of these settlements are not about commercial or monetary recompense; they are really about the history, having acknowledgment of that, and having the apologies recorded and enshrined in legislation for ever. Your history and the Crown’s acknowledgment are enshrined in this legislation, and that can be taught—and should be taught—to not only all of ngā uri whakatupu but also the whole of our country. It is important that we all learn and understand the history of all our iwi across the motu and all the grievances, but we also now have that recorded, and now we can mark a future on the passage of this legislation.
There is a new space opening up for Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare with the passage of these bills. The amazing thing about it is that the future is entirely up to Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare. They are no longer looking back in grievance mode. The future is now for them to chart their own course, in their own right, on their own mana, and for their own people—from now and into the future—once this settlement legislation has been passed. So I mihi to Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare. It is a momentous day, as I have been saying throughout my speech, but it also opens up this new waka for you to move into the future. I look forward to seeing Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare prosper and progress into the future, connected and rooted to their landscape, to their whenua, to their awa, and right across all of their hapū for all of their people. Kia ora
anō
tātou.
HONE HARAWIRA (Leader—Mana)
: Tēnā koe. Hoi anō, me mihi atu ki a koutou e Ngāti Manawa, e Ngāti Whare kua tau mai i te rā nei. Ruia, ruia, opea, opea, miria, miria, tahia, tahia. Kia hemo ake te kākoakoa, kia herea mai te kawau korokī tātaki mai i roto mai i tanuku karokaro, whaikoro. He kūaka mārangaranga, he kotahi te manu i tau atu ki te tāhuna, tau atu, tau atu! Ko koutou ēnā kua tau mai i te rā nei, nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.
Hoi anō ko te ngako o tērā kōrero, nā taku tūpua a Tūmatahina, koia, mēnā e tika ana te hīkoi tuatahi a te toa, ka taea te iwi katoa te whai atu i tōna oranga. Nō reira, ko koutou wēnā kua tae mai i te rā nei, i te tepe tuatahi i tēnei hīkoi roa. Hara i te mutunga. Hara i te mutunga. Engari ko te tīmatanga kia tae ora atu wā tātau tamariki mokopuna ā ngā rā kei te haere mai. I te mea mēnā horekau he hua mō rātau, moumou tāima wā tātau mahi i tēnei rā. Nō reira, me mihi atu ki a koutou.
Hara i te mea kia tū roa engari, te mihi atu ki a koutou kua tae mai i te rā nei. Me te mea anō hoki e tika ana kia mōhio ai koutou, hakoa ngā piki, ngā heke, ngā raruraru roto i a mātau ngā mema Māori o te Pāremata nei, i runga i ngā kaupapa pēnei, e tū kotahi ana mātau. Nō reira, me mihi atu ki tō tātau Minita a Pita me tātau katoa e nohonoho nei roto i te Whare, hei tautoko kotahi i te kaupapa kia tīmatangia ai te oranga o ngā tamariki, o ngā mokopuna o Ngāti Manawa, o Ngāti Whare. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora tātau katoa.
[Thank you. I need to acknowledge Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare, who arrived here today. Scatter, scatter, sweep on, sweep on. Let us not be plundered by our foe. The rope has been stretched out and fastened; let us rejoice. Moving along the rope, the godwits have risen and flown. One has landed on the beach; the others follow! That is you who have come here today, and so I greet you all.
The moral of that chant from my ancestor Tūmatahina is that if the first journey of the champion is just, then all of the people will follow in his successful example. And so you have arrived today at the first step of this long journey. It is not the end. It is not the end. It is merely the beginning so that our children and grandchildren can thrive in the future. If it does not benefit them, we are wasting our time today. So I must congratulate you.
I will not speak for long, but I wish to salute you for coming. You should know that despite the various problems amongst the Māori members of Parliament, we are united on issues like this. I must congratulate our Minister Pita Sharples, along with everyone sitting here in the House all supporting this bill for the betterment of the children and grandchildren of Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare. So well done, congratulations, and salutations to us all.
]
I better not take this call; this is for Mike Smith. It will be about a march to Wellington, so I better not talk about it here. But just to say, I got a note from my son-in-law the other day to let me know that my mokopuna was going to be performing at Moerewa. She is only 6. I could not make it, so I sent back a note saying: “If I don’t make it, tell her that I said that she was wonderful and the best one on the stage.” He sent me back a note to say: “I think she already knows that.” E tika ana kia mōhio ai tātau nā rātau tēnei kaupapa. Nā rātau tēnei. Nō reira, hari ana kua tae mai koutou.
