Maori Party urges careful consideration of Northland District inquiry report

The Māori Party is encouraging New Zealanders to make a commitment towards reading stage one of the Paparahi o te Raki (Northland District) inquiry.

“The report comes at a time when there is fresh energy for looking at the importance of Māori history in nation-building, with the publication of Tangata Whenua : An illustrated History,” said Te Ururoa Flavell, Co-leader.

“The Tribunal’s report retells the stories of descendants who lived in the Bay of Islands and Hokianga in February 1840, most whom identify as Ngapuhi. The Tribunal is a reputable body and its key conclusion, that the rangatira who signed te Tiriti o Waitangi did not cede their sovereignty to Britain to make and enforce law over their people or their territories, must be seriously considered by us all.

“We must be brave enough to look at their evidence on the basis of the research presented, and think carefully about what it suggests for the meaning and effect of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the English text of the Treaty”.

“The report also sheds light on the meaning and effect of the 1835 declaration He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni, the Declaration of Independence of New Zealand,” said Marama Fox, co-leader. “This was an issue I focused on in my maiden address just a couple of weeks ago. The important finding is that while the rangatira agreed to share power and authority with Britain they did so only on the basis that they would be equals.

“The interpretation of the Te Paparahi o Te Raki stage one report inevitably leads us to look at the significance of the relationship between Treaty partners, both in 1840 and today. The report affirms that rangatiratanga was retained by the northern chiefs and that the treaty was an agreement between two distinct sovereign groups.”

“The Māori Party urges the Government to consider the vital nexus between kawanatanga and rangatiratanga; between the expression of governance and self-determination; as we continue to explore the nature of our Treaty relationship”.

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