Tangata Whenua PART 2 - Māori sovereignty, the Treaty and political representation

Tangata whenua

people of the land

Callum Clayton-Dixon

nganyaywana

For the Māori, EVERYTHING COMES BACK TO THE TREATY – land title, cultural awareness programs in the workplace, protection of culture, language revival, ownership of natural resources and even political representation. If it wasn’t for the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, Māoridom would be nowhere near where it is today.

First Nations people in this country need to decide whether we want token gestures

My Tūhoe hosts in Wellington, who like the flying of our flag on a bridge or true representation, compensation and selfare heavily involved in the politics of determination. Don’t be blind to what we’re missing out on. their own tribe, claimed the Waitangi Tribunal followed by the Māori Council The Māori Council has been the formed Mana (one seat). It seems like and political representation were among national representative body for Māori Mana’s purpose is to keep the Māori the most effective catalysts of change for since 1962, along the same lines as Party honest. Then there’s the rightMāori in Aotearoa.

ATSIC and National Congress, but far wing conservative Winston Peters who heads up New Zealand First and even the Established in 1975, the Waitangi more effective and influential.

Tribunal is responsible for dealing with What’s more, 22 out of 120 (18%) co-leader of the Greens is Māori. The Māori claims relating to breaches of Members of Parliament in NZ are Māori, successful gay-marriage bill introduced the Treaty by the Crown. The Tribunal of which seven are dedicated Māori seats. late last month was also introduced by a has been instrumental in launching and The first Māori MP was elected in 1869. Māori woman, Labour MP Louisa Wall. growing iwi radio, Māori Television, Firebrand Hone Harawira, who stood Four party leaders are Māori and close to establishing Te Reo as one of New up in NZ Parliament and called former one in five MPs are Māori – that’s not too Zealand’s official languages alongside Australian Prime Minister John Howard shabby considering only around 15% of English, the handing back of tribal lands, a “racist bastard” for his intervention NZ’s population is Māori. financial redress and providing for Māori into Aboriginal affairs, split off from the Standing outside the Beehive, I self-governance structures.

Māori Party (three seats) in 2011 and noted there was no sign of the Tino Rangatiratanga (Māori sovereignty) flag.

Apparently it’s a rare sight excluding Waitangi Day and at Māori institutions.

On the other hand you have Australia, and the “historic” moment on January 26 this year when the red, black and yellow flew alongside the Australian flag on the Sydney Harbor Bridge. The Aboriginal flag also flies outside many Australian universities, local and state government buildings.

First Nations people in this country need to decide whether we want token gestures like the flying of our flag on a bridge or true representation, compensation and self-determination. Don’t be blind to what we’re missing out on!

Before moving on from the topic of...

May 15, 2013

www.firstnationstelegraph.com

FEATURE

Page 2 ...tokenism, it was brought to my attention during my stay in NZ that there is currently a review of the nation’s Constitution which happens to include both the Treaty and a Bill of Rights – documents noticeably absent in Australia. Two of the central focusses of the “Constitutional Conversation”, instigated by the Māori Party, are the role of the Treaty and Māori representation in parliament. Compare that to theAustralian Federal Government’s ongoing push for a token mention of First Nations people in the country’s Constitution – the “grassroots” movement started by none other than John Howard.

When I visited the original version of the Treaty of Waitangi at the New Zealand National Archives in Wellington, they were handing out free copies of the Treaty. This ‘partnership’ between Māori and the Crown is put on a pedestal, and it has certainly rattled the cages of the nation’s right-wing factions.

When I arrived in Tauranga, I came across a petition [PICTURED BELOW] scaremongering about the Treaty. I couldn’t help but laugh at it – “The treaty was Britain’s reluctant response to pleas

by Maori chiefs to rescue the tribes from a culture of cannibalism, slavery and intertribal warfare that had wiped out about a third of their race by 1840…”

If this is the kind of drivel that is being circulated by right-wing lobby groups,

The infamous Tūhoe (PICTURED - Tūhoe flag) never signed the Treaty, but they still get all the same benefits as the tribes which did sign the Treaty. September last year saw Tūhoe reach an agreement with the Crown which will include a $170 million settlement.

it’s clear that the Treaty of Waitangi has reach an agreement with the Crown which will include a $170 million become of major benefit to Māori. settlement as redress for past breaches of FACT – The Māori tribes did not the Treaty and the return of confiscated cede their sovereignty by signing lands. Now begins a forty-year plan to the Treaty of Waitangi. This has establish strong self-governance, tribal been a major debate in NZ due to infrastructure, education, health, media the two different versions of the and social services programs – the Tūhoe Treaty, Māori and English. It’s also people will eventually pay for all of these important to note that not all iwi services themselves as reliance on the signed the Treaty.

NZ government is phased out. Have a browse through their iwi website for more The infamous Tūhoe never signed information about the settlement and selfthe Treaty, but they still get all the same governance plans – it’s quite impressive benefits as the tribes which did sign the to say the least. Who’s saying we can’t Treaty. September last year saw Tūhoe aim for this sort of thing? To me, this looks like the epitome of decolonization and a highly effective way of fighting the onslaught of assimilation.

Yes, Tūhoe may be a more ‘rural’ iwi, but that doesn’t mean the same kind of tribal autonomy can’t be implemented in urban areas. For instance, when I visited Atiawa Toa FM in the nation’s capital, I was taken on a tour of what I can only describe as a TRIBAL HUB – radio, health clinics, football fields, housing, gyms, education (language nest) facilities, a marae (meeting hall) and central administration, all owned and operated by the tribe. The same was apparent in Wellington city; just down the road from the Beehive sits quite a large marae. Just like the sacred fire in Brisbane’s Musgrave Park, this was a clear indication that no matter how many high-rises they build, WE WILL NOT ASSIMILATE!

May 15, 2013

www.firstnationstelegraph.com

FEATURE