[It is appropriate that we understand that this matter belongs to them. This is theirs. So I am pleased that you have arrived.]
Also, I probably will never get the chance to say so to you all again, so thank you for always being nice to me when I come down there. When I was with the Māori Party, you were always nice to me. You are still nice to me now that I am with Mana. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora tātou katoa.
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Māori Party—Waiariki)
: Tēnā koe, Mr Speaker. Kia ora tātau katoa ngā mema o te Whare Pāremata. Ki ngā uri o Wharepākau rāua ko Tangiharuru, tēnā koutou katoa. Ko tāku, ko te tautoko i ngā mihi ki a koutou.
Hei tīmatanga kōrero māku, ka hoki ngā mahara ki te āhuatanga o te Wiri Pāti. Ko tana kōrero i runga i te marae, ā, i te wā i tū a ia ki te kōrero, “He iwi rerekē a Ngāti Manawa.” Ā, ko tā rātau, mēnā ka hē mai i roto i a Te Arawa ka huri atu ki a Mātaatua. Ka hē mai i roto o Mātaatua kua hoki anō rā ki a Te Arawa. Koinā tana kōrero ki a au. Nō reira, kei te harikoa kua whai te Whare Pāremata i ngā tikanga o Te Arawa i te rā nei, mā te Pāti Māori e wāwāhi, mā te Pāti Māori e whakakōpani. Ko tāku noa ake, ko te whaiwhai haere i ētahi o ngā kōrero kua kōrerohia. E hoa mā, kei ngā pakeke o te kāinga, haere mai. Haere mai, haere mai.
Kāre au i te tino hiahia ki te whakatuarua, tuatoru rānei i ngā kōrero. Kua oti kē i a rātau te whakatakoto i te nuinga o ngā kōrero. Ēngari, ko tāku ko te tango mai i ētahi kōrero hei whakatakoto, hei tāpiritanga ki tā rātau i whakatakoto nei ki roto i te Whare
Pāremata. Tuatahi, he huarahi hōu tēnei e whaiwhai haeretia nei e te Whare Pāremata kia whakakaohia katoatia ngā pire i te rā nei. Rā kotahi, tokorima ngā iwi ka haramai ki roto i ngā pakitara o te Whare i te rā nei. Ko koutou Ngāti Whare, Ngāti Manawa te hunga tuatahi, ā, ka mutu ka whai mai ko Pāhauwera, ko Ngāti Porou, ko Ngāti Maniapoto. Nō reira me mihi rā ki te Minita nāna tonu tēnei kaupapa i whakarite. He aha ai? He hiahia nōna kia tere oti pai ngā take. Nā runga i te whakatau o te Nāhinara, ka mutu ngā kerēme katoa ā ngā tau tata kei mua i te aroaro, ka mutu, he mōhio tonu nōna, he hiahia nō te iwi kia tere whakatau i ngā kerēme kia kore e noho tārewa tonu mō ake nei. Nō reira, me mihi rā ki a tātau, me mihi rā ki a ia mō te āhuatanga o tēnei whakaaro ahakoa kāre i te whakarongo ki ngā kōrero. Ā, waiho tērā ki reira.
Ā, kai te mōhio tonu tātau, he rori tāpokopoko, he ara tāpokopoko te huarahi i whaiwhai haeretia nei e ngā mātua, ā, kia tatū pai mai ai ki tēnei rangi. I kite atu i roto i te hōtērā inapō nei i a au i waenganui i a koutou Ngāti Manawa i ngā whakaahua o te hunga nā rātau tēnei huarahi i para. Me te tangi o te ngākau i te mea ko rātau kua huri. Kua huri, anā, kua waiho ake mā koutou tēnei whakatipuranga e whakatinana. Koinei te tangi o te ngākau. Kua kōrerohia ko te āhuatanga o te kōrero ki a Wiri Pāti, ki a Waiparerā, Mandy haramai, haere mai. Nā tō rangatira tēnei take i kōkiri, piki, heke. Nā tō rangatira tonu i kawe i te wā o te kino, i te wā o te pai. Ko ētahi ka pōhēhē māmā noa iho te whakakotahitanga o ngā iwi. Ko tāku e kī nei e kāo. E kāo. I ētahi wā ka noho tukituki ngā māhunga o te tuakana me te taina, o te tuahine me te tungāne, o te māmā me te pāpā, ā, o ngā tamariki, me ngā koroua me ngā kuia. Ki taku mōhio i pērā rawa te āhuatanga ki a koutou kei aku rangatira. Ko ētahi kai te hiahia ā, tīkina! Tīkina! Te wā, anā, kei mua i te aroaro, ko ētahi ka kī, ē taihoa. Taihoa, he rā anō āpopō. Nō reira, kāti, ko tāku he mihi ki a koutou e para nei i tēnei huarahi me te mōhio anō hoki, he ara tāpokopoko, he ara uaua, ā, kia taea ai e ētahi te kī, kia kore e taka, kia tōtara wāhi rua te noho ēngari, i te rā nei kua whakakotahi mai. Pai mai, kino mai kua eke, kua eke panuku kua eke tangaroa te kaupapa i te rā nei.
