Ae Marika!
A column published in the Northland Age
By Hone Harawira
MP for Tai Tokerau
16 June 2009

BOY HAVE I GOT A DEAL FOR YOU!!

Last week I attended a couple of very important hui in Wellington.

One was an all-in hui with representatives from all over the country, where government laid out its plan for Treaty Settlements, and heard ideas from the various "clusters" of iwi.

Maybe I'm getting a little too old for all this or maybe I've never really been a bright bugger, but it's amazing how government can get away with overseeing the theft of more than 50 million acres of Maori land and then offer back less than 3% in compensation, and how polite, submissive and accepting us victims have become.

I think that iwi have bought too much into the whole corporate image and the need for us to be objective and professional in our dealings with the crown, to the detriment of the needs of their own Maori people, and I reckon that unless there is a balancing of the corporate action with the need to fight for social justice, that at some point in the very near future, some iwi are going to start copping flak from within their own ranks.

Mind you I also think the Maori Party is going through a very similar problem at the moment - but more on that story another time.

The more interesting meeting though, was an historic gathering called by the Treaty Minister to make an offer to the Tehiku Forum which of course involves all 5 of the far north iwi - Ngati Kuri, Aupouri, Ngai Takoto, Te Rarawa and Ngati Kahu.

Interesting for a number of reasons.

The Muriwhenua claim was originally signed by Matiu Rata, Wiki Karena, Maori Marsden, Simon Snowden and Mac Matiu, on behalf of the 5 iwi. Back in those days, people knew who their iwi were even though there were no iwi organisations, and Te Runanga o Muriwhenua acted as the catalyst to bring the claim to the table. All of those 5 kaumatua have now passed on, and the new faces at the table reflect the growth of independent iwi, finally coming back together to work on a joint settlement.

Interesting also because of the 15 representing the 5 iwi today, only two are native speakers, most are well educated, three of them are women, data banks have replaced memory banks, and most of them have a very clear understanding of the Treaty settlement process.

I understand that there will be a series of hui over the next week or two where Tehiku reps will be reporting back to their iwi, and I leave them to break the news to you all. Listen out folks - you have a stake in this.