Affiliate Te Arawa Iwi and Hapu Claims Settlement Bill
Te Ururoa Flavell, Member of Parliament for Waiariki
Thursday 25 September 2008
E nga iwi o te kainga kua tau mai ki te whare Paremata i tenei rangi, nau mai, haere mai. Ehara i te mea e tika ana kia
riro ma Te Arawa ano a Te Arawa e whakatau no reira me waiho nga whakatau ki nga kaikörero i tu i mua i a au. Me kii,
kua ea nga mihi, ka täku he tautoko.
Kei te möhio tonu au, he rangi whakahirahira tenei mo koutou katoa te hunga kua tau mai i te rangi nei. Me pera ka tika.
Ka hoki nga mahara ki nga tau kua hipa ki te hunga kua ngaro. Na rätou tenei take i ärahi i te wa i a rätou, ara ko
Manuhuia tera, ko Whakahuihui tera, ko Pinda tera, ara noa atu ara noa atu. E koro ma, e kui ma, hoki wairua mai.
Whakarongo ki te ia o te korero, ki te matu o te korero, me te tümanako ia, kua wätea koutou ki te kii, “kua ea”.
Kei te möhio tonu mätou, he ara tapokopoko, he ara tikoki te ara i haere ai koutou. Penei i te ähuatanga i paa mai ki to
tätou tupuna a Tamatekapua me ana mahi püremu i te haerenga mai ki Aotearoa nei, kua heke ta koutou waka ki roto i te
Korokoro o Te Parata, engari pënä ano i a ia, kua puta te waka ki te whai ao ki te ao märama. Me kii kua uu te waka ki
uta.
No reira me mihi ka tika.
Tena ka pätai au i te pätai, he aha te take kua tau mai koutou, tätou ki konei i tenei wa. I haere mai tätou i hea?
Ko töna tikanga, he whakatika i te hee te mahi. I hara te karauna, i kokirihia nga nawe ki mua i te aroaro o te
Taraipiunara o Waitangi kia riro mana nga take e wananga, kua kii mai pea te karauna, kua rahi, me whakatau i te nawe. I
whai koutou i tenei huarahi, ka mutu nga korero i te rangi nei, kua ea te take mo tenei wa. Engari kaore pea ëtahi i te
möhio mo nga uauatanga.
Kua puta te nawe na nga mahi o te Karauna. He mahi whänako te mahi, he mahi tinihanga te mahi.
Ko te Kooti a ture nei, tëtahi o nga mea i te pütake o nga raru. Ko ëtahi o koutou kua rongo i te ahuatanga o te Public
Works Act. E pera ana mätou o nga Ngati Rangiwewehi. I ngaro te whenua, I noho kore whenua te iwi. I te pera i Okere, i
Orakei Korako, ka mutu ko te whenua tonu o Ngati Uenukukopako, ara kei kora te taunga waka rererangi o Rotorua inäianei.
Kei a mätou o te Pati Maori tëtahi pire hei whakatikatika i tenei mahi, a, ka korerohia tera i te hokinga mai ki te
paremata hou.
Hei whakamärama ake, kei te kii ake mätou, ko te whenua kua tangohia e te Karauna mo nga kura ränei mo nga rori ränei,
engari i te roanga o te wa, kua huri te pütake o te tuku ki take kee, me whakahoki ki te iwi no rätou tera whenua, me
tëtahi utunga me kii. Koia nei tëtahi take nui nei ki a mätou o te Paati Maori.
Ko tenei mahi o te whakatau i te raru ränei i te nawe ränei, ki täku titiro he mea höhonu nei ki a taua te Maori. Ko
ëtahi ka whakapau i te kaha, ka whakapau moni, ka noho i te mokemoke, ka noho i te rangirua, ka noho i te riri. He aha
ai? Ko taua kähui, he mökai no te iwi, he ringaringa mo te iwi. Ko ëtahi pea, kaore e kore ka ruku ki te höhonutanga o
te take, ka tata toremi, nga runga I te whakapono, he nawe kei konei, me pakanga i te pakanga mo töku iwi te painga, mo
aku tamariki. Ki täku möhio kei te pera ëtahi o koutou, kei te pera hoki ëtahi o tätou. He mahi uaua, he mea whakapau
kaha.
Mo te hunga i pera rawa kia kitea mai i te rangi nei, ka nui nga mihi. Ka kore e whakahua ingoa kei mahue ake i ëtahi,
kei kii mai pea ëtahi, kei te mihi au ki a au ano. Waihotia nga mihi ki a tätou ano mo te kainga.
Ara ano ëtahi take kaore ano kia tutuki noa, heoi ano koia nei te korero o ëtahi i te hui o te Komiti Whaiti i Rotorua.
Tuatahi mo Ngati Whaoa. Kia mohio mai koutou kua tae mai tëtahi tono o Te Runanga o Ngati Whaoa kia tangohia a rätou
ingoa i te pïre. Na nga tikanga o te whare nei, kaore tera i whakaäetia. Engari ahakoa ko tera, he take ka puta aa tae
noa ki te wa, ka tau te rongomau. E aroha ana.