Ā, kāti, ko tā te Wiri Pāti kōrero, riro whenua atu, hoki whenua mai. Koinā tana kōrero. Me te mōhio anō hoki kai te whaiwhai haere anō hoki a Ngāti Whare i tērā momo tauira. I riro whenua atu, hoki whenua mai. Anei au e pātai i te pātai—a tēnā mēnā koirā te whakatinanatanga o te kōrero, he aha te take, anā, i tīkina atu e te Wiri Pāti i te huarahi ki te CNI, ā, ka mutu, ka waiho ake kia tārewa tonu te take o te whenua, ā, mō ake nei. Mō te wā, mō te wā. Tērā pea he hiahia nōna kia tau ngā take o te iwi, i te tuatahi ā-moni nei, kia tae atu ētahi paku hereni ki roto i te pūkoro, hei tīmatanga kōrero, ā, waiho ake te whenua. Kei te pai te whenua ka hoki mai ki te whenua. Ēngari, ko tāku e kī nei, ā, kai reira tonu ētahi raruraru me whakatakoto ki mua i te aroaro o te Whare Pāremata.
I tīkina atu e te Wiri Pāti, te pūtea i te tuatahi ki te taha ki a Ngāti Manawa, hei oranga mō te iwi mō tēnei wā. Taihoa ake nei kua hoki anō ia ki te tiki i te whenua. Ahakoa kua ea te āhuatanga o te moni i tēnei rā me ētahi kōrero kua kōrerohia, kei reira tonu te take o te whenua e noho tārewa ana. Nā, ko tāku e pātai nei i te pātai. Āe rānei kei te mōhio a Ngāti Manawa ki tōna rohe pōtae kāre rānei. Ki taku mōhio āe. Āe rānei kāre rānei kei te mōhio a Ngāti Whare ki tōna ake rohe pōtae, kāre rānei. Ko tāku e kī nei, āe. Ka pātai te pātai, ā tēnā, he aha te raruraru o tēnei mea o te mana whenua e hiahiatia nei, e wānangatia nei e ētahi? Ko ngā whenua o Ngāti Manawa kei te mōhio tonutia. Ko ngā whenua o Ngāti Whare kei te mōhio tonutia. Ēngari, he aha te take kua noho taupatupatu ētahi o ngā kōrero mō ngā ngāhere. Kāre au i te tino mārama ki te tikanga o tērā. Nō reira kāti te tikanga ia, ā, ka tere tau tērā take, kia mōhio mai ai te motu, ā, ko te whenua o roto o Ngāti Manawa, ko te whenua o roto o Ngāti Whare, kua roa tērā take e kōrerohia ana, e wānangahia ana. Kua mōhio te motu, ā, anei te rohe pōtae o Ngāti Whare o Ngāti Manawa. Kāre i kō atu kāre i kō mai. Te tūmanako ia ka
rongo ake ngā taringa o ētahi o ngā iwi ki tērā momo kōrero. I te mea, ki te kore, ka noho taupatupatu, ā, te mutunga mai ko te kooti. Ka waiho ake mā te tiati Pākehā e whakariterite i ngā whakataunga, te tikanga, ka noho ki waenganui i te iwi tonu. Ā tērā tērā.
Ā, inapō nei, i kōrero mai tētahi o te iwi o Ngāti Manawa ki tētahi o ngā āpiha o te Karauna, ē, kai te tere haere ngā kerēme nē? Ka kī mai te wahine nei, e kāo, he nui ngā kerēme kai mua i te aroaro. Ko tana kōrero, a tēnā, mēnā ka whakahoki koe i ngā rawa katoa ki te Māori, kua tere mutu? Ka tatari ake au ki te kōrero a te āpiha, kāre au i rongo i te whakautu. Me noho wahangū nā runga i te āhuatanga o tana kōrero mō te Karauna. Ēngari e tika ana tērā kōrero.
