Maori are fighting for their rights

Maori struggle against diluting the Treaty of Waitangi

The Maori descend from a great seafaring people, the Polynesians, arriving in Aotearoa (New Zealand) at the latest in the 15th century (the exact time is not known) from Hawaïki. Aotearoa translates to Land in the long white cloud, probably what was seen when the Maori arrived at Te Ika-a-Maui (the North Island). In the centuries after, the Maori spread across all of Aotearoa, including Te Waipounamu (the South Island).

In the late 18th century the English arrived in Aotearoa, and started stealing land from the already present Maori. In 1840 Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi) was signed between the British colonizers and the Maori. The English version and the Maori version held different meanings. Māori and Pākehā (Europeans) therefore had different expectations of the treaty’s terms. Which led to the New Zealand Wars from 1843 till 1872. During this war the Maori lost many lives and much territory.

The Rotowhio marae (townhouse). A marae is a meeting ground that provides space for eating, sleeping, religion and education.

From the 1920s onward public awareness of Te Tiriti grew. Still, in the 1950s land grievances continued, and the Maori Affairs Amendment Act 1967 made it easier for the government to compulsorily acquire ‘uneconomic interests’ (small or undeveloped blocks) in Māori land. In the 1970s and 1980s protests at Waitangi revealed how the Maori understand Te Tiriti and how it is understood by the government and most of the non-Maori community.

In 1975 the government passed the Treaty of Waitangi Act. This established the Waitangi Tribunal and began a radical shift in the role of the treaty in the nation’s life. However, its jurisdiction was initially restricted to hearing claims arising from events since 1975, and for some years it had very little social or political influence. In 1985 the tribunal’s jurisdiction was extended to cover Crown acts and omissions dating from the signing of the treaty in 1840. This opened up the historical record of Crown–Māori relationships to intense scrutiny. Further amendments to the Treaty of Waitangi Act expanded the tribunal’s membership and extended its capacity for research, hearings and report writing.

Last year there was news that the New Zealand government seeks to introduce a new bill. The proposed Treaty Principles Bill would make the rights granted to the iwi (chiefs) subservient to the rights of the Crown (New Zealand government). The proposal also suggested that the rights guaranteed to rangatira (Tribal chiefs) would only be recognised by the Crown if these rights were included in settlement legislation. Treaty settlements are a mechanism through which the Crown apologizes and provides cultural and financial redress for historical atrocities. This proposal was made without any input from the Maori themselves. The Treaty Principles Bill was voted down 112 votes to 11, however act leader David Seymour has vowed to continue pushing for the principles of the Treaty to be enshrined in law. While the principles of the Treaty have never been defined in law, its core values, external have, over time, been woven into different pieces of legislation in an effort to offer redress to Māori for the wrong done to them during colonisation.

On the 9th of May the New Zealand government announced a review of the Waitangi Tribunal. The New Zealand government will review the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975 to ensure the Waitangi Tribunal “remains effective and relevant”. To no surprise the review has been initiated by people that oppose the Treaty of Waitangi Act, people that oppose paying reparations, people that seek to limit the rights of the Maori people.

On the 14th of May the same David Seymore announced the Regulatory Standards Bill (RSB). Dr Carwyn Jones said in his submission the bill would “create one of the most fundamental constitutional shifts in our legal history” by elevating the RSB principles above the Treaty principles. And “The RSB and Treaty Principles Bill represent a combined legislative pincer movement where the RSB seeks to finish what the Treaty Principles Bill started.”

Maori people across Aotearoa rise up against the Treaty Principles Bill, protesting the Bill wherever they can. These protests included a haka in New Zealand’s parliament, which was quite impressive. A haka is an expressive and storytelling dance. The Maori have always fought for their freedom and will do so again. Indigenous peoples all over the world are struggling to preserve their lands and way of life. The Maori provide an example of how to confront the people that invade their lands with fight and spirit.