Ka rua, i tae mai te tono o Te Maru o Ngati Wahiao ki te kii, he iwi tonu a Ngati Wahiao, he whenua ano o rätou, i te
pïrangi rätou kia tu motuhake engari kia tu ki te taha o Tuhourangi. I puta ano hoki tenei take i te hui o te Komiti
whäiti. Ko ta rätou, ae, he uri rätou katoa no Tuhourangi pënei i a au o Ngati Rangiwewehi, a Ngararanui, a wai ake o te
kainga engari ko Tuhourangi ano a Tuhourangi, ko Ngati Wahiao ano a Ngati Wahiao.
Ae, kua moe tëtahi ki tëtahi, ae kotahi tonu te kapa haka, kotahi tonu te tu engari i te noho äwangawanga rätou kei
ngaro te mana motuhake o Ngati Wahiao a iwi nei. Ehara näku ënei korero engari koia nei te tono.
I rongo a Rangipuawhe Maika i te korero nei, a, tere tana whakautu mai ki te pätai o Tau Henare raua ko Pita Paraone. Ko
tana, ae, kaore he paku raru ki te kii, Tuhourangi, me Ngati Wahiao i roto i te Pire nei. Mo mätou o te komiti, i te
harikoa. Kaore mätou i te pïrangi ki te whakatau i nga take o nga iwi engari mo tenei take engari i te harikoa mätou. I
puta te tono, i whakaäetia te tono e tëtahi o te waha korero matua o Te Pakira, o te tupuna nei o Wahiao, kätahi te mahi
pai.
No te wiki i muri tata mai i hoki mai te korero ki te komiti whäiti, kaore ëtahi i whakaäe. Ehara i te mea, me waiho ake
ma mätou e whakatau, engari, he take tonu. Ko te tümanako ka ata tirohia tenei take a te wa.
He take nui i te mea e hängai tonu ana taua take ki te pire ka tae mai akoakenei mo te Whakarewarewa, me kii mo te Puia.
Na Ngati Uenukukopako te karanga ano ki a mätou ki te tuku i tëtahi tapiratanga ki te pire kia kore te pïra e whakararu
i ta rätou kerëme mo te taiao i runga ake i taunga waka rererangi.
Na Te Pati Maori tëtahi i tuhi i whakarite, engari, i rongo te Minita mo te take nei, a, i whakatikahia e ia tëtahi
korero hei tiaki i tera huarahi ki a koutou Ngati Uenukukopako.
Mo Ngati Tukiterangi. I rongo mätou, na te wareware, na te hapa ränei kaore taua hapü i roto i te pire. Na te minita ano
tera i whakatika, no reira, ka pai ana taringa, i rongo i te korero.
No reira, me whakanui ka tika. Ka hoki atu ëtahi panga whenua ki roto o nga ringa o te iwi. E ai ki täku rongo rua tekau
ma wha nga panga whenua ka hoki ki te iwi. Ko Te Whakarewarewa tera, ko nga whenua o Rotongata tera, o Rotoatua ano
hoki. Me pera ka tika. Ara ano te pätai, he aha te roto mënä karekau he wai o roto?
Kei a koutou te tono tuatahi mo nga rawe o te Karauna mënä e hiahia ana a ia ki te hoko. Ka pai ano hoki tera. No reira
mahia te mahi. Mahia te mahi mo te painga o nga kähui iwi ki taka nga painga ki te wähi e tika ana.
Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa no koutou tenei rangi i te taha o ëtahi atu o nga iwi. Kei te aroha ake, kaore töku rahinga i
ta koutou taha engari kei te pai, kei te korero te Minita ki a Ngati Rangiwewehi rätou ko Tapuika, ko Waitaha, ko Ngati
Makino. He ra töna pea, ka tutuki pai nga take katoa mo tätou katoa o Te Arawa.
Me pëhea hoki a muri ake nei? Kei a koutou te tikanga. Kua ea te wahanga ki a paremata, kei a koutou inäianei. Hoea te
waka kei aku rangatira.
Ka hoki au ki raro i a Tiheia, ki te mimi o Pekehaua ki reira whakatika ai i töku waka, kia noho ano te niao o töku waka
ki te taha o to koutou waka. Kei te pënei ano hoki ëtahi atu iwi o tätou. Kia eke ki tera wa, koia te whakatinanatanga o
te korero, “whatitiri ki te rangi, Te Arawa kei raro”.
To the tribes from home who have arrived at Parliament today, welcome. It is not appropriate that Te Arawa greets itself
so I will leave the welcomes to those who have spoken before me. So I say the greetings have been dealt with and I am
happy to support.
I know that this is a great day for you all, the people who have arrived here today. And it is a great day. I reflect on
the years that have gone by and to those who have passed on. It was they who lead the way in their time and I speak of
Manuhuia Bennett, of Whakahuihui Vercoe, Pinda Pirika and others. Return all of you to this occasion. Listen to the
debate and the depth of discussion and I hope you can all say it is now finished.
