Raukawa Claims Settlement Bill – First Reading

te-pati-maori

Wed Aug 07 2013 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Raukawa Claims Settlement Bill – First Reading

Wednesday, 7 August 2013, 12:48 pm
Speech: The Maori Party

Wednesday 7 August 2013 - 11.15am

Parliament

Hon Tariana Turia

I move, that the Raukawa Claims Settlement Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Maori Affairs Committee to consider the bill.

This Saturday is the unveiling of George Whakatoi Rangitutia.

As we remember him, we remember his crucial leadership. George was the chair of the Raukawa board who started this latest negotiation phase - I know he would be very proud of this milestone.

There are many others no longer with us, but whose legacy is written into this legislation. This is a settlement built on the vision of “honouring the words of our tupuna and building a strong foundation for our tamariki mokopuna.”

Me hoki whakamuri, kia ahu whakamua, ka neke.

The Future is behind us.

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This settlement legislation is the absolute result of the Crown’s actions and omissions. In this First Reading we acknowledge the impact of the Crown’s interventions upon Raukawa’s commercial, social, cultural, and spiritual relationships with the land and waterways in their rohe.

There is no question that the Crown failed to protect Raukawa from becoming virtually landless. This restricted their ability to participate in new economic opportunities and contributed to the economic, social, and cultural impoverishment of Raukawa.

Inevitably then, in anticipating what tomorrow will look like for Raukawa it is not just useful – it is vital that we look back over the history that has led to today.

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In telling the story we must travel back to the wars of the 1860s.

What this Bill makes known now is that the Crown acted unjustly in sending Crown forces into the Waikato in July 1863 and occupying land in the region during 1863 and 1864.

The final battle of the Waikato war took place between 31 March and 2 April 1864, at Orakau, near Rangiaowhia.

Approximately 300 Maori, a significant proportion of whom were Raukawa, defended Orakau Pa against up to 1800 Crown troops for three days.

If ever there was a tale of David and Goliath this was it.

One wonders at the courage and the grit determination of the people of Raukawa standing strong against such odds.

As a result of the sacking of the peaceful town of Rangiaowhia, many innocent Raukawa peoples were killed including women and children. Those who escaped found their way back to the paramount chief of the day Te Paerata who led Raukawa forces against the invasion at Orakau.

Some escaped - many were killed – including Te Paerata.

After that battle at Orakau, Raukawa participated in fighting in Tauranga, particularly at the battles of Gate Pa and Te Ranga including the Bush Campaigns.

It was this support that led to the confiscation of Raukawa lands and the earliest of land courts. Raukawa trialled the land courts that would eventually sweep through Maoridom.

Because of their actions, the Crown confiscated land at Tauranga and the Waikato that Raukawa had interests in as punishment for what the Crown regarded as rebellion.

And it is deeply ironic that the Crown returned some land to individual members of Raukawa hapu residing in Tauranga but none to Raukawa hapu in the Waikato.

The loss of life and property because of war and raupatu had a severe impact on the well-being of Raukawa.

And so today we think back to the confiscation of land and loss of life during those wars.

We think about the alienation of land through the operation of native land laws, and subsequent Crown and private purchasing.

And we acknowledge the impact of this history on the economic, social and cultural impoverishment of the iwi.

To give some sense of what we are talking about, in a census at the end of the 1800s Raukawa was identified as one of the largest tribes in the country.

Close to a century later, in the 1980s Raukawa had been reduced to seeking alliances with surrounding tribes such as Tuwharetoa, Waikato, Tainui and Te Arawa tribes to retain their identity.

And this then is when the transformation started to occur.

At this time, descendants of Te Paerata and other kaumatua of Raukawa resurrected the name of their tupuna under the mantle of the Raukawa Trust Board and filed their first claims Wai 443.

These early trustees and kaumatua many of whom have passed away now paved the way for the contemporary claims to be considered and negotiated.

Some 28 years later, in May 2008, Raukawa mandated the Raukawa Trust Board to negotiate on their behalf for the comprehensive settlement of the historical Treaty of Waitangi claims of Raukawa.

The Crown recognised the mandate on 23 September 2008.

And the rest is their history – and our history as a Parliament – our history as a nation.

This is the day that we acknowledge Raukawa - their ancestors - and their descendants.

It is deeply interwoven throughout the hearts of the generations of Raukawa, whose recent and past history is one devastated by suffering and hardship.

A history which resulted in the loss of life and was destructive and demoralising to Raukawa.

In the legislation today, it is noted that Raukawa has practised mana whakahaere, kaitiakitanga, and ahikaroa within their rohe.

In saying this, the Government pays tribute to the special relationship that Raukawa holds to the land and the waterways in this area. Waterways in particular have been the centre of Raukawa commercial, social, cultural, and spiritual life.

And so from the rivers of Whangaehu and Whanganui I acknowledge Raukawa in this pivotal day.

I want to thank Minister Finlayson for allowing me the privilege of opening the debate on this auspicious day – a day of tears - a day of memories - a day to recall the enormity of the losses borne but also a day to anticipate the next steps forward.

I have a deep affection for the peoples of Raukawa – in fact so much so that I have somehow managed to attract one of their brightest young leaders into my office. Tena koe Chris.

Finally, I mihi to Vanessa Eparaima - the dynamic energy force who as Chair of Raukawa is tasked with implementing the outcomes of the settlement.

I have to say that the pace of this settlement has been extremely slick and impressive. That reflects well on the leadership but also on the commitment to kotahitanga - the pursuit of a shared future horizon.

There is a bold future plan included which other speakers will attest to today, which encompasses a wide range of opportunities for development. I am particularly interested in two aspects of the settlement - the right of first refusal for 171 years over 84 properties owned by Housing New Zealand, Waikato DHB and the Crown should they be declared surplus to requirements - and the cultural fund and cultural redress package designed around Raukawa’s aspirations to reinvigorate their relationship with cultural sites of significance.

These are particular aspects of Whanau Ora – of our ability to thrive as people - to plant a legacy for our mokopuna - and to keep all our families safe and well now – and I commend Raukawa for the vision and the commitment of this work.

Finally, I acknowledge Nigel Te Hiko as chief researcher and Phyllis Tahere, Pat Cowley, Mal McKenzie and Thelma Reti as the back bone of the team.

And most of all I pay my acknowledgements to the kuia and koroheke, the pakeke, the rangatahi, tamariki, mokopuna, who seek to participate in new economic opportunities and challenges emerging within their rohe in the twentieth century.

Tena tatou katoa.

ends

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