Ā, koinei au e kī nei, mēnā ka kī mai ētahi, Ngāti Whare ki a koutou, Ngāti Manawa ki a koutou, koinei te mutunga mai ko tāku ki a koutou, kāo. Kāo. Tonoa ngā tamariki kia hoki mai. Kāre anō kia oti noa. He kongakonga kei runga i te tēpu kua whakahokia ki a koe. Arā ano te nuinga o ngā rawa te tikanga kua hoki mai ki a koutou. Ko tāku e kī nei, tonoa wā koutou tamariki, mokopuna ki te Whare Pāremata ā te wā. Kaua e pōhēhē koinei te mutunga mai. Ē, he pai mō nāianei, he pai mō nāianei ēngari, ā ngā tau kei mua i te aroaro, kī atu ki ngā mokopuna, hoki mai. Tīkina ngā rawa. Kei te pēnei tonu taku kōrero i te mea, te kōrero a te tangata inapō nei, hā, he aha i tere ai te Kāwanatanga ki te tuku i te koha nui ki te South Canterbury Finance ēngari, mātau te Māori, e hia kē nei ngā tau e tatari ana. Toru marama, ā, ka whakatau te Kāwanatanga, tukuna te miriona tāra ki te South Canterbury Finance. Nō reira koinei au e kī nei, whakahokia ngā tamariki. Tonoa ngā tamariki kia hoki mai.
Ā, kāti, kupu whakamutunga kei wareware i a au. Tētahi take nui e pā ana ki te maunga o Tāwhiuau. Kua puta te kōrero a te Minita, kai roto a Tawhiuau i te pire nei, āe, ka tae atu ki ngā ringaringa o Ngāti Manawa, ā, ka mutu he wā poto nei ka whakahokia ki te Karauna. Me te mōhio anō hoki, ko te kōrero a Ngāi Tūhoe whakahokia Te Urewera ki a Ngāi Tūhoe. Kāre au i te whakahē i tērā kōrero, kai te pai. Mā Ngāi Tūhoe tērā e kōkiri ēngari, ko te whakatūpato kē, kei roto a Tāwhiuau i te National Park o Te Urewera. Nō reira, kei reira tētahi raru. Nō reira, he īnoi noa atu ki te Minita, kia āta tiaki pai i te āhuatanga ki a Tāwhiuau. Ko te kōrero kua puta i te Minita, ko Tāwhiuau te maunga, Tāwhiuau, ko Ngāti Manawa kāre i kō atu kāre i kō mai. Nō reira, waiho tērā take ki runga i te tēpu.
Kāti, kua rahi māku ēngari, ka mihi ki ngā ringaringa, ki ngā waewae o te Karauna nā rātau i kōkiri i ngā take nei. Kāre anō ēnei kia kōrero mō rātau. Ka mihi ki a koutou katoa. Ka mutu, ki a koutou ngā tamariki, ngā mokopuna o Ngāti Whare, Ngāti Manawa, nau mai ki te Whare Pāremata. Kua tutuki, kua tutuki, kua eke, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora tātau.
[Greetings, Mr Speaker, and to all of the members of Parliament. I wish to welcome the descendants of Wharepākau and Tangiharuru. I support the acknowledgments expressed to you.
To begin my speech, I recall the nature of Bill Bird. This pertains to something he said on the marae as he was delivering a formal speech: “Ngāti Manawa is a unique tribe.” For them, if anything goes wrong in Te Arawa, they turn to Mātaatua. If anything goes wrong in Mātaatua, they turn to Te Arawa. That is what he told me. And so I am delighted that Parliament has followed the protocols of Te Arawa today, that the Māori Party commences and concludes this occasion. I want to endorse the sentiments of my colleagues. I welcome the elders from home. Welcome, welcome.
I do not really want to repeat what has already been said; they have already presented most of the information. However, I wish to provide additional information in Parliament. Firstly, a new pathway is being followed in Parliament whereby the bills are brought together on this day. On a single day, five tribes have arrived within the
walls of the House. Ngāti Whare and Ngāti Manawa, you are the first group, followed by Ngāti Pāhauwera, Ngati Porou, and Ngāti Maniapoto. Therefore, I congratulate the Minister in charge of this initiative. Why? Because he wants to swiftly address the Treaty issues. Due to the decision of National, all Treaty claims will be quickly settled within the coming years. The Minister knows that tribes also want to swiftly settle the claims. They will not remain up in the air for ever. And so I wish to congratulate everyone, and particularly the Minister, even though he is not listening to the speeches. I will leave it at that.