We all recognise that this has not been an easy journey that you here today have travelled. Our ancestor Tamatekapua as
we know, when on the trip from Hawaiki, committed adultery and descended into the whirlpool of Te Parata. Like him you
were able to come out of the whirlpool to the world of light and continue on the journey.
So it is appropriate that I acknowledge you.
Now I want to ask what is the matter that brings us all here at this time. Where have we come from.
In theory we are here to right a wrong. The Crown did wrong, a case was taken to the Waitangi Tribunal to consider,
perhaps the Crown said enough, let us settle the grievance. You followed this path, discussion is now finished today and
the issue is put to rest at this point. But many may not be aware of the difficulties.
The grievance has come out of the deeds of the Crown. There has been theft and deceit.
The courts of the land is one of the factors behind the grievances. Some of you may well have heard of the Public Works
Act just as we of Ngati Rangiwewehi have. The land was lost, the people lived landless. It was like that at Okere, at
Orakei Korako even to the lands of Ngati Uenukukopako that is, where the current airport stands.
We of the Maori Party have a Bill to deal with this matter and it will be debated in the next Parliament.
To explain, we say land taken by the Crown for schools or roads perhaps but over time has been used for some other
purpose should be returned to the people who lost the land with compensation. This is a high priority for us of the
Maori Party.
The matter of settling of claims has some significance to us as Maori. Some give of their all, use their own money,
experience loneliness and un-surety perhaps anger. Why? Because they are the servants of the people. Some perhaps dive
so deep into the issues that they almost drown in the belief that there is a grievance, one should fight the fight for
the betterment of my people, of my children. As far as I know this is the case from some of you. It is difficult work,
it is draining.
For those in that category, congratulations. I will not name names in case I leave some out and in case some accuse me
of patting myself on the back. I will leave that for us when we get home.
I need to say, that there are some unsolved issues or at least this is what we were told at the Select Committee hearing
in Rotorua.
First in regard to Ngati Whaoa. You need to know that a submission has arrived to us from Te Runanga o Ngati Whaoa
asking to have the name Ngati Whaoa removed from the Bill. Because of the rules of the House these moves were ruled out
of order. Despite that, it is an issue that will continue until things are sorted out.
Secondly, a submission was received from Te Maru o Ngati Wahiao to say that they are in fact an iwi in their own right,
they have land and they wish to stand separate and yet beside Tuhourangi. This issue was also raised at the Select
Committee process. To them yes they are all descendents of Tuhourangi just like myself of Ngati Rangiwewehi, like
Ngararanui and others from home but Tuhourangi is Tuhourangi and Ngati Wahiao is Ngati Wahiao.
Yes there has been inter marriage and yes there is one culture group, they do stand as one but some are concerned that
rights and sovereignty of Ngati Wahiao will be lost. This is not what I said but it is in the submission.
I heard Rangipuawhe Maika in his quick response to the question from Tau Henare and Pita Paraone. He said, yes, there is
no problem with saying Tuhourangi and Ngati Wahiao in this bill. Now we did not want to enter into iwi issues but on
this matter we were very happy. The request was made to uncouple, it was agreed to by one of the senior speakers of Te
Päkira marae and Wahiao the ancestral house and that was great.
The week afterwards we received advice that some had not agreed. It is not as if we can settle this now but it is an
issue. My hope is that this matter is dealt with shortly.
This is an important matter because it affects a Bill that is here shortly about Whakarewarewa.
Ngati Uenukukopako also asked us to add an amendment to the Bill to ensure the bill would not compromise their claim
over the airspace above the airport.
The Maori Party wrote and amendment but the Minister had heard about the matter and prepared a Supplementary Order Paper
to protect your interests for you Ngati Uenukukopako.
I move to Ngati Tukiterangi. We heard that through forgetfulness or just as a mistake, this hapü was not in the Bill.
The Minister also fixed that so his ears are fine and he did hear the call.
So it is appropriate that we celebrate. Land will be going back to the people. From what I understand, 24 pieces of land
will be returned from around Whakarewarewa, to the lake beds of Rotongata and Rotoatua as well. That is appropriate.
There is still the unanswered question, what is a lake without water?
You have the first option on Crown assets if they chose to sell. That is great. So go for it. Do what you have to do for
the betterment of the people.
Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa this is your day along with other tribes. I am saddened that my tribe are not with you, but
that is fine because the Minister is talking with us along with Tapuika, Waitaha, and Ngati Makino. A day will come when
all of us of Te Arawa will have our issues settled.
So where to from here. That is up to you now. The part for Parliament is complete. It is on you from now. Paddle the
canoe.
I will return to Tiheia, to the water left by Pekehaua to prepare our canoe so it can lie at the side of your canoe.
Others are doing the same. When that day comes it will be the embodiment of the saying, when lightning strikes, Te Arawa
will be below.
Ends