Now, we all know that our ancestors travelled a tough road to reach this day. Last night in a hotel while I was amongst you Ngāti Manawa I saw photos of those who paved the way. My heart wept because they have passed away. They have passed on, and this generation is left to complete their work. Hence my sadness. I have spoken of Bill Bird’s Te Waiparerā nature, and I welcome Mandy—welcome. Your husband advanced this matter through the ups and downs. Your husband advanced the cause through the good times and the bad. Some assume that it is easy to unite the tribes. I say no, it is not. No. Sometimes the older sibling clashes with the younger sibling. Or the sister and brother. Or the mother and father. Or the children and elders. I understand that that was the situation with you, my esteemed friends. Some want to grab it! Grab it! But when it comes to the time, they would say to take your time, there is another day tomorrow. And so I congratulate you for paving the way, knowing that it is a tough process to avoid dividing the people. But today you are united. Through the good and bad this bill has reached its completion.
As Bill Bird said, land taken must be returned. That is what he said. And Ngāti Whare is following that example, that land taken must be returned. If that was the case, then why did Bill Bird choose the pathway of the CNI settlement to leave issues pertaining to the land for a time? Perhaps he wanted to settle the tribe’s monetary issues to begin discussions and leave the land. The land is fine; it will return. But I am saying that there are problems that must be presented before Parliament.
Bill Bird used the money given to Ngāti Manawa for the benefit of the tribe. In time he was to return to get the land. Although financial compensation has been addressed here today and discussions have taken place, issues pertaining to the land remain. I am just asking the question. Do Ngāti Manawa know their tribal boundaries? I know that they do. Do Ngāti Whare know their tribal boundaries? I say they do. So I ask what is wrong with the matter of the allocation of land interests in discussions and debates by some. The lands of Ngāti Manawa are known. The lands of Ngāti Whare are known. But why are there arguments in talks relating to the forests? I do not know why that is the case. That matter should be dealt with swiftly so that the nation will know that the lands within Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare have been discussed over a long period of time. The nation will know the domains of Ngāti Whare and Ngāti Manawa. There is no doubt about it. Hopefully other tribes will hear that message. Because it has taken a long time, and if it does not happen, we end up in court, where a Pākehā judge will make his determination. It should remain amongst the tribe, and that is that.
Last night a member of Ngāti Manawa asked an officer of the Crown whether the Treaty claims process is progressing quickly. And this woman replied that, no, several claims lie ahead. And the tribal member said that if you give the assets back to Māori, it will be quickly completed. I waited for the officer’s response and did not hear it, because—I should be quiet about that due to what the officer said about the Crown. But that statement is correct.
And so I say to Ngāti Whare and to Ngāti Manawa that this is not the end for you, no—no. Send your children back here. It is not over. Crumbs on the table have been returned to you. Many assets should have been returned to you. I say to send your
children and grandchildren back to Parliament in the future. Do not assume this is the end. It is good for now. But in the years ahead, tell the grandchildren to come back. Get the resources. I say this because this person said last night that the Government is quick to give large sums of money to South Canterbury Finance but Māori have spent many years waiting. In 3 months the Government decided to give millions of dollars to South Canterbury Finance. That is why I say to bring the children back. Send them back here.
In conclusion, before I forget, a major issue pertains to the mountain Tāwhiuau. The Minister has said that, yes, in this bill it will be returned to Ngāti Manawa, and after a short time it will return to the Crown. We know that Ngāi Tūhoe want Te Urewera returned to Ngāi Tūhoe. I do not object to that. Ngāi Tūhoe will advance that. But the fear is that Tāwhiuau is within Te Urewera National Park. And therein lies a problem. Therefore I appeal to the Minister to take good care when it comes to the situation pertaining to Tāwhiuau. The message from the Minister is that Tāwhiuau is the mountain of Ngāti Manawa. I leave that issue on the table.
That is enough from me, but I wish to thank the Crown staff who advanced these issues. These people have not spoken about them. I salute you all. Finally, to you, the children and grandchildren of Ngāti Whare and Ngāti Manawa, welcome to Parliament House. It is done, it is finished, it has reached its conclusion, so congratulations, well done, and greetings to us all.
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- Ngāti Manawa Claims Settlement Bill read a third time.
- Ngāti Whare Claims Settlement Bill read a